Walk Down the Memory Lane

Walk Down the Memory Lane 

Ampitiya, Thalatuoya, Mylapitiya to Marassana

One day we decided not to go to school at all. We were ill prepared. We ended up in Mylapitiya.         

It was 20 kilo meters from our base. We had few cents and bought few buns and decided to walk back home, this time on the main road and never took a side turn. We reached Katawala-Lewla and we were tired. We jumped into hearse with  a dead body and got down near our houses.

Ampitiya, Peradeniya to Murutalwa

This episode was much earlier. 

My mother used to believe in astrologers. 

She decided to go to a place in Muruthalawa. My bribe was only 30 cents, enough to cover the bus fare. This went on for long time and  I decided to walk home. I waked from Murutalawa to Peradeniya,  8 kilo meters distance. 

Got into a bus from Peradenoiya to Kandy and from Kandy to Ampitiya and reached home safely. 

I had something to eat and climbed the Avocado tree waited for my mother to come home looking for me. She did come and did not find me at home. I saw her going from house to house and after about half an hour I climbed down with a nasty smile. 

She was in tears.

I told her, I am going to tell father, if you do not promise me that you never go to an astrologer, again.  

I also asked did the astrologer tell you what happened to  your kid. 

I was about 8 years old, then. She never did go to any afterwards and lived up to ripe old age of  91 years without any major illness.

Ampitiya to Wakara-Watta or Dunumadalawa

This is the most beautiful stretch. Our most regular route. There are lot of Nelli trees and other fruits including mangoes. It is in the forest reserve of Kandy and where Kandy Water Reservoir is located. We climb the Ampitiya hill and come down on one side of the Hantana hill and end up at Rajapihilla where the ladies of King of Kandy bathed.

I was taken there to bath as preschool kid.      

The water was pretty cold which I did not enjoy. I wait till my mother finishes washing the cloths. The monkeys come and steal the cloths if I do not keep watch.

One cannot walk freely to these locations, now. The land is divided into smaller pieces and lot of houses build and gates all over both private as public.

We were lucky. 

Did not have a camera to record them. I did not tell you about the Dharmaraja hill, which is absolutely stunning. Colonel Olcott was mesmerized. 

I did a long walk on that stretch just before I left for Australia.