Sights on the road from Meepe to Bope, Sri Lanka.

Scene from the highway from Meepe to Bope, Sri Lanka.

Sight of 'Sri Paada' - 'Sivanolipaadha malai' - Adam's Peak

On a clear morning the elusive sight of this sacred mountain sends one to ecstasy. The green paddy fields, the distant mountain range and the solitary peak which resembles an 'infants soother' are sights one never forgets.
I  took this picture two days ago.
From time immemorial sailors saw this mountain as the first glimpse of 'Serendib'. Steeped in mystery and legend this attracts pilgrims from all the over the world.
I have climbed the peak and rung the ceremonial bell at its top twice.

Granite mortar in old Copra mill being used as decor in a hotel, Bope, Sri Lanka.

 A 'Copra mill' was a mortar made of granite mounted vertically with a long stalk buried in the ground. There was a vertical pestle made of wood and mounted on a contraption. This heavy pestle was made to rotate inside the granite mortar by being attached to two bullocks which were made to go round and round the pestle. Dried coconut kernel, called Copra, was put into the mortar and the juice was extracted to be boiled and coconut oil and 'poonac' were the raw products extracted. Poonac was dried and used to feed cattle.

Two-wheel diesel tractor with trailer, Bope, Sri Lanka.

This vehicle is used extensively in agriculture and transport in the villages of present Sri Lanka.

Fern growing on the trunk of an arecanut tree, Bope, Sri Lanka.

Out-door decor, Bope, Sri Lanka.

Water cistern and colored leaves.

Auspicious items on display after a "Poruwa' wedding ceremony, Bope, Sri Lanka.

A 'Poruwa' ceremony is where, a couple is wedded according to ancient Sinhalese custom. Robert Knox writing in the 16th Century AD refers to the custom of a couple being wedded, by making them stand on a wooden plank - 'Poruwa' - made out of a 'Jak' tree, after which the couple was pronounced man and wife. As the couple is descending from the 'Poruwa' a coconut is broken in half using a heavy kitchen knife and if it breaks clean, is said to be an auspicious beginning for the marriage.
The picture shows the coconut and knife on display, laid on betel leaves after a 'Poruwa' ceremony.

Garden decor, Thevini Hotel, Bope, Sri Lanka.

Thevini Hotel, Bope, Sri Lanka.

Under a 'Benjamina' tree in the fore-court.

Decor in the corridor.

Scenes in a hotel in Bope, near Padukka, Sri Lanka.

Fore-court entrance and parking area.

Childrens' swing.

Greenery, flowers and a cool ambiance for its guests, seems to the universal theme in hotels in Sri Lanka now.

A 'Pettagama' S, 'Pettakam' T, used to store items in the last century, Bope, Sri Lanka.

Varying in size from small where articles of silk and jewelry was locked up, to bushels of paddy in huge versions, this design in wood was used extensively in the last century in Sri Lanka. Decorative carvings on the Mahogany wood with brass inlays, this is used as 'objets d art' in hotels and houses now.

Scenes from Ayer's bungalow, Bope, Sri Lanka.

Mosquito curtain in a four-poster bed.

An upstairs veranda.

Balustrades made of granite.

The stone walls of the veranda upstairs with a 'bubulu lampuwa' hanging from the ceiling.

Scenes from Ayer's Bungalow, Bope, Sri Lanka.

Flowers at Ayer's Holliday Bungalow, Bope, Sri Lanka.

Ayer's Estate Holiday Bungalow, Bope, Sri Lanka.

The story goes that this bungalow on a hillock was designed and built by a planter in the 1920s to welcome his newly-wed bride. The company which owned the estate found this extravagant and fired the plantar. The building is made of granite with timber used as floor on the upstairs. It is a beautiful building.

Views at Ayer's Estate Bungalow, Bope, Sri Lanka.

Ayer's Estate has a large tea and rubber plantation. It ha a large two-storey bungalow built out of granite and stands on a hillock surveying the surrounding country-side. It is now run as a holiday bungalow. I was told it offers a package for a group of 15 at Rs.21,000/-. No meals are included in this price.  

Ayer's Estate, Bope, Sri Lanka.

Driving through the rubber plantation.

View from Ayer's Holiday bungalow.

Climbing the steps of Ayer's Bungalow.

The surrounding hills.

The drive from Colombo was on  the High Level road, past Maharagama, Homagame to Meepe. A turn to the right till you came to Bope junction. A turn to the left on the road to Thummodara and another turn to the left and a climb to the Ayer's estate Bungalow.