Jaunting off to the Most Beautiful Village on Earth – Meemure

““Once upon a time, there was this fella who happened to come across this remarkable word and it stuck very deep in his mind. Everyone who’d either been there or heard about spoke very highly of her and this fella kept dreaming about it all the time. He didn’t have the means or the resources to visit her then and dream was the only option he was left with which he was very good at. On top of everything, Meemure wasn’t ready to welcome him just yet.

So he developed his own version of Meemure, about its people and the environment and lived in that world for a long time. Days turned into weeks, then months and finally into years but his dream wouldn’t come true.

However, after many years, this fella’s guardian angles took pity on him and decided to grant his wish. They fast-tracked the proceedings at lightning speed and dates were fixed and accommodation was arranged.
In the meantime, Meemure too was getting busily ready to welcome this stranger. She put on her best dress, garnished with lush green, paddy fields were ploughed and new seeds were planted to grow nicely. The rains clouds were chased away, waterfalls were asked to preserve their water levels and the environment to be nice and balmy. Leeches were asked to stay away from the foot paths and not to disturb this special visitor. Finally everything was ready to welcome this fella and I’m gonna tell you his story””

I met my friend Dimuthu at the Fort station around 5.15am (even though I’d asked him to make it around 4.00am, he only managed that and I was getting the jitters already ) and went on to check the bus time table at the CTB stand and they had nothing to offer and checked the Kandy AC bus and there was one leaving at 6.00am and they actually promised it reach Kandy by 8.45am. I knew better than to believe that but having no better option (Even 5.55am Podimenike Train wasn’t so reliable) and decided to push my luck a bit more.

Thankfully it reached Kandy around 9.00am and having a quick cuppa tea, we got on board the Mahiyanganaya bus and it was due to leave around 9.30am. (The conductor refused to issue tickets saying that we might have to give our seats to Mahiyanganaya passengers asked us to wait and see. I found this to be a bit hilarious but we had no option. However, there were not many passengers and we got our seats and tickets – Rs. 60/- +). It took ages to reach Hunnasgiriya and finally it was around 11.30am by the time we got off and Chanaka (Nava Mama’s relative) and the tuk-tuk. We then had a quick snack of bread and curry, and went to the Hunnasgiriya fuel station for petrol and it was chaotic there as the power supply is so random and getting fuel is very difficult. Chanaka then got Nava Mama’s son to send the petrol in the Meemure van and finally left towards Deanston along Meemure road.

Tour Highlights:

• Mini World’s End trail @ Deanston
• Suriya Arana falls trail
• Navarathna Ella Trail (Through Daluggolla Ella / Ice Wala and Falls) – Named after Navarathna Mama as he was the one who found it.
• Akula Ella (Meemure Ella) trail
• Lakegala Trail up to the base of Lakegala.
• Eli Hatha (Seven waterfalls) in Kaikawala.
• Nava Mama – The Stuntman

Day 01

1. Mini World’s End Trail: 2km

Easy

We reached Deanston Knuckles Conservation Centre around 12.30pm and bought tickets at the counter. The trail is about 2km in length and it goes a full circle of 1.5km and comes around to the beginning. The paths are sign-posted well even with GPS coordinates and easy to tackle. The distances given in the boards appear to be accurate unlike places of Sinharaja and Kanneliya.
You’ll be disturbed by the Reheyyas (crickets) a lot. They kept screaming at the top of their voices and the legend is they live only about a week. After that they simply die wherever they are. It’s surprising the noise they make apparently by rubbing their tiny wings together. To our amazement, I saw the first-ever live cricket that’s green and becomes brown when died. To make thing more interesting, I saw a lizard trying to eat an insect (probably a cricket) and got it on frame.

We reached the observation point 1 after 750m and the view was amazing. You can see a whole mountain range and A26 Mahiyangana highway as well. Thelambugala, Kehelpathdoruwa, Yahangala and many more mountains can clearly be seen from there. I was speechless and the wind was not so strong and we all (even Chanaka, our tuk-tuk driver) were mesmerized by what we saw. We even saw the farmers working in the ravine below.

Surprise, surprise it was Chanaka’s first visit to the mini world’s end. After about another 150m, you can reach the observation point 2 and from there you can see the somewhat dried up Gedaramada Ella and Garandi Ella in the distance. On our way back, we came across what appeared to be bones and a skull of a Stag.
We came back and got into the tuk-tuk to reach Meemure around 1.30pm.

Entrance

Yeah, it’s for us… – Click Image to Enlarge

The first of many millions wows

More to bloom soon

Very artistic

You can rely on these – Click Image to Enlarge

Live ones…

Here the dead ones

Having lunch

Observation point 1 – reaching towards Mahiyanganaya throught Udu Dumbara

Many a miles

Farmers at work in the ravine below….

Observation point 2

Almost dried up Gedaramada Falls

Gerandi Ella looking dismal due to lack of water

First of hundreds of thousands

Apparently a stag

I put them all in order

It says it all

General information about Meemure:

• There are about 100 families (population of about 400-600)
• Farming and Toddy tapping are among the main ways of making a living
• Meemure & Kaikawala are surrounded by so many mountains such as:

Kumbukgolla, Kosgolla, Udawatta, Dumbanagala, Attalamittu ,Kaluwelbookka, Sudugala, Gerandi Thalawa, Hellenagala, Mahapatha, Palleherekku, Aluth Deyyange Kanda, Andirigala Kirindiketiya, Warawwa, Palle Wannimana, Kata Kithula , Wannema

• The signature of Meemure, Lakegala is held in place by 4 key mountains. They are:

Komalewa, Labulessa, Galahagommana, Meeriyagolla

• They use a leaf called Thalaa for chewing with the usual ingredients such as tobacco, Areca nut (puwak), lime etc. (given a pic down the report) instead of betel leaves. It tastes like mint and free of stains. Thalaa grows freely all around and has an endless supply unlike betel.
• The water in Meemure (coming down from the Knuckles mountains) is undoubtedly the tastiest I’ve ever had. It makes you feel refreshing, invigorating, revitalizing, reviving and some more
• From Hunnasgiriya, it’s 33km to Meemure (32km to Nava Mama’s house) – The road for about 10-15km is adequately tarred but afterwards it’s paved with different varieties of concrete mixtures and as a result some parts are not up to standards. Anyway, any vehicle can tackle this road, you gotta be careful if traveling by car.
• Along Meemure road you’ll pass Deanston, Loolwatte, Corbert’s Gap, Kaikawala.
• Meemure Primary School has up to grade 5, for up to GCE O/L, they have to go to nearby Kaikawela School (about 2km from Meemure)
• They have a Health Centre that opens only on Sun. So if anyone happens to fall sick, there’s a native doctor at the village or they have to go to Ududumbara for a decent medical facility.

Reaching Meemure

We set off from Deanston around 1.30pm and the road to the Meemure is among the best scenic routes I’ve ever traveled. All around you could see mountains stretching into the horizon. Hare park estate has a big tea plantation in the first half of the road and after that it’s solely Knuckles forest.

We reached Corbert’s gap and the view was simply awe-inspiring. I felt really lucky to have been born in this great island that has and continues to give us the best of the best.

Unfortunately, we saw 2 allegedly illegal constructions in the Knuckles high sensitivity area. They can easily be seen among the thick forest patch. There were numerous mentions on the newspapers by the environmental-friendly groups but they apparently had been for no avail. It’s a clear sign of our corrupt system is busy at work.

We then reached the biggest bridge you see on this road at Kaikawala. In January, this year there had been a massive wave of water which had flown right over the bridge (it’s about 30-35 feet in height) and the concrete surface has been moved by about 6 inches. The shop near the bridge had also been washed away and we can still see massive tree trunks stuck nearby. Athula said, it was one the worst water levels he’d ever seen.

Below the bridge, you can see a small waterfall which I called the “Kaikawala Falls”  coz they’ve not been named. They have hundreds of unnamed cascades like that scattered all around and only a handful of them have ever been visited. However, Navarathna mama knows the whole area like the back of his hand and if you have the time, there will be plenty to see.

We reached Nava mama’s house around 4.00pm and his wife had thankfully prepared lunch and we hungrily wolfed it down. They have a very intelligent dog named “Dinkey”. He’s not friendly towards strangers but won’t bother visitors coz he knows them. Anyway you shouldn’t try to pat him or get too close to him. Nava mama had gone to pick some French tourists from Narangamuwa and when we finished our lunch and waiting for Devadasa mama to take us to Suriya Arana falls, he arrived with a French couple who immediately got into conversation with us.

Along the way, sorry looking road but breath taking mountains

Landscape

One of the allegedly illegal constructions

Simple life style

What would you call it coz my vocab is very poor

Grandeur

Click Image to Enlarge

Thousands of waterways enriching those lives

Attractive

Such beauty

Do read it carefully – Click Image to Enlarge

Kaikawala Bridge, see the huge tree trunks stuck? Water went over this

Father and daughter

You are a lucky girlie, you know that?

Meemure – The land of the mountains

Our escort

He wouldn’t let me picture them

Were there to welcome us, sent by Lady Lakegala

Nava Mama’s house

Here’s Dinkey, very loyal and intelligent fellow

The skull and the horns of the buffalo along the Navarathna ella trail

Water Container

2. Suriya Arana Falls – about 2-3km return journey

Easy-Moderate

However, I was longing to go see Suriya Arana Ella and Devadasa mama took us along the path. All along the way we could see the majestic Lakegala watching us lovingly, she was so beautiful and remarkable. Meemure and Lakegala are bonded very closely and it’s inseparable. In this journey we came to know about the Thalaa leaf that replaces betel in Meemure. It has a mint taste and doesn’t leave stains like betel.

Passing beautiful paddy fields (which had grown nice and lush green to welcome the special visitor) we came to a very familiar place. I felt Suriya Arana film was being played in front of our own eyes coz they were all too familiar.

Further down, through the forest we came to the view point of the Suriya Arana falls and I felt exhilarating just to see her from afar. There was plenty of water despite the lack of rain over the last couple of weeks. It has three parts, the top is about 5ft in height and coming down very wide the middle part is also about 6-8ft but narrow. The third bit is the tallest of all, about 20ft and narrow.

Above the falls, there were those creepers where the little monk and the boy play and no wonder they chose that location over many others. Thanks to the director and many others, people all around the world got to know about this heaven on earth.

It was getting darker by the minute but my friend insisted on having a dip in the natural pool. While he was having a cold bath, I took the liberty to roam around and saw a Madu flower. Devadasa mama said that around it grows small white flurry like things that ultimately turned into delicious Madu pittu. On our way back, we met a farmer and my friend wanted some tobacco and lime for a Bulath wita. He gave him a bunch of Thalaa leaves and the ingredients.

We passed a dream house built using mud and leaves where a small family lives. I was very thirsty and asked them for some water. Gosh, it was so tasty and I had a few glassfuls of them in a row. It was so overwhelming to see how hospitable and simple those people are. That’s the way I’d love to live.

Lakegala as usual was waiting for me to come back from the falls. I was so happy to see her again over the lush green paddy fields. She was smiling down at me as if to ask if everything was ok.

We reached Nava mama’s house around 7.00pm and had a nice cup of coffee. Then it was time to reflect the events of the day. The French couple joined us in the crossfire and it was their first time in SL. It felt good to be able to get their pic of my country and they’ve been really amazed at how beautiful this country really is.

After a hearty dinner we got together to make plans for the following day. Nava mama suggested, after my continuous appeals, to do two waterfalls and tackle the Lakegala base falls. Then to our surprise, he revealed one of his closely guarded secrets, “Eli Hatha” in Kaikawala. I’ve heard about 7 falls before from my buddy Harinda and other members from the Lakdasun but this is something different. Nava mama said he hadn’t taken anyone there before, only an officer of some sorts who had helped them with the electricity.

He then suggested not doing the Lakegala full trail up to the top, instead go to the base of it where there’s a nice base fall and a gorgeous pond. After that we were to return home by 3.00pm max and do the Eli Hatha in the evening. Well it’s easier said than done but I was determined to do everything at all costs. He introduced us Athula (an excellent guide) as he wasn’t able to join us in the morning. Even Athula hadn’t been to Eli Hatha. We decided to meet up near the famous Mee tree around 7.00am.

Hiya Lady, here we are finally, sorry couldn’t come before

Lush greenery everywhere

Picture perfect

Would love to spend a few days in here

Along the way to Suriya Arana Ella

Tiny tiny ones too

No idea who this belong to, so we left it alone

I want this in my room

Go on….

The famous waterway…

First glimpse

There she is

Such beauty only created by Mother Nature

Top of the falls

See those creepers where they played

The biggest part

Flowing serenely

This fellow was huge

My friend couldn’t wait anymore

Madu flower

When the mud is washed out, people like these are suitable to be kings…. he’s got a pocket full of Thalaa leaves

Here the thalaa plants

Day 02

We woke up early and had tea. Nava mama’s wife had prepared our breakfast and we got it and started to walk towards Mee Tree and met up with Athula.

Lakegala was looking gorgeous in the morning, wearing a white shawl around her shoulders. The sun was rising above the mountains and the sky was vivid with all the colors you can imagine. Farmers were starting to appear carrying their equipment. Birds were humming their favorite tunes. It was the perfect start for a hike.

I was staring at Lakegala and Athula had to shake me to break the trance I was in. Then away we went searching for the rarely visited Navarathna Ella. It’s named after Navarathna mama as he was the one who found it.

3. Navarathna Ella trail: 6km (via Daluggoda falls: about 3km and Ice Wala: about 5km)

Height – about 100ft

Moderate to Strenuous

The trail started quite easily through paddy fields but started to take its toll later on. The sun was looking down on us making us sweat but I’d trade sun for rain any day on a trail like that. it’d be hazardous to do this on a rain day coz the rocks would be slippery and the trail will be infested with tons of leeches.

However, we were hardly ever disturbed by leeches (coz they had been chased away by my guardian angels) and went happily up and up drinking straight from springs and waterways that delicious water. (I bet it’s better than world famous Evian water)

After about 3km, we reached a small falls that didn’t, as usual, have a name. So I took the liberty to name her Daluggolla falls after the village she’s located. It was a welcome sight and good resting place. We were beginning to get tired and that water kept reviving our body and the fresh air and the lush green kept us going.

Further 2km and we reached the famous Ice wala (Ice pit). As the name goes, the water is bone-chillingly cold and we didn’t have second thoughts of not wanting to go for a dip there. Further up, we came across bones of a buffalo that had died after being sick sometime ago. Villagers had tried to save him by treating without success. His skull and two horns are at display at Nava mama’s house.

Then it was all the way to the Navarathna ella. So many crickets tried to scare us away but we weren’t intimidated by those repeated threats. Athula suggested about 1km before the falls to hike along the waterway but I decided against it coz our energy was sapping at a faster rate that I’d thought and wanted to preserve every joule to combat the rest of the trails. So we chose the path through the forest and finally reached the ultimate goal.

Gosh, how come they are so beautiful? That’s the mystery of the Mother Nature. They simply look gorgeous and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Athula suggested we take our breakfast then and had giant roti and coconut sambol with that tasty water. After about half hour, we decided to climb down through the waterway as the water levels were low and the rocks didn’t look slippery. The going was faster downhill and about an hour later we reached our starting point and took a left towards the Lakegala crossing the river through Nava mama’s paddy field where there’s a nice camping site.

She was so gorgeous in the morning sun

Looking at us

Gosh….

Blades with droplets of water on them

Me and Athula

Daluggolla Ella closeby

Daluggolla Ella, named by me

Got two parts

Got enough to keep us interested

Such wonderful arts

Ice wala

Ice wala ella

Jaw of the dead buffalo, the skull you saw at Nava mama’s house

The grave full of bone

Where Athula wanted to tackle the waterway uphill

Silk sarees are all around

Navarathna Ella – Massiv

When she’s in full flow, I don’t think anyone can go anywhere near

Roti and Sambol… we didn’t forget to bring the papers back

Welcoming us with Rainbow colors

The base pool look a bit deep but better not attempt it

The top

We came down along the stream, seeing many more cascades nourishing the downhill

Wherever you look, it’s a pic worth taking

Down we went

He was busily finishing his work, but didn’t forget to have a few words with us and even offered a cuppa tea

Nice place for a dip

Hi mate, is it far?

Belonged to a porcupine, but I lost it on the way

Dumbara Kethe Bala Maa Wee Pasenne

4. Akula Ella (Meemure Ella): 3-4km

Height – about 20ft

Easy-Moderate

There was a funny thing about naming the falls. Athula said it didn’t have a name and then I asked the village name she’s located in. she was in Meemure all right and I then decided to call her Meemure Ella. But Athula asked why we couldn’t name it after him and I saw his point. I then suggested Atha Ella and he didn’t too happy about it. However, later that day, Nava mama came to our rescue and said she should be named Akula ella coz Akula means thick forest patch in Sinhala and she’s among a thick forest bit all right.

Along the way through the paddy fields, Athula showed us what they call Diya Holmana (Water Ghost) that the farmers use to chase the birds and other animals away. It really is a piece of giant bamboo with a cover in the middle and either side is cut off to have openings creating two separate containers. It’s balanced in the middle with and one side is facing a water stream which fills it and raises the front side and when the water is released the front bit comes down crashing on to a black stone making one helluva noise. This is a continuous process so long as the water is running and as result, birds and animals tend to keep away from the paddy fields.

The Akula water falls turned out to be yet another gorgeous one. She wasn’t in full flow but it made things easier for us to shorten our distance coz there were creepers hugging the rock through which the water falls down. Hanging on to them you could climb to the top of the falls (It sounds dangerous, doesn’t it? But I wouldn’t do it if it was really dangerous). Athula showed us how to do it. It turned out to be pretty easy coz plenty of very strong creepers hugging the rock bed and a nearby tree made going up easier than anyone thought.

There had been visitors before to this place and you can do rock sliding and do Tarzan-like stunts using the creepers hanging above. I wouldn’t do any of it but Athula showed us how to do them.

Crossing the river for our next adventure

Athula showing us how the Water Ghost works

From Nava mama’s paddy field

Down hill

Water levels were low, making it easy to tackle the path

There she is, at last… Akula a.k.a. Meemure Ella (we climbed along the creepers on the right of the pic)

Good to go for a safe bath

You could climb to the top and the thick creeper is like a bench

Where we came from to the top

From the top looking down

Ahtula showing his skills, we didn’t attempt it though

He was in the top pond

Where you can do rock sliding, according to Athula, very safe

5. Lakegala Trail to the base: 9-10km

Strenuous

From Akula ella there’s about 5-6km to Lakegala base and we started our hike. It got more and more challenging every minute and we had to take breaks constantly. I even felt like abandoning it and head home have lunch and do the Eli Hatha in the evening, but my conscious won’t have any of it.

It can make you feel more exhausted when you are travelling through thick forest and you can’t see the sky or far away and the forest is somewhat dark. Athula was a great and experienced hiker but even he started to struggle due to the intensity of the pace we’ve been going from the beginning. He said nobody has ever done all of those in one day (let alone trying to do the Eli Hatha in the evening) and I wanted to do the impossible and try new ventures.

My will alone kept me going while my legs were rubbery, knees continuing to buckle and energy leaving me like Atlantis to the Int. Space Station. I kept mumbling that I’m gonna get there somehow or the other and thought about the prospects of reflecting back when we will be coming down.

About 4km I heard a waterfall and immediately felt cheerful coz it sounded like a big one but couldn’t get a clearer view through the forest. I asked Athula if he had ever tried to get there but he hadn’t and I wanted to check it out on our way back. Feeling somewhat my spirits up, we hurried on and about 1km up, heard a second fall, apparently smaller than the first one. It too was unreachable due to thick forest and the steep climb downhill.

Another 1km took us into the open and there she was in full height looking down on me as if to say “well done fella, you made it at last”. All my tiredness vanished in no time and we hurried on up the rock. There was a small pond and the bottom was clearly visible and boy, the artistic picture on the floor was simply astonishing. Just above that was a fall about 10ft in height. That place was a part of heaven, let me tell you.

We had some biscuits and my favourite drink, water from Knuckles Mountain Range and what’s more a nice cool dip in that artistic pool. We had our deadlines set and left her around 12.30pm. On the way back, I tried to climb down to the first fall we came across but the climb was too steep and I decided to abandon the idea. (To my utter disappointment, Nava mama said later that day, there is a strenuous path to both those falls along the rocky outcrop – so next time, I said to myself)

We reached the village around 1.30pm and had some plain tea with milk toffee. That tea was superb too. Everything in Meemure is nothing but the best I guess. I had two cups and saying a silent thank-you to my beloved Lady Lakegala, came back home. There was a nice lunch waiting and after that we rested about half hour till 3.00pm to go see Eli Hatha.

Unfortunately not edible

Even Athula was finding it difficult, we were pushing to the limits

Thankfully we didn’t have to climb this:)

Completely different shape from the side, Lady Lakegala waiting for us

Along the way up, got a little breather

Athula the hiking legend

Finally some flat terrain, I could feel my legs smile for the first time

We are there… Hurraaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh…..

The pond at the base of Lakegala, She has drawn and painted a nice pic just for us

The Lakegala base falls, tine but irresistible

My friend trying to get close and bath like it was a shower

View from the bottom

God, somebody’s drowned??? My friend trying his diving skills

Butterflies, and many more

Butterfly conference… they are trying to decide who goes where

Mushy mushrooms adding more colours

Coming down, bit dejected not being able to reach the Lakegala falls

Just over the blades of paddy

Bidding our farewell to Lady Lakegala… Thanks for everything and will see ya again

6. Eli Hatha (7 Waterfalls – it’s also called the Annicut or the Bunt): about 5-6km from Nava mama’s house

Short climb down to the falls and up is not so difficult.

We took the tuk-tuk the whole distance passing the Kaikawala Bridge and reached Kalu mam’s house where for the first-time, we tasted toddy made of Kithul trees. After that Nava mama and Kalu mama told us about the names of the surrounding mountains and there were so many (must have been around 30+) and I managed to get as many as I could. Then it was time to do the Eli Hatha and we parked the tuk-tuk and climbed down to the Bunt where there was a fall about 40-50ft in height. Such a grand fall missed out by so many, I was both thrilled and shocked.

We were getting an exclusive guided tour to one of Nava mama’s secrets. It was Athula’s first visit to that place. Further up there were 3 more falls in a row, which were somewhat smaller, than their big sister. The other falls were below the big one and we couldn’t attempt them coz the path was so steep and dangerous.

This place is called Pusse Ela and it’s where two rivers (Karambaketiya oya and Maa oya) meet each other and turn into one. So quite significant place and to make it more interesting, there’s a perfect cylindrical hole about 10ft deep like a well and at the bottom it has a hole which the water flows out. This must’ve been a result of water whirl pooling around the same place and creating that well-like shape.

Wanna eat now now now

More mushrooms decorating our path to the bunt

This must be the biggest of all 7 falls

Simply awesome

Flowing downhill, apparently there are more falls down there

The next fall,

On the left there’s like a cave, that’s where the opening at the bottom of the well like place

Three consecutive beauties coming down

Got another one of them looking like one

Here’s the perfect cylinder, note the opening at the bottom

Up close

Flowing freely

The one at the top…

From left: Nava mama, Athula behind, Kalu mama and me

This is where Maa oya (right) meets Karambaketiya oya (up)….become one (left)

We were blessed and protected

7. Nava Mama – The Stuntman

Be warned, that only Nava mama can do those stunts and it’s deadly dangerous for others. I’m putting those pics to show how capable that person is. People like us, well we’re better of watching the magicians at work

The icing on the cake was this 49-year-old humble village man’s love and passion for his people and the village and the environment. He said that he wanted to show us what he can do not to make money or become popular, but to get some donors or the government to help him get two major issues sorted as soon as possible.

He climbed down the well and showed us the hole by putting his head and then legs out, then like an arrow from a bow, simply jumped out into the base of the fall. I was speechless and it was a bit frightening too coz I was scared what would happen if something happened to him. But Athula was not a bit worried coz he knew this person all his life and he swam like a fish out of the water.

Then he climbed along the rock to the next fall and jumped from it about 20ft high right into the base of the pool. (If you’ve seen the stunts those boys making at Galle Fort, you know what I’m talking about. However, this was not so high like the fort but for a 49er it was something remarkable). I was mesmerized by what I saw and told Nava mama that hopefully things will work out for his people and the village fine.

Nava mama getting down to the well

Sitting as if on the couch in his house

Looking through the opening at the bottom

Jumps out and swimming away

A relief to see him surface

More action

Now the big moment

Waving at us

The moment of truth, caught in mid-air… I had no time to set my camera to burst settings

Like standing and waiting for a bus

End of the show folks

Ending:

We then reached home and had an early dinner to get up early to catch the 5.30am van to Hunnasgiriya. Got up around 4.30am and bid our farewell to Nava mama, his wife and of course the Dinkey. Got into the van (surprisingly we got seats) and the journey was unforgettable. The sun was peeping through the mountain tops and the sky was the colour of my water colour box. However, I couldn’t convince the passengers and the driver to stop the vehicle for a quick pic.

We had to keep our windows closed due to the cold air coming through, soon the van got filled and the matters got worse coz the Kaikawala van had broken down and we got more passengers and the ISUZU company would’ve been proud of their handy work had they seen it. It was practically bursting at the seams. Along the way, there were songs playing in the van’s CD player and one specially stuck in my mind coz it expressed exactly what I felt right throughout.

 

The master, W. D. Amaradeva sang this bit.

“Sasara Wasana Thuru – Niwan Dakina Thuru

Pinketha Hela Ran Derane – Yali Upadinnata

Hethu Wasana Wewa – Hethu Wasana”

 

We all are so lucky to have been born in this wonderful country and even more luckier to see the beauty of this country.

Reflecting the events of the past two days, we reached the Hunnasgiriya town around 7.30am and had sponge cake, banana with what keeps me going, Black Coffee.

After that…? Well it’s another fairy tale of mine but in another report

Do hope the fairy tale turned out to be what it’s supposed to be “a fairy tale” and helped you plan your trips or refresh your memories

The realy beauty of Meemure can’t be expressed with my limited vocabulary, so you gotta go there and feel it in real life. Nothing like actually experiencing it.

Meemure is just like a village out of a fairy tale and hope you enjoyed reading Sri de Meemure and the pics.

 

P.S. The plea from Nava mama and Meemure people.

They had sweated and toiled night and day to make electricity a reality for Meemure. Nava mama and their welfare society had gone into all the ministries and relevant authorities to get the funding and resources. They had managed to get funds and cables worth 5 million. You’re not gonna believe what I’m about to say.

Coz, they, the villagers, made 180+ concrete electricity poles in the village and put them up and did the cabling and got the houses wired anticipating the electricity will soon come. UNIDO (part of UN) had got a turbine and fixed it in Kaikawala and given the power for about 3 months before it broke down. Then it was taken back to Colombo and repaired and returned to be broken again after about 2-3 weeks. Now the UNIDO claims they don’t have the funds (Around Rs. 100,000/-+) for the repairs and the whole project is at a standstill. The kids can’t do their studies and they find it difficult to move about in the night without power.

The road condition (a lot better than it used to be) is still in dire need of renovation. This is mainly due to the low quality work of the contractors and corrupt local politicians who chase only money not people’s needs.

So if you happen to come across any donor organizations, do direct them to Nava mama so that something can be done to those people in need. There’s a very sad story behind that wonderful village and people.