New Zealand – Bay of Islands and Coromandel

Posted on February 12, 2014 by jwalton

The flight from Singapore proved enjoyable in that I was able to watch some films, the most memorable being Captain Phillips. The eight overnight hours in Brisbane airport trying to sleep but failing, meant that by the time we reached Auckland I was beginning to feel quite jaded. Having successfully passed through customs without being told off this time and not wishing to delay our journey north I went straight to the Avis desk with whom Ben had pre-booked a car for us. By the time we were upgraded and all the other paperwork was done the best part of an hour had passed before we could finally leave the airport. Our first obstacle was getting through Auckland. Somewhere we went wrong and found ourselves heading back towards the airport. The second attempt proved much more successful and we eventually found ourselves heading north towards Whangerei in deteriorating weather. The weather in Northland has some of the best in New Zealand. This summer has been particularly good with hardly a drop of rain for weeks. So, why is it that when we arrive the weather changes from the norm to wet and windy?

After nearly three hours on the road we reached Settlers Hotel. The girl in reception was very friendly and smiley. As I unloaded the car in the rain as the light faded a man stepped out of the adjacent room holding a baby. He asked if I needed a hand. It struck me as quite a strange offer as he seemed to have his hands full so I turned him down. He laughed and I realised it was Ben. He, Kelly and Eva had come up from Wellington to surprise us. Angela was appropriately moved. Ben had had some filming to do for Whaitangi Day, the day commemorating the signing of the treaty between the Maori nation and the British. Having finished he arranged for him and his family to have the room next to us so that they could surprise us. No wonder the girl on reception had such a big smile. It was a lovely surprise and ensured that we did not fall asleep too early.

Ninety Mile Beach

After breakfast the following morning Ben headed south back to Wellington while Angela and I headed north. Our final destination was only an hour or so further north but as the weather was still foul we decided to head further north and have a look at Ninety Mile Beach, a magnificent stretch of firm sand. It is possible to take your car on to the beach and drive the full length of it. Sadly, there is a clause in our car hire agreement that prevents us from taking the car on to the beach. I was very tempted but the voice of reason was sitting beside me.

Instead, we donned our waterproofs and set out to walk just a short section. As we did so occasional cars sped past us. We came across four young men fishing from the beach. They had a fantastic system. They sent out a line attached to a torpedo. When fully extended the line was 2km long. Along its length were many baited hooks. It took about half an hour for the line to be fully extended. Then it was left in the water for another half hour before it was wound in by hand. Many of the hooks had fish hanging from them, Snapper and Kahawai. It was great to watch them. They were not commercial fishermen but did it for fun for family and friends. They offered us some but we sadly declined.

It was a fabulous walk, despite the weather. The strong wind created a mist of spray giving a mysterious view of the beach as it disappeared beyond the horizon.

A staircase made from an ancient Kauri tree

On the way back south we visited the workshop and showroom of the ancient Kauri tree, the oldest workable wood in the world. Once this area of Northland was covered by massive Kauri trees. Today Kauri trees are protected but those they work with were consumed by swamps and preserved for 45,000 years. Occasionally a farmer may come across an ancient tree, which can then be dried very slowly before the craftsmen are able to work on them. These trees are huge; one in the showroom has a staircase carved through the trunk gaining access to the first floor. Large items of furniture are made, which cost a fortune. Even much smaller items are costly bit the feel of the finished product is a pleasure to touch. It is an incredibly heavy wood so, when buying, we had to think about weight. We did buy a small item from the seconds display, a baguette holder.

We finally reached Paihia, our base for the next two nights at about 7.00pm. The Dolphin Motel situated about 200m inland is well equipped and Paul, our host who’s family heralds from Pershore, was very friendly and welcoming.

This area of Northland played an important part in the early days of New Zealand. Captain Cook came into the Bay of Islands to shelter from a storm and made contact with some of the Maori communities on the islands. The first settlers came to this area and Russell, a small town across from Paihia was the original capital of New Zealand. The first missionaries came to these islands. One of the first was Marsden who on seeing the area where Paihia is said to his Maori friends the it was “pai here”, pai being the Moari for “good”, hence Paihia.

Although it rained most of the night the morning dawned dry with the potential to brighten up. We were booked on the Bay of Islands Cream Tour, named from the time in the early 1900s when a boat used to travel from island to island collecting churns of cream from the farmers and taking them to the mainland.

Map of the Bay of Islands

Setting off at 9.30 we had fourteen specific points of interest to visit and the hope of seeing dolphins, and maybe swimming with them. I’m not going to give you detail of the fourteen points but needless to say there were quite a lot of historical references to Captain Cook and the first missionary settlers. As interesting as they were it is impossible to remember the detail and therefore I think it best to avoid.

The Bay of Islands National Park Authority cares for all the islands, although some islands, or parts of islands, are in private ownership. A consortium of twenty-two different families owns one such island, and ownership remains with those families forever. However, if a family wishes to relinquish its ownership it has to remain with the consortium. These properties are fabulous! Who would want to relinquish living in one of them, even if it is just a holiday home?

The highlight of the day has to be an encounter with a pod of Bottle Nosed Dolphins. They were quite numerous and clearly enjoyed interaction with humans. They swam alongside our boat, under the bow, and even scratched themselves on the rudder. Often they would swim on their sides so that they could make eye contact with us. There was at least one baby (only two months old), which meant we would not be able to swim with them. Whilst swimming with dolphins is a pleasure, it is, perhaps, even more pleasurable to watch them from close quarters. From the prow of the boat we were able to see much more and witness their speed and agility. They are the most beautiful of creatures.

Again, we were given lots of information about the life style of dolphins, far too many to relate here. However, it is interesting to note that in their natural environment they can live for up to fifty years. In captivity that can be reduced to as few as eight years. The bond between mother and baby is incredibly strong, hence us not being able to swim with them and interfere with that bond. Dolphins are very emotional creatures and if a calf should die, the mother will carry with her until it disintegrates rather than allowing a predator make use of it. Apparently, dolphins are like humans and have sex for pleasure as well as for procreation.

This beach struck me as being particularly attractive

All around us there was activity on the water. Being the weekend there were lots of weekend fishers, many seeming to have lots of success. They attracted sea birds, wishing to pick up any bits that may be offered or come their way. Often the fishermen would read the activity of the birds to gain knowledge of what lay beneath the surface. Gannets dive bombed at great speed and came up with their catches hanging from their beaks or bulging their throats. There was always so much to see.

Our only landing of the day was on an the island of Urupukapuka where we were not only having lunch but an opportunity for a swim and to climb a nearby hill affording fantastic views of the whole of the Bay of Islands. It is interesting how people react to such an opportunity. Many had spent the last three and a half hours sitting on a boat and now spent the next hour and twenty minutes sitting on the beach or on the grass behind. Some people are unbelievably lazy. How can they not want to explore? They are probably never going to visit this place again, so why not make the most of the opportunity.

Angela and I delayed lunching so that we could go snorkeling. As we got off the boat we noticed a huge shoal of Snapper swimming around the stern of the boat. Loaded with my Gopro I swam to the stern of the boat and spent a magical time with the Snapper, who were not afraid of me at all. Wait until I go fishing!!

Having eaten we then climbed the nearby hill on the headland. It was a bit steep and the sun beating down meant that it was also quite hot. The view was stunning. It took several shots to get a full 360˚. This has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world and the day was perfect. Wow!! By the time we descended it was time to climb aboard and head out to the Hole in the Rock.

The Hole is the Rock is on the outer limits of the Bay of Islands and necessitates us crossing an open stretch of water exposed to the Pacific Ocean. So far we had been in sheltered waters. As the boat sped across the sea we bounced on the ever-growing swell towards a lump of rock. As we got near we could see that there was a huge arch. Our captain lined the boat up and took us through. The previous three days the weather had been poor and the swell too great to risk such a maneuver so we were privileged.

On the other side of the hole we were given a spectacle that amazed the crew as much as us. Thousands and thousands of fish feeding on krill forced up from the deep by ocean currents rising to meet the continental shelf agitated the surface of the sea. Sitting calmly on the water were gulls also enjoying the krill. Every-so-often there would be frantic movement as the fish were harassed from below by a predator, probably a King Fish. It was incredible to watch, quite easy to film but impossible to photograph.

By now we had visited all fourteen sights so it was time to head back. Reports reached us that there were no other pods of dolphin in the bay so the ‘swimming with dolphins’ option was not going to be available. Disappointing but not the end of the world.

Great fun! I am on the left at the back of the net. Photo curtesy of David Fulcher

There was still one more opportunity to be had. Bringing the boat to a standstill, the crew put a net out to the side of the boat between two booms. It looked like a very large hammock. Those that wished to could jump in and cling on. Not wishing to forgo the opportunity I jumped in and took up position by the rear boom. It proved not to be the best place as all the wash came through me – literally. It was great fun and hopefully a fellow passenger will send me some pictures as Angela was so busy watching she forgot. I now know what a fish feels like to be caught up in a net!

It had been a great day and the skin tingled from the sun and fresh sea air.

The next day, Sunday, we had a long journey through southern Northland, Auckland and round on to the Coromandel Peninsular. The maximum speed limit in New Zealand is 100kph but the roads often don’t allow that speed to be achieved. State Highways, with the exception of either side of Auckland are single carriageways in each direction. The roads tend to twist, turn, climb and descend, so what would be a very straightforward journey in the UK turns into something of an epic. We were covering approximately 400km. The pleasurable thing about journeys here though is the lack of traffic. Except on a Sunday at the end of a bank holiday weekend when everybody is returning to Auckland. We were stuck in a very slow moving traffic jam for an hour north of Warkworth. I though it must be roadwork’s or an accident but no, it was a set of traffic lights causing a 10km queue!

Once through Auckland, via the motorway this time, most of the traffic was coming towards us and the roads in our direction were pretty clear.

Once on the Coromandel Peninsular the road hugged the coastline, twisting and turning, with nothing between us and the sea should we decide to leave the road. The scenery was stunning, particularly so when we had to cut across to the east coast, rising steeply through the mountains to drop just as steeply down the other side.

We eventually arrived at Whitianga just before 7.00pm, having left Paihia at 9.45 in the morning. The motel was excellent, the more so because we had been upgraded to having a full suite with a sea view.

The following morning we decided to visit New Chums Beach. In 2006, the Sunday Observer voted New Chums Beach as one of the top twenty beaches in the world. I guess one of the positives for this beach is that it is only accessible by taking a forty minute walk from the nearest road. A thirty minute drive took us to Whangapoua where we left the car and started the walk, firstly across Whangapoua Beach, itself beautiful, over boulders, through the forest, over a small rise and finally down to New Chums Beach. It is idyllic. Azure blue sea breaking on to almost white sand with a vivid green backdrop of forested hills and hardly another soul in sight.

A swim, a walk along the length of the beach, photographs of oyster catchers and sandlins, a laze in the sun, another swim. Life is so hard at times I really don’t know how I cope. At the far end of the beach I met a dazzling babe, an ex star of Health and Efficiency who posed provocatively for me on some rocks at the water’s edge!!

Having been told that access can be difficult either side of high tide we chose to return to Whangapoua and head back to Whitianga and have a walk in the afternoon. We had planned to walk the Coromandel Walkway in the afternoon but it would have meant spending rather more time in the car than we both desired. It also became apparent that the roads we needed to travel on were gravel roads and our car hire insurance forbade us to travel on such roads.

A Blue Heron providing some ornithological interest

Taking the ferry across the estuary at Whitianga we followed the Maramarototara track which climbed steeply through the trees to the top of the hill. It was hot, I’d had a couple of beers, and it was hard work. The view from the top was excellent but the disappointment was that we had to drop just as far down to the sea. If we had taken the road we would have got there a lot quicker and without as much effort. We were aiming for Cook’s Beach, another of those coves where Captain Cook anchored his ship. It was a pleasant beach but after the beaches we had encountered in the morning and at the Bay of Islands it was a bit of a disappointment.

Following the road this time we returned to the ferry as quickly as we could and returned to Whitianga. As we landed a launch came in and deposited its half dozen passengers. It takes people out to Cathedral Cove, to a marine reserve for snorkeling, and various other bays on a two and a half hour trip. We had plans to go the Cathedral Cove on route to Whangamata for our next night’s accommodation. However, it was not a long journey and could easily be achieved in a couple of hours, so we decided to spend the morning with Ken and his boat exploring these treats from the sea.

The following morning we met Ken, who had managed to acquire three more passengers and, at the last minute, a non English speaking Chinese man who sat with us and kept giving us the thumbs up.

Shakespeare?

On the southern end of Mercury bay is Shakespeare Point. I was intrigued how Shakespeare had managed to travel so far. The story goes that when Captain Cook brought his Endeavour into Mercury Bay in 1769 the shape of the cliff reminded him of Shakespeare. A face can easily be seen in profile but as to whether it looks like Shakespeare I’ll leave you to decide.

Cathedral Cove

Reaching Cathedral Cove, named because of the shape of the arch linking the two halves of the beach, is spectacular. A large column of rock rises out of the sea and another lump seriously eroded around its base make this a fascinating cove. It is possible to walk to this cove but it takes time and when you want to see everything, sometimes it is best to take the easier option. I think probably the best way is by sea kayak, which allows you to land and see everything from a different perspective. Sadly we did not have time to go ashore.

Champagne Cove

Another cove, named Champagne Cove because two pillars represented an upturned champagne flute and a bottle. Adjacent to them was a rock looking like a charging elephant.

All of these wonderful places are in a marine reserve, meaning that nothing can be taken from these waters. No fishing is allowed, no shells or anything must be taken. The fish should not be fed but occasionally Ken dropped a few pellets into the water to fertilise the seaweed. The fact that Snapper got to the pellets first was not his fault. What it gave us was a good view of the fish. Here we were able to snorkel among the fish so Angela and I took the opportunity. Not as spectacular as the snorkeling we did in the Bay of Islands, it was still pretty spectacular. One fish was much larger than the other but I’m not sure what it was.

Looking out from within the cave

Climbing back aboard we went out to an island to see some more sea caves and then back to the mainland to see the third largest sea cave in the southern hemisphere. Ken took his boat right inside. The water beneath us was about thirteen metres deep and the roof of the cave was probably a similar distance above our heads.

From there it was quickly back to Whitianga, a spot of lunch and then the short drive to Whangamata via the Hot Water Beach. Unfortunately we did not get our timing right as the tide was almost at its highest. Beneath the beach there is a thermal fissure of hot water bubbling up. When the tide is out people dig pits in the sand and create their own thermal pool to lie in. Not while we were there. All we could do was stand in the shallows and bore our feet into the sand. I don’t know how people lie in it because when we hit the right spot it was unbearably hot. Remarkably, I found my hands were even less tolerant than my feet. It was like dipping into boiling water.

We arrived in Whangamata in the late afternoon, which is no bad thing as we have a long day on the road to Gisborne tomorrow.

Angela’s Anecdotes

Arrival in NZ after a wonderful week in transit was not blighted by jet lag.

Ben & family’s surprise appearance at our first motel was magical. Eva is 10 months old & nearly walking independently. She eyed us curiously at first but soon smiled and responded with a few gurgles & Dadas!!

Dull but warm weather took us off piste! Great to see 90 mile beach, coffee in a Maori township (3 generations all with robust bodies & broad grins) sat beside us.

More culture at the Ancient Kauri cafe! Wonderful woodwork.

Then we hit beautiful Bay of Islands! A paradise! Especially in hot sunshine, enjoyed every minute.

On to Coromandel. Another playground for grown ups & children alike. By the way the Summer holidays are over & the children went back to school on Feb 1st. Phew!

Fair bit of walking done, we BOTH have sore feet!

Another boat trip taken to view gorgeous geological cliffs, caves & nudist beaches!! Snorkelled with snappers (John included) All amazing.

Singapore

Posted on February 4, 2014 by jwalton

The super efficient hotel shuttle service whisked us along wide, fast moving highways into the city for a mere 9 Singapore dollars each. It was only when we reached Little India that the roads narrowed and became congested by parked cars, sprawling restaurants and evening strollers.

The Wanderlust Hotel is quirky. The decor in reception is a mural of comic type pictures from floor to ceiling and a variety of barber shop chairs. Each room is colour themed. Ours turned out to be black! Everything was black, the walls, the ceiling, the tiled floor, the window blind and all the fixtures and fittings. Contrasting the black was white bedding, white towels and white cups and saucers. The bed was a raised platform at one end of the room with a white neon light above reading “Fade to Black, Metallica”. A frosted glass cubicle houses a shower and another the toilet.

Dropping our bags we went across the road for a drink and a curry. It was now 11.00pm and all the street restaurants were buzzing. Not able to sleep on a full stomach we took a stroll around the narrow streets to get our bearings. By the time we settled into our luxurious bed it was almost 2.00am.

The combination of a black room and a late night makes it difficult to wake up in the morning. We only just made it down to breakfast before they closed at 10.00am.

With the day ahead of us we needed to make the most of our time in Singapore. Reception gave me a few suggestions but it seemed we needed to get to Marine Bay and spread out from there.

Marine Bay Sands

The underground is superb, spotlessly clean, efficient and not at all crowded. The platforms are spacious and pleasant areas to wait in. Clearly the benefit of a modern system compared to our Victorian inspired system, which is hard to change.

Marine Bay has a huge backdrop of modern and futuristic tower blocks around its southern and western shores. The eastern shore, where we headed for was dominated by the Marine Bay Sands shopping complex with three huge towers rising from it to be linked by a rooftop complex of restaurants.

Crossing the Helix Bridge we headed for the Singapore Flyer, a wheel to match the London Eye. On the spur of the moment we decided to get an aerial view of the city. Unlike the London Eye, there were no queues and we found ourselves having a pod to ourselves. The Flyer provided fabulous views across the whole of the city and out to sea where there were dozens of ships of all shapes and sizes anchored.

While we were on the wheel we saw the open top buses parked below and decided to take advantage and see as much of the city we could from ground level as well. The Singapore Flyer took half an hour.

We decided to do the whole journey on the bus so that we could prioritise where we wanted to go when we finished the round trip based on what we had seen. It was good to sit and take it all in, enjoying the warmth of the sun. There was much to sustain the interest from spectacular architecture, the colour of China Town all decked out for Chinese New Year, the much smaller old buildings which are remnants of colonial days, the quantity of shopping malls and the many major schemes in progress, developing Singapore further.

Remarkably, when we alighted from the bus we were both in agreement as to where we wanted to go next. I fully expected that I would want to explore China Town further but I preferred to visit Raffles, probably the most famous landmark for British visitors.

Deciding to walk, we made our way from one shopping mall to another until we reached Raffles Hotel. As well as the hotel there are many boutique type shops in the complex and the Long Bar, which we made for. You really had a feeling that you were walking into a little piece of history. Not a lot has changed since the British were in charge in this small corner of Singapore, the rest of which has clearly changed a great deal. As you walk across the floor your feet crush the shells of peanuts strewn across it. It seems that customers traditionally eat the nuts and discard the husks on the floor. Most customers, Angela included, feel obliged to drink a Singapore Sling, a strange concoction, far too complex a mixture for my basic tastes, where a beer easily satisfies. It was good to sit there, soak up the atmosphere and people watch.

Dusk was approaching so we aimed for yet another mall on the way back to Little India for our meal before completing the journey back to the hotel. Just outside our room is a terrace with funky furniture and a jacuzzi so we decided to finish our day with a frothy soak under the night sky.

What do I think of Singapore? It is a fabulous place to visit. I am gobsmacked by the number of shopping malls there are and how so many can be sustained. I wouldn’t want to spend more than two or three days here at a time so I am quite pleased that tomorrow we head for New Zealand.

Sri Lanka

Posted on February 3, 2014 by jwalton

Sri Lanka. I thought it was only Wales that had impossible to pronounce names. Sri Lanka comes a close second.

First impressions are very good. Coming out of the airport and driving along the new highway towards Colombo is like being in someone’s garden. The flowers and blossom stand out from everything green. The vegetation is so lush. The traffic is relatively light and there are clearly well observed rules of the road. It is not perfect, as I later found out, but it is nothing like India and Nepal for highway chaos. Traffic even stops at pedestrian crossings to allow people to cross the road without harm!

An English teacher working in Colombo told me a few years ago that the air was thick with pollution. Not a sign of it today; the first horticultural impressions proved correct as we drove through the centre of the city. Not only is it a green city with relatively clean air, but the streets are clean; there are no piles of rotting rubbish on every street corner. The pavements are solid and smooth and not likely to break your ankle the first time you venture out on foot. Is it possibly a case that Colombo and the government has made significant improvements. Since the civil war ended in 2009 soldiers have been redeployed on improving the infrastructure of the country with new roads, parkland areas etc. in fact the Ministry for War has been renamed the Ministry for War and Redevelopment.

Our journey from the airport to Maha and Indera’s flat took about 45 minutes. The warmth of their welcome, the cool of their ceiling fans, the icy cold water they offered us to drink, the refreshing shower and the tasty lunch was very welcome after our long, but plain sailing, journey from the UK.

After an early lunch, Priyal, our driver/guide collected us from the flat for the several hour drive to Sigiriya.

The journey from the airport might have seemed efficient but our afternoon road trip proved less so. The road for the volume of traffic was narrow. Varying speed limits according to the size of the vehicle became irrelevant as we were reduced to the speed of the slowest a lot of the time with few opportunities to overtake. For long stretches of the journey we were passing a ribbon of development, behind which there was lush, green vegetation, some of it cultivated with rice paddy fields populated with large numbers of egrets, but largely of tropical forest. To see forests of teak, mahogany and ebon was fabulous. Priyal, as well being our driver was a mine of information constantly pointing out features and places of interest. Some of the greenery belonged to coconut or rubber plantations.

As we approached the five hour mark I was expecting to see Sigiriya but there was absolutely no sign of it, even when we arrived at out hotel, one if the nearest to it there was no sign. Hotel Elephas only opened three months ago and has a number of two storey thatched blocks overlooking an inviting pool, so inviting that the first thing we did once we took possession of our room was to have a refreshing swim. Considering the temperature hovers around the low thirties at the moment the water was not as warm as I was expecting. It came as a bit of a shock but, once accustomed, was perfect.

Sitting on our terrace after a very satisfying meal the noises of the night made you feel as though you were suffering from a bad case of tinnitus with competing insects ringing in your ears.

Sleeping required choices to be made; sleep with the air conditioning on and endure the noise or sleep with it off and endure the heat. We chose the latter and had a remarkably good night’s sleep.

After an early breakfast we drove to Sigiriya along narrow dirt roads with lushness on either side. Kingfishers sat on wires and branches waiting for the opportunity to swoop in a flash of colour on to breakfast in the pools and ditches below.

Sigiriya

Still there was no sign of of the rock we had come to see. How can a lump of rock so big be so invisible? Suddenly we were there, among a throng of tourists at the entrance to this World Heritage site. And there was the rock emerging from the early morning mist, a huge molar rising from the jungle.

We met our guide Samon and began our 200m, 1246 steps, climb to the top.

Sigiriya, translates to Lion Rock, is an ancient volcanic plug 370m above sea level. However, as impressive as it is, that is not the reason why it has become a World Heritage site. In the fifth century King Dhatusena in the north of the country had two sons, the eldest, Kaysapa being the result of a liaison with a concubine. When Kaysapa asked for his father’s kingdom he was told he could not have it and that his younger brother,Moggallana, would inherit the crown. Kaysapa, therefore asked for treasures instead. When his father offered him water, instead of the precious jewels he was hoping for and expecting, he became very angry and murdered him. Kaysapa felt it necessary to flee. He fled to Sigiriya. Over the next eighteen years he ruled his own kingdom and developed his fortress palace. He was a genius architect. Around the base of the rock he built two moats, the outer full of quicksand and the inner was not only five metres deep but inhabited by crocodiles.

The path took us gently through layers of symmetrical gardens although only half had been excavated. The most distinctive was a water garden with a variety of pools. As we got closer to the rock the steps became more numerous and hugged the side of the rock face. Occasionally we came across caves. These were remarkable. The surface of the rock had been chipped away and then plastered with a mixture of things to allow frescos to be painted. Very little of them remain, having been weathered away over the centuries. Following the demise of Kaysapa Sigiriya was taken over by Buddhist monks for the next six centuries and although they didn’t approve of the subject matter in the frescos they preferred to let nature take its course rather than they vandalise them. These fresco caves were designed in such detail that there was a drip sill above them preventing water from getting to them and ultimately damaging them.

A little higher up, just above the mirrored wall, there is a spiral staircase leading up to an otherwise inaccessible shelf and shallow cave. Here the frescos are largely unscathed and they are fabulous. How they have managed to maintain such quality when they are over 1500 years old is incredible. Predictably, when they were commissioned by a man with over 500 concubines, the subject matter has a certain appeal to the male of the species, but the quality of the paintings is outstanding.

The “mirrored wall” showing the spiral staircase up to the frescos

Returning to the mirrored wall via a second spiral staircase we continued our climb. The mirrored wall is in fact highly polished plaster-work which held three functions 1. to reflect the images of the frescos 2. so Kaysapa could not be seen from below and 3. this was probably the most exposed part of the climb and it offered protection. Today we are not allowed under any circumstances to touch the wall but throughout its occupied history people have written on it it minute writing. This has given archeologists an insight into the lives of those people and a greater understanding of events.

Just before the final climb to the summit there is a partially excavated area showing the site of the barracks for the soldiers who defended the rock. Just beyond, raised on small rock pillars is a piece of rock the size of a small house. Should any invaders manage to get beyond the moats the supports would be removed to send the rock crashing down on to the enemy below. The fact that it is still there is great testament to both the skills of those who created it and to the defence of the rock.

The final climb is up a metal stairway to a series of terraces, the highest showing the foundations of the King’s palace. Another contained a pool for his bathing and so on. On a clear day the view might have been spectacular in every direction, although it would be fair to say that it was very similar whichever way you looked – jungle. To one side, making it different from all others, was a giant statue of Buddha, rising a brilliant white above the green canopy. But the view was let down a little by the developing heat haze.

Looking down upon the gardens, the jungle beyond and the Buddhist statue

Everything we had seen, the gardens, the defence mechanisms, the staircases, the pools, the magnificent frescos, the palaces and all that came with it was created in just eighteen years. When Kaysapa killed his father the younger son and rightful heir, Moggallana, fled to Southern India fearing he might suffer the same fait. In 495, after eighteen years he managed to muster an army to seek revenge on his brother. Kaysapa, wishing to protect Sigiriya and prevent any army from coming close took his army several kilometres away to meet the attackers. Kaysapa and all the top military allies rode into battle on elephant back followed by an army of foot soldiers. It had rained heavily the night before and the elephants slipped dangerously in the mud. As the elephants withdrew the foot soldiers believed they had already been defeated and fled. Kaysapa, was abandoned so rather that suffer capture and the consequences there after ,he threw himself on to his sword and killed himself.

Whatever you think of Kaysapa as a person, a son and a king, he was a brilliant architect with a vision and imagination to be admired.

With the collapse of the Kingdom Buddhist monks took occupation if Sigiriya for the next six hundred years. After that it was abandoned and left to the jungle for several hundred years until it was discovered by the English explorer and archeologist, H.C.P. Bell, in 1890. By then it was completely consumed by the forest. The fact that we struggled to see it until we were almost upon it suggests that the jungle did a good job in hiding it for so long.

A really fascinating story and visit well worth the journey.

Meeting up with Priyal at the bottom of the rock we took to the road again and drove to the elephant orphanage at Pinnawala. Clearly a tourist attraction, we arrived in time for the baby feeding time held under an octagonal canopy. By the time we arrived most of the crowd had already gathered watching the five tethered babies swaying to and fro. I didn’t particularly enjoy seeing them tethered and behaving as though they wanted tone free. As Angela pointed out, we tether little children to a high chair for feeding whether they like it or not. The babies became much more compliant when the wardens came with a large pail of milk. This was transferred into a bottle with a rubber tube attached. The babies stood with mouths at the ready and one by one were issued several bottles, which they made very short work of.

In an adjoining enclosure was a very sorry sight. A mature elephant was leaning awkwardly against a support, the lower part of its front right leg missing. It had stepped on a land mine. Without a functioning limb there was very little it could do and you couldn’t help but wonder how much better it would have been for the animal if it had been killed.

At the top of a small rise was an open area giving a panoramic view of the forested hills around. Here, the elephants looked more at home in this environment against this backdrop. The spectacle improved further when, perhaps as many as thirty elephants, came running up the hill towards us. This is what it should be like in a natural environment.

Next on the agenda for the elephants was bathing in the river. Next for us was lunch in a restaurant overlooking the bathing spot. The spectacle of fifty or so elephants almost running in their enthusiasm down the shop-lined street to the river was fabulous. I stood in the road to photograph the spectacle but soon realised that I was in danger of being trampled. Shortly after I retreated one small elephant crashed into the fencing around our restaurant much to the surprise of the diners sitting the other side of it. Fortunately it was robust and took the hit.

Once they reached the water their enthusiasm seemed to wane and most just stood around in the water up to their knees in a huddle. They looked like reluctant swimmers standing in the shallow end chatting. Despite the lack of activity it really was a spectacle to see so many elephants together.

Lunch, and the elephant spectacle over we drove for a further two hours to Negombo, on the coast north of Colombo. We were staying in the Paradise Beach Hotel with a room looking out on the garden with the beach and sea beyond. We took a stroll along the golden sand as the sun set.

Following an excellent and long night’s sleep we only just made it to breakfast before the restaurant closed. The remainder of the morning was spent relaxing in the gardens, swimming and enjoying the warmth the climate provides.

All too soon Priyal arrived to return us to Maha and Indira in Colombo.

At about 4.00pm as the intense heat was beginning to subside, Maha took us on a guided tour of the city. Again all my preconceived ideas about Colombo were shattered. It is a garden city with many fine building dating back to the British colonial rule. These have all been carefully renovated and look really good. Colombo is work in progress. For thirty years money had been directed to fighting the Tamil Tigers. Since the war ended in 2009 there has been money available to improve and develop Colombo into a thriving city. Foreign investors are clammering for part of the action and there is a lot of Chinese interest. Colombo will become the new Singapore. The famous Galle district on the waterfront will be fabulous, although it will take some years for its potential to be achieved.

In the centre of town the old racecourse has been developed and is now home to Colombo Rugby Club with a fine grandstand for spectators. The concept if Sri Lankans, who are naturally quite slight, playing rugby is hard to come to terms with. I guess what they lack in bulk will be more than compensated by speed and agility.

Another fascinating building is a new theatre and arts complex built within a framework that looks like a lotus flower. As well as internal theatre space it includes an open-air theatre on the roof, sufficiently high to avoid the noise of the city below.

In the evening Maha and Indira took us to Raja Bojun, a typical Sri Lankan fair restaurant. There is no menu, just a buffet with so many choices, all of which have to be tried, from egg hoppers, a hemisphere of wafer thin batter with an egg in the middle, a wide range of curries and accompaniments to very sweet sweets. It was a real feast and an excellent recommendation for Sri Lankan cuisine.

We are extremely grateful to Maha and Indira for their hospitality and for Maha coordinating out time in Sri Lanka. It was not long enough but, having dipped my toe in the water, I would not hesitate to return, and for much longer next time.

Next stop Singapore.

Normal service resumed on Cadair Idris!

Posted on January 26, 2014 by jwalton

A beautiful summer’s morning on the top of Cadair Idris

My early morning dash up Cadair Idris last summer provided stunning views from the summit before the heat of the day hazed it out. That stunning excursion gave me enough desire to return with a group and so we found ourselves, twenty four of us in total, gathering at King’s YHA on the evening of Friday 24th January. It had been a wet drive through mid Wales to Dolgellau and the forecast for the weekend did not show much promise. The last of the group arrived by 10.00pm and we were well on the way to clearing some space on the shelves where the alcohol was stored in reception.

King’s YHA

King’s YHA is superbly placed, a long way from anywhere, approached by a narrow lane meandering through beautiful Welsh countryside. The hostel is going through a phase of refurbishment and improvement. The staff give a very friendly welcome and the facilities are good, and will be even better once all the work is done.

The morning dawned dry but mainly cloudy and it was clearly very windy at altitude. Following breakfast we prepared for our day on Cadair. Departure was delayed slightly while Ann’s car was loaded on to a flatbed so it could have a new tyre fitted while we were walking. The mechanic who came to collect it was well beyond retirement age and Ann felt she needed to support his arm as he walked around. He turned out to be 87. The car park was very crowded and some maneuvering had to take place before its departure to Barmouth could be achieved.

The walk up from the hostel along the river is beautiful. Out on the open hillside the tops of the hills were shrouded in mist but at least it wasn’t raining, yet! The wind increased as the morning progressed, getting close to the predicted 50 mph forecast. After a couple of hours we reached the ridge and were hit with a fierce wind. Several were bowled over, the wind being so forceful that we stood little chance of staying upright. Gathering in a huddle we decided that it was too dangerous. Despite the fact we were probably only 15 minutes from the summit, it was just not worth the risk. The path skirted very close to the edge of a long precipitous drop and there was the potential for somebody becoming airborne and going over.

Snatching a bite of wet lunch

As we began the descent it started to rain heavily, the wind whipping it into our faces. Rucksack covers were wrenched off by the wind and flapped furiously behind us. Thunder rumbled above us and we were relieved to get back. A slip on wet rock saw me tumble and take a bit of skin of my knuckles but more annoyingly rip my new waterproof trousers! It was a relief to get back to the hostel at about 2.30.

The prospect of a good walk on the Sunday did not look good with torrential rain forecast accompanied by strong winds gusting to 85mph. Yuck!!

Predictably the morning dawned with heavy rain and very strong winds. Over breakfast we deliberated the prospect of a low level walk along the disused railway path on the southern side if the Barmouth estuary. A hardy group decided to go for it while the majority decided to call it a day and head for home. With me heading this week on a nine week trip, I decided to duck out and give some time to sorting myself out before embarking on a long trip.

I have now been up Cadair Idris about a dozen times and last summer remains the only time when conditions were good and I achieved the splendour of the views from the top.

THIS BLOG HAS BEEN CAPTURED BY PIRATE CAPTAIN DAVE AND HIS CREW!!

Following the departure of Captain “Fairweather” Walton and half the crew in a whaler this blog has been taken over by Pirate Captain Dave Thomas and his band of brigands:-

First Mate Steve – dastardly fighter with his recent scar having seen off a vacuum cleaner and a stairwell.

Ship’s Carpenter – one eyed Simon and his mate Sandie, Ship’s Doctor.

Lookouts Mike and Alison – no one less than 6ft may apply.

Intellectual heavyweight Chris – so we can fight mentally as well as physically

Ship’s software engineer, Pete – a forward looking crew expecting major changes in technology then he will have something to do.

Recent recruit Tom the Cabin Boy – a hot shot with a Lee Enfield 303.

The pirate scoundrels!

The gale was a blowin’ from the south west so prudence told us to seek shelter in the Mawddach Estuary in the lee of the mighty Cadair. We set sail in rough seas and high wind rain from the aptly named and deadly Arthog Bog and after some tacking set an easterly course at a good 3 knots. The First Mate had forecast fine weather at six bells and sure as ships biscuits it was to be. Captain Dave opened up the mainsail and with the Cabin Boy steered the crew to Penmaenpool where we moored up outside the George III Hotel and re-victualled on fine soup, whitebait and ale.

The crew was then dismissed and sent homeward, happy and tired.

It is foretold that Captain “Fairweather” and his mate Nurse Angela of the soothing words and calming manner are off to sunnier climes to explore the eastern and southern oceans. We wish them fair weather and if it gets foul and Nurse Angela is abandoned then Captain Dave and Crew are standing by for the rescue.

No doubt we shall meet again, maybe on some eastern river in the land of temples – in which case “Watch out, “Fairweather! You never know what might befall.”

Over and Out.

The Lawley & Caer Caradoc

Posted on December 12, 2013 by jwalton

It is easy to assume that when you organise a walk well in advance of the weather forecast there is a good chance you be unlucky, particularly in December. However, the twenty three of us walking the Lawley and Caer Caradoc on Sunday 8th Dec. could not have had a better day. The sun shone throughout, the wind was light and it was relatively warm for the time of year. Add to that, it was an area most had not walked before but had seen it on many occasions as they drove up the A49.

Meandering up the Lawley Ridge with the Wrekin in the distant background

Leaving Church Stretton, crossing the railway and the busy A49, we headed over fields for a gap in the hills to access the eastern side of Caer Caradoc. We then followed a track up to a col where we ventured across a ridge known as the Wilderness. This took us to the hamlet of Enchmarsh, from which we gained access to Hoar Ridge running parallel to the east of the Lawley. By the time we reached the northern tip of the Lawley Ridge it was time to relax in the sun, using trees as back rests and enjoy some lunch. To the north the whale back of the Wrekin rose steeply out of the Shropshire plain.

The summit of the Lawley

The Lawley is a delightfully easy ridge with the rolling hills of Hope Bowdler, the Wenlock Edge and the Clee Hills to the east, and the Long Mynd, the Stiperstones and the hills of mid-Wales beyond. The grassy path undulates up the ridge and as it drops quite steeply either side it gives a more dramatic feeling of exposure than actually exists. Had the weather been foul I think we would have felt very exposed. On the summit of the Lawley there is a weather vane with a large seagull on the top. It is strange that this should be so when we about as far from the sea as you can get and there are many more interesting birds local to the area they could have used.

Nearing the top of Little Caradoc with the Lawley in the background

The descent from the Lawley starts out quite gently but steepens significantly down to the hamlet of Gomley. From here we began our ascent, first of Little Caradoc. On this route all the steep ascents and descents were saved towards the end of the day. The ascent up Little Caradoc is about 125m but it is steep and the first time on the entire walk when you have to make an effort. It comes as a bit of a shock. Once there the ridge plateaus out to a saddle before another slightly less steep climb up to the main summit. By now the sun was quite low in the sky and the light effects on the hill and the surrounding area was fantastic. England is a beautiful part of the world and it was great to have this opportunity to appreciate it.

The rocky summit of Caer Caradoc

Reaching the summit it flattens out but is made more interesting by a variety of rocky outcrops. It has quite a large summit area before it begins to descend to the col we walked through several hours earlier. The nearer we got to the col the steeper the descent. Fortunately, recent good weather meant that it wasn’t too slippery. When wet this descent can be quite treacherous. As the light began to fade we crossed the fields, the road and the railway into Church Stretton having had a good walk in good company and in excellent weather. Thanks to Claire Cox for the photos.

Let us hope for a similar day for our New Year walk on the Malverns on the 2nd Jan.

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Normal service resumed on Cadair Idris!

The Lawley & Caer Caradoc