Tissamaharama DIY – July 30
At 5.00 I leave to Yala. I share the jeep with two Spanish and three Chinese girls. Not really worth it, at least for anyone who has been to Africa to the Masai Mara: some puddles with buffaloes, deers, 3 o 4 elephants, not even the shadow of a leopard .
Perhaps it is also our driver’s fault. We see groups accompanied by guides with radios who receive and communicate in turn reports of sightings, like it happens in Africa; ours follows the philosophy “let’s park next to a puddle and see who arrives”, with the sole aim to doze off, send text messages to his friends, and save gasoline. It’s always the two Spanish girls who try to encourage it to go around. I am resigned to the time and money waste, missing the Masai Mara. The three Chinese, who do not speak a word of English, just take pictures of themselves, ignoring the landscape around, even in the rare moments when it happens something worth to be photographed.
I have been told by different people that with the organized safari at Minneriya-Giritale it is possible to see droves of elephants, in this time of the year, perhaps it is worth to get info about it, and then skip Yala.
We reach a deserted windswept beach, which was devastated by the tsunami in 2004. The scale and the base of a bungalow, washed away, are left in memory, along with a plaque
I have lunch at my hotel, 450 LKR. At about 15.30 I catch a bus to Kataraghama (46 LKR one way and 60 LKR on the way back), which is a town sacred to Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims, only less important than Adam’s Peak as a pilgrimages destination. Here, too, they celebrate a perahera, much less touristy than the Kandy one. The peculiarity here is that pilgrims practice various types of self-mutilation, walk on hot coals, ingest sharp nails, swords, etc. The festival is not contemporary with the Kandy one, and celebrations took place ten days ago, some guys tell me. Tonight, therefore, I will assist “only ” to a pooja. Soon I will find out that the Hindu religious celebrations are deafening, and oozing charm, colors, magic.
The area where there are the temples it is not far from the bus terminal, it seems a city park, numerous trees mitigate a little the heat. A long dirt driveway, lined with women selling lotus flowers, and animated by monkeys and dogs chasing each other, lead to the main Hindu temple, flanked by a huge sacred banyan tree. Aside, a buddhist stupa
The scene comes alive at around 19.00, a procession of devotees who offer flowers and food baskets, the priests bless them
In parallel, in the same yard, the coconuts ceremony takes place, they are set on fire and then thrown hard against a rock, if they got broken it’s a good luck sign
After a hour I decide I’ve had enough, and I walk to the central area, have dinner at a kiosk in front of a restaurant serving vegetarian food (290 LKR).
I am little worried to go back with the dark because I am afraid not to recognize the bus stop near my hotel. However, I manage…