#but your choice to just casually walk the kilometer back to the house you were staying in instead of running like your life depends on it

[thethingything]

I love when Lucy mentions random stories from years ago that kind of make it sound like they're a character from an indie horror series who's just completely oblivious to the genre of the story they're in and has survived by just going "huh, that was weird... anyway I'm gonna ignore it"

[knockbeforeyouspeak]

the future (you once had)

tom hiddleston x reader

inspired by this post​. they write wonderful chris evans imagines you should check them out!

prompt: 19. “Go home.”; 52. “Why don’t you tell me why you really came here tonight?”; 64. “If you’re not busy… maybe we can get dinner?”

(pic source: x)

“If you’re not busy … maybe we can get dinner?”

The question stunned you into silence. For a minute you thought you were only dreaming, hallucinating, or that was your brain playing tricks on you. The next minute you were trying to get your mind together, resuming your work like nothing had ever happened. Indeed it didn’t, right? You hadn’t heard anyone asking you for a dinner. In fact, you hadn’t heard anyone saying anything.

You inserted coins to the cashier. Your shift ended in two hours. If you could manage, and you should, you might be able to visit your Grandma. Her house was only a kilometer from the nearest bus stop.

“Hey.”

Grandma would be very happy when she found out that you had baked her a jar of gingerbreads. The jar in question itself were safely hidden beneath the counter. You couldn’t risk dropping your bag by accident and broke the jar in the process, that’s why you had chosen to put the jar in a place you could get a clear view of.

“Knock knock, is anyone there?”

It was snowing, yes it had been, but that wouldn’t be a problem. Not at all. The last Christmas you had driven with your windscreen half-covered with snow, and you had managed to get home safely. Plus, you didn’t bring a car today. You had planned to just walk. So basically visiting your Grandma was the best plan you could possibly have.

Someone leaned on the counter and said, “Y/N, I actually was talking to you.”

You felt your fingers twitched. It seemed your terrible attempt at ignoring his presence was pointless. Determined not to back down, you continued counting the money of today’s transactions. “Yes, Sir? How can I help you?”

“You heard me.”

“Yes, I did. Is your change right?” You didn’t bother looking up, but you could feel his eyes staring a deep hole at your face. The problem was your count would soon come to an end; you even actually had double checked the money earlier. When you ran out of idea to stall time, there would be no other choices but facing a conversation you knew he had prepared.

Why would he visit this bookstore, anyway? You cursed silently. In other days, you would probably take advantage of him. Maybe put him in the spotlight as a main attraction. It sure would increase the bookstore’s income one way or another, for who wouldn’t want to buy a book with Tom Hiddleston smiling at you behind the cashier? With Tom Hiddleston handing you your book and wishing you a good day? And taking selfies together as a bonus? That would totally be great! You could even get a praise or two from your manager. Business done, everyone’s happy, what a win-win solution is that!

Unless, today wasn’t that other day. It was a day as usual as any. Eleven o’clock at daytime. As much as you loved books, which made this part-time job a perfect way to spend your time and make some dough simultaneously, there were times when you wished you could go anywhere but your workplace and home. A travelling would be nice. You had been saving money for that, solely the reason why you had taken two jobs at a time. If anything was on schedule, you could take your flight two months from now.

That was still in the future. Right now, you had your cashier, and this particular customer who hadn’t gone from your sight eventhough you had handed him his change.

The particular customer who, of all people, happened to be someone you knew all too well. Mention his name and fangirls would go crazy. What would you say about that? Oh, yeah, it’s Tom Hiddleston and he is my ex. Guess what, we broke up not long ago! How does that sound?

Great, but no thanks.

His arm was resting on the counter that separated him from you. You stole a swift glance to his watch. You expected nothing out of it, really. You did it without purpose, just idly trying to come up with an idea to avoid him as best as you could. But the sight made your gaze lingered a little too long as you frowned: he was wearing the watch you had given to him as a present one Christmas ago. It brought back memories you had kept at the deepest of your mind, some of them you didn’t want to remember.

And he noticed this. Seeing an opportunity to catch your attention, he quipped in. “Familiar with what you see?”

Don’t talk to me like we are strangers, your inner voice called out. Yet at the same time you also thought, or, better, don’t talk to me at all.

The first thing that crossed your mind was to snap at him, telling him to just get out of your sight, to go anywhere but near you, to disappear right now and if he wouldn’t, you would happily be the one doing so. It only took seconds for you to realize he didn’t deserve that. No matter how bad the way you parted, he didn’t deserve any of that.

Tom was a good man. Even if he slipped once or twice, even after you learned one particular thing about him you couldn’t stand without getting angry, that wouldn’t change the fact that he indeed was a good man. He had this very sincere smile. He had this dimple on his left cheek. He treated you the way you wanted to be treated. He respected your privacy. He listened to your rants. He was there by the end of your day. Sure it had been a long-distance one; him with his works and you with yours. Sure you made compromises every now and then. But you had his hands holding you while you walked down the street, the stolen kisses, the nights spent doing nothing but enjoying each other’s company; the times when you had his undivided attention and he had yours.

You couldn’t ask for more. Everything had been perfect. But of course life wouldn’t let go without plunging you into one of their twists. Reality didn’t always go as planned, apparently.

You bound the money together, putting it inside the cashier. For the first time since he had stood across you, you lifted your chin. You were met with a set of brilliant blue eyes, staring at you the way they had always been, with a look only people who once loved each other would know how to. Once, you highlighted. It felt like decades had passed when in fact it had only been months.

Most people didn’t change much within months. Keyword: much. And so did Tom. He was clad in a casual wear: a shirt beneath an outer, a pair of jeans, you couldn’t see his shoes from where you were standing. You wouldn’t say he wasn’t handsome, because dear Lord how could he not be, but it was unbelievably difficult to look into his eyes while pretending you didn’t want to strike him with a bone-crashing hug.

When you fully realized what you had just thought, you wondered if you had missed him all along. Did I? You asked yourself, but no answer came back.

“Tom.” You greeted. Even his name had a vague taste at your tongue. As if you had never said his name out loud before. As if you had just learned a random name you saw on the street.

Tom smiled. A tiny one, only a twitch at each end of his lips. If you hadn’t known him for years, you would have missed it easily. He must have sensed it too, the unease feeling hanging thickly above the both of you. The atmosphere between strangers.

“How are you?”

You glimpsed the paper bag on his other hand. Inside was the book you had swiped its barcode only minutes ago. A copy of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. You knew Tom had already had Hamlet, for you yourself had seen it in his bookshelf. Why would he buy another? You couldn’t help but wondered. Was it to be given for someone? Was it a gift for someone’s special day? Did he buy it just because it was the limited edition from the publisher? He could have bought it online, couldn’t he?

As soon as your head started running possibilities, you stopped. It wasn’t to be your concern. You had absolutely nothing to do with that. Nothing with Tom. Not anymore.

He took a rather deep breath at your quietness. “For an acquaintance of mine.” He explained without you asking. You raised an eyebrow. It was rare for him to use that word. He would usually prefer something that had more depth in it, such as friend. Or buddy. “A big fan of Shakespeare as I am—”

“Why don’t you tell me why you really came here?” you interrupted, unable to hold back any longer. You thought he must have anticipated the question though, for he didn’t look surprised at all. Nevertheless, he seemed to hesitate, you could tell from the way he subtly clenched his hand into a fist.

“I bought a book.”

What an obvious answer. You couldn’t see the point of beating around the bush and didn’t want to deal with one, so you nodded. “Of course.“ A few beats of silence and you shrugged. “Yeah. Have a good day. Come back soon to our bookstore.” The last sentence didn’t deliver its real meaning. It was a formality instead of hospitality. You hoped he would never visit this bookstore anymore, not while you still worked at it.

You were about to retreat when he made a move. Tom reached forward, grabbing your fingers with one fluid motion, practically trapped your fingers between his and the hard surface of the counter. It startled you like hell, yet he opened his mouth before you could react, “Hold on.”

You swept your surroundings in a quick but thorough glance. No one was near the counter, which meant no one would come to pay their books, at least not for now. You wasn’t sure whether you have to be grateful or dreadful about that. Having someone around would include getting a curious look or two, but also a chance to escape from this very situation. Unfortunately you got neither.

You narrowed your eyes at him, trying to tear your fingers out of him. His grasp was strong enough to hold you still, but not strong enough to hurt you. “What is the matter with you?” You whisper-shouted. “Let go!”

“Please, Y/N,” He flashed you a mixed look of frustration and plead. “We never talked about this. Not once. One time you were with me and in a blink you were gone. Just like that.”

You had determined not to argue, but his words inflicted a sense of defensive inside you. You leaned just a bit forward, feeling offended more than ever. “Well, what am I supposed to do? Waiting for you to act first? I did wait! I did give you a chance to talk to me, to confess, to apologize! I gave you time to do any of that! But did you? Not at all! You’re the one hiding everything. You’re the one ruining what we once had. It’s just logical that I chose to give up on us, isn’t it?”

Tom tightened his fingers around yours. He clearly was trying to find a way to make things clear between the two of you; the misunderstandings you both probably had, the event that dimmed out the sparks that once had been there. But what could he do anyway? Things had ended for the both of you. You didn’t want to look back. Not ever.

“One dinner,” he finally resolved. You recalled it was what he had said in the beginning, the offer you had ignored. “One dinner. We’ll talk. Let me make it up to you. Let me … let me fix this.”

His grip loosened a bit, most likely because of his defeated stance. You seize the moment to rip your hands from him, wincing when you realized you put too much force in it. Tom flinched a bit, a look of hurt flashed across his face and you couldn’t help but felt guilty. Yet you recovered quickly, nearly snapping in anger but you held back in the last moment. “Go home, Tom.” You shook your head to emphasize your point. “There’s no use of talking anymore. I won’t take that offer. Just, try to get on with life, I suppose.”

That sounded horrible. More than that, hypocrite. Only a jerk would say that. Have you become one? You weren’t sure. But it was an honest truth. You had been trying to move on. He should, too.

Tom didn’t avert his gaze from you. He looked tired, miserable, like he hadn’t slept or eaten properly the past days. Were you the reason behind that? “I’m sorry.”

You bit the inside of your cheek. There was warmness pressing your eyes, but you had decided this wasn’t worth crying upon. “You should have said that months ago,” you said bitterly. “I might have forgiven you.”

“Y/N, I’m sorry.”

“You slept with another woman while you’re away,” you looked down, staring at the space between your shoes.

“I’m sorry.”

"You betrayed my trust.”

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, this time barely a whisper.

From the corner of your eyes, you see a young woman slowly striding towards you. Her focus still torn between going to the cashier and a display of books, so it might buy you some time. However, this should come to an end.

“Go home, Tom,” you pressed your palm against your forehead, wanting nothing but some solid five minutes to settle the mess inside your head. “Don’t come back. I don’t want to see your face ever again. Just … go.”

He had hurt you so deep the wound would never recover completely. You probably had hurt him back by leaving so abruptly, and now shoving him away, refusing his apology and whatnot. It was probably for the best since you were no longer able to see your future with him. It used to be there, but not anymore.

God, how did everything end up like this?

[loadings-stuff]

Unlucky Heart pt.1

So… A new story begins (I haven’t forgotten about Divine Addiction, don’t worry, just… Life happened and I had to delay it for now) I read a challenge on the amino app of Miraculous and… I really got interested in it, I suppose it’s a mermaid au, but this is how this story begun.

Master Fu tells Adrien that the only way to bring her mother back is to take off the heart of a mermaid and make a wish.

So with that idea, I was already thinking in so many possibilities! And then it came the part that totally sold me out

The part of the heart didn’t mean that he had to make her fall in love with her, no… It literally means to take her heart out! So… Yes, it won’t have a happily ever after ending, sorry… (Not sorry XD)

Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 4

“You must steal the heart of a mermaid and make a wish if you want that what’s in your heart to come true... You can’t hesitate, Adrien, if you do, there will be serious consequences…”

With those words I woke up from my sleep, just a day have passed since I heard them and now I’m dreaming of them...

Great..

I walked out of my tent feeling heavy, sleeping out on the nature wasn’t bad, I’ll admit it, after all, I get to clear my head on my own with no distractions of any kind. The only times I woke up like this was when I went on training camps with Master Fu….

I stretched out, hearing my back popping and relaxing my entire body, I grabbed the small bag I brought to clean myself and headed to the river that was a kilometer away from my tent, remembering what my dream was about.

“A mermaid?! This is serious, master!! I’ve been training with you for the past four years so you could tell me the secrets to protect others! To not rub my bad luck on them!” a few hours ago I received an alarming call from my father, telling me my agonizing to death mother went critical since last night, that no one could do something for her, not even my father with all his money and resources could do something for her… gripping my blonde hair with the desire of rip it off in frustration I looked at my master in front of me “now my mom’s getting worse by the minute thanks to my bad luck and the only thing you can say is that I need the heart of a living mermaid?! What kind of joke is this?! Those things don’t even exist!”

Master Fu, a grown man in his late 190’s, but that looks of 50 or 60 was as passive as always, his posture straight and was holding a cane behind his back with both of his hands, looking at me with those same eyes that said he wasn’t joking. “I wonder if you yourself believe your own lies Adrien…or could it be that you really don’t remember it at all..?”

My hand went straight to my chest, touching over my clothes the spot where a scar in the shape of a cherry blossom flower carved and marked my skin 15 years ago… I looked away from my master, feeling the shape of the petals beneath my fingers “or maybe you don’t want to remember it...”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about master…” I denied it with all my might, I don’t want to remember it…I want it to stay the way it has until now…as just a dream…

After washing my body in the river together with my teeth, I put on my clothes that were hanging on a tree close to the river, as I put my black large shirt on, I grazed my fingers over the flower, as I get close to my destination I’ve felt the scar pulsing and even sting me…just over my heart, quite accurate to the task I’m doing…

I put on the rest of my clothes with a sigh and walked back to my tent, is just the dawn…but I have to start moving if I want to get there before it gets dark.

Putting my clothes in a backpack with my tent and all, I grabbed a bunch of berries and ate them as I started making my way again to my final destination… the beach house of the Agreste family and approximately half day from there on the shore…the last place where I saw an alive and real mermaid…

“Plagg, can you sense it?” I asked the kwami floating to my side as we walked through the shore, not a single soul around or any kind of civilization besides the Agreste mansion in more than 2 miles, luckily our resources were enough to last for another three days but it was almost the sunset now, if we didn’t have the sunlight to guide us, I was going to have to use my backup plan.

“Barely… Adrien, are you sure this is what you want to do?” it’s the first time after meeting Plagg 15 years ago that he’s been the quietest, I was sure he was going to be complaining during the whole journey since we started it but it was the opposite, he stayed quiet most of the time and also listened to everything I had to say.

“You heard Master Fu, this is our only option, and she’s my only option…. I can’t just choose some random mermaid...”

“The girl on your mind…is the only one that’s capable of saving your mother, the only heart powerful enough… your wish can save her life, save her from the dark destiny she’s bounded to suffer….” Master Fu told me while Plagg placed once of his paws over my hand on my chest, trying to ease the pain that was rising from the depth of my heart.

Because of me…

“What… What should I do...?” I asked before I could think about it, my mother needs me, my family needs me now… I can help her for the first time, help her and not cause pain....

“Look for the mermaid that put that mark on your chest…”

“Should I bring her to you…?”

“Yes… but if on your way you find it hard to bring her to me… you can do your wish no matter where you are with the condition that the heart is still beating once you take it off if it stops beating...you should face the consequences, your mother will face the destiny she’s meant to have…” Master Fu's expression was restless, he knows this isn’t the easiest task to ask and to ask me to do it is even harder….

Without a second thought, I packed the essentials in a large backpack, a tent, toothbrush, towel; clothes for at least a week of travel, a large and dented knife wrapped in a thick cloth and food enough for me and Plagg to eat during the trip. When I went back to the garden, I saw Master Fu in the eyes and asked the last thing about my task….

“Why her….?”

“Because where you’re the night, she’s the day, where you are anger, she’s love.. Where you’re bad luck... She’s good luck…. where you’re Yin... She’s Yang…”

“I really hate when you speak like that, why can’t you speak clear this time that I need clarity? I’m always up to hear riddles and puzzles master but I’d really appreciate if-“

“Where you got Plagg, she’s got Tikki…”

Tikki? The name of the Ladybug’s kwami, the opposite of Plagg, the one that should be my partner…

“The miraculous of luck…my partner…my opposite…” I frowned looking in disbelief at my master “you told me it got lost…long ago…that you couldn’t give it to me”

“A child that since born was meant to hold the miraculous of bad luck wasn’t going to be able to resist the amount of power that the miraculous of good luck has…only someone with the heart as pure as the miraculous itself can use it and keep it…”

“What do you mean with that? If I’d tried to be the holder of that miraculous…”

“You’d have died just in the attempt Adrien….”

“Died, uh…?” he said it so casual and with that serious expression of his, but what Master Fu probably doesn’t know is that I’ve died already… probably more than once… “So she’s the one with a heart so pure that can make her deserve to be the holder of my opposite…to be my partner….”

“What are you thinking Adrien…?” Plagg looked worried as I felt the first cold wind of the chilly night cursing through my entire body, I'm already tired and it's getting darker by the second…

I need to find her today, I can’t lose another night, I can’t afford it, not anymore….

“I’m thinking that we need to be able to see in the dark… to be able to sense her kwami…” I stopped and let my backpack fall in the sand before looking at Plagg “we need to be ready…in case she tries to resist...”

Plagg looked at me troubled, he hates the idea of us getting ready for her not cooperating, but he knows we have no choice, after all, Master Fu said it, where that girl is the day and good luck…

I’m the night and the cat of the bad luck….

“Plagg… claws out…” making a fist with my hand, Plagg went into the ring, our usual transformation began, we fusion into one and he gave me my powers, the first years my transformation was all flashy and was meant to look as a superhero, after going to Master Fu to train four years ago it changed, just as my job and my life did…

A mask covered my mouth and nose now, not my eyes, at will it could cover my whole face, making it useful for when I needed to use the night vision, pointy ears were still in its place but they were now also sticking out of a large hoodie that could cover my eyes if I had to pass unsuspicious at any job, I’d look like a simple guy in a weird hat passing by, my belt was still my tail but now I could tie it around my body, I learned to tie stuff to it too, the thing that changed the most was my weapon, the staff disappeared and instead a pair of large and stylized Tekko-Kagi appeared attached to my wrists that I was able to retract in case my job needed me to do it, in exchange, my abilities in jumping, escalating and running increased even more with the training I had with Master Fu, my leather catsuit became more rough in design, more normal looking for civilians, but also it was way more impenetrable than before.

“Feels just like home…why didn’t I transform earlier…?” I mumbled to myself with my mask on, with my hoodie still on, I picked up my backpack from the ground and kept walking.

Plagg was right, I can barely sense her… she’s getting away…how can I make her come close to the shore?

A sudden memory popped up in my mind, I can’t keep walking around in circles when I know she must be deep in the ocean…she’s somewhere around, hiding from humans….

I need her song…

I walked as close as I could to the shore, my knee length boots almost touching the water of the ocean. I closed my eyes and sighed, just five more minutes until the sunset passes. I walked into the water, not stopping until the water reached my hips, the cold water didn’t bother me at all thanks to Plagg...

‘Plagg…can you help me with the mask a little…?’

Plagg didn’t answer as usual on my mind; instead, he let my mask fall from my face, I caught it just before it fell into the ocean.

I looked forward, where the ocean turned deeper, I closed my eyes and tried to remember the lullaby I first used when I was little…the lullaby or more like… the weird and full of pain words that I as a lonely kid hummed to myself that made her risk her existence just to meet me…

‘A boy who seeks the soft touch of love…

‘Looks for someone to give that love to…

‘In search of that girl…

‘Whom my bad luck can clear…

15 years ago I sang and mumbled those words to myself close to the shore… my dad moments before almost drowned when we were playing together thanks to my bad luck, after that, I ran away as far as I could… but being only 6 at that time didn’t take me far, crying and desperate I started mumbling and saying dumb stuff to myself, hoping that like in a fairy tale, a fairy, a princess would hear me and come to save me from my living nightmare…

But I never expected something like her to ever appear…

Thanks to Plagg I felt a kwami getting closer to me; I put my mask on again covering my nose and mouth immediately as I saw a shadow under the sea getting closer at full speed.

Once the shadow was right in front of me I felt the scar on my chest pulsing and burning in the same way when it was done, I looked down as the thing that made the shadow in front of me emerged from the water, black bluish wet hair that reached just under her shoulders was the first thing that came out, her face now larger after 15 years, bluebell eyes that haunted my dreams occasionally watched me curious but with her guard up, her lips rosy were just as I remembered, her hands were nowhere to be seen, probably were helping her to stay on the surface, she stared cautious and curious at my clothes, once she stopped checking me out and reached my eyes, we stared at each other without saying a word for a minute, she was the first of us to break the silence.

“A-Adrien…?” her voice was soft, melodious and even more alluring than when we were kids.

But it wasn’t going to fool me, not this time.

Not after I’ve trained myself to keep calm and cold in front of an enemy for 4 years…

The last ray of light coming from the sunset shone between us for a second before everything around us turned into darkness, blue and green shining in the darkness as we stared at each other.

“Finally, I found you…mermaid…”

Ok! First Chapter! I have the rest already written, I’m just adding stuff and editing them, besides that... I think they’ll be posted during the course of the day, right now I’m tired and I need some sleep ^^

Let me know what you think of it, I’d really like to know what people thought of it or if someone liked it ^^

[vacationsoup]

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/off-the-beaten-path-in-sri-lanka/

Don't like mass tourism? Here's why Sri Lanka should be your next trip

Although all hidden corners of our planet have already been discovered years ago, some amazing places on Earth are still not crowded with tourists and allow us to admire its untouched nature and ancient culture in their original form. To help you in finding such spots, we have a created a guide that will lead you off the beaten path in Sri Lanka – a country that deserves a special mention despite the fact it has not converted into a traditional mass tourism destination.

The islands of Delft, Analaitivu and Eluvaitivu

Where to go and what to do for the traveler searching for unique things to do and places to visit in Sri Lanka? Head out to the less traveled Palk Strait which cuts a narrow avenue between Sri Lanka and India.

Overlooked islands

This serene chain of islands, once scarred from the war, is now enjoying a new freedom and openness. Stepping off the boat onto the outlying islands of Delft, Analitivu and Eluvaitivu, ticks all the boxes for exceptional places to visit in Sri Lanka.

Off the beaten path

Delft island

The local tourist sights may be remembered more for the adventurous journey rather than the spectacle on arrival. Expect tight conditions aboard ferries and some spine jiggling pot-holed roads. The reward is unique places to visit with authentic, traditional Tamil communities where you are the attraction.

Things to do on Delft

Delft is the most developed of the trio with a series of attractions to discover and things to do. Visit the innovative locals living in coral made houses set behind boundary coral walls, the Delft market, Adam’s foot, the Pigeon House and remnants of the Portuguese built colonial fort.

Wild Horses and Beaches

wild horse Delft island

  Look out for the teams of wild horses that roam freely about Delft. The uninterrupted beauty keeps your wanderlust fed, while the unspoiled beaches offer a wild coastline and a soft, lapping surf for a swim.

Analaitivu and Eluvaitivu

AnalitivuAnalitivu is populated with local villages displaying coral walls in typical Tamil colors. At the northern edge of the island, a good place to visit is the colonial built lighthouse overlooking the beach. The enigmatic Eluvaithvu is high on the unique list of places to go in Sri Lanka.

Getting there

Crossing the strait to Delft is either by local ferry or by private boat. The public ferry leaves from Punkudutivu at 8.00 am and returns at 2.30 pm. A private boat leaves at 9.30 am and returns at 4.00 pm. Take a boat from the Kayts, or Karainagar jetty to Analitivu and Eluvaitivu.

Getting about

Heading out to see the sights means hiring a jeep or an auto rickshaw; fares are reasonable and of course negotiable. A day tour can be completed in 3 hours with a spot of lunch and time to catch the return ferry. An auto-rickshaw costs around the Rps. 1500 and a jeep around Rps. 2500.

Tips

Check ferry timings locally.

Bring enough water and supplies for a day trip.

Sunrise ballooning

Sunrise ballooning over the Cultural Triangle

When considering where to go and what to do in Sri Lanka, then the nation’s wonderful Cultural Triangle sits at the heart of any visit. The towns of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, and Dambulla are the three unmissable corners while Sigiriya sits at the triangle’s center.

Above it all

Finding moments of quiet are often sought, but seldom found, in this popular region.  Sights beckon tourists with a ‘tick list’ of treasures to complete. So, why not visit these places in a unique way and ride high above the other visitors.

Unique viewpoint

How much further off the beaten path in Sri Lanka can you get then to boldly take a journey that has no path? A truly unique thing to do in Sri Lanka is to take to the skies and see the landscape by hot air balloon. Rise above the land before the sun rises. Watch the dawn magic unfold as the morning mist slowly lifts to reveal the lush, green paddy fields and Sigiriya rock, in silhouette.

Uplifting experience

The views of the Kandalama lake are magical as the birds fly alongside the balloon. You may see elephants, monkeys, and other wildlife as you cross the jungle sections. On the list of what to do and where to go in Sri Lanka, flying above the ancient archaeological sites of the Cultural Triangle is as far from any beaten path as possible.

Tips:

Flights are daily between November and April weather permitting

For more information see Sri Lanka ballooning

Rickshaw polo

Tuk Tuk polo

Galle is full of charm, history, colorful tradition and a warm welcome making it one of the best towns to go to in Sri Lanka. If you are wondering where to go and what to do around Galle we have a unique experience for you.

Petrol over horses

Polo has been a part of Galle’s custom for many years, but the horses and elephants are taking a restful break. The iconic local transport, the auto-rickshaw (or three-wheeler), has taken their place.

Bumps, jumps and spills

Tuk Tuk polo is a unique thing to witness on a trip to Sri Lanka. The rickshaws have been deconstructed and customized. Although they wouldn’t qualify for F1, it’s a great thrill to see them darting about, expertly controlled by the drivers. Bumps, jumps, nudges, thrills and spills, may make it one of the most unusual sports and certainly one of the most exciting things to do in Sri Lanka.

Champions of the world

A mix of eight international and local teams tough it out for the main prize. The three souped up machines per team might seem to speed about in a melee of confusion, but the drivers know the rules and their machines. The event also raises money for various local charities.

Tips:

The 2018 Championship will take place in February

See Tuk Tuk polo for more information

Cycling the east coast

Taking to the roads on a bike is a great way to get off the beaten path in Sri Lanka. Curiosity often coaxes your wheels down quiet roads to discover new places to go to in Sri Lanka.

Cycling off the beaten path in Sri Lanka

Eastern charms

The eastern coast is a delight for discovering a quieter, less traveled side of Sri Lanka. Whether you are just out on a casual ride between neighboring villages or taking a pre-planned tour along the coast, cycling is a rewarding activity to do in Sri Lanka.

Winding the back-roads

What to do and where to go along Sri Lanka’s east coast is totally in your hands and gives you the choice to include unique things to see and do. The best part of a bike ride is the close intimate smiles and greetings of the locals as you cycle by – much more fulfilling than speeding past behind the anonymous windows of a coach.

Pedal pauses

Off the beaten path is the beautiful Nilaveli with its stunning beach and soft white sand. It’s a unique place to visit in Sri Lanka, so you’ll find just a few tourists, maybe a handful of cows and the odd fishermen going about their business. The bustling beach town of Batticaloa is an interesting place to go as it sits astride a scenic lagoon with an old colonial fort overhanging the waters.

Cycling Tips

Using the main east coastal highway is at some points unavoidable.

Make distances short enough between destinations to explore the back roads.

Trekking in the Knuckles mountain range

If you are wondering what to do and where to go in Sri Lanka for an off the beaten path trek, then Knuckles mountain range offers a fabulous alternative to the more trodden routes.

Knuckles views

It’s a mountain range located in the heart of the hill country, about 36 kilometers from Kandy. With waterfalls, local villages, rice fields, tea plantations, orchards and rewarding views across the range all in one day, it’s worth the effort and is definitely one of the more unique treks to hike in Sri Lanka.

Trekking off the beaten track in Sri Lanka

A unique trekking experience

The best way to get to the range and off the beaten path is by Tuk Tuk tour with a nature guide to explain the rich biological diversity of the area. The ride to the trek starting point is an experience in itself. The hike takes you up, through the lush range, to a waterfall for a bracing dip.

Intrepid hike

The hiking is strenuous but with so much nature surrounding you, it takes your mind of your aching legs and is a gratifying thing to do in Sri Lanka. Make sure you ask the guide to point out the horned lizard and the butterflies that are endemic to this area. A hearty picnic re-energizes you, before you start your descent and the knuckle riding return to Kandy!

Trek tips:

Good walking shoes are essential.

Take your swimwear.

Best time to visit is between January – March.

Wear long trousers and sleeves as there can be leeches.

For more information see: Knuckles range tours

Remote Buddhas and cave temples

Aluvihāra rock cave temple

Akuana & Sasseruwa

Lovers of history and sculpture should add Akuana and Sasseruwa to their list of unique things to do in Sri Lanka. The village of Aukana is home to an exceptional standing Buddha, one of the defining images of Sri Lankan art and religion. Just a few kilometers away is the remote and little-visited Sasseruwa Buddha standing just slightly shorter than its twin in Akuana.

A tale of two Buddhas

Legend connects the Sasseruwa and Aukana Buddhas, citing that the two Buddhas were carved by a master and his student in competition. The Aukana Buddha was finished ahead of the student’s attempt, so the student abandoned the Sasseruwa image in disappointment.

Aluvihāra cave temple

The Aluvihara rock cave temple is a unique place to visit in Sri Lanka. It has great historic importance as it’s the place where priests wrote the Buddhist doctrines on palm-leaves in the 3rd century AD.

Peaceful pondering

Visitor numbers are low so it’s generally a peaceful, unique spot in Sri Lanka to find some peace. Wander around and explore the caves with their Buddha images and wall paintings which are entertaining, if not a little offbeat. If you are feeling full of energy then continue off the beaten path and climb the hill to the golden Buddha.

Getting there

The Aluvihara rock cave temple is situated around 30 km north of Kandy. Akuana and Sesseruwa are around 70 km north so they can be visited together, by car, in a day.

Temple Tips:

No photos with people in front of the Buddha statues are allowed. It is considered disrespectful.

An early morning climb is recommended. I can get very hot after 10 am. Carry your own food and water.

By the Spoonful

Another essential thing to do in Sri Lanka is to sample the local food, and if you are looking for a unique meal off the beaten path, then try the quaint Spoons in Galle. It’s small, with only four tables, so make sure to grab a seat when you can at this cute restaurant.

Soul food

Spoons serves up authentic, home-cooked street food with aromatic flavors. The fish and chicken curries come highly recommended. The cuisine can be a little hot if you are not used to the local spice, but it’s worth trying this gem, so put it on your list of places to go in Sri Lanka.

Family fun

We recommend stopping at Spoons, after you have had a good stroll around Galle, and are in need of some local flavor. The owner is passionate about the food he serves, friendly and his family business is full of charm to complement the delicious food.

Getting there

The original Spoons is on Pedlar Street and their latest venture, just a few steps away, at New Lane 1.

Tasty Tips:

Try the lovely Juice Special blended with around six different exotic fruits

Want to lear more about the local cuisine? Check this article about the Sri Lanka’s Food Culture.

[mishanadel]

T.A.R.M.A.C.

Tibet Autonomous Region My Ass, China

Tibet is one of the most beautiful countries, I mean places, I’ve visited on my travels, but it was also one of the most bizarre, owing to the almost complete takeover of the urban areas by the mainland Chinese. Arriving in Lhasa you do not get the feeling that you are in Tibet. It’s all bright lights and shop signs in Chinese, like a small, Chinese version of Las Vegas. (I gather that this is pretty typical for Chinese cities.) On one hand, the infrastructure is very good, the cities are fairly clean and the major cultural sights are quite well-maintained. On the other hand, it just doesn’t feel all that authentic. Basically all of the major businesses - hotels, restaurants, and larger stores - are owned by mainland Chinese. The Tibetans work in them…sometimes. The “old city” part of Lhasa certainly looks very Tibetan, aside from the approximately 1000 Chinese flags flying overhead and the small squads of Chinese soldiers who walk counter-clockwise around the main temple (you should always walk clockwise around a Buddhist temple), with traditional architecture and small shops selling arts, crafts, and souvenirs, but everything seems a bit too perfect. I’ve described Lhasa to people as a Chinese-owned Tibetan theme park and I haven’t come up with a better way to describe it.

Our visit to the Potala Palace, the erstwhile home of the Dalai Lama and one of Tibet’s greatest cultural monuments, was emblematic of the surreality surrounding the Tibet-China “situation.” The palace is spectacular, a massive castle-like red and white temple built on a high hill overlooking Lhasa. It’s one of the most impressive structures I’ve seen on my travels. It is still considered the home of the Dalai Lama and much of it has been left, or at least restored to look, the way it was when the Dalai Lama fled into exile in 1959. As our tour guide, who was Tibetan, guided us around the palace, he consistently used the present tense to describe what the Dalai Lama used the rooms for, as if he had been there at some point in the past 57 years. It’s as though the Chinese, who are sure to be controlling the messages told to foreigners, think this is some temporary disagreement which will be settled shortly. It left me shaking my head.

Outside of Lhasa and Shigatse, Tibet’s second-largest city, things are a bit different, with the (relative) cleanliness giving way to decidedly less cleanliness (rural Tibet had the most disgusting bathrooms I’ve encountered on my entire trip), far less neon and bright lights and something that feels a bit more like what one might expect of Tibet. The landscapes are desolate and beautiful, the temples and monasteries numerous and actually functioning as temples and monasteries, and the towns small, rugged, and remote. At times you might forget who’s running the place…but probably not. The fact that you are required to be escorted at all times when you are outside the two major cities, to the plentiful Chinese Army checkpoints you must pass through, travel permits in hand, to the unwillingness of the tour guides to answer certain questions makes it pretty hard to forget that the Chinese are firmly in control of Tibet. Or that the Chinese are making major changes to Tibet.

From the massive influx of ethnic-Han Chinese to the “voluntary” relocation of entire mountain towns, it’s hard to think that Tibet in 10 or 20 years (or perhaps much less) will look anything like it does now, to say nothing of the changes that have already happened. Around the time of the “Peaceful Liberation of Tibet” by China in the 1950s (seriously, that’s what the Chinese call it - there’s even a Peaceful Liberation of Tibet Monument directly across from the Potala Palace), Lhasa’s population was ~50,000. It’s now over half a million. Shigatse has gone from ~12,000 to ~120,000. China is very quickly transforming Tibet from an almost-entirely rural existence into a quite urban one, whether the Tibetans like it or not.

Entire towns are being built by the Chinese along the major roads with modern services and slightly-too-perfect looking Tibetan-style houses. These are for the purpose of moving Tibetans who live in remote mountain areas to places where access and services (and presumably control) is better…you know, “for their own good.” We asked about the relocations and actually got a fairly honest answer. They are deemed voluntary as the Chinese will not forcibly move Tibetans who don’t want to move, but those who do not move will be left behind to fend for themselves in a greatly diminished community with little to no services and, presumably, a government that won’t exactly rush to help if needed. Not exactly a free choice. I personally have no problem with modernization or urbanization, but the people affected should be the ones making the decision and that hardly seems to be the case in Tibet.

Leaving politics aside, which one kind of has to do to enjoy Tibet, I really liked my visit. The Tibetan people are extremely friendly, the temples and monasteries are magnificent, and the landscapes are some of the most incredible I’ve seen. The Tibetan Plateau is extremely arid, receiving virtually no rainfall, with only the snowmelt serving to irrigate the land. The virtually vegetation-less hills leading up to the completely vegetation-less Himalayas run a gamut of colors, from yellows to sandy browns to reds. Much of it reminds me of northern Arizona and southern Utah or the desert to the southwest of the Bolivian Salt Flats. And then there’s the Himalayas.

It’s hard to fathom the Himalayas until you’ve actually seen them up close. Nothing I’d seen in pictures or on television fully prepared me for seeing them in real life. They are just so impossibly massive and jagged and rough-cut. They jut out of the plateaus below them so abruptly it’s as if they were cut out of solid blocks of iron and simply dropped onto them. Even if Everest Base Camp, which sits at about 17,000ft/5,200m, were at sea-level, the height of the peaks looming over us would make them very high mountains most anywhere else in the world. Standing at Everest Base Camp and looking south toward the “north face” of Everest, you could see a nearly continuous sheer face dropping from its 29,029ft/8,8848m peak to the high valley below. It was incredible.

Even in this seemingly remote wilderness, evidence of the Chinese abounds. The road to Everest Base Camp is a quite new stretch of blacktop that leads all the way to the temple near Base Camp, with only the last stretch a dirt road in very good condition. I’m not sure if it is out of necessity, caution or Chinese over-engineering, but one section of the road which leads down from a ridge, which provided a spectacular view of the Everest Range stretching across the horizon, had the most ridiculous set of hairpin switchbacks I’ve ever seen. It hardly seemed like we were making any progress as we slowly wound our way back and forth across the hillside at a snail-like pace. Each turn seemed to be only 15 or 20 meters below the last one. It honestly might have taken less time to walk down.

It’s possible to do the entire trip from Lhasa to Base Camp without ever leaving your vehicle, which I almost did. When we reached the temple and teahouse complex which would be our stop for the night, there was the option to hike the last 4km or so to Base Camp, but it was very windy and cold, so we all piled into back the bus and headed off. After a kilometer or so, as we passed some beautiful outcroppings that were catching the late afternoon light, I asked our guide to stop so that I could get out and walk the rest of the way. It just seemed too much of a pity to not walk at least this part of the journey and three of my tour companions thought the same and joined me. The trail, mostly on the road or next to it, was easy enough, but the roughly 60km/h headwind made for a challenging and chilly trek, even over the short distance we had to cover. I’m glad I did it, though, as the scenery was much better appreciated outside of a vehicle and led to at least a small sense of accomplishment when we reached Base Camp. Incredibly, at over 17,000ft and in a textbook definition “middle of nowhere,” there was cell phone service and I was just able to use my freezing, numb fingers to post a quick picture of Everest shining in the late afternoon light, before heading back to the teahouse to get warm.

There were two tour groups with the same company doing the same itinerary at the same time and somehow a girl who was traveling with her two friends had been put with us, despite her friends being in the other group. After much complaining, and an odd amount of resistance from the tour company, she was able to switch to the other bus to be with her friends, though she stayed with us at our hotels as the tour company was unable, or unwilling, to make that change. On the last day, on the way back to Lhasa, she started the morning with us and when we met the other bus so she could switch over, she decided our bus was more fun and we helped convince her friends to join us in our bus, though with no small amount of resistance from the tour company again. Responding to changes in plans did not seem to be the tour company’s strong suit. The rest of day back to Lhasa was a lot of fun and there was one last experience waiting for us.

One of the friends who had come over to our bus had met a Tibetan guy while traveling in China who just happened to be in Lhasa and invited her, and us, to meet him for dinner. We assumed we were just joining him for a casual dinner and drinks, but when we arrived at a fancy hotel on the other side of Lhasa, we were surprised to find him at a dinner party with nearly 20 old friends and business associates, who had come together in Lhasa from the various places in Asia where they now resided. They had been eating and drinking for quite some time, a few of them were pretty drunk, but there was lots of food and drink left and they welcomed us warmly with an amazing spread of local and Chinese dishes including such delicacies as sheep’s head, dried yak and many things I couldn’t identify. There was singing, there was dancing, there were lots of introductions and there was one guy who had to be carried out (not one of us). It was an incredible evening, unlike anything else on my trip.

It was a wonderful last impression of Tibet and one that I will never forget.