Ahila's travel highlights

We started around 6p.m. for Dambulla. A short cut was suggested past the last gate of the harbour and to Ja-Ela, then branch off to Dambulla, via Kurunegala. This route took us past Modera, where the famous fish market, after the Colombo Pettah in the Western Province was located. We drove by the Hamilton Canal, which was built by the Dutch, and the setting sun cast a magical glow over waters and the colourful boats which were anchored in it. Vendors in push carts sold their fish and poultry under the flourescent bulbs fixed to their carts. We paused by a bridge where we could see the canal waters meet the sea, in the distance and the pinkish golden waters was a pretty sight.

We stopped over at Gimanhala Transit Hotel in Dambulla, a nice, friendly and small hotel right on the main road. This morning, we reached Trincomalee, after passing through the numerous checkpoints along the way.