RO: Undeva la sud de India cea controversata, pe care unii o blameaza de nu se poate si-altii o idolatrizeaza excesiv, e o tarisoara nici prea mare, nici prea mica, careia lumea ii spune Perla Oceanului Indian. Un mix de amprente olandeze, portugheze, britanice si evident, indiene – de la cultura, la mancare, la obiceiuri si tot. Nici nu e de mirare, daca stai sa te gandesti ca Sri Lankai i se spune mai in gluma, mai in serios, Lacrima Indiei. Sa fie de bine, sa fie de rau, n-am putea spune, avand in vedere ca n-avem termen de comparatie cu vecina de la nord. Si intre noi fie vorba, sansele sa n-avem niciodata sunt cam mari. Dar nu vorbim despre India, desi recunoastem, balanganitul capului stanga-dreapta, combinat cu “Yes sir”-ul si accentul tipic zonei, ne confuzeaza maxim! Pana la urma, sa fim seriosi, n-o fi fost el Marco Polo complet sarit de pe fix atunci cand a numit Sri Lanka cea mai frumoasa insula din lume! Umbla vorba ca de fapt si de drept l-au fermecat plajele, peisajele si mirodeniile, dar poate avem noroc sa mai punem pe lista un motiv-doua in plus 🙂
EN: Somewhere at the southern tip of the controversial India, which some blame continuously and others idolize it extensively, there is a country, not too big and not too small, which people call it The Pearl of the Indian Ocean. A mix of Dutch, Portuguese, British and obviously Indian footprints – from culture, food, habits and everything. There is no wonder why Sri Lanka is pawkily called India’s Teardrop. Is that OK or not, we cannot confirm, as we have never visited the northern neighbor. And between you and me, chances to never visit India are quite high. But we’re not talking about India now, even though we have to admit it, the head shake combined with “Yes sir” and the typical accent, confuses us completely! In the end, let’s face it, Marco Polo wasn’t crazy when he named Sri Lanka as the most beautiful island in the world! Some might say that he was fascinated by the beaches, the landscapes and the spices, but maybe we’ll find some more extra reasons 🙂
RO: Asa ca-ncepem aventura. Cu lectiile facute, cu sapte ghiduri turistice in buzunar, cu articole salvate pe Kindle si informatii culese de prin tot internetul. Ba despre razboiul civil care abia s-a terminat in 2009 (dupa 26 de ani de ciondaneli intre singalezi si “tamilii-tigru”), ba despre tsunamiul din 2004 si revenirea fabuloasa, productia de ceai, medicina ayurvedica, hinduismul din nord si budismul din restul tarii, dansurile traditionale, curry-urile delicioase si cusaturile dantelate de la Dickwella. Totul pus la gramada in capul nostru, un talmes-balmes de nu stim sincer cu ce sa incepem intai si intai. Dar sa le luam pe rand, c-abia ce am aterizat in Colombo 🙂
EN: So we’re starting our adventure. With all our lessons done, with seven tourist guides in our pockets, with articles saved on Kindle and information gathered from all over the internet. All about the civil war which recently ended in 2009 (after 26 years of quarrels between the Sinhalese and the Tamil-tigers), the tsunami from 2004 and the fabulous come-back, the tea production, the Ayurveda medicine, the Hinduism in the North and the Buddhism in the rest of the country, the traditional dance, the delicious curry and the laced seaming from Dickwella. Everything heaped in our minds, a total mix-up that we honestly don’t know where to start from. But let’s take them one by one, as we just landed in Colombo 🙂
RO: N-avem ce face, incepem cu detalii administrative, nu de alta, dar daca nu le consemnam, maine o sa le uitam cu siguranta. Si nu de la prea multa bere Lion, ci de la varsta 😀 Cert e ca nu iti trebuie prea multe ca sa ajungi in Sri Lanka. Un pasaport valabil cel putin sase luni, o viza obtinuta pe site-ul oficial si 35 de dolari pentru taxa, aceeasi viza printata si prezentata in dinti la control, si-un zbor de patru ore pana in Dubai, si-nca patru pana in Colombo. Asta daca alegem Fly Dubai, care surprizantor sau nu, nu-i deloc asa rea precum am auzit pana acum. Noi am avut noroc si de avion nou-nout, cu Sky Interior, si de flight entertainment (aaah ba nu, era cu plata, ne scuzati), si de masa la bord pe segmentul Bucuresti-Dubai (nu si pe cel de-al doilea segment catre Colombo). A, si bagaj inclus. Si un pret super convenabil de 360 euro pe biletul de avion. Ce poti sa iti doresti mai mult de la un… cum sa-i zicem… pseudo-low cost 🙂
EN: And we’re starting with administrative details, otherwise if we won’t write them down, we will for sure forget them till tomorrow. And not because of having too much Lion beer, but because of the age 😀 One thing is for sure, you don’t need much to get to Sri Lanka. A passport valid for at least six months, a visa obtained on the official website and 35 USD for the visa fee, the same visa printed and presented at the control offices, a four hours flight to Dubai and other four to Colombo. If you choose Fly Dubai, which surprisingly or not, is not that bad as we’ve heard. We’ve been lucky enough to have a brand new aircraft, with Sky Interior and flight entertainment (oh no, sorry, there was a fee to use it) and in board meal on the Bucharest-Dubai leg (but not on the second leg to Colombo). Oh, and luggage included. And a reasonable price of 360 euros for the plane ticket. What else can you ask from a… how should we call it… pseudo-low cost company 🙂
RO: Bun, revenind, am pus piciorul in Colombo. Unde vrand nevrand, nu poti sa nu te gandesti la imaginea clasica a Indiei, cu aglomeratie de te apuca pandaliile, agitatie, claxoane, zgarie nori si galagie. Dar slava cerului, la fel ca pentru cei mai multi turisti veniti in zona, Colombo e doar un punct de plecare catre zona de sud, si nicidecum o atractie turistica. Nici macar plaja de la Negombo nu pare atractiva in toata nebunia asta!
EN: Ok, and we’re back to Colombo. Even if you want this or not, you can’t help thinking about the classic image of India, with crams and jam ups, hustle and bustle, honks and buzzers, sky scrapers and lots of noise. But thanks God, as well as for many other tourists, Colombo is just a connection point to the south and not a tourist attraction. Not even the Negombo beach looks attractive in this madness!
RO: Asa c-o luam rapid spre sud. Si-acum e-acum. Transportul in comun poate fi o varianta, sunt si trenuri si autobuze care ajung in sud, si chiar multa lume le recomanda (in special celor care sunt on a budget). Daca sunteti doar un cuplu si vreti sa ajungeti in sud ieftin, poate ar fi de luat in calcul si varianta cu trenul. Am gasit in articolul acesta optiunile, sunt descrise perfect, asa ca nu le mai detaliem si noi 🙂 Transferurile private sunt scumpe de nu se poate, iar daca sunteti doar doi, devin de-a dreptul strigatoare la cer: intre 75 si 90 de dolari americani, dupa cum va e negocierea 🙂 In schimb pentru grupuri mai mari situatia se schimba complet. Noi am fost zece si am primit de la cei de la Blue Haven Tour un pret de 100 USD pentru toti, pana in Unawatuna. 10 USD de persoana pentru un drum de patru ore… not bad at all! A, ne scuzati, nu sunt patru ore pana in Unawatuna. De cand cu autostrada noua (E01 Expressway Colombo-Galle) drumul dureaza cu o ora mai putin. Iuhu! Apreciem efortul singalezilor si recunoastem ca drumul arata nesperat de bine, insa cu toate astea… sunt totusi numai 150 km pe care ii faci in… trei ore. TREI ORE 😀
EN: So we’re heading to the south. And here comes the interesting part. The public transportation can be an option, there are trains and buses that go to the south and many people recommend them (especially for those who are on a budget). If you’re just a couple and want a cheap option to get to the south, you should consider the train as well. You can read in this article all the options, perfectly described, so we will not detail them as well 🙂 The private transfers are extremely expensive, and if there are only two people travelling, they become outrageous: between 75 and 90 USD, depending on your negociation skills 🙂 But for bigger groups things are totally different, We were a group of ten and got a price of 100 USD for all us to get to Unawatuna, from Blue Haven Tour company. 10 USD for a four hours road trip… not bad at all! Ah, please excuse us, there are no longer four hours to Unawatuna. Since the new highway was opened (E01 Expressway Colombo-Galle) the travelling time has been shortened with one hour. Yoohoo! We appreciate the Sinhalese efforts and we do admit that the highway looks very well but still… there are 150 km made in three hours. THREE HOURS 😀
RO: Staaaaai, inainte de transfer, sa schimbam banii. Nu ca ar fi o problema sa platesti cu dolari americani peste tot, de la cazare la restaurante sau atractii, dar parca ne zice XE-ul ca-i mai buna combinatia in rupii sri lankeze. Si cum internetul ne spune ca cel mai bun curs il gasim in aeroport, mergem pe mana lui! Sunt cel putin patru-cinci birouri de schimbat bani la iesirea din aeroport, si slava cerului, nu cer comision. Ceea ce nu se intampla in partea cealalta, la Plecari, unde se cere o taxa de 500 de rupii pentru orice schimb. Ar mai fi varianta cu bancomatele si scosul direct de pe card, cursul fiind ceva mai bun, dar se adauga taxele de retragere. Sau, de ce nu, schimbat direct la hotel, insa la un curs mai putin bun. Ok, deci schimbam in aeroport 😀 Simplu si rapid.
EN: But waaaaait, before the transfer, let’s change some money. It’s not a problem to pay with USD all over the place, from the hotel to restaurants and attractions, but XE app tells us that the Srilankan rupees are better. And the all-mighty internet confirms that we find the best exchange rates in the airport, so we’ll trust it! There are at least four or five exchange offices when you exit the airport, and luckily, there is no commission. Unlike the other side, at Departures, where a 500 rupees tax is commissioned for each exchange. There is also the ATM option and getting the money directly from your card, the currency is a bit better, but you add the retrieval fee. Or why not, change the money at the hotel, but the currency is not that great. Ok, so change in the airport 😀 Simple and fast.
RO: Banii schimbati, turul aranjat, Mitsubishi-ul Rosa in parcare in fata aeroportului, pornim la drum. Ca in scoala generala, cand mergeam cu clasa in excursie 🙂 Ajungem in Unawatuna, un fost sat pescaresc din sudul Sri Lankai, prezentat in tot internetul ca fiind cea mai frumoasa statiune de pe litoralul singalez. Cu cele mai frumoase plaje, cele mai albastre ape, cele mai frumoase hoteluri si cele mai grozave si autentice restaurante. Un Paradis pe Pamant. In realitate insa, primul contact cu Unawatuna e departe de a fi Paradis. Un drum ingust, aglomerat si plin de tuk tuk-uri si masini. De-o parte si de alta constructii peste constructii, care mai de care mai odioasa si mai de prost gust. Pana la urma nu e de blamat, pentru ca tsunami-ul din 2004 a devastat complet zona, iar proprietarii de hoteluri si restaurante au incercat sa refaca totul cat mai rapid si cat mai ieftin posibil. Asa ca s-au trantit cateva constructii in graba direct pe plaja si de la un satuc autentic s-a ajuns la o aglomeratie de kitsch, la o incropeala menita sa aduca profituri cat mai mari. Pentru ca da, contrar aparentelor, Unawatuna e scumpa de nu se poate, in special cand vine vorba de cazare. Si problema principala nu ar fi faptul ca platesti de la 100 de euro in sus pe noapte pentru o cazare decenta (trecem peste faptul ca este o suma colosala pentru o tara din Asia de Sud-Est). Dar banii acestia sunt mai mult decat suficienti ca sa poti primi macar curatenie in schimb, daca nu si alte facilitati. Dar hei, pana la urma este vorba de diferentele culturale, si odata ajuns in tara lor, trebuie sa joci dupa regulile impuse de societatea in care ai venit 🙂
EN: Money exchanged, tour arranged, the Mitsubishi Rosa in front of the airport, we’re good to go. As in primary school, when we were having road trips with our colleagues 🙂 We get to Unawatuna, a former fishing village in southern Sri lanka, presented on the internet as being the most beautiful town on the Sinhalese sea-coast. With the most beautiful beaches, the bluest waters, the best hotels and the coolest and authentic restaurants. A Paradise on Earth. In reality though, the first contact with Unawatuna is far from being a Paradise. A narrow road, packed to capacity by cars and tuk tuks. On each side of the road more and more constructions, more hideous and tasteless. In the end, this is not to blame, as the 2004 tsunami completely devastated the area and the owners of the hotels and restaurants tried to rebuild everything as fast and cheap as possible. So they have layed some constructions in a hurry, directly on the beach, and from an authentic village we got to a tasteless town, a scrabble to get higher profits. Because yes, indeed, despite what is looks like, Unawatuna is extremely expensive, especially when it comes to hotels. And the main problem is not the fact that you pay more than 100 euros per night for a decent place to stay (which is a colossal amount of money for a South-Eastern Asian country). But these money is more than enough to get at least cleanness in return, if not other facilities as well. But hey, in the end it’s all about the cultural differences and once you get to their country you have to play by their rules.
RO: In orice caz, desi initial citisem numai articolele de ridicat in slavi Unawatuna, dupa ce ne-am intors am indraznit sa citim si parerile de carcotasi. Si fie ca ne place sau nu, trebuie sa le dam dreptate. Plaja din Unawatuna e departe de a fi cea mai frumoasa plaja din Sri Lanka. Cat despre cazari, o parte din grup a stat la Footprints Villa, o vila moderna asezata fix pe plaja, cu privelisti superbe catre ocean si decoruri autentice. Principala problema a fost curatenia, insa dupa cum spuneam, curatenia este o chestiune extrem de relativa in Sri Lanka. Cealalta parte a grupului a stat la Ridee Villa si experienta lor a fost mult mai placuta. Una peste alta, noi am spune ca sudul insulei este deja mult prea comercial si mult prea turistic ca sa mai poti vedea Sri Lanka autentica. Poate ca ar merita explorat estul si nordul, aproape deloc exploatate turistic, dar pentru noi urmele razboiului civil sunt inca mult prea recente, si parca nu ne-am incumeta sa patrundem pe teritoriile tamililor.
EN: Anyways, even though we initially read only positive articles about Unawatuna, after we came back we started reading some grumbling opinions as well. And even if we like it or not, we have to agree with them. The Unawatuna beach is far for being the most beautiful beach in Sri Lanka. As for the hotels, a part of the group stayed at Footprints Villa, a modern villa right on the beach, with stunning views and authentic decorations. The main problem here was the lack of cleanliness, but as we said it already, cleanliness is a very relative thing in Sri Lanka. The other part of the group stayed at Ridee Villa and their experience was a lot more pleasant. All in all, we would say that the southern part of the island is already way too commercial and way too touristic to be able to see the authentic Sri Lanka. Maybe the eastern and northern coast would be worth seeing, but for us the relics of the civil war are still too recent and we’re not ready yet to get into the Tamil territories.
RO: Concluzia ar fi ca desi Sri Lanka este o tara fascinanta si absolut minunata, care merita din plin vazuta si explorata, cu o cultura fantastica, niste locuri senzationale de vizitat, niste oameni blanzi si primitori si o mancare grozava pentru cei carora le plac gusturile picante, nu este o destinatie grozava pentru plaja. Si da, stim ca pozele noastre arata o imagine idilica, care uneori poate ca nu reflecta realitatea intru totul. Sau mai corect, reflecta doar jumatatea plina a paharului. Facem asta pentru ca vrem sa aducem in prim plan partea pozitiva si frumoasa a fiecarui loc pe care il vedem. Primul impact sa fie cel pozitiv, care naste curiozitate si interes si pofta de calatorit. Cat despre bube, ca doar orice padure are uscaturile ei, preferam sa vorbim in scris. Dar ca sa revenim la zenitate si experiente placute, pentru ca prima zi in Sri Lanka a fost si primul contact cu mancarea singaleza, o nebunie de mix indian cu influente din partea colonistilor europeni. Picant, condimentat, aromat, gustos, delicioooos! Iar curry-urile traditionale sunt dementiale! Nu degeaba e rice and curry-ul faimos in partea asta a lumii! O bere locala Lion, o nuca de cocos rece ca gheata, o portie generoasa de pol sambola, iute de-ti ia gura foc si-un pic de roti-uri fierbinti ca sa stingi nebunia de picanterie. Intre noi fie vorba, pol sambola-ul asta, o mixtura de nuca de cocos razuita, suc de lime, un pic de ceapa si o tona si jumatate de chilli, este nirvana mancarurilor singaleze! Pe cuvant de cercetas! Dar mai vorbim despre mancaruri si in articolele urmatoare, ca deja ne-am intins prea mult la vorba! Va urma!
EN: Bottom line is that Sri Lanka is a fascinating country, which truly deserves to be seen and explored, with a fantastic culture, some thrilling places to visit, kind and welcoming people and a great cuisine for those who love the spicy taste. But it is not a great beach destination. And yes, we know that our pictures show an idyllic image, which sometimes might not reflect the entire reality. Or more correct, reflect only the better part of it. We do that because we want to emphasize the positive and beautiful part of each place that we see. The first impact should be the positive one, which makes us curious and gives us the desire to travel. As for the problems, as we all know that every country has some bad parts as well, we prefer to write. But let’s come back to some better feelings and pleasant experiences, because the first day in Sri Lanka was also the first contact with the Sinhalese food, a crazy mixture of Indian food with some European colonist touches. Spicy, flavored, seasoned, tasty and delicious! And the traditional curry’s are simply to die for! No wonder the rice and curry is so famous in this part of the world! A local Lion beer, a cold as ice coconut, o generous portion of pol sambola, so spicy that your mouth burns and a bit of piping hot roti to calm down the zest. And between you and me, this roti, o mixture of shredded coconut, lime, a bit of onion and one and a half ton of chilli, is the nirvana of the Sinhalese food! Trust us! But we’ll talk more about food in our next articles, as we already talked way too much! To be continued!
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