Batch 13 — The Great Sojourn — theNOSTOMANIAC.com

76 - Zen Desolation (Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka)

Explore. Explore. Explore. That was my mandate. I drove the Baja down random side roads, across open pastures, and navigated woodland paths littered with thorny brush. (I had the scratch wounds to prove it.) Ah, the freedom of motorcycle mobility. Trail rides and empty beaches were my rewards. My stops included Crocodile Rock, a series of rounded stone formations by the beach. I saw none of the landmark’s namesakes, but did spot two Asian elephants on a stroll and couldn’t resist getting a closer look. Ill-advised? Yep. Rather than stomp my stupid ass into dust, Team Dumbo scampered off when alerted to my presence.

South of Arugam Bay, I found the real treasure…

Batch 13, Sri Lankaby Mr. Nos T. O'maniacMarch 1, 2020Sri Lanka, Arugam Bay, Kudimbigala Forest Hermitage, Okanda

75 - World’s End & Dead Butterflies (Central Province, Sri Lanka)

Alone (mostly) with my thoughts on a sacred mountain in Sri Lanka… I’m in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka. A month ago, I knew nothing of the place. And now? I’m humping it up Adam’s Peak in the dead of night with a strange mutt? What the fuck am I doing? Shouldn’t I be working? Am I pathetic? Why am I so pathetic? Time to get a life? What the fuck’s wrong with me?… I went on like that for some time. Just me and my puppy in search… in search of… what exactly? Meaning? Purpose? Inspiration? Enlightenment? Dunno. Sure, I felt the weight of an uncertain future bearing down on me, but I also felt free, or at least as free I could feel. Then again…

74 - Wasps, Temples, Knuckles, and Kandy (Central Sri Lanka)

Nothing like an archeological hissy spat to get the juices flowing. I’d be lying if I said the uncertainty hasn’t kept me up nights. But it doesn’t have to, no? Could it not be both? Monks arrived around the third century BCE. Mayhap, a palace was built in the 5th CE and the site became a monastery (again) sometime after that until abandoned in the 14th CE. Bam, everyone’s satisfied. Peace on earth.

Sigiriya isn’t without its perils. Wasps. Colonies of killer flesh-eating wasps. Okay, maybe without the “killer” or “flesh-eating” part. (Also, technically they’re giant honey bees.) Still, I was told they can be a real…

Sri Lanka, Batch 13by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacMarch 1, 2020Sri Lanka, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Kandy, Knuckles Mountain Range

73 - Lost Road To Perdition (Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka)

A gauntlet of military checkpoints stood between me and Jaffna in the far north. Solo travelers required special permission to pass. I had no clue how to obtain said permission and a pessimistic outlook on my chances of receiving it. Public transport was a viable option and guaranteed my passage north, but this was suboptimal in a “defeats the whole purpose” sort of way. No route deviations. No unscheduled stops. No bueno. No way I would’ve seen the camps from public transport, at least not in any depth. And give up the Baja? Not a fargin chance.

With all that in mind, I capitulated, driving east to the seaside city of Trincomalee. My disappointment in light of the “lost road to Jaffna” quickly faded…

Batch 13, Sri Lankaby Mr. Nos T. O'maniacMarch 1, 2020Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa, Kaudulla National Park

72 - Curiosity Quagmire (Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka)

Dost thou believeth in Fate? I’m a definite “maybe” though my definition is more in line with the Stoic logos "rigidly deterministic single whole" sort of deal. If I hadn’t lost my motorcycle key, Chandana never would’ve come to my aid. Never would’ve met him or Chari. If I hadn’t unintentionally passed the museum, I wouldn’t have encountered my friends again and would’ve missed a wonderful experience (i.e. Mihintale, Ruwanwelisaya by night, and a host of deeper historical and cultural insights). Now that would’ve been a tragedy. Anuradhapura touched me in a way I have trouble describing. It was rare and special. I will treasure it always. It’s why I did what I did (i.e. set out without a plan, sabotaged my “career”, alienated close friends, so on and so forth), and it provided fuel for further exploration…

Batch 13, Sri Lankaby Mr. Nos T. O'maniacMarch 1, 2020Anuradhapura, Ruwanwelisaya Stupa, Mihintale

71 - Anuradhapura (North Central Province, Sri Lanka)

I’ve heard the “off-putting personal personality theory” before and since. On the road, I can say it was somewhat of a construct. I tried to balance the line between friendly and unapproachable in a doomed effort to attract the cream and discourage the miscreants. Still, I’d be lying if I said this aura didn’t attach in situations where hindrance outweighed benefit. I loathe to admit it, but my unapproachable nature has often put up a social defense shield. And though I was (am) acutely aware of my social shortcomings, something about hearing it from Chari and Chandana hit home. I shudder to think how many interludes I’ve missed along the way on account of my gruff aura. I resolved to substitute less “Grrrrrr” for a little more “Purrrrrr”

Something about standing next to a thousand-year-old ruin…

Sri Lanka, Batch 13by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacMarch 1, 2020Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura