I went to Trincomalee during the tail end of our mid-term break with a group consisting of my father’s classmates and their families. We spent three days at SLAF’s Eagles Golf Links resort, albeit we were barely at the resort, mostly exploring Trincomalee and enjoying the experiences it offered.

   Arriving around 3pm at the resort on the first day, we had a quick turn around of 30 minutes before we left to explore the city and visit Sri Thirukoneswaram Kovil – a large Tamil kovil built on a rocky coastal section just past the main city.

   Trinco being a coastal habitation made it a haven for various types of seafood – most of which was proudly displaced by the many street vendors in the city. The freshness of the fish was impeccable, most of them still glistening without the faintest foul smell usually associated with them. 

   Moving on to the kovil, it was perched high on a cliff overlooking the ocean – combine that with the glamor and fusion of vivid color palettes, and you have a spectacular sight. It was a calming sight to behold the mightiness of the ocean whilst it was at such a calm state, expanding beyond the reach of one’s eyes. The kovil premises was small, but the surroundings were filled with religious statues and rituals which held impressive detail work. Unfortunately, the premises were not in the best of conditions, as far as maintenance went – garbage was scattered senselessly on the ocean below and on the perimeter of the site. Nevertheless, it produced sights I would never forget.

   The second day kicked off after a lovely traditional Sri Lankan breakfast when we went to Marble Beach – a well preserved, almost Hollywood category, golden sanded beach facing the Indian Ocean. We arrived around 10am, which unintentionally yielded the best experience in the water with the temperature being perfect around the time. One of the most refreshing dips I have had in some time – which gave me more time to gaze far into the ocean horizon once more. Even though we swam quite close to the beach, there were multiple schools of flying fish dancing around the water with us- occasionally switching their identities into birds to take a quick peek at our faces. The swim ended on a warm plain tea, before returning to the resort for lunch.

   Right after lunch we set off for the SL Navy Dockyard, the biggest in the island, just a quick drive north. The plan was to first visit the Navy Museum and then go onboard SLNS Sayura, but due to the very heavy rains, and the museum being mostly outdoors, the agenda was shortened to just the tour of the ship.

   SLNS Sayura is a Sukanya-Class patrol vessel of our Navy, and one of the most active ships in the arsenal – used mainly for anti-smuggling operations in our waters. We were guided by a Lieutenant around the 101m long ship, which had just returned after a successful drug bust. Out of all the compartments, the most interesting was the engine and control rooms – which were kept in masterful condition by the ship’s complement. Sayura has two diesel engines, capable of pushing the 1900 tonne ship to speeds of 40kmph if she ever needed to. The control room featured the brain of the entire ship, from engine to power control, which are manned by a crew directly under Sayura’s captain. 

   Spending just over an hour below deck, we climbed to the deck to an enchanting view of the port and the other 5 warships moored around us, helped by a sky which had just stopped pouring. Safe to say, it made for some great photographs!

   The final day saw us take a 5 minute hop in the morning to the SLAF Academy, just after another spectacular Sri Lankan breakfast. We went around the massive, admittedly well maintained, camp which houses around 2000 cadets. The main highlight of the visit was the walk down the runway, however. It is neatly positioned between a lagoon on its western end, and the ocean on the eastern end, which makes landings especially scenic. It is one of the shortest runways though, just a hair under one kilometer. It was another soothing experience, and a much needed relaxer after a hectic two months of the DP.

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