sri-lanka-13-full-pdf-ebook.pdf

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The site is thought to have been a place
of worship for at least two millennia. There
was certainly a temple here by 300 AD,
which was later built up over the years by
everyone from the Cholas to the Jaffna King-
dom (its gopuram was said to be visible to
sailors at sea), until being destroyed by the
Portuguese.
One one side of the temple compound is
Swami Rock, a 130m-high cliff nicknamed
Lovers’ Leap. It’s associated with Francina
van Reede, a Dutch woman who is said to
have jumped from here in the late 17th
century.

St Mary’s Cathedral ChUrCh
(st Mary’s st) Of the city’s churches, the 1852
Catholic St Mary’s Cathedral is particular-
ly attractive, with a sky-blue neo-baroque
frontage and a tiled, towered rear.

Kali Kovil hiNDU
(Dockyard rd) Kali Kovil has the most impres-
sive, eye-catching gopuram of Trinco’s many
Hindu temples.

Trincomalee Beaches B eACh
Trinco’s most famous beaches are at near-
by Uppuveli and Nilaveli, but picturesque
Dutch Bay isn’t bad. It’s more a place for
strolling, but swimming is possible (watch
out for the undertow). Manayaweli Cove
is an appealing curl of fishing beach where
you can also swim; reach it by strolling past
Manayaweli Pond, aka Dhoby Tank, where
local washers do their laundry. Inner Har-
bour and Back Bay are too polluted for
swimming.

4 Sleeping
Most travellers (rightly) prefer the beach-
side accommodation in Uppuveli, just 6km
north.

Sunshine Hotel hoTel $

(%222 0288; http://sunshinehotelhall.com; 4

g reen road; r with fan rs1200-1800, with air-con

r s 4000-4500; a) The garish banana-yellow

and salmon-pink paintwork may be in-your-

face loud but Sunshine’s location on a quiet,

suburban street is mellow. Fan rooms are

quite spacious, clean and simple while air-

con options come with all the trimmings in-

cluding flat-screen TV, minibar and even an

ironing board – perfect for those who like to

keep their creases nice and sharp.

Service is a little spotty but friendly

enough.

Welcombe Hotel hoTel $$

(%222 3885, 222 3886; http://www.welcombehotel.

com; 66 orr’s hill lower rd; s/d from Us$78/88;

aWs) Ageing hilltop hotel with a slightly

bizarre, quasi-Japanese design, fading pink

paint and a blue roof. Rooms are generous-

ly proportioned, some with bay views from

their balconies, and staff are friendly, but it’s

only fair value.

5 ating & DrinkingE

Anna Pooram

Vegetarian Restaurant soUTh iNDiAN $

(415 Dockyard rd; snacks rs 15-80, rice & curry

r s 120-150) Bustling vegie eatery excelling

in Tamil dishes, it’s always packed at lunch-

time. Famous for its sambar (soupy lentil

dish with veg) and rice and curry. It has a

couple of tables but is hugely popular for its

take-away trade.

Ajmeer Hotel sri lANKAN $

(65 Post office rd; mains rs 100-250; h5.30am-

10.30pm) Excellent rice and curry (Rs 120 to

200) – even the veg version rocks. The refills

seem to never end, portions are enormous

and the vibe is friendly.

RAWANA & THE SWAYAMBHU LINGAM

The radio-mast hill opposite Swami Rock is considered to be the site of the mythical

palace of the 10-headed demon king Rawana. He’s the Hindu antihero of the Ramayana,

infamous for kidnapping Rama’s wife, Sita. Along with Sita, he supposedly carried to

Lanka the powerful Swayambhu Lingam, taken from a Tibetan mountaintop. This lingam

became the object of enormous veneration. However, in 1624 the proselytising Catholic-

Portuguese destroyed the surrounding clifftop temple, tipping the whole structure,

lingam and all, into the ocean. It was only retrieved in 1962 by a scuba-diving team that

included writer Arthur C Clarke, who described the discovery in The Reefs of Taprobane.

For cameraman Mike Wilson, who first spotted the lingam, the experience proved so

profound that he renounced his career and family to become Hindu Swami Siva Kalki

(see http://kataragama.org/sivakalki.htm).