Jaffna Cakes

I’m sure when you go to Jaffna you are supposed to buy some cakes - thats where you get the best ones from. Not Ashish - he has to take a cake.

To be fair it was his birthday yesterday and the cake is from his girlfriend. We are in northern Sri Lanka about to venture into Tamil Tiger territory which covers about a sizeable amount of the north west of the country (about 1/4) for a piece about the Sri Lankan elections in a week or so.

First stop was the local tea house for some a quick cuppa - this the kitchen - about on par for this part of he world - not really something you want to see, but when you need to go.

We then went to interview a woman who’s husband had been killed about a week before by gunmen who turned up at his house and shot him dead - allegedly for encouraging people to vote. A part fo the problem in this part of Sri Lanka where the town of jaffna is government controlled but very much on the side of the rebels.

Due to the conflict between the two the town once the second city has been desterted by its population and people are in makeshift homes - this was once the railway station - now resident to a dozen families or so.

There is a thin strip of land called Elephant Pass which connects Jaffna to the main island. It is here where a lot of the fiercest fighting took place. It is however very beautiful.

In the afternoon we made our way to Tamil country and passed through the two sides checkpoints before curfew and made our way to Killinochi - the rebel headquarters.

Here Dayer Master (DM), their media spokesman, had reserved us rooms at one of the two guest houses. Five star as you can see.

Fortunately because I have all the boxes I got a private room! Good job I took some DVD’s too as there was little to do, no TV and dark by 6.30pm. In fact they were a blessing as the rooms backed on to the pub bit of the guest house. With headphones on none the wiser.

The aircon may look nice but it didn’t work.