Southern China Experience

The last week of October was welcoming, since it brought with it the EID Holiday - where able bodied Muslims make the trek to Mecca , in Saudi Arabia. After much deliberation I decided to head to Sri Lanka, since I was able to get my hands on some cheap airline tickets. It was my first trip travelling solo and I decided to wing it without any planning, or Lonely Planet guide. I was fortunate to have a 22hr layover in Bahrain, en route to Sri Lanka, which I used to hire a driver for the day and explore the dessert.

Bahrain Highlights

- The National museum was closed on the holy day of Friday, so I hired a cab driver to be my tour guide for the day. After an hours drive, we made it to the first oil well on the Arabian side of the Persian Gulf (circa 1931!) . It was interesting to see where it all started and view the industrial mess of an oil field.

- The 'tree of life' was by far the most interesting stop. In the middle of the barren dessert rises a large planet Pandora style 'home tree'. After seeing only low lying grubs and burnt grass in the dessert, the tree was out of place. It is said to be over a 1000years old - it's survival and longevity a testament to the power of nature.

The next morning it was off to the airport to make the trip to Sri Lanka. The flight was the most enjoyable one yet, since a drinking party started at the back of the plane with a group of Westerners. The complimentary drinks kept coming, until the beers, vodka, wine and whisky ran dry. I was invited to join an American and Syrian working out of Qatar on their Sri Lankan tour. They had a private driver, fully booked accommodation and a backpackers thirst to see the 'whole island' during the short 6day stay. All I had to do was show up with my Visa card! After covering over 1500kms (at an average speed of roughly 40km/h) it was the most packed vacation imaginable.

Sri Lanka Highlights

- Sigiriya Rock (UNESCO World Heritage Site) was impressive. It's basically a downsized version of Ayers rock in Australia. On the top of the rock and surrounding it lies the ruins of an ancient kingdom. The most interesting part of its history is that King Kashyapa lived on the top of the rock with his 500 mistresses. During the day he would be carried down from his rock, where he would bathe with his women in one of the many artificial swimming pools. It was basically an early day Playboy mansion, with a moat, drawbridge and fortified rock, to protect the Kings bunnies.

- The Temple of the Tooth in Kandi was worth seeing. It can be described as the Vatican of the Buddhist religion, since it houses the only remaining piece of the Buddha (his tooth!). The tooth was tucked away behind locked doors, so we never got the chance to see it.

- Adams Peak proved to be the most illusive attraction. It took over 5 hours to get to the base of the mountain from Kandi. The mountainous roads we took to get there were extremely poor. To complicate matters, we drove through the tail end of a hurricane, with fallen trees, blocked roads and tangled high tension wires. We planned on climbing to the peak during the night (starting at 2am) and we even purchased gear for the 5000+ step climb. The tropical storm raged all night and we had to abandon the climb. It was unfortunate, but will give me a reason to return to Sri Lanka one day to finish the climb.

- Prices! The civil war in Sri Lanka (Tamil Tigers VS Government forces) only ended in 2009. As a result, the tourism industry is still recoverning. Accommodation, food and transportation costs are quite reasonable - even cheaper than Thailand.

- You can go a full day in the backcountry without seeing other tourists. Even the capital of Colombo has a low numbers of foreigners. Visit while you can - Lonely Planet just ranked Sri Lanka as the #1 travel destination of 2013. The floodgates are about to open and wash much of the authenticity away.

Overall, Sri Lanka was an excellent country to visit and I would highly recommend it to others. Most locals know basic English and run their lives on 'island time'. The country has a rich history stretching back 1000's of years and it is even said to have been the location of the 'Garden of Eden'. It's Buddhist roots and mountainous topography make it a uniquely spiritual land.