To read the article online CLICK HERE.

The Madu Ganga was declared a wetland in 2003 and is still the second largest in Sri Lanka. It’s 32 islands are home to 215 families, 303 species of plants and 248 species of animals. The significance and ecological importance of this place’s beautiful biodiversity make it a stop I would recommend for any trip to Sri Lanka.

Our little boats navigated through a tangle of mangroves that opened out into large lake spaces. We passed a small shrine placed by boatmen and made our way to one of the islands.

The beautiful Madu Ganga.

Floating and navigating our way through the mangroves.

The shrine for the boatmen.

When we got onto the island we met a woman who produces cinnamon, one of my favourite spices. Making cinnamon is far from simple and is a fascinating process.

The house on the island where we stopped to learn about cinnamon.

The first thing to understand is that often the “cinnamon” we see in shops or taste in commercially produced dishes in western countries is not actually ‘cinnamon’ but ‘cassia’, a stronger, cheaper plant that offers the same sort of flavours. Cassia is actually delicious and is probably better for use in ‘harsher’ dishes, for example if you’re going to stew something for a long time the cassia would keep offering its flavours whereas the gentler cinnamon would break down. Cinnamon should be used as a seasoning more than an active spice.

Sri Lanka is the world’s #1 producer of true cinnamon and no cassia is grown here. 80-90% of the world’s cinnamon is grown in this country which works out to about 7,000 tonnes.

When a cinnamon tree reaches about 2 years old the farmers cut it back to a stump and cover it with soil. By the next year new shoots have sprouted through the soil and the tree grows back anew. The bark that is stripped from the trunk of the 2 year old tree is left to dry in the sun and naturally curls into quills once dry. It’s then stuffed into larger ‘sticks’ and that’s the product we find in shops and call ‘cinnamon’. You can tell the difference between cinnamon and cassia because when you look at the end of a stick cassia is one solid strip of bark curled in at the edges whereas cinnamon is lots of flaked pieces of bark.

Our host showing us how to make cinnamon.

Cinnamon drying in the roof of the house.

Our journey continued and we saw enormous monitor lizards in the water and the trees – not a bad life I think!

A gigantic monitor lizard taking a nap in a tree, looks good to me!

The whole gang has become interested in the food Sri Lankans refer to as “short eats”. We stopped off and tried beautiful varieties of fish cutlets, manu paan, mutton rolls, seeni sambal paan, egg rolls and lots more.

Sri Lankan “short eats” – lots of great tastes.

Our visit to the Kosgona Turtle Hatchery was one of the highlights of the entire trip for me so far. The hatchery is part of the Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project which has been going on since 1988. The people who own the land and began the project collect turtle eggs, often buying them from local fishermen, and hatch them in nesting grounds created and maintained for the sole purpose of helping these little eggs to become baby turtles. Only a few hatchlings from every batch make it to adulthood so every turtle is precious and the work this project and its volunteers are doing is amazing. It’s also completely funded by donations.

Eggs in their comfy nests.

The little hatchlings are kept for 3 days at the nesting grounds until their bellybuttons heal up as it makes them less vulnerable to the predators waiting in the shallow water on the way to the ocean for a tasty little turtle morsel to swim past. Armed with a bit of a fighting chance the babies are eventually released at night.

Everyone in the group loved the experience, it was a real treat.

Hello little fella!

Meeting the little locals.

The baby turtles were so amazing.

We arrived in Colombo to find a huge banner welcoming us! It was a bitter sweet moment as it brought the reality that this trip is coming to an end into view. But there was plenty more to come and we all assembled at the bar of the Colombo Hilton. A lovely dance group met us there and escorted our excited crew to a special dining area. The meal that followed was incredible, the Hilton’s chefs, waiters and restaurant did a fantastic job.

The big banner that met us at the Hilton.

Cultural dancers at The Hilton.

The entire performance was beautiful.

We finished the night with gifts for everyone and a few drinks.

The next day was only a half and involved a bit of retail therapy followed by brunch and then sad farewells.

We have become a little family, a group of adventurers and explorers brought together by some eye-opening and possibly life-changing experiences on this trip and it is very hard to part ways.

I know that I will keep the memories of this group, our journey and the magic of Sri Lanka with me and I am sure the others feel the same.

It has been a wonderful trip, Jeremy was a downright legend and I finish this adventure excited for the next.

My next trip with World Expeditions has already been scheduled for this year! You can join me from October 21st to the 1st of November 2013 to experience the majesty of my Sri Lanka – CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

And on a last note a great little diddy by Dorothy Gilmour.

An Ode to Peter’s First Group!

There once was a Peter Kuruvita
Who cooked with great gusto and vita,
Accompanied by Jeremy a man of great energy
They took 16 foodies to the country they love called Sri Lanka.
They travelled as “wisitors”
Without too much pause
And “wisited” many temples and kitchens of course.
They ate their way round the island
With curry and sambal and hopper,
They walked and they climbed Sigiriya,
Till they felt they would all come a cropper!
But onwards till spent they struggled till bent
Whilst Peter blogged all their adventures!
Statistics and history were offered on a mike
Jeremy’s knowledge they respected and liked;
Monkeys and spice, vegetables and rice
Curry and cardamom and coconut oil,
The group persevered with laughter and toil.
Early mornings proved a trial
For those who felt vile,
Diana, Diane along with dear Anne
Joined by Neil and Mary and Con,
With Stacey and Boyd, the young crew
Along with Tammy, Miriam and Dinoo
Completed by Nancy, Lindy and Christian
And who was the chap they must not forget
Ian – the gourmand – Dorothy’s pet!
Heartfelt thanks to Jeremy and Peter
Their knowledge and humour was a feature
Of a tour to never forget
Of eating till kilos did collect
But Jeremy did say on the very first day
To forget the kilos and size
Which our GP’s will clearly despise,
And eat till they are spent and holiday with intent!
And this was achieved – no surprise!
Green tea and jaggery
Nescafé like ………!!!!!!!!!!
They ate and will sorely lament!
So then thank you one and all
For Colombo, Kandy and Galle
It has been a wonderful event
With our money so very well spent!
Hip hip and hooray on this our last day
We return to our homes no delay;
New friendships will prove to be great
But,
May “Boodda” take care of our weight!!!!

By Dorothy Gilmour. 2013

You have to try a train trip in Sri Lanka.

A cute little boy ready for his train trip.

The timetables.

Ready to go!

Coming into tea country.

Welcome to tea country.

‘The Jeremy’ being enjoyed – delicious and dangerous!

The beautiful Langdale Hotel

Cooking with the boys in the kitchen at Langdale.

Tea country-inspired Moroccan Mint and Lamb Tart

Day 7: There’s nothing quite like a tropical downpour and on Day 7 we found it raining elephants, hippos and all sorts of other heavy creatures. The rain had definitely set in but in a way it suits the area and we all felt comfortable, a bit damp but comfortable. We decided to walk from the Langdale Bungalows to the Somerset Tea Factory.

Here we all are in tea country.

Nearly all of the initial culture shock has worn off and everyone loves the kind nature of the Sri Lankan people. Members of the group have also noticed the change in the language and appearance of the locals now as they’re predominantly Tamil.

The weather turned for the worse and the factory went into production early but we were still able to take our time on a tour of the place and explain each step in the production of tea.

Somerset tea factory.

Many people are under the assumption that tea is the ‘sweepings’ and therefore lesser in quality as it has been on the floor. In fact that is the opposite, the tea is fermented on the tiles and dust is essential in a good, strong tea.

We headed upstairs afterwards and learned how to taste tea. Artisanal coffee has long been a phenomenon in Western countries with hole-in-the-wall shops offering a range of ‘single origin’, ‘blends’, brewing methods and serving options but tea has yet to properly see its day in the gourmet spotlight.

I won’t go right back to the beginning of tea since that would span quite a few countries and thousands, upon thousands of years. The first record of tea was from the 3rd century AD in China. Since then it’s traveled the globe and has been adopted into most cultures.

The tea we know today first came to Sri Lanka with the British in 1867 and produced only assam (black) tea up until recently.

Tea going in for roasting.

Pekoe is one of my favourites.

Tasting tea is like tasting wine, there are different characteristics in each one.

Tea standards and grading. Everyone learned a lot.

I believe that an appreciation for tea is a truly wonderful thing and if you haven’t had that much experience with it, get out and try it, not just “black with milk and sugar”, explore the world of teas – there are over 3000 different types after all. Bet you didn’t know that.

All of the tea in the last photo is from one plant – Camillia Senesis. ‘Pekoe’ actually comes from the word for ‘particle’ in Dutch and Portugese. The best tea is broken in the lead, then turns orange on the fermentation table. Every sample is graded and separated into its quality. Here’s a bit more about tea grading: CLICK HERE.

We stopped at the Somerset Tea Boutique and picked up some teas in the unique packaging. I also treated myself to some local strawberries with ice cream.

Perfect match, tea with strawberries and ice cream.

It was time to travel to Nuwara Eliya and on the way we stopped to meet some tea pickers and some tried on the traditional tea baskets on their heads.

As fun as it may be for a few minutes to try this type of work could you imagine going it in 3 shifts, all day, collecting over 30kg of product and taking home the equivalent of $4.50 per day. Gives sitting in a coffee shop paying $4.00 for a pot of boring black tea a different perspective doesn’t it.

Trying the local work.

It’s not as easy as it looks.

The beautiful and hard working ladies of the tea fields.

Age does now slow or dampen their smiles.

Nuwara Eliya is central to the tea growing industry of Sri Lanka and sits quite high up at 1,868 metres above sea level in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. Its name translates to “city of light” and it’s been nicknamed “Little England” and “Switzerland of the East”, it is a beautiful town and should be a definite stop on any trip to Sri Lanka.

Arriving at the Grand Hotel you can see why National Geographic listed it as one of the 6 places you must see when you’re in Sri Lanka. It is a beautiful manor house established in 1891 and every bit lives up to it’s name.

The beautiful corridors of the Grand Hotel.

Everyone got a traditional Hindu welcome.

Relaxing in the Grand Hotel

I was feeling a bit scruffy so I headed to town and got a hair cut and the excellent accompanying head massage.

This was next to where I had my hair cut – the sign on the left.

Not long after our tailor arrived from Kandy and everyone got to try on their new clothes.

We headed into town for some shopping, the Bazaar was busy and our group was surprised to find good quality Colombia clothing alongside the silks an cloth. People don’t realise that many designer labels have factories in Sri Lanka and the tailors here are excellent. I bought some sarongs for my sons and had to have one altered for my youngest. The in-house tailor was amazing, he cut snipped and sewed and in 10minutes had perfectly reduced the size of the sarong.

Our excellent tailor.

We tuk tuk-ed back to the Grand Hotel in an attempt to stay dry and went our separate ways until dinner in the grand ballroom. Strict dress codes applied so I wore my new suit.

Day 8: Unfortunately heavy rain and fog got in our way, prompting some to stay in bed while the intrepid ones woke up at 5am with me to visit a place called ‘World’s End’. The bush track in Horton Plains National Park is the only track where tourists are allowed to venture alone, provided they stay on the marked paths. It’s 4km to World’s End but the track loops through Baker’s Falls then around and back to the entrance, the total walk is 9.5km and is not easy.

The roads on the way to World’s End – not so safe.

We drove up the winding roads in heavy fog and I told the group of the leopards, black bears and bird life that call Horton Plains their home as well as the steep climbs, descents and incredibly beautiful scenery. Everyone decided to give it a try but when we finally arrived it was bitterly cold (even for Sri Lanka!) and the visibility was awful. The rain had set in quite heavily so the tracks would have been muddy and slippery and I didn’t want to risk anyone having an accident.

Probably not ideal hiking conditions.

The next few hours we all relaxed in the colonial comfort of our beautiful hotel.

Day 9: With an early start we bid the high country farewell and drove on through the stunning scenery and steep cliffs. We passed Ella Falls and headed down to the plains. As we drove past the boundary of Uda Walawe National Park we were met with a sad sight of wild elephants loitering by the fences being fed by tourists and locals. Although the majesty of an elephant up close is something I believe everyone should experience this is not the way to do it – often the wild elephants get excited and ingest a plastic bag along with the treats from tourists, there have been several accounts of this sort of thing ultimately resulting in elephant’s death.

Although they might like it, feeding wild animals can harm them.

We stopped and met baby elephants at the Uda Walawe Elephant Transit Home, this has to be one of the highlights for me so far. The Transit Home was established in 2003 with a funding grant from the UK, here they rear and care for baby elephants until they are at an age where they can be released back into the wild. It is a beautiful, and very special place.

Baby elephants at the transit home.

Still marveling at our time with these beautiful creatures we headed for a cooking class at the Mankada pottery center.  I have been a long-time advocate of, the MJF Foundation and I have seen this organisation do so much good in the world. It is only through working together that we can create a change for the better.

To quote Mr Merrill J Fernando, “everything should have a ‘reason for being’ and business is no exception.” I wholeheartedly agree. Click HERE to learn more about the incredible work of the MJF Foundation.

Our time with the MJF Foundation in Mankada came with a cooking class, and a pottery lesson. We learned to make bitter gourd curry, bean curry, ladies finger curry and eggplant mouju.

The feeling of making your own dishes, jars and plates is very rewarding.

Pottery is an art still practiced by many Sri Lankans and clayware is used every day.

Learning to make pottery with the MJF Foundation.

Learning to make Sri Lankan curries, the real way!

The delicious fresh produce is perfect for healthy eaters.

A bit happy with the fire there! But it was tasty.

Nothing tastes like curry made in clay over fire.

Open Jeeps came by the Transit Home and picked us up for an incredible safari. We saw lots of elephants up very close, a beautiful watering hole with a crocodile on the bank, and two wild buffalo’s were playing about in the water, one with a stork on its back. The elephant entered the watering hole and bullied the crocodile into the water, another one swam up and we watched intensely – we could have been in a National Geographic documentary and for most of our group it was the first time they’d ever seen such a thing up close.

Our safari Jeeps.

The elephants came over to the watering hole.

The buffalo bathing in the watering hole.

At one point elephants blocked our path while birds of prey soared through the sky as we drove and we spotted jackals in the bushes, it was an incredible trip.

Had to wait for the elephants to cross.

Our night’s accommodation was a rustic bush camp, we arrived after dark and were all a bit concerned but the group are becoming real travellers and we all slept in luxury tents, dozing off to the crowing of peacocks and pea hens and the ticking of a million insects. It was good for one night.

Home in the jungle – for one night anyway.

Breakfast in the bush.

Day 10: I blame Jeremy’s now-famous (I should probably say ‘infamous’) Aarak Cocktail for the state of our heads when we woke the next morning and headed for the coast. Everyone was looking forward to a bit of luxury at the Lighthouse Hotel in Galle.

As the stunning south coast of Sri Lanka opened up in front of us we all began to feel better and drove through the town of Mirissa, Thalpe and then on to Galle.

Fishing villages along the coast.

Galle is the fifth largest city in Sri Lanka and the capital of the Southern Province. Before the Portugese arrived in the 16th century it was the main port on the island and saw most of its development in the 18th century during the Dutch colonial period. The Portugese architecture actually lends itself beautifully to the native traditional structures and Galle Fort is a World Heritage Site.

Arriving in the beautiful old town we had lunch at the Serendipty Arts Cafe and I introduced everyone to Juliette Coombe, an Englishwoman who married a Sri Lankan local man and moved her entire life to this country. She now runs tours of Galle Fort and has become a true Sri Lankan local – her expertise, historical knowledge and information were excellent.

Meeting Juliette at the Serendipity Arts Cafe in Galle.

Ceremony at Galle Fort.

My food assistants Babbi or Shamil have made egg rolls famous during this trip and after we returned to the hotel we all gave it a try. It was a hilarious and tasty afternoon.

The rest of the night was up to us and I’m finding it sad to think that tomorrow is our last day together. It has been an adventure, a thrill and a pleasure showing this great group my Sri Lanka. We’ve all gelled so well and I will look back on this trip with a smile for years to come.

The end of another beautiful day in Sri Lanka.

Piturangala, the hill across from Sigiriya where I cooked in My Sri Lanka Episode 2

Also known as “Lions Rock” Sigiriya is a UNESCO world heritage listed site and was once the centre of the Ceylon civilisation during King Kassapa I in the years 477-495 AD. After the death of the king the site was returned to the monks who had once inhabited the area.

The top of the rock holds the ruins of the palace at a lofty 370 metres high, the peak is accessible by stairs which lead up through galleries out of the mouth of a giant stone lion. The climb is not easy for visitors and was a challenge for some of our group. Some very helpful men had their work cut out for them getting Ian and Dorothy up the rock but everyone was in good spirits and the ancient atmosphere created an energy of perseverance for us all.

The steps to the top – not easy by an stretch of the imagination!

On the way to Sigiriya

It was hard work but very rewarding

One of our youngest members of the trip had a fear of heights and unfortunately did not join us at the top. The experiences we have encountered along this trip even in our short 4 days on the road have tested us, but I believe that a part of the reason we NEED to travel is to step outside our city-comfort zones and test our capabilities, courage and physical limits. If you try, you have done well in my book.

Frescoes from Sigiriya

We made it to the top!

In Sri Lanka you feel on top of the world.

Who doesn’t love a banana!

My tour is for everyone, we’ll carry you up the mountain if necessary!

Our guide Jeremy was as excellent as always and we finished the trip in the cool of the bus with a well-deserved ice-cream.

On our way by midday we discussed souvenirs each group member wanted to collect while in this country, Dorothy wanted an ebony walking stick and another of our group had their heart set on a star sapphire. Sri Lanka is a place where many things are attainable if you know where to look so Jeremy and I put those on the list.

We stopped for a king coconut along the way. Before I left I’d been seeing coconuts pop up in grocery and health food stores in Sydney. The Sri Lankans have been revitalising themselves with its nourishing water and mineral-rich meat for centuries. Did you know that the “saturated fat” in coconuts is actually called Lauric Acid and is easily absorbed and utilised by the body? It doesn’t head straight for your wobbly bits and stay there like the fats we normally consider “saturated”. Coconut water is naturally sterile, is easier to process than milk and is actually similar to human blood plasma in its structure so it helps heal us from the inside.

Needless to say we all enjoyed our cool coconut on a hot day.

We drove on through Dambulla which is a major centre for vegetable cultivation in Sri Lanka and is home to the country’s largest cave temple complex. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to stop but I hope to next time.

Dambulla caves, unfortunately we didn’t get to stop – next time!

We stopped for lunch at Matale Spice Gardens, this place smells incredible. It is where they grow the finest cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, pepper and so many more of the spices that make Sri Lanka feel like home to me. A large part of being a great cook is knowing your spices and how to use them. Many of my recipes have such flavour because I ensure to use the right combinations of spices and added at the right times so that they season the dish, not overpower or smother it.

Lunch at the rice paddies

We ate in the paddy fields and afterwards were treated to a cooking demonstration of some local dishes including Laveria and a Matale favourite Seeni Sambol which is a Sinhalese side dish.

A typical farmers lunch – absolutely delicious though!

The signs at the Spice Gardens showed us what plants we were looking at – beautifully carved.

The Spice Gardens

Our group – oldest is 78, youngest is 25!

A very relaxing massage and some shopping time was scheduled in for the rest of the day and by the time we headed home to the Mahaweli Reach Hotel we were very tired and happy to see the comfortable beds and showers.

Everyone got a massage – and loved it!

Flowers welcomed us to the Mahaweli Reach Hotel with our room keys.

Day 5: The Temple of the Tooth or ‘Sri Dalada Maligawa’ is a Buddhist temple in Kandy. It has been very important throughout Sri Lanka’s history as it houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha which gave control of the country to whoever possessed it.

The story goes that the tooth of Buddha was snapped up from the flames at his burial fire in 543BC and brought to Sri Lanka in the 4th century hidden in the hair of a princess. This temple was finished around 1782 and is connected to the royal palace of Kandy. It suffered some damage from bombings in the late 1990′s but is still an incredibly sacred site for Buddhists. Many vow to make a pilgrimage there at least once in their lifetimes.

The Temple of the Tooth

Two religious groups worship daily at the Temple of the Tooth and we were lucky enough to witness a ceremony of the opening of the lower chamber. You are not allowed to see the tooth itself and it is kept in a series of cases inside a chamber patrolled by guards, you can feel the history and importance of this place hanging in the air.

Flowers are given as offerings making the entire temple smell incredible.

The grand entrance to the Temple of the Tooth Relic.

The queues are always long to see the golden casket that hold the sacred tooth.

We watched the temple elephant ritual where a child is brought around and under an elephant supposedly making him invincible. I wonder if it’s that easy maybe I should bring my boys for a trip next time, though they seem to already think they’re invincible.

Walking the baby under and around the elephant.

Fulfilling the request of a few ladies in the group we visited a gem store and a silk shop where quite a few souvenirs were purchased for friends and loved ones back home (and probably for some nice shawls and wall hangings too). While the ladies shopped the boys enjoyed a few beers on a rooftop.

Setting gem stones.

The way of old lapidary.

Happy and ready to move on we headed to the Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya for a picnic lunch under the trees and a leisurely afternoon stroll around the beautifully manicured gardens. The gardens are very old, dating to the late 1300′s and have over 300 kinds of orchids. A number of trees and plants have been dedicated to the area by the hands of famous and historically important people and we enjoyed reading the plaques and information while wandering around and soaking in the smells and beautiful colours of the place.

Our tasty lunch in the gardens.

Everyone enjoyed the picnic under the shade of the trees.

Trees planted by important and famous people are located around the gardens.

After a quick beer at the Queens Hotel we were treated to some traditional dance and fire-walking. Fire-walking is actually practiced in countries all over the world and is typically now done for entertainment although it originated as a right of passage. It was incredible to watch and the traditional dancers were excellent.

Firewalkers, cultural dance and Sri Lankan traditional entertainment.

Back at the hotel I challenged my group to an egg hopper cooking class, we also made kottu roti. Everyone got into it and created some excellent hoppers and delicious roti. Such a hoot, this is a really great group and we’re all having a lot of fun in this adventure together.

Our cooking setup for Kottu Roti.

Hoppers!

The make-shift kitchen.

Perfecting the egg hopper!

Crack that egg like a pro!

Turning the group into proud chefs.

Everyone enjoying a beautiful dinner after another amazing day.

Day 6: This was the day an article was published in the Sri Lankan Sunday Times, written by one of our group, a Sri Lankan-Australian named Dinoo Kellaghan and it took me to a very emotional place concerning my father.

This is Dinoo who wrote the beautiful article about my father.

My dad was an incredible man, he taught me to not just see the world but learn from it, love it and embrace all cultures. His words are with me every day and I feel that if the things I accomplish in my life can do any justice to his memory then I have succeeded. This article was the most sympathetic and beautiful tribute to him I have seen put into words and I am incredibly grateful.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

Click to read the article by Dinoo.

We have many more adventures ahead before this trip is over, keep up with my Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube for more.

Join me in my next blog as we travel to tea country and onward in our journey through my Sri Lanka.

First stop on our very full itinerary today was at one of Sri Lanka’s most precious sacred sites, the Sri Maha Bodhi temple in Anuradhapura.

On our way to the temple we passed a number of Kapok trees, also known as ‘silk cotton’ trees. These large trees have been an important part of Sri Lankan culture for centuries providing material for clothing and its oils for medicine. Believe it or not the fibers from this tree were once used in life-jackets due to their water-resistant properties until synthetics took their place.

The men harvesting the cotton had tried to pull down one of the large pods and it split before they could reach the ground, the way the cotton danced in the breeze was a sight to behold.

The cotton went everywhere in the breeze as the pod split.

The temple is home to a revered fig tree known as Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi and is said to be where Siddhartha Gautama (also known as Gautama Buddha) is said to have achieved enlightenment. The term ‘Bodhi Tree’ refers to many trees around the world (in fact any tree under which a Buddha has reached enlightenment) however this one was planted in 288 BC and is the oldest living flowering plant in the world.

The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, the oldest flowering plant in the world

You can use the new to actually SEE the old by going to Google maps, these are the coordinates for the tree: 8° 20.692′N 80° 23.838′E

The legends surrounding this tree are lengthy and beautiful and I would wager our guide Jeremy Claasz is the best in Sri Lanka.

Our guide Jeromy Klaus, of Stemish Travels, best guide in the business!

Everyone received a blessing and drank in the stunning sculptures, grand architecture and truly peaceful nature of this place. Standing beneath this tree and in the shadow of the temple you can feel the magic history of this country all around  you as if the air is alive.

The whole place is steeped in history, there is so much to see.

Entering the temple

Receiving blessings

Everyone on the tour received a blessing.

A monk deep in meditation.

A female monk offering her prayers.

Getting into the local spirit.

Loving the new experiences.

Although the Buddhists believe that this tree has the ability to cause rain it must have smiled on us as the day was sunny and hot.

This is the Ruwanveli Seya, it was built by one of the Sinhalese’ favourite kings, and has withstood the seasons here for over 2200 years. The temple is 333 feet high, can you imagine how difficult it must have been to construct?

The Ruwanveli Seya

A Grey Langer monkey

Me and the Ruwanveli Seya temple

Thank you again to Jeremy and Stemish Travels, if you’re ever on your way to Anuradhapura look him up and tell him I sent you.

A monk approaching the temple.

Day 3 was far from over and we went on to visit my dear friend the farmer Lakme in Habarana. If you watched My Sri Lanka you might remember him from Episode 2 when I met the farmer who had to protect his crop from wild elephants and monkeys. Unfortunately my friend had some troubles a few years ago when his son took out a large loan and then defaulted. In desperation his son took the seeds of the Oleander tree and poisoned himself. Unfortunately he died and his father, my friend, turned to alcohol, he is now in a drunken stupor and inconsolable.

Life takes many strange turns and for these very poor people desperation often leads to tragedy.

I was very excited to see him as I had a copy of My Sri Lanka to give him and show him he was a star and on TV. Finding him in such a state was a black spot on an other wise bright and cheerful day.

Near his place is Lake Habarana, the lake was full of lotus and the men of the village were getting prepared to clan it soon. The paddling was tough, but wonderful and everyone had a great time, we raced canoes and I showed them Sigirya in the distance. Tomorrow we will climb the beautiful rock fortress where I cooked a kings curry in Episode 2 of My Sri Lanka.

Back on Lake Habarana

It seems like just yesterday I was here filming the series, this is a video I shot at Lake Habarana the last time!

Panorama of beautiful Lake Habarana

We were all energized, a little exhausted and very hungry so it was time to learn how to make coconut sambal, and this time we got to learn from the experts!

Coconut sambal or ‘pot sambal’ is one of Sri Lanka’s favourite side dishes and is served with most meals, curries, rice, everything! It’s made with spices, dessicated coconut, fish, tomato, onion and of course a bit of magic individiual to each recipe.

Here’s my recipe if you want to give it a try at home:

SAMBAL

Ingredients
6-8 fresh chillies
1x 2cm piece of ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1 lemongrass root, finely chopped
Zest of 1 lime
50ml white vinegar
Coarse salt
½ cup white sugar

Preparation
1. Chop the ginger, garlic and lemongrass into the mortar and add the chillies and half of the lime zest, keeping the other half aside for later.

2. Crush the ingredients together in the mortar. Gradually add the vinegar.

3. Add a pinch of salt and continue pounding. The salt will assist to break down the other ingredients.

4. Taste the mix to ensure you are happy with the combination of sweet, sour, salty and hot flavours. Add additional amounts of the ingredients as required to balance the taste to your liking.

5. Add the mix to a cold pan. Place the pan over high heat. Be careful not to let the flame come up around the sides of the pan (this will burn the edges).

6. Mix the sambal with a wooden spoon as it heats.

7. Add the sugar. This will caramelise the mix and bring the flavours together.

8. Cook, over medium heat, for 10 minutes or until the mixture is pulpy.

9. When the mix is almost done, add the remaining lime zest. Cook for a further 90 seconds.

First we were shown how to to it properly.

And then some of our group jumped in for a try.

Once you get the hang of it, sambal is simple and delicious but it takes time to learn!

Using a stone to crush the chillies

What could we follow up a sacred temple, a true lesson in Sri Lankan food and a trip to one of my favourite lakes with? An elephant ride of course.

We met them at a sanctuary yesterday, now we get a ride!

You feel as if you’re on top of the world.

We finally headed home on ox carts, marvelling at the beauty of Sri Lanka.

Our ride home.

Who needs horsepower!

Our whole group, exhausted, exhilarated and loving the experience.

A beautiful end to a perfect day. I can’t believe it’s only Day 3!

We met the local sellers and had a look at the nuts and the cashew fruit too.

One of the lovely cashew sellers

Cashew fruit, better known as “Cashew Apples” look like upside-down hearts and are attached to the cashews. Cashew apples have more than 5 times the amount of Vitamin C in an orange and after steaming or boiling them can be quite tasty. The locals even make them into a liquor.

Cashews and the cashew apple

From there we headed to Pinnawella  an elephant reserve which acts as a safe zone, hospital and transit home for Ep

lephants who are the victims of the clash between humans and these beautiful creatures. In daylonging gone the farmers would battle with the elephants for food and space. The winner was not always the human, but it was a fight that no one rally every one. Elephants were being killed and or maimed, and lots of human life and property was also lost. No days rather than the gun the farmers pick up the phone and call the wild life preservation department who tranquilize and remove the beautiful creatures to Pinnawella. If they have been wounded they are fixed up and rehabilitate, micro chipped and eventually released into the wild. But if they are troublesome again then they are recaptured and returned back to Pinnawella. When the British arrive there was an estimated 33,000 elephants in Sri Lanka, this number dipped to less than 3000 in 1975 until Pinnawella was started, the numbers are still low but because of the conservation efforts of the government and places like this the populatin now exceeds 5000 and brave members of our group got up close and personal with these incredible creatures.

Beautiful elephants cooling themselves in the lake

Elephants have been an important part of Sri Lankan culture for thousands and thousands of years with early accounts of Sinhalese kings capturing and taming the beautiful animals.  They used to be the bulldozers off the country, assisting to build most of the amazin cities around this beautiful country. Now there are age restrictions on the working life of an elephant, as all the heaven work damages the inner jaw of the elephant and makes it hard to chew. So a strong elephant would work from maturity 15 years old to the age of 30.the penalties for mistreating an elephant are harsh, and the indescrimante killing of an elephant will bring a life sentence.

They are so majestic

Two of the tour group getting up close and personal with new friends

The naughty teenagers of the herd

Hello and nice to meet you too!

It was a moving experience for us all and thrilling to be back in my Sri Lanka and up close with one of my favourite animals.

The tour group, loving Sri Lanka!

We are a sumptuous lunch at Saruketha Restaurant where chef Mike Jamerson took great care of us and taught us about two new curries then finished off the meal with Belli Mal tea to cleanse the system.

The tour group are learning that food in Sri Lanka is not only about satisfying the stomach but also the Ayurvedic applications of this amazing cuisine.

Along the way they were told stories of the Ancient kings ang the history of this wonderful country.

Next we’ll head to the heritage-listed site of Annurajapurah founded in the 6th century BC.

We finally got home after a long, exciting and very special day to our beautiful hotel, the Palm Garden in Anuradhapura. I’ve missed falling asleep to the sounds of the Sri Lankan wilderness.

The hotel

The pool, great for beating the heat

Relaxing calm of the hotel landscape

Day 1 we travelled to Pettah Market, it’s the busiest and most hectic street market in Colombo. You can buy pretty much anything here and if it’s your first time to Sri Lanka you can’t miss it.

On the bus to Pettah Market

Pettah is brimming with things for sale – bundles of clothing, electronics, souvenirs and my favourite – fresh, local food. This tour is about showing MY Sri Lanka, the real Sri Lanka, and so much of this country’s identity comes from its tastebuds.

Entering Pettah Market

You can buy pretty much anything here

Everyone was amazed at the colour and the vibrancy. They loved the sounds, smells and friendly nature of the Sri Lankan locals.

Inside Pettah Market is a rainbow of coloured items, fruit, vegetables, knick knacks, clothes and more

New smells, new tastes and a new experience I’m excited to offer people on my tour

Sweet, ripe Lady Finger bananas are one of my favourite things to snack on in Sri Lanka

It was a very big morning and by the end everyone was excited, exhausted and looking forward to a shower, relaxing lunch and getting over a bit of culture shock.

The heat took its toll on us all but the experience was worth it!

After well-earned showers we all enjoyed lunch together at the Taj Indian Restaurant.

Traditional dishes served  in beautiful clay pots. The smells are incredible!

For dinner I wanted to introduce my guests to some real Sri Lankan food, here’s what we had: Prawn Curry, Black Pork Curry, Chicken Curry, Snake Gourd, Crab, potatoes, Maakarel, Pittu, String Hoppers, Egg Hoppers, 10 condiments, Bitter Gourd, Ambarella Juice, sweet potato, wood apple cream, buffalo curd, kithul panni, kawung, 11 varieties of banana and much more.

COMMENT: Have you tried any of these dishes? Tell me about it in a comment!

It was a big and exciting first day for everyone, myself included. It is such an honour to be able to show my Sri Lanka to my new friends on the tour, and you everyone reading this through the internet and social media.

As the tour continues I’ll update on my official Facebook page, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram so like/follow/tweet/subscribe and catch me there for more photos and news.

This recipe for seared yellowfin tuna with sweet pork crackling, ruby red grapefruit & black pepper caramel is one of my all-time favourite dishes. Once you get it right it will wow anyone lucky enough to taste it. The black pepper caramel sauce is available online, all you need to do is serve!

 **Thanks to Sabrina Horn Photography for the stunning photo**

Serves 4 

Ingredients

200g piece pork belly, skin on

salt

1 x 400g sashimi-grade tuna loin

¾ cup (95g) chilli salt*

vegetable oil

2 ruby red grapefruit, segmented

1½ cups (375ml) black pepper caramel*

baby shiso leaves, to garnish

*see recipes for chilli salt and black pepper caramel below or purchase directly from Serendip Trading Co. or www.serendiptradingco.com.au

Method

Pork belly: Steam in a bamboo steamer, covered, over a wok of boiling water for 30 minutes. Remove and whilst the belly is still hot, lightly score the skin at 1cm intervals using a sharp knife, then rub salt into the score marks. Place the belly on foil, folding the sides up to the skin, leaving the skin uncovered. Place into a deep tray; add water until the belly is half submerged. Roast for 30 minutes at 240°C (fan-forced) or until the skin is crisp and crackling. Once cooked, cut the crackling away from the belly and scrap off any remaining fat. Cut into strips and set aside. Slice the belly into 1cm slices and keep warm until ready to use.

Tuna: Coat the tuna loin in chili salt and sear evenly all over in a lightly oiled hot pan. Remove from pan and sat aside to cool. Slice into 1cm thick pieces.

To serve:  Assemble layers of pork belly, grapefruit and tuna. Drizzle with black pepper caramel. Garnish with shiso leaves and pork crackling.