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…

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