Trinco again!
2 Oct 2013 | Trincomalee, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
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Leaving Kandy, I decide I will walk South, to cross the 120km of mountains at the center of the country. But after 30km (including a few rides in tuk-tuks and trucks I couldn't refuse), I get a call from Tony: there is a problem with the customs in Trincomalee, they wouldn't allow Valdange to leave until they see me and David (who had made his way to Jaffna in the North). I'm shared in between the fact I enjoy walking around a lot and don't want to go to hot Trinco, but I can't really abandon them blocked forever...
So I make a compromise for myself, I hitchhike across the Victoria Sanctuary national park (so at least I can enjoy that one) to Mahiyanganaya and from there I find a bus to Kaduruwala, then another one to Harabana, and finally one to Trinco which put me in town around midnight. Easy!
Back in Trincomalee I meet the customs head officer who explains me it was an offence to just leave, while they didn't have check my bag for imported goods -sorry I won't do it again. But then it takes countless go and back between the customs, the agent in charge of the boat, Tony&co to make sure everything is fine (we apparently needed a document from the customs that allow us to leave the country on our own, but finally not, but finally we needed one from the agent, but finally not, but finally not sure, but but but.....).
At the end, there was nothing needed from us really (appart from blaming us for being naughty boys...), but we still wait for Valdange to be gone just in case, before celebrating that with our friend Herath from the customs :-)