5 months after joining a crew and starting my adventure on the mighty Heidrun, sailing for 4 months from Ireland to Africa and crossing the Atlantic to Tobago, and then spending a month at home in Queensland visiting friends and family over Christmas it was finally time to get back to my favourite thing about this big trip of mine – ‘solo’ travel. People are always curious as to why I (or anyone else, for that matter) would willingly choose to be ‘away’ for so long, on their own.
It won’t come as any surprise to the hundreds of other solo travellers I’ve met over the last 20 months (and counting) or to any of my other friends who have gone on extended trips of their own that solo traveling doesn’t really mean that you are doing everything on your own. Sure, there are times when you’re by yourself, trying to cross the border from China into Laos, with no cash or atms in sight at 3 in the morning and it’d be really nice to have a friend to share the desperation with – but those times are few and far between, and more than made up for by the amazing experiences you have with all the others you meet along the way. The 2 weeks I spent in Sri Lanka were a perfect reminder of this for me.
After a 10hr stopover in Bali to watch some bogans brawling outside Macca’s at 4 in the morning I arrived in Sri Lanka having done minimal research into what there was to see in this “India Lite”, as I’ve heard it referred to (sorry to my Sri Lankan/Indian friends if that’s a less than favourable comparison). Luckily, I met the wonderful Fiona and her gorgeous 4-month-old daughter Freya. Fiona gave me plenty of tips on Sri Lanka as well as a lift to my hostel outside Colombo in Mt Lavinia (apparently, I did a good job bouncing Freya on my knee to give mum a rest on the flight).
My next stop was the town of Kandy, with the aim being to visit Lion Rock (Sigiriya) to the north. An ancient king built his new capital in the 5th century CE on top of this rock and it is famed for it’s complex hydraulic system that kept the parks and fountains on top of the rock hydrated. The exorbitant price to climb Lion Rock meant I opted for the more fun (and cheaper) Pidurangala Rock to the north. I climbed it with a French girl I met on the bus there who needed some motivation to get to the top – great views of Lion Rock!
Also, in Kandy, I met three fun Dutch girls who gave me some tips – Michelle, Jess and Karina – but more on them later! Some of my clearest memories of Sri Lanka are the long, scenic, windy (and windy) train rides. Though the trains could be crowded and hot at times, the views were incredible and sitting in the carriage entryways provides an uninterrupted chance to appreciate the countryside (too busy watching to get good shots of the sweeping vistas).
The cover photo at the top of this post is a pic from the highest train station in Sri Lanka – Pattipola at 1,898m (stat recorded, you’re welcome John).
I trained it to Hatton and then caught a bus to Nallathanniya, the village nearest Adam’s Peak, a one bajillion (5,500ish) stair, thigh burning climb that most Sri Lankan travelers get the “privilege” to experience. It is Sri Lanka’s most sacred mountain – a pilgrimage site for more than 1,000 years. On the bus, I met Sam, a Canuck from Vancouver who was traveling on his own, had an interest in sailing (a subject in which I had recently become relatively well versed in) and was open to having a partner for the next morning’s (2am!!) assault on Adam’s Peak.
We decided to leave ahead of the main crowds so that we wouldn’t get caught up in traffic on the way up. We met up at 1:40am and started the longggg walk up, with our headlights showing the way. As is often the case, the suggested time for the climb is grossly exaggerated. It took us approximately 2 hours to get to the top – leaving us sitting and shivering for 2 more hours waiting for the much-anticipated sunrise. Luckily, I’d pinched the blanket from my hotel room so Sam, some random Polish girl, and I were able to huddle under that while we waited for the life-giving warmth of the sun to appear.
Sam and I met Sagar (an Indian living in the US), John (compulsive traveler from Northern Ireland) and finally Bella (Israeli, recently ex-army) before leaving town. We all banded together to carry on the trainline east to Nuwara Eliya. Our motley crew enjoyed the (non) pub crawl John planned for us before getting some rest ahead of yet another hike the next day. Sadly, Bella had to leave us for Colombo, but the 4 guys made the trip to explore the Horton Plains National Park.
It was then on to beautiful Ella for some R&R after all the hikes. I took it upon myself to organise a bit of an Aus day bash. Michelle, Jess and Karina popped up at the train station, so, along with the boys, Pommies Kate, Emma and Jenna, and Susie and Keryn (found 2 more Aussies!) we had a good crew to celebrate some Australiana! I even had a Bundy Dark & Stormy to get a proper taste of home. It turned into a bit of a wild night with more than a few good stories attached – beware the scorned Rastas at “Café One Love”, Ella… one love indeed.
We did get some sightseeing done in Ella and my last night was spent with my Ella-sisters Kate, Emma and Jenna at Tomorrowland Hostel, which was a beautiful secluded spot where we drank beer, swapped stories and played cards. I’m so grateful to them for letting me crash and be ‘one of the girls’!
Finally, Sam and I headed down to Hiriketiya Beach for some surf (I’m hooked!) and sun. The Dutch trio popped by again for a few days and we were even lucky enough to be graced with John’s presence one last time.
Although it was a brief trip in Sri Lanka, and I left the north untouched, this jaunt really hammered home the point that solo travellers are only as lonely as they allow themselves to be. It’s remarkably easy to make meaningful friendships in a very short period. So if you’re worried about heading out on your own – don’t be!
Mate,
Awesome blog and stories. I’ve been following it for a while now and day dreaming about doing the exact same thing while matching prosper and gap models (you may remember what those are but after 2 years maybe not).
The lack of Bundy worries me initially but glad to see it can be sourced internationally, even if it’s just Dark and Stormy
Thanks mate! It’s really cool that you might be getting some ideas or thoughts about doing something similar. It’s also nice for me to know that at least one person has made it through a post and found something worthwhile in there. The toughest part was definitely packing up the house and selling the car haha! Smooth sailing from there on out. It just felt like one of thos things that needed to be done sooner rather than later. Money comes and goes but time just goes right?
As far as Bundy goes – it’s cheaper to buy a litre at the bottle-o in downtown Abu Dhabi than it is in Bundaberg itself!