Story Views

Sunday, September 11, 2016

A peek into the earliest history

  The train hooted while running through the large lands of coconut plantations, small towns and green carpets of paddy fields. The earth was being kissed by the morning sun rays. It was our 2nd year end vacation on mid February 2013. We – me myself, Harshi and Kali – had got into the train from Thummodara and were heading towards the Chilaw station. Our minds filled with curiosity and enthusiasm about the upcoming adventurous journey.  After passing about seven stations, we finally reached Chilaw. We got out from the station, walked towards the bus stand and took a bus heading towards Anamaduwa. We were to meet Subhash on the way.  He got into the bus from Pallama, and from here onward there were four members in our small travelling group. The bus drove through small villages which had houses located far from each other. They were mostly separated by large paddy fields, beautiful lakes or vast lands which looked like forests. The bus drove very slowly that at some point we had the impression that we could even walk on foot and pass it. It took about an hour to reach Anamaduwa, where two other people were awaiting to join our little gang. Randika, one of our beloved batch mates and his brother were on motor cycles waiting to proceed the rest of the journey. It was a sunny day and the atmosphere was dry. As the hot sun touched our skin, the bodies felt the different environment of the intermediate dry zone. We rode by bikes – three in one – towards Paramakanda, which was our first destination. According to the sign board displayed at the middle of the town, it was a 2.4km ride from Anamaduwa along the Vihara Mawatha road to reach the "Paramakanda Rajamaha Viharaya".

On the way
On the way
  After riding for about 1km, in front of us we could see a large solid rock balancing on top of another. This was our destination – the Paramakanda rock. Another 1.4km and we were at the gate of the ancient temple. Paramakanda Viharaya is said to be built by Mahathissa Thero during King Walagamba’s( 89-77 BC ) time. There were several historical buildings including the House of Images (Budugey), a "Sthupa", a "Gantara" (Bell) Tower and a rock inscription written in "Brahmin" letters. The whole temple area was aligned with the gigantic rock which we saw on our way. The "Gantara Tower" stood majestically leaning to the rock. It’s ancient architecture increased the temple’s archaeological value. Standing elegantly next to the tower was a milky white small "Sthupa", apparently renovated. Next to it was the "Budugey". It’s roof was constructed according to the ancient style and the door was made of thick wood. Inside it there were paintings and sculptures of Lord Buddha and various ancient Buddhist stories. The painting style resembled the ones in the Kandy era. On another side of the temple stood a Bo tree vastly spreading its branches over the area. By it’s side lay a stone inscription. However, the meaning of the inscription was not indicated at that moment.

The Gantara Tower
The Budugey
The Sthupa

  After spending a quality time at the temple, we headed towards the staircase made of stone which was located at the other end of the site. The stairs resembled a gateway into the historical era of Sri Lanka. Rocks and forest like lands consisting of bushes and slim trees were on either sides of the staircase. At some places the rocks were very steep that the stairs were somewhat high thus we had to make a certain effort to climb them. Panting, but with curiosity we climbed around 150 steps and reached the top. The view was magnificent. A vast area of land could be seen below us. The tree tops lifted up from the greenish carpet of land and paddy fields, surrounded large natural lakes and ponds. There were several other rocks which rose up through the trees.  All of them met the clear blue sky at the far end of the horizon. The wind which kissed the clear waters of the lakes blew so hard passing us that it felt like arrows flying close to our ears. We let the wind hug us as it desired while exploring the enchantment around us. The texture of the rock we stood on was very much different of what we had seen before in our lives. It testified it’s belonging to the pre historic era of the country.

Odd texture of the rock
Beauty up to the horizon
  We didn’t forget to bring some boiled "Kadala" with us for the journey. All of us sat here and there at the slope of the rock and started our mini picnic. Although the sun shone brightly, it’s heat was vanished by the cool wind which blew very hard. On top of the rock amused by the view of the ancient city spread all around us was the perfect spot to enjoy a bite of "Kadala". After everybody was stuffed up, there came the time for a photo shoot. Rocks on top of the others standing against the lovely background of green and blue, encouraged us all to give various poses for a lovely shot.

  Far away on top of an adjacent rock there was a small "Budugey" kind of building with white walls and a roof made of rock. With the help of the boys we climbed into the particular rock in order to explore it better. The creation was amazing. The walls of the "Budugey" were constructed in between the slopes of two nearly perpendicular rocks making the roof and floor be naturally created by the rocks. We took time to amuse ourselves by the wonders of our ancestors and also to absorb the environmental beauty into our minds. It felt that the surroundings had this amazing ability to fill one’s mind with peace and serenity.

Sthupa with rock roof
Stone steps
Rocky surroundings
  We descended the stone stairs and with the lead of Randika walked through a foot path towards a different side of the area. Small bushes and trees were on either side of the path. After walking for several minutes we came to an opening where a large pond lay before us. “This is said to be the country’s longest naturally made pond,” explained Randika and his brother. We had to agree to that statement after we completely approached the zone. It was a rocky area and a rock was naturally carved creating a pond which extended so far that we could not see it’s end. It was like we had entered another dimension. The water of the pond was calm and still. Even the presence of water made our bodies fresh. Silence dominated the environment. Time by time the leaves of the very few trees which were grown near the pond, made a tranquil sound when the wind softly blew. A bird or two gave a small chirp. Beyond the rocks we could see more tree tops against the clear blue sky. We felt the water in our feet and faces and were refreshed. Then we started walking again upwards through a path made by stones kept in a way simulating a staircase. It led to the top of the rock near the pond. We walked along the rock for some time, and on our way we could see the pond beneath us. Far away on top of another rock we could see a "Sthupa". A few climb ups and downs and we were facing the small but ancient monument. Unfortunately some of it’s parts were damaged due to treasure hunters.

The natural pond
The small Sthupa

The small Sthupa
Climbing down

  After worshiping it, we started our journey back downwards. On the way we stopped by the pond to have a little rest and to feel the cool water again. Then we walked on the path and came back into the Paramakanda temple premises. Since another historical site waited for us to explore, we got onto the bikes and set course to Thonigala. It was about a 3km ride towards the Kurunagala Puttalam road. As we reached Thonigala, in order to visit the stone inscription, we had to leave our bikes and walk on foot for some distance through a bushy path similar to the ones we walked on at Paramakanda. We came to a large water tank made by the ancient dynasty. At the distance we could see the Paramakanda rock where we were a few minutes ago. Passing the tank we had to walk upwards on a path led on rocks. The sun had heated the rock surface, thus we made sure to keep our feet on the grassy area. But such areas were lack at this part of the site. Our enthusiasm to see the inscription however made us move forward. There is a popular folklore which describes the name Thonigala, relating to the famous "King Vijaya" and "Kuweni". Legend states that, since "King Vijaya" had to marry a princess from India in order to reign his new found kingdom (Sri Lanka), a Madras princess was brought to the country. Thus "Kuweni" with her children were expelled from the palace. Mourned by this unfair treatment, "Kuweni" fled to her home area and cursed "Vijaya" from top of the rock which we were standing at the moment. The rock (gala) where she cursed or screamed (lathoni) was named as Lathonigala hence after passing through several generations the name was changed as Thonigala.

Thonigala rock
By the tank

  We finally reached the top of the rock where long stone inscriptions could be seen – the "Thonigala Sel Lipi". Two inscriptions lay carved in a vast area of the flat rock. Each inscription is said to be about 100 feet long and each letter about one feet in height and engraved about one inch deep in to the rock. Also it is said to be the largest rock inscription found in Sri Lanka. According to the translated inscription displayed at the site by the Archeological department, these inscriptions dated back to the first century BC to the period of King Mahachuli Mahathissa, who was a son of King Walagamba. They state about a grant of a lake, which probably was the one we had just passed by, and a village to a Buddhist Monastery by the name of "Achagirika Tissa Pabbata". This Monastery is believed to be the "Paramakanda Raja Maha Vihara", which we had visited previously. According to our thoughts and feelings, these inscriptions are a remarkable instance of the origin of the Sinhalese language. They also give evidence of the art of writing our ancestors had used thousands of years ago. From the place where the second inscription laid we could see the Paramakanda rock in the distance. We tried to imagine how this area could have been thousand years ago. If only these rocks could talk, they could have burst by revealing both wonderful and sad memories of whatever happened on them thousands and thousands of years ago. Even the wind blew like narrating their ancient stories of generations before us.

Thonigala stone inscription
Letters carved into the rock

  An iron fence was built around the inscription in order to protect it, but as we heard from the villagers later on, due to the excessive hot weather conditions and the heat of direct sun rays on it, the rock might be in a dangerous condition to be cracked. We spent some time exploring and started descending again. The tank was like calling us for a rest, thus we spent some time by the water. For the last time we looked back at the site which holds many stories of ancient legends and bid good bye. We walked back to the bikes and rode along to Randika’s home, where a fine lunch awaited.

Bio diversity
A few of the group


Tuesday, August 9, 2016

In search for vanished trails

  It was around 7pm on the 08th of February 2013 when I came out of my boarding place at Eliyakanda junction in order to take a bus to Matara town. A bag pack hung over my shoulders and my mind was free as a bird. A 5minits drive in the bus and I was at Matara bus stand along with a few of my batch mates – Uthpalavi, Poshitha, Rusiru, Eranga, Subhash and Lahiru. It was the end of our 2nd year’s 2nd semester and the beginning of the semester vacation. After pouring everything by hearted into the long lasted semester exams’ answer sheets, our minds and hearts felt much lighter than ever. We waited for the CTB bus which runs from Ambalangoda to Ampara to reach us. As we had booked our seats in advance, we didn’t worry about the huge crowd who were also awaiting for the bus. Our plan was to travel to Ampara by this bus, spend the night at Lahiru’s place and on the next morning, go on the adventurous hike at Rajagalathanne.

  The bus was late for about a half an hour, but it finally came. The seven of us sat on the back seat so that we had the space to ourselves. Through the dark winding roads, we drove passing Tangalle and Hambanthota. As we reached Katharagama we decided to have our snack. A very spicy “seeni sambal” was prepared by myself, Uthpalavi and Poshitha at my boarding place. The boys brought loaves of bread to eat with. Everybody seemed ok with the food except Eranga, who struggled severely to hide tears falling down from his eyes due to the spiciness. He must have emptied several bottles of water when he was done eating. The bus drove through Katharagama Buttala road, then towards Siyambalanduwa. Fortunately or unfortunately we did not meet any elephants on the way. According to Lahiru they are used to roam on these roads at night.

On the way
At Matara bus stand
  It was about 2am when we finally reached to our destination – Ampara. Lahiru’s vehicle was there to pick us, and we were taken to his home at Gonagolla which was another 18km drive. We faintly washed ourselves and went to sleep, dreaming about tomorrow’s adventure to come.

  The next morning after stuffing ourselves with the delicious breakfast prepared by Lahiru’s mother, we set course to Rajagalathanne. It was situated about 6kms north to Gonagolla. Lahiru drove us on his van through the AmparaUhanaMahaoya highway. As usual in any trip, the atmosphere filled with songs sung by us. Chatting, laughing and taking selfies and photographs were other stuff we did throughout the drive. Finally we reached our destination. The environment was calm and quiet. The forestry view enhanced our enthusiasm to move forward. Only two security officers were to be seen at the entrance. The premises were named as a property of the Department of Archeology. According to our ancient tradition and beliefs, we hung a branch of leaves (“kola aththa”) on a nearby tree and with Lahiru on front, we commenced our adventurous hike.

  Rajagala also referred to as Rassagala – a land consisting of jungles and mountains which spread across about 1025 acres - is identified as an ancient monastery belonging to Sri Lanka’s prehistoric era.  According to Archeologists, people of the Raksha tribe must have lived in this area, hence explaining the name Rassagala. The history of this place is not definite, but monks are believed to have inhabited it around the 10th to 3rd centuries BC. According to Lahiru, several prehistoric artifacts were awaiting deep in this forest to be explored by us. Thus picturing and wondering about how this place would have looked like during the ancient days and what hidden treasures awaited deep in the forest, one after another we climbed the first set of boulders which seperated the two worlds apart – the modern noisy one and the ancient serene one.

In the forest

  It felt like we had passed a doorway into the historical era. Rocks and flat stones which laid one above the other created a footpath which led us upwards on to the mountain. Large rocks leaned from either side of the path. Huge trees along with various sizes of creepers hanging from them were seen everywhere around us. We slowly walked upwards along the rocky path. At some points we had to slide through very narrow places between huge rocks. Small steps were carved in several of the rocks which could not be moved away from the path. To our amusement we saw elephant droppings lying here and there, even at places we could hardly imagine that such a gigantic creature could walk or move. The scene somehow gave a minor shock to our hearts. We hoped that luckily we would not meet any of them on the way. After climbing for some distance, we could see the view of the vast area covered with tree tops below us. Small natural ponds were formed at places where water had gathered between valleys of rocks. Water lilies grew in them, enhancing the view to be much more enchanting. Time by time we rested on the flat rocks which cooled our bodies when touched. Due to the calm weather in the forest, we did not feel a lot of tiredness. Leaning onto branches of trees and supporting each other on the way, the seven of us climbed the steep rocks one by one. The forest floor was covered with a brown carpet of dried leaves. Small water streams flowed downwards here and there. The water was so clean that we could see our own feet touching the bottom of the stream. It was also so cold that the feeling was sensational and all the tiredness was vanished away when touched.

  We hiked for several hours and finally reached one peak of the mountain. Proud and happy about the achievement we spent some time posing for photographs and enjoying the natural beauty all around us. Nearby, we saw the first ancient artifact that we came upon in our adventure – a “Sthupa”. “It is believed that this is a remaining part of a Sthupa containing relics of Arahath Mihindu Thera” explained Lahiru, who was our guide at this moment. As mentioned by Archeologists, a simple stone inscription – “Sel Lipi” – which could be seen lying nearby it, testified what he just said. However not much of conservation or excavation work was seen on this site at that moment. We were lucky enough to have a photographer who was so keen on capturing every moment someone made a turn. Eranga with his camera or mobile phone made a genuine effort in taking pictures of us all.

At the peek
The Stupa

  We cherished the entire set of mind relaxing scenery of this site and then started our journey again, this time not upwards, but on a horizontal path between small bushes and plants. We walked for several minutes and came to an area where the environment was totally different from the previous one. The former site was sunny, open and had small bushes around. But now the forest was thick and a bit dark with tall trees grown everywhere and consisted of many labyrinths of caves which had odd but amazing shapes. These caves were said to be used as “Aramas” or dens which were houses for monks. They were said to meditate under these caves. The environment was amazingly silent and ideal for the purpose. Walls cut by stones lay here and there testifying that these caves must have been separated into rooms. A few feet further there was a ruin which could be related to a temple or some type of residence. A “korawakgala” (stone balustrade), “muragala” (guard stone) and a “sandakadapahana” (moonstone) laid there among the left over pillars, proudly resembling the inconceivable ancient architecture of Sri Lanka. A stone inscription was nearby, probably stating about the donor and resident of this particular mansion which once would have magnificently stood up spreading over this area.

  What interested us mostly were a couple of perfectly shaped large stone-made pots also known as “kataram” which lay on the floor nearby. “These must have been used to store water to be used by the monks who meditated in those caves”, was our conclusion. It was sad to see that some edges of the pots were damaged maybe due to natural causes or unfortunately due to human behavior. Although the ruins lay on the floor, some half buried, in our minds, we straightened them up and tried to build the majestic city which once have had been on this land.

Labyrinth of caves
Ruins

Muragala
Kataram

  Leaving the artifacts lying there alone, so that they could express their ancient story to some other traveler who happens to pass by, we started walking again. This time we ended up near a stream more like a river where water flew downwards through caves and rocks making it colder, cleaner and fresher. The sound of water hitting the rocks, the shake of the leaves on trees, the songs of the birds singing was mesmerizing. We felt the cold water by washing our hands and faces. A new life sprung to us. There were some soft drinks in our bags. We refreshed ourselves by emptying them into our throats. We had to make an extra effort to grab the bottles from Rusiru, who was anytime ready to fill his stomach with whatever food or drink available. The empty bottles were refilled with cold water from the stream. Since everybody was refreshed we started our journey again climbing upwards from rock to rock and sliding downwards when necessary.

  We came to an area where huge boulders forming caves raised up magnificently through the forest trees. These caves were somehow different in shape from the ones we saw previously. Several ancient pillars were to be seen nearby these rocks. Ancient writings were carved on the upper part of the boulders. They normally stated the donor of the cave. On top of the writings, the rock was horizontally carved inwards, forming a small fold which was intended to avoid rain water to flow down the rock into the cave. Some caves were separated with brick and clay walls forming small rooms within. There was so much to admire about the knowledge and creativity of our ancestors. But it was unfortunate to see that some of these caves and ruins were severely damaged due to local treasure hunters. A nation should be proud and protect historical left overs instead of damaging them for greed.

Resting by the stream
Writings on rock
  Next we came upon the cave which was famous due to the existence of a stone doorway – “uluwassa”- leading to it which was still intact. It also consisted of a door-frame which was built by placing stone slabs one on another, performing a balancing act. Unlike in the modern days they were not glued together using cement or clay, but they lay there just as they would have been 2000 years ago. A few feet ahead we came to a vast open area where so many ruins were to be seen. Faintly carved stone pillars lay horizontally some half buried in the ground. The site made us feel that once these premises would have looked magnificent and serene.  The usual “korawakgala”, “muragala” and “sandakadapahana” could be seen here also. The trees were a bit different from those which we had passed throughout the journey. There were so many creepers hanging from tree to tree. They were so thick that some of us climbed on to them for a swing, which resembled Tarzan’s adventures. Everybody had fun by hanging on them and remembering childhood activities. I could not help wondering what would have been there 2000 years ago on the exact location where I was standing at the moment. We spent some time there and left the premises in search for other adventures yet to come. After climbing another several rocks, leaning to a few creepers and trees and walking along water streams, again we came to an open area where a gigantic Buddha statue made of rock was laying on the ground. Rumors say that the statue has not been fully completed and feature enhancement was left to be done. However it still perfectly resembled the serenity and tranquility of Lord Buddha. We admired the hard work. How the statue ended up all alone in the middle of the forest was unknown.

The stone "Uluwassa"
Remembering childhood adventures
"sandakadapahana" and "korawakgala"
The abandoned Buddha statue

  The hike wasn’t over yet. Lahiru’s aim was to make sure that we all reached the highest peak of the mountain. Thus he led us further through more bushes and rocks. We finally came to the bottom of the last rock to be climbed. To our relief, steps were carved in this rock, making it easy for us to climb the nearly 90 degree steep path. One after another we slowly made it to the top. The view was mind blowing! We were at the same level with the horizon which separated the green color carpet of bushy tree tops from the clear blue sky. The wind hummed like it was narrating the story of the ancient days. Water was collected in cavities on the rock forming small water holes which enhanced the beauty of the paradise. We felt like we had entered into another world so far from earth. Elephant droppings were lying here and there on the floor. It was proof that we were not the only ones who had hiked to the peak of Rajagala recently.

On the way
The final climb

The view from top
Paradise

  Time was flying and we definitely had to be at the bottom of the mountain before darkness started to fall, otherwise we would be meeting with the owner of the droppings and we didn’t want that to happen. Thus we rested for a very short time and after having one final glance at the wonderful heaven on earth we set course back to the bottom. Although the quiet forest was shady and mind relaxing and all, we were exhausted when reached to the place where we had hung the branch of the tree. The time was around 4pm. We all got into the van and reminding about the wonderful experience in the ancient monastery hidden inside the forest all alone from the rest of the world, and drove through the roads to Lahiru’s home.

Saturday, July 30, 2016

A journey into the heart of Nature

 The one thing I hate most is awaking early in the morning. It was 3.45am when I was forced to wake up by my mom. I felt like being murdered, however, the feeling soothed out as soon as I remembered the wonderful plan ahead. Thus I jumped out of bed and started getting ready for the adventurous journey which was to be commenced a few hours sooner.

 I was to wait for them at the Thelwatta junction in Negombo. I made a phone call to know where they were at the moment and since they hadn’t departed from their location, I waited a few minutes more. Then all of a sudden a call came saying that they have entered the Colombo-Katunayaka expressway. I rushed to our vehicle, and along with mum and dad, started heading to the destination where I was supposed to be picked by them. Well, I was late, so I let them collect the others and finally came face to face with their vehicle. As the door opened, I was greeted by them, my good old university friends – the organizer Anas, Rukshi, Thamali and Yasiru whom I met after a long time since graduation! There were two new friends too – Chathuri and Chrishan. It was quiet a reunion! Since everything was good to go, the adventurous journey commenced at 5.30am from Negombo.

 There was so much to talk. We were heading to Weyangoda in order to pick up Rusiru, our last passenger and dear friend to join our little gang. Through the minuscule beam of the rising sunlight, we saw that the paddy fields which passed beside us were covered with the morning mist. Most of the environment was dark. Finally Rusiru also got into the vehicle. Now the journey officially commenced.

 Yasiru drove us through the winding roads from Kegalle, Mawanalla and Peradeniya to Kandy. The cities were being kissed by the first morning sun rays peeking through the clouds. As the sun became brighter, the cities became more crowdy. We drove for about 3 hours and reached Kadugannawa, where we stopped for breakfast. After everyone was stuffed up, the journey started again on the Kandy-Mahiyanganaya road. We passed Digana and Theldeniya where we stopped again to buy some hot "roti" along with a delicious paste made of chilly (kochchi). It was so spicy that no one could avoid tears coming from their eyes. But the taste was heavenly!

 We reached Hunnasgiriya by 12.30 noon. Since everybody was tired from the long drive, we decided to get out of the vehicle, observe the beautiful environment and take some snapshots. Thus everybody got out to feel the breath of Mother Nature. We were surrounded by sky high mountains which wore caps of mist and clouds. Silence dominated all around us. All that sound of vehicles honking, mobile phones ringing, motors grinding and factories working was faded away by the music of leaves moving due to a gentle breeze which was heard once in a while. The nasty odor of petrol and gasoline, of sweat and swamps was replaced by the fragrance of plants, trees and soil. Few couples of yellow colored butterflies roamed freely. If only I could exchange life with that little creature for a while!

   We spent some time till we were fully satisfied. We made some phone calls to our homes, since the network coverage was said to be unavailable afterwards. The journey proceeded again while the songs sung by us dominated the atmosphere. After driving for about an hour, we stopped at a boutique. Plain tea was ordered along with pieces of juggerry – the perfect combination for the moment.

 The clock showed 4pm when we reached to our destination where travelling by vehicle was possible – “Meemure”. The rest of the journey was to travel on foot into the heart of the jungle. Our vehicle was parked at a place where the house owners were friends with our organizer. Anas has travelled to Meemure several times before, thus we felt very confident about this trip as well as our security. After a few minutes of resting, everybody was good to go with all the stuff packed in travelling kits. Everything from clothes, tents, ropes, lanterns, cooker, BBQ grill up to candles and match boxes had to be carried by ourselves into the forest. Thus each and every one had several Kg s of weight on their shoulders.

 The road was a bit steep and upwards, thus the walk was tiresome. However the adventure ahead tempted us to move our feet forward ignoring the tiredness. We traveled for about 3Km along the road through the Meemure village. At some places I couldn’t help thinking how on earth these people lived in such lands so far from other villages, with so few facilities! The roads were so narrow that it was very difficult for two vehicles to pass by. We experienced this inconvenience throughout the drive from Hunnasgiriya to Meemure. Small houses were located here and there at the bottom of steep mountains. Almost every home had their own Trishaw; otherwise it would be very difficult travelling up and down these steep roads. Despite all of the difficulties, and lack of so called facilities, we saw the innocent smiles and immeasurable courage of the hardworking people. The little children played by running up and down the steep roads. They didn’t need video games or other complicated toys to play with. They had Mother Nature’s offerings and blessings. Crops were grown on fields -“liyadi”- cut on mountains. They represented a green carpet laid covering the valleys. When several white cranes descended from the blue skies to this greenish crop grown area, the sight was mind blowing!


  We rested for a couple of minutes under some shady trees, admiring the sceneries for a lifetime. One of the Knuckles’ mountains stood majestically before us. “That’s the forest we are going to camp in” said the organizer. The mountain was covered with trees of the forest. The boundary of the village was seen a few feet ahead. Afterwards we entered the forest of the Knuckles Mountain.

 The journey became tougher and much more dangerous. Everybody took care of themselves and each others as well. We had to climb from rock to rock. There were places where we had to cling on creepers and climb upwards. Waterfalls of various sizes were on either side of our footpath. Once, we were on a path where tall trees and rocks were on our right hand side while a river flew at a shallow path on our left hand side. The foot path which we were travelling was narrow, thus we had to walk one after another. The most disgusting situation was when leeches hung on our feet. Apart from preventing from falling into a hell, we had to be aware of those creatures as well. However, since it was not raining, we didn’t meet much of them. Next, we had to walk through a stream filled with water up to our ankle. “If it rained even a bit the water would be up to your knee!” said our organizer reminding his past experiences. We traveled for about 2km and came to an ideal spot for camping. It was about 6 o’clock and everybody rather had a rest. But there was no time to spare since darkness was approaching rapidly. We had to set up our tents and build a bonfire quickly. The campsite we selected was a small land space surrounded by trees and bushes. A few rocks downwards, there was a stream where clear water floated from rock to rock.

 First of all the ground was cleared and arranged in order to set up the tents. While the boys did this, we girls went here and there close by to collect firewood for the bonfire. The riverbed could be seen clearly through the water. I bet we would never be able to use such clean water at home.

 Two tents were set up. A large polythene carpet was laid on the ground and all our travelling bags were kept on it. Another large carpet was raised above our heads and the four corners of it were tied to the nearby trees, forming a temporary ceiling above us. An electric lamp was lightened. The bonfire was also enlightened, thus perfect lighting was there all around the campsite. While Anas started preparing for the BBQ, Thamali and Rukshi cooked the noodles. Chathuri and me, we went over to the stream and started preparing vegetables for the noodles.

 Finally the noodles were ready. Some green and red apples were cut into pieces and laid separately. Another plate was filled with slices of cucumber. The BBQ was looking and smelling delicious. The atmosphere tickled our taste buds. Dinner was laid on a mat which was laid on the ground between the two tents. Afterwards, we all went to the river to wash ourselves.

 The time was around 8pm and we were in the middle of a forest on the mountainside of the country. So I think you could imagine how freezing the water would be at that moment. Our bodies under the water felt numb. Our lips shivered. Teeth clenched with each other. But after several minutes the tiredness amazingly vanished away. We did not spent a lot of time in the cold water. Soon we were ready for a bonne appetite! Usually every other time was “selfie time”, but at this moment, hunger was stronger. Everybody made sure that at least half of their bellies were full before posing for a photograph.


 The starry night guaranteed that we need not to worry about any rain pour. The water flowing while hitting from rock to rock, the songs of crickets and other night creatures and the gentle hum of the wind were the only sounds that broke the silence. We listened to them as much as we could until we thought that we had recorded the noise in our minds and kept it safe somewhere in our heart, so that we could listen to it some other time, maybe when we needed a break in that busy life in the city.
Time was flying and we were becoming sleepy. The girls and boys went to their separate tents to have a good night’s sleep. However, another hour or two might have passed away when we finally fell asleep, cuddled in to Mother Nature’s chest.

 As the first couple of sun rays hit the forest ground, we woke up yawning lazily. The environment was cold but fresh. Dew drops danced on the leaves of the trees and shone like crystals in the sunlight. A set of birds chirped “Good Morning”. The river flowed making the same sound as on the last night. We longed to sleep more, but our organizer prohibited us to do so. Thus one by one we lazily got out from the tent, washed ourselves and started preparing breakfast.

 The menu included Manioc with a special “lunumiris” which was made of chopped pieces of onion mixed with chili paste. While the Manioc was being prepared, Chrishan and Rusiru made plain tea for all. Finally the breakfast was ready, including boiled Manioc along with our innovative “lunumiris” and some apples. It was served on top of a flat rock by the river. Everybody enjoyed a very happy meal.



 Next came the time for a photo-shoot where everybody posed by hanging on gigantic creepers. This resembled a few shots in the Sinhala movie named “Sooriya Arana”. The actual location used for shooting the movie was situated a few miles upwards the river. Due to lack of time we could not visit that part of the forest. After the photo-shoot everything was packed and we all got ready to have some fun in the river. We traveled a bit upwards the river, looking for an ideal and a safe spot for a bath. We didn’t need to go for long since we found a place where there was a small waterfall and the water flowing from it was so clear that we could see our own feet touching the river bed.

 The experience was unbelievable as well as unforgettable. The white waters from the fall hit our bodies so hard that we felt like being massaged at a spa. We laughed and cried out loud with joy. Every second we spent there was once in a lifetime experience. So we made sure to absorb the best of it. We lost track of time. How many hours we spent there, we didn’t know, nor did we care. But finally it was time to go. We sadly came back to our tents and got dressed for the journey back to the village.



 We carried our bags and every other equipment brought with us. We made sure that the only thing we left behind was our footprints. The same obstacles we faced on our way in to the forest awaited us. We climbed up and down from rock to rock, walked through narrow footpaths and followed one after another through small streams. The leaches didn’t frighten us anymore. Finally we slowly came towards the border of the village. Another several kilometers laid ahead us to walk. Since the lovely breeze and the mind relaxing sound of the forest was not here anymore, everybody started to feel exhausted during the walk. However Ysiru and Chathuri were able to move rapidly and come back to take us by the vehicle.

 We reached the place where the vehicle was parked the previous night, rested for a while, then bayed goodbye to our organizer’s friends and started our journey back home. As we drove out from Meemure, we started singing again. But this time our songs felt somewhat sad and gloomy. Yesterday seemed like a lovely dream. We didn’t want to leave such a heaven on earth!

But it had to be like this. Our vehicle slowly passed Hunnasgiriya, driving us back in to the noisy world…

note : photo courtesy goes to Rukshika and Rusiru.