Mystical Chundikulam…

The map – click to enlarge

After a tiring day around Mullaitivu it was time for a relaxing evening. So we were headed on a rugged road from Iyakachchi towards Kaddaikadu. On the way at Kuweni junction we came across some ruins of fort Beschutter which is one out of the tree forts which were built around Elephants pass area. There were direction boards at each junction so it wasn’t difficult to get to Nature Park. Few km’s from Kaddaikadu towards the south along the coastal road Chundikulam Nature park resort could be found and adjoining it the wild life bungalow could also be found. We were so relieved to step in to this paradise and we were lucky to get a tree house on a Banyan tree.

Straight away from the room we headed towards the lake which was bordering the resort and had a lovely walk around this dried out lake. The scenery which we were offered was so unique to this magical location. That evening was a perfect relaxing one and the food and service provided by the army was excellent too. The night on a tree house with air conditioning was a new experience for us and we loved every moment of it. Even the bugs which were pests at sometimes made us feel so close to Mother Nature.

Fort Beschutter at kuveni junction

remains of Fort Beschutter

road from Iyyakachchi to Kaddaikadu

Nature park

our tree house

tree house

dried out mini tank

evening at chundikulam

framed

some bird life

dinner time

ah got one

few kytes

nice catch

all together

a heron

a tiny one

setting sun

enjoying the last rays of the day

dried out

us	lovely greenery

Follow me

waiting to be filled by the monsoons

setting sun

lovely

couldnt take my eyes off

dusk

colours of the evening

our tree house

Next day early morning we woke up and headed towards the beach to enjoy the sun rise and it didn’t disappoint us at all. The scenery was simply spectacular and this was just the start we needed for the day. We did have breakfast and thanked the staff at the resort before departing towards Chalai side.

The road along the coast towards Chalai was a sandy one which ran through Chundikulam national park and there were few by roads which headed inland towards mini lagoons. We only visited one or two of these because majority was dried out. Along the coast towards the south there were Fishing camps on the east and sand dunes on the west. At one point we stopped to have a chat with some fisherman and to our surprise they told us that they are also from Chilaw. As they mentioned, most of the fisherman who camp along this coastal line are from Udappuwa area of Chilaw and they migrate back to Udappuwa when the North – East monsoons set in. I also got to know that these fishing camps have owners just like land owners but only to have fishing camps. These owners do have special permission letters too which is passed to the next generation.

dawn	covered with clouds

running away

few more minutes

he is also waiting

ah we are still awaiting

come on

time to retrieve the net

here she comes

yes

ocean waves been blessed

good morning

a new day

shining sun

its a busy day for them

gave us a nice smile

ok now she is up

Children of GOD

worth more than gold

golden waters

sun has fallen on to the tree house

tea is ready

nice little tree house

morning at the mini tank

a parrot

another mini lagoon

sand dunes

more dunes

lovely path

lagoon with with some water

wild life sanctuary

plenty of coconut

a fishing camp

plenty

drying process

some were hanged

calm and quiet

sandy road

Next we came across a tough crossing point. It was where the Chundikulam lagoon met the ocean. It was one hell of a ride, the sandy terrain was a tough one and the 4 wheel gear helped me a lot to tackle this stretch. After about 1Km we came across a set of fisherman pulling a “මහා දැල” and both of us decided to have a closer look. Yes these guys also were from Udappuwa and spoke Sinhala very well. The songs they sang was so beautiful to listen just like the Sinhala version. We were lucky to see the final catch too before departing. Next we reached Chalai and took a gravel road through thick forest to reach Vishnu madu.

difficult task ahead

where Chundikulam lagoon meets the eastern ocean

chundikulam lagoon

4wd helped us to cross this lagoon

hard work

hard life

pulling from both sides

last bit

the center of the net

final attempt

here it comes

end of the session

the catch

dried out lagoon

road through the jungle from Chalei to Vishnu madu

From Vishnu madu we headed towards Elephant pass to pay respect to Hasalaka Gamini and the War memorial. Behind the war memorial there were ruins of the ancient elephant pass fort which was done by the Dutch and later converted into the Elephant house rest house. It was torn down to dust during the civil war and only few building parts of it could be found bordering the lagoon. There is another fort inline with this one and fort Beschutter called fort Ply but we couldn’t trace any evidence of it. Next was Iyakachchi fresh water well which is said to be the purest mineral water source in the peninsula. Long ago late president Ranasinghe Premadasa also took water from this well to his Colombo residence. To reach this one should take the straight ahead road from Iyakachchi junction and pass the army camp and take a right turn. When we went there we saw two bowsers of government institutes collecting water. It was a huge well with 4 feet of water. We were told that when it rains to Mathale region the water level rises high so it seems to have an underground connection with central mineral springs. This was the last destination of the day so we had a late lunch at Iyakachchi junction and headed towards Vavuniya. The rains started to pour down after Kilinochchi and we decided to end our journey for the day.  That night we stayed at Boo oya nature resort which was by the side of the main road at Iratteperiyakulama. This was one dream journey and both days produced some unforgettable memories.

Remains of bravery

Elephant pass monument

remains of Elephant Pass fort

remains

View of the Elephant Pass Fort from the lagoon before it was destroyed post 1984. (Source: The Dutch Forts of Sri Lanka – The Military Monuments of Ceylon by W.A. Nelson)

map of Elephant Pass Fort

Iyakachchi spring the only clean mineral water well in jaffna

Boo oya resort