Trincomalee, Eastern Sri Lanka

The recorded history of Trincomalee spans more than 2500 years and is one of the oldest cities in Asia - it has served as a major maritime seaport in the international trading history of the island within South East Asia.

British Occupation c 1900

Trincomalee was made into a fortified port town following the Portugese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom in the early 1600s, changing hands between the Danish in 1620, the Dutch, then the French following a battle of the American Revolutionary War and the British in 1795, finally being absorbed into the British Ceylon state in 1815. Attacked by the Japanese as part of the Indian Ocean raids during World war II in 1942. The city also has the largest Dutch fort on the island.

FORT FREDERICK

 

Arthur Wellesley, later, 1st Duke of Wellington visited whilst a Colonel in the British East India Company, the bungalow he resided in is known as Wellesley Lodge which is inside Fort Fredrick and now is the officer's of the 2nd (Volunteer) battalion of the Gajaba Regiment of the Sri Lankan Army.
 

Gokana Temple

Trincomalee War Cemetry - 1939-1945

  A Credit to the Custodians

At the Markets......

 Hunting for trinkets

Birds, Bikes & Balls

  On the Beaches

  

"I'll have 1 cold Lion beer please"

 
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie...check out the legs...

Trincomalee's Oldest Cemetery

Check out our eatery

first roll it out......

now flip it around in the air

keep flipping it until you get a MEGA ROTI

 your choice of roti parcels for lunch...

 ...and at night.....

 Sharon's favourite...Kotthu Roti

 Our Recommended Accommodation...only the best

Dykes Rest Beach Resort
228 Dykes Street, Dutch Bay, Trincomalee
( http://www.dykerest.comuv.com/index.html ) 

with a back door right on the beach......

So ends a wet, rainy holiday in Trincomalee, but we still had loads of fun.  Our next stop is Batticaloa

From Jaffna to Trincomalee via Elephant Pass

Today's journey is the 257kms south from Jaffna, through Elephant Pass and onto the east coast city of Trincomalee.

Watch Your Step.....

Just south of Jaffna on the main road, we pass a 5kms stretch with absolutely no human presence.  Little red signs dotted both sides of the highway.

On closer inspection, we soon find out why

Our first checkpoint - Elephant Pass

Elephant Pass has been a strategic military base since 1760, when the Portugese built a fort which was later rebuilt and garrisoned by the Dutch in 1776 and later by the British.

During the Sri Lankan Civil War, three major battles took place on the narrow strip of land, commonly known as the "Gateway to Jaffna".

Today, apart from the routine checkpoint, a majestic monument constructed by the Sri Lanka Corp of Engineers stands dominate over the roadway, paying homage to all combatants on both sides as well as civilians caught up in the conflict.

Onward from Vavuniya, the road to Trincomalee is a shocker...admittedly most of it is being repaired, but road construction is not like Australia.

The 99.7km drive ends up taking 4 hours

 Kanniya Hot Wells

There are 7 hot springs now converted to bathing wells. The temperature of each is slightly different from each other. It is also believed the water from the wells have therapeutic healing powers and can cure many aliments. 

Trincomalee - 2500 years old

Our arrival in Trincomalee, East Sri Lanka is greeted by heavy dark thunder clouds and a deluge of rain (just like home)

 Dinner was by candlight thanks to a city wide storm blackout - a couple of cans of our old favourite (thank goodness for the big lunch on the way)

Let's see what tomorrow brings..........