The road to Jaffna, before the town is flooded

I have?been to Jaffna many times, the first was during the civil war when there was a temporary ceasefire between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government, allowing civilians access to the peninsular. The Prime Minister of the day, Ranil Wickremesinghe, now the President of Sri Lanka was encouraging Colombo businessmen to support Jaffna and create business links with entrepreneurs and others in the city. A group of Rotarians were invited to go and I was also to participate.

The Whinging Pome Random Rule No. 273: "Never turn down a free trip even if it sounds risky."

We flew in a Sri Lankan Air Force plane and dropped into the Jaffna airport strip, which had limited facilities. The airport some years later has gained commercial and international airport status and is named Palaly. Jaffna at the time of my visit was isolated from the rest of the island by the Tamil Tiger fighters.

Even when the war was over foreigners were not allowed access for some time. Jezzebel waving her Sri Lankan passport went up and spent fifteen hours getting there in a van from Colombo.?Today?you can fly up or even train up there, (as of?today?there is some track replacement going on) which is about an enjoyable eight-hour train journey. Jezzabels' observations were quite harsh seeing the destruction of villages on the road and seeing an LTTE cemetery being bulldozed, later we heard a police station had been built on the site.

Some eighteen years later on my fourth visit to Jaffna, I'm keen to see what progress has taken place and how the local inhabitants' lives have improved and changed. Considering the deaths of an estimated 150,000 people, both military and civilian island wide in a twenty-five-year war, it was mainly in the north where the biggest loss of life took place and hundreds are still to this day reported as missing. Over these years under the LTTE and also afterwards there has been a mass exodus of Tamils and others who have emigrated due to persecution or hardship, land grabs and lack of hope.

What's?encouraging to see is that Tamils are coming back in small numbers. I read recently of Suganthan Shanmuganathan who left as a small boy to live in Canada. He held down three jobs, went to university, married and was successful. Twenty years later he is back in Jaffna building his own liquor company and assisting others in their business.

The next trip up is by road, it’s quiet and the A9 road is straight and fast. Our driver has his right foot down regardless of the multiple police speed checkpoints. We only get caught once, the police said they had changed the speed limit that day as a cow had been smacked by a speeding car the day before. Our driver paid his bribe, or "contribution" toward the said fine and we sped off again. The trip passes through areas of cultivated land with even more similar cultivation opportunities. The cattle look healthy and contented. “The bread basket of Sri Lanka” springs to mind on the road to Jaffna as we see an even richer soil component, with tobacco, beetroot, carrots and even vines being cultivated.

We go to see a Catholic mission where vines have been grown for many years, I meet the Mother Superior of the Rosanian Convent. I presented myself as a winemaker and we have a long chat. At the end of which the Mother said I should not spread the news of her wine-making activity. I pointed out, as a good Christian, there was no negativity about making or?consuming wine, especially in the holy sacrament and the?scriptures?She said, "that's not what concerns me it's the fact that I sell wine and have no license." For those keen to follow the Jaffna wine trail don't rush, I would say it has a very medicinal taste and is often sold in whisky bottles. We tasted a Rosetta wine laced with cinnamon. I think it would be great heated up on a cold night in Scotland.?There is also a famous toddy coconut Palmyram drink that we seek but don't find till we get to Delft island . (You can read that story here:?https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/delft-island-influenced-portuguese-developed-dutch-english-topping)

The very straight A9 road narrows off at Elephant Pass, a renowned location in the war when 5000 Tamil Tigers surrounded and bombarded 600 government soldiers and civilians. At a very narrow point in the road, there is a monument to a very brave soldier, Corporal Gamini Kularatne. He gave his life to save his comrades by jumping on a?Tiger bulldozer gun machine baring down on the Sri Lankan army. He dropped two hand grenades into the vehicle, he didn't survive but he saved many lives and was later awarded the highest award for gallantry in the Sri Lankan armed forces.

At the small museum and memorial at Elephant Pass a?very smart soldier meets me and says, “You are English” having said?good morning to him. He duly switches on the TVs and we see the story unfold on the Elephant Pass and the gallantry award, equivalent to the British Victoria Cross given to Corporal Gamini.

For lots of reasons there is still a really big representation of the army in the peninsular about every 15 minutes you pass a camp with a grandiose entrance, large plaster Eagles and regiment details. Then there are their sports grounds and fields for the forces. We see a parade that is a reenactment of a funeral for one assumes some high-ranking person. They march carrying a heavy bench draped in the country flag.

Through a friend we get a visit from a smart young Major stationed in Jaffna, he is here to give Jezzebel advice on the next leg of the trip through the area which was the last stance location of the Tigers. Jezzebels surname always helps in these situations, being related to a former prime minister?of the island.

It would be easy to say that the locals are constantly reminded of the war by the military?presence, but it's better to have freedom and no Tiger regime, no tyranny and no mass murders. Some families had their children forcibly taken away to train as Tiger fighters. Talking to the hotel staff, some who saw the war here say overall things are so much better. Those brave Sri Lankan military didn't die in vain.

One of the newer buildings in Jaffna is Jetwing Hotel which possibly has the best rooftop view of the city and its waterfront. They only open the upper deck at 6 pm. It's a shame that the rooftop is partially furnished and looking forlorn on our visit, with an underutilized bar. The hotel lacks a coffee shop, and initial impressions are disappointing with a small reception but a large car park. The dining room slips into the bar and every seat is designed for those with extra-long legs, immensely uncomfortable though likely we will return for sundowners as it's the best facility in town to date. Doesn’t say much about the rest. At least this place opens?its?restaurant on a?Sunday?unlike most others.

Talking of closed, we rolled up at the Jaffna library, partly made famous for its dastardly destruction and thousands of old books and manuscripts lost. It turns out access for non-members is after 4.30 pm, so we trog back and do the tour barefoot later, down and around the dirty corridors. To see what? Well, not a lot. No real history, nothing about lost books, the city, its people, nothing but a board with a few photos on it. This renowned building needs some vision in storytelling, a place of history! In fact, the best museum I’ve visited is privately owned, in a modern three-story building about 5 kilometres heading due north out of town. In front of the musuem is one of the biggest displays of old British cars I’ve seen on the island.

Jaffna town fort reaches out facing the sea and as most forts in Sri Lanka, it has Portuguese, Dutch and British history, it now even has a little info centre. After an hour in the sun we head back to the van. Cathedrals, churches and?Kovils are plentiful in the town; some were bombed during the war. We did as many as we could till we were bombed out, leaving some for our next trip.

Back to our hotel Margossa, on subsequent visits we have used The Fox hotel, great pool, restaurant and safe haven whenever we come with new people to Jaffna. The staff are fantastic, helpful and the Jaffna food flows. Seafood including crab and prawns, mutton,?brinjals?and murunga vegetables.

A good travel companion in Sri Lanka is the book Elephant Complex by John Gimlet, an Englishman who spent a year in Sri Lanka. I once attended one of his writing classes.

So, our next trip to Jaffna is being organized and we hope we will tour the headland in a catamaran for five nights with a group of friends. According to Lord Puttnam who visited Sri Lanka some years earlier at a literary festival said “most of Jaffna will be underwater in twenty-five to fifty years due to global warming and seawater rising. Best get there soon.