We learnt only this morning that the place we’ve been staying for the past three nights, Fox Resort Jaffna, was used as the headquarters for the (LTTE) Tamil Tigers’ Commander during the Sri Lankan Civil War. We were shown the underground bunkers beneath the hotel gardens that have now been made into a museum displaying the history and customs of Jaffna Tamils as well as some of Sri Lanka’s great artwork and artefacts.

Elephant Pass

With an early departure to avoid the sun’s strongest rays and sweltering heat, we trekked over Elephant Pass, a rather fanciful name given to the narrow strip of land over a lagoon which joins the Jaffna peninsular with the rest of Sri Lanka. The Pass was named by the Dutch before mainland Sri Lanka and the peninsular were abridged. Elephants were gathered from different parts of Sri Lanka and lead across the shallow lagoon as this was the only way they could reach Jaffna. They were then sold in an annual elephant sale.

Elephant Pass has been of significant strategic importance over the centuries with the Dutch and Portuguese, and much more recently it was where three key bloody battles were fought. I wrote more about this in my trek planning blog over three years ago – here it is.

Our new accommodation tonight is the most bizarre. Promoted as an organic farm resort, it is in reality more like a playground for local families. Zip wires, cycling, cabanas, horse-riding, quirky statues of worldly wonders, numerous requests for selfies from locals and the best of all was a high-pressured Japanese shiatsu massage by a blind masseuse. We haven’t seen a white face for days except when looking at ourselves or each other!

Further sponsorship – if you’d like to help me to help those who have various forms of need in Sri Lanka, whilst being assured every penny will get to those who need it, then please donate by clicking on this link. Don’t forget if you’re a tax payer to declare gift aid when doing so which will increase your donation by 25% at no cost to you. Alternatively, if you know of anyone or any organisation who may have an interest in this cause please share this blog link with them. And, if you’d like to get involved in anyway please get in touch with me at marciasummers@hotmail.com

Next up: To Kilinochchi, the de facto capital of the LTTE during the Civil War 1984-2009

Last blog: If you missed the last blog here it is