The sun had almost reached its zenith when we set forth on our journey to Jaffna, the land of palm trees, the famous public library and of course, the mouthwatering cuisine. Originally it was only the three of us, but we met two friends at the Colombo Fort Railway Station, from where we boarded the Uttara Devi Intercity Express to Jaffna. My friends and I had homemade sandwiches for the ride and lots of water. The journey was going to be long and the blue skies indicated sunny weather.
There wasn't much to complain about the train ride, except maybe for the fact that it took two extra hours for us to reach our destination. But as the saying goes, "it's not about the destination it's about the journey", so we enjoyed ourselves as we deserved it. I must say the weather wasn't all that in our favour, as it was melting hot and it only seemed to get worse the closer we got to the north. The air was dry and there was no wind except if you put your head out the window and caught the breeze from the whizzing train. So we downed quite a bit of liquid, whilst engaging in casual conversation with the Ticket Checker, the Railway Security and of course the most helpful Station Master at the Anuradhapura Station who even gave us 5 litres of bottled water, simply because we were conscious about the environment! How about that for a change?!
Having enjoyed the day's setting sun, we finally made it to the Jaffna Railway Station around 8pm. As it was late, we had a quick meal at a small restaurant in Jaffna town and head over to the hotel we were staying the next few days. Located in midst of the town it was a safe distance from both the Jaffna Public Library and the Jaffna Fort. Then we decided to call it a night as we were tired from both the long journey and the unbearable heat.  |
| St. John the Baptist Church Chundikuli |
We were up early the next morning and head back to the top of the road to grab something to eat. I had steaming string hoppers whilst my friends had bread and oranges. The latter was unfortunately unwell hence the fruits. Pharmacies only open after 9am, so it's advisable to carry your own medication in the event you're unwell. But most shops and eateries are open from 7am.
Besides wanting to travel around the Peninsula, my friends and I were there to partake in a mutual friend's wedding. So, after our early breakfast and a quick nap, we got in to our sarees and kurtis and head over to St. John the Baptist Church in Chundikuli, roughly 4kms from the place we stayed. The ceremony itself was long yet simple. Unfortunately I did not understand much as the whole service was in Tamil, and my limited knowledge of the language didn't help. The service was followed by lunch and I must say I haven't enjoyed ice cream as much as I did that day at the reception!
 |
| Nallur Kovil |
We had the services of a tuk tuk whilst there and after a quick change of clothes back in the hotel, we had Baskaran - our driver for the next few days - take us to visit a few lesser known historical sites in the Peninsula. But of course, we had to make a short stop at Nallur Kovil before we ventured forth. One of the friends I was travelling with had made an elaborate list of places to visit and the first stop was the King Sankilian Statue. When we went for a walk behind the statue - an area mostly deserted and full of weeds - we came across two cute dwarf donkeys taking shelter under some ruins.
 |
| King Sankilian Statue |
 |
| Yamunari |
Thereafter we walked about an abandoned children's park and then went to Yamunari. It's a pond located in the midst of narrow roads and houses.
I think we were really lucky to have Baskaran with us, for if not, navigating those narrow roads and finding these locations between modern civilisation would have been a little more than tricky. At this point, a friend of mine called to say he was nearby and could see me. I had called to let him know I was in town, so decided I should say hi.
 |
| Rajamanthru Walauwa |
He came just as we arrived at Rajamathri Walauwa. And thanks to him, we caught up on the history of the peninsula. As we took off from here to head to our next destination, we had a flat tire. A quick change of tires with us holding the tuk upright, and we were back on the road heading to Karainagar.
 |
| On the road from Karainagar |
As we were making our way through town, we spotted Rio Ice Cream and we just had to make a quick stop for some well deserved yummy ice cream. My friends both had scoops of ice cream whilst I had a mango juice with two scoops of ice cream! Trust me; the heat makes you do these things! And the shade and air-conditioned environment was a welcome relief from the glaring sun.
We were nothing short of sunny skies full of white candyfloss like clouds, my favourite! The road to Casurina Beach from the Karainagar junction was like a dreamland, absolutely picturesque! The long two-lane, narrow road is set in the middle of the lagoon and on one side, we saw prawn farms. Of course my friends were highly excited in seeing this, as I am sure they imagined their dinner!
A little drive later we arrived at the Casurina Beach, which was bustling with people soaking up some sun before the avurudu celebrations. We quickly took off after taking a few photographs and enjoying the view. We bought a packet of peanuts for the road. The heat was really getting to us.
 |
| Casurina Beach |
Our next destination was Fort Hammenheil. I was more than a little excited as I have heard many people speak about this place, yet I had never got to visit. I was really happy my friend had included this in to his list!
 |
| Fort Hammenheil |
Fort Hammenheil was nothing like I had expected it to be. You can approach by taking a right turn from a little way from the Casurina Beach in the midst of the wilderness. The Sri Lanka Navy is doing a wonderful job with its upkeep and I couldn't have asked for a better sight! It's a magical place to be. The fort itself has to be approached by boat, which the Navy provides. There are four rooms that can be occupied, with I am told, a beautiful view! Unfortunately, all the rooms were occupied, so I couldn't have a peak myself.
But the guy who took us across the sea was kind enough to give us a tour of the Fort. After giving us a brief historical description of the Fort, he took us inside and explained the functions of the then prison. We were taken in to the common cells as well as the cell Rohana Wijeweera had once been locked up in. We got to see the inscriptions on the wall Wijeweera himself had made. He had even drawn a caricature of himself!
After relaxing for a while, chilling with a nice cold drink, we decided to head back to Jaffna town. It was a tiring day so we caught a small nap on the way back. And before we knew it, we were back in town. Baskaran our trusted ride dropped us off at the Jaffna Fort where we were able to catch a glimpse of the setting sun. Needless to say, it was breathtaking!
Some of our friends were already at the fort, so we caught up with them, and enjoyed the view. As it got dark we reluctantly followed the stream of school children out of the fort. One among us was a Nigerian, and the school children were really excited. And they were really inquisitive of how she had braided her hair. From the little I could gather, this was the first time they had seen an African and kept asking to touch and feel her hair!
Bidding goodbye to the school children we made our way across town in search for a decent meal. One of my friends was from Jaffna, so together we walked to the restaurant he recommended. The stories we heard of the historical importance of some of the landmarks such as of the Duraiappa Stadium, the Jaffna Clock Tower, the Memorial Tower of S. J. V. Chelvanayagam and the Jaffna Public Library filled our minds though we were on an empty tummy. We also witnessed the enormity of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Dinner was a simple affair with us enjoying vegetarian food. The vegetarian in me was delighted in having quite a choice! I had masala dosai, whilst the others had onion dosai, ghee masala dosai and paper dosai. I also enjoyed a glass of fresh milk. I must say it was one of the best meals I have had. Replenished we bid farewell to each other and the two groups parted ways, with the promise of meeting again the following day.
The following day, Sunday, my friends were up early as they were heading to Nagadeepa and a few other locations before taking the night mail train back home, to Colombo. I, unfortunately, had to come back early, due to the inability to book tickets on the same train. So post breakfast and bidding farewell to my friends, I went for a stroll in the market. I spotted king coconuts from afar and made my way to the vendor to drink one to beat the heat. Thereafter I wandered towards the library and had a casual chat with the security who inquired about my visit. I'd say he was a rather forward fellow! After stocking up on some vadei for lunch, I head to the station to board the Colombo bound Uttara Devi Intercity Express. My journey was not to be the least bit boring as I met a lovely old couple who like me had come for a function. We ended up talking about everything under the sun! I think they really took a liking to me as they pampered me with biscuits and vadei during the journey. And when we parted ways at the Colombo Railway Station, they wished me all the best after inquiring about my journey home from there.
Though brief, this was an eye opening
journey for me, as I got to enjoy the company of both friends and strangers.
The sites visited taught me that some times, we have to look beyond the bigger
picture. I was also humbled by the kindness of strangers and the wealth of
knowledge one can gain from simple conversation and faith instilled by random
acts of kindness. The journey also drove home that reconciliation comes from
communicating with one another and minute acts to promote it will go a long
way. I don’t know who the lovely old couple are, but I know their story as they
do mine. So I close my eyes for the day thinking about the memories made during
this brief yet unforgettable journey to the Jaffna Peninsula. And my advice for
those reading and planning to travel up north, please avoid the months of April
and May as it gets quite hot over there.