Author: thelasthurrahsite

No trip to the south of Sri Lanka is complete, I was told, without a visit to Galle Fort but first, a stop to buy some fruit from the local supermarket.

 Tuk tuk transport is pretty cheap here and in good supply,

many drivers waiting patiently outside most of the hotels. Generally, these guys not only speak good English but also are well informed. So it’s really a cheap guided tour.

Galle Fort was originally built, using granite stone and coral, by the Portuguese in 1588 and  extended by the Dutch in the 17th century. Moving past the outer walls where youngsters were having a cricket practice

and onwards past the lifeboats(or I assume they are although I wouldn’t like to be launched by the one on the left), you come to the inner wall

where a tunnel underneath the law courts brings you out into the original part of the fort.

Close by these courts there are numerous law firms, notaries and so on, some of which obviously have close links with Galle’s colonial heritage.

 Mr da Silva is hardly a Sri Lankan name!

Once past the legal offices you enter a myriad of quite narrow streets

full of art, antique, jewellery shops, restaurants and a few small boutique hotels.

All quite bohemian and all quite chic.

Some of the old colonial buildings are quite striking

but others might need some TLC fairly soon.

Inner Galle Fort is a fascinating place. At every turn you see something interesting and different.

As a result, I spent far longer here than I or my driver had intended, so it was time to go. I think I’ll have to come back tomorrow to check out the rest.

Phileas

 

A bright, sunny day greeted me this morning so I took full advantage by having an early breakfast

with a very special view. Where I am staying is more restaurant than hotel as there are only 4 bedrooms. Very boutique! Actually, I much prefer the smaller and more intimate hotels and Unatawana has loads of them

which gives the place a rather nice ‘village’ feel. Clearly, tourism has been established for a lot longer here than in my previous destination which is no bad thing as the service levels are considerably higher than in Bentota. The beach, though, is not as wide and a bit more crowded, especially with dive boats. It’s a big sport here (N.B. Ollie).

At the other end, up the hill, there is yet another (small) temple

which, of course, I had to visit

with the help of the outstretched handed guide, of course. Actually, it’s nothing special but does  command a good view of Unawatuna bay.

After this morning’s roasting, a bit of afternoon exploration was necessary so it was off to a silk factory. Actually it was more like a suburban house than factory but I guess you don’t need much space when you’re dealing with very small insects!

Silk moths (on the left) typically lay around 500 eggs each which then hatch into caterpillars that grow by feasting on mulberry leaves (right). When they are done munching they build a cocoon around themselves

from which, after a while, out pops another moth and so it begins again. Actually, this is not always strictly true because the silk strands cannot be extracted from the cocoon whilst the moth is still inside and if the moth escapes naturally then the silk can be destroyed. So, 50% of the cocoons are allowed to develop naturally thus maintaining the moth population whilst the other 50% are drowned(!) and then the silk extracted. An amazing 1 km stand of silk can come out of a single cocoon which is then combined with others (depending on the silk thickness required) and spun into pure silk thread.

In this picture you can see the half dozen cocoons in the bowl of water on the right. What you can’t see are the stands of silk leading onto the spool on the left but, believe me, they are there.

Once the silk has been spun it goes off to the dyers to be coloured and then returned to the factory to be woven

and then sewn into a multitude of garments displayed in the showroom.

So, a lazy morning and an educational afternoon. Perfect.

Phileas

No, it’s not some sort of funfair game. It’s a method of fishing that has been practiced in Sri Lanka since Word War II when food shortages and thus overcrowded fishing spots prompted the fishermen to try alternative methods to make a living.

Whilst I watched this old guy for a while, he caught two fish which were too small to keep. The ‘sticks’ (posts) are actually embedded quite close to the beach so I was surprised to be told that large fish are often caught. These are then either sold on the roadside

or sent to one of the many fish markets in the neighbourhood.

As the weather was still very substandard, lounging on the beach was again out of the question so it was another day of nature activity – on a sea water lagoon  this time as opposed to the freshwater lake and river I explored in Bentota. For relatively little money , I hired a boat with captain and one crew

and off we set immediately passing a rather large crocodile who unfortunately disappeared under the water before I could snap him – so to speak.

Apparently this lagoon and it’s 4 or 5 small islands used to be a wildlife haven. But the noise of planes landing and taking off from a small airport nearby plus the buzzing of the outboard motors of tourist boats has, sadly, reduced the numbers. However, we did see lots and lots of cormorants

a white crane

who didn’t stay still long enough for me to take a decent photo, a few black monkeys

and a number of very sleepy tree lizards.

On one of the biggest islands in the lagoon is a Buddhist monks’ retreat. 26 monks live here, many of whom are young boys, following a life of prayer, meditation and learning. Large tourist groups are not encouraged but I was told that a single traveller such as myself could take a look. So we stopped and after a trudge through the very wet jungle

we came to the centre of this retreat – a small temple.

The inside walls were completely covered with paintings all of which, I assumed, told a story.

I say ‘assumed’ as my boat captain’s strongly accented English was, frankly, almost impossible to understand. So I just nodded vigorously  from time to time which seemed to keep him happy.

All the while we were in this place one of the younger monks (a 10 year old boy) just tagged along without uttering a word., neither did he smile.

Unfortunately I was unable to find out if he was unhappy to be living in virtual isolation or he just had a sad face! He certainly looked quite sad as we boarded our little boat and headed back to the mainland again.

I have been reading a bit about Buddhism since I entered Buddhist territory but I haven’t yet got to the part which answers the questions: what drives these youngsters to give up what we would call a ‘normal’ life and choose one of meditation, prayer and virtual isolation? Do they have a choice? And are they better ‘contributors’ to the world by doing so? Have they got it right or have we? The answer is probably. as always, somewhere in the middle.

By the time we set off back to base again, the rain had stopped (finally?) so the livestock were on the move again.

Here’s hoping for a few rays of sunshine tomorrow.

Phileas

 

I’ve lost track of the number of times during my travels I’ve heard local people say : “the weather shouldn’t really be like this now. It’s the dry season” Well, trust me, it isn’t. I had hoped that yesterday’s downpour was just a temporary blip but this morning it was still chucking it down and the wind was howling. Needless to say, the sun loungers and deck chairs were not busy.

I busied myself with bits and bobs of paperwork, catching up on emails etc this morning after which I decided not to give in to the elements so I asked a tuk tuk driver to take me somewhere dry! After a bit of negotiation, we settled on a visit to a tea factory  which I have to say was fascinating as I doubt the manufacturing process has changed much in hundreds (if not thousands) of years.

Tea plantations can be worked 365 days a year – and in the rain too.

Once the leaves are picked they are left to ‘rest’ for a few hours to reduce the moisture content by 50%

after which they move on to the grinding machine were the leaves are broken up into small pieces.

The drying process comes next which is done on a machine that should really be in the Science Museum!  It’s 145 years old and still going strong.

Made in the UK, of course, by the same Belfast company that built the Titanic , I was told.

Note that the name plate merely states ‘Ireland’ as, of course, it was in those days.The only modern piece of machinery is Japanese and which electronically sorts the leaves by colour after they have been sorted by size. The smaller the leaf, the stronger the tea seems to be the general rule. The final step is to put the various shades and grades of tea into large bags, take them to the wholesale market in Colombo where they are sold to the likes of Liptons. Typhoo etc who do the final packaging and marketing. Well, I thought it was interesting and it certainly beat staring out of my bedroom window at the rain!

Apart from tea, rice is another big industry in Sri Lanka

as is cinnamon.

The cinnamon bush (tree?) doesn’t grow very tall but the aroma that a plantation – even a small one – gives out is wonderful. On the way back to my hotel, as the rain had eased a little, Mr Tuk Tuk made a diversion and took me to a small island inhabited by only 5 related families all of whom grow cinnamon bushes.

Firstly, the outer bark skin is removed from the branches

after which the inner bark is peeled off leaving the branch which is used largely for firewood.

The largest piece of inner bark is then filled with smaller pieces which are left to dry when the colour changes to brown and, hey presto, you have cinnamon sticks! Powdered cinnamon is merely ground cinnamon sticks.

Had it not been raining, probably I would never have had this adventure. I’m so glad I did but it would be nice if the sun shone – even for a little bit – tomorrow.

Phileas

 

I was not unhappy to leave my oddly named Wunderbar Hotel as it came close to being the worst accomodation I’ve stayed in – certainly in terms of value for money – on this trip. And as my next destination was only about 60km south, I decided on the scenic route via tuk tuk rather than by more conventional taxi.

 The journey was not quick as there was the occasional unorthodox traffic on the road

and my  very well informed driver wanted to show me a load of fruit bats resting before going out partying at night.

Believe me, these guys are not your common or garden little English bat. They are huge.

It is just over 12 years since the terrible tsunami struck  this island killing more than 50,000 Sri Lankans. Our route took us past an area which suffered more than most,

the land just behind the beach being quite flat with no hiding places. Entire villages were engulfed and the stark evidence of the damage caused is very much there for all to see even now.

Unlike in Thailand where admittedly there were fewer lives lost, little or no attempt has been made at rebuilding here. Maybe it’s purely lack of funds although money was found to erect a large Buddha memorial.

One man who survived but lost all his family has built a photographic shrine to the memory of those who died.

It’s quite an amateurish ‘museum’ but in a way, all the more harrowing for being so

as some of the photos are really very disturbing.

Many of these dreadful images will be etched on my memory for some time as will the thought of a 10 metre high wave crashing down onto this once beautiful shore line, destroying everything in its path before  finally coming  to rest about 3 kilometres inland. Truly terrible.

Forget what I said the other day about not being too worried if the sun doesn’t shine. I arrived in Unawatuna (or is it Hatuna Matata?) just before the heavens opened

 so exploring will have to wait.

Phileas

As I was saying yesterday before the internet collapsed,  our little tour boat felt safe enough. So off we went.

Before we got very far we had to make a detour to help a fisherman whose catch (aka: dinner) had dropped off the end of his line.

So our captain and Mr Brussels came to the rescue

before we headed off into the mangrove swamps

where some Sri Lankan lads were having a party and probably frightening the crocodiles as we saw none. There were, however, iguanas a plenty

and some beautiful kingfishers.

Such colourful birds are a rarity because most of the wildlife just melts into the surroundings. We got quite close to this croc before I even knew it was there

and I certainly would not have spotted this poisonous snake (it’s the long green stringy thing) unless it had been pointed out to me.

Baby crocodiles are, apparently, a delicious meal for passing eagles and a few other birds of prey. Therefore, many are brought to a small crocodile sanctuary where they are fed, watered and kept until they are strong enough to fend for themselves. This little chap

tried to look ferocious but was actually a little softie.

Inevitably on such tours we had to make a stop so the locals could try (unsuccessfully as it happens) to sell us something. As it turned out, learning how coconuts are used not only for their oil and juice etc but for making ornaments, cups and other utensils plus for weaving was interesting.

The outside of the coconut shell is soaked in water for a spell to soften the fibrous interior. These stands are then beaten (not sure why) and ‘plaited’ into a kind of rope string

which is, in turn, made into mats, coasters and the like.

The coconut is a very versatile tree.

Altogether, a most interesting and educational trip. I learnt a lot, including the fact that porcupines really do have very sharp spikes!

So, that’s it for here. I am off to the south which has been a tourist destination for a lot longer than here. I expect it will be very different.

Phileas

 

 

I was right about the restaurant I spotted yesterday. The food was magnificent although a touch more expensive that the £2.12 I splashed out the previous evening. But me being the last of the big spenders, I shall probably go there again tonight.

An overcast and thoroughly murky day today. This doesn’t bother me (too much) as I’ve seen plenty of sun recently. But I feel sorry for those who are here only for a short time and are clearly intent on soaking up the rays. As I said yesterday, there’s precious little else to do here when the roasting on the beach is not an option.

It was breakfast for two as usual

with my little squirrel friend before I headed off for a trip on Benota’s freshwater lake where I joined a delightful couple from Belgium. As I’ve come to expect, the tour ‘facility’ was a bit basic but the boat seemed watertight enough.

The photographic part and the writing part of my blog is quite easy and fun. What is a total pain is the technical bit – especially when the internet signal is poor – as the pictures I take and ‘post’ have to be uploaded onto my blog website which is located somewhere up in the sky. The internet signal in this hotel is patchy to say the least. So, typically. it takes 10 minutes or more to upload each picture, or to be told that the upload has failed. Thus, close to 2 hours can be spent/wasted each day just trying to upload the photos I want to put onto my blog. Today the internet signal has been even worse. In 2 hours I have managed to upload just the one photo (above). So I have decided to give up for today.

Tomorrow I am leaving here and travelling south to where I do hope the Wifi is better. If not it’s back to either semaphore or carrier pigeon.

Phileas

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late yesterday afternoon, a Russian swimmer got into trouble and had to be rescued by one of the staff from my hotel. Mr Rusky was dragged ashore where he sat for a few minutes recovering from his ordeal. He then got up, mumbled a ‘thank you’ to the man who had saved his life and walked off to where he was staying. Considering the average (the average) monthly salary in this country is around £160, you would have thought that a more generous reward might have been in order.

The effects of the tsunami (2004?) which killed thousands are still talked about, not only the disaster itself but the after effects. It seems that too many Sri Lankans profited personally by diverting relief funds into their own pockets. I have been shown 2 hotels that were ‘built on tsunami money’. We know that corruption is endemic in poor countries but what is so sad is that most of the people here know what’s going on but feel powerless to do anything about it. So the few rich get richer and the vast majority get poorer.The current government has 3 more years before the next election. I would not be wholly surprised that sometime between now and then I learn of a more sudden change.

Geoffrey Bowa, a well known Sri Lankan architect (who, strangely, started life as a lawyer) designed and built a house and gardens at Lunuganga which is open to the public.  As an alternative to frying on the beach, I took a look and was, once again, struck by how much the Sri Lankans have to learn about exploiting the assets they have.  There were no signs to the place. There was no mention of special opening times on the internet but on arrival, the main gate was shut with a small notice stating that we (the few others waiting)  would not be allowed in until 1130.

(N.B. Very large mahogany tree).

So we waited. By this time there were about 18 hot and humid folk who were eventually allowed in and ushered up the drive to the ticket desk where a little lady painstakingly hand wrote individual tax invoices for each of the assembled company!

When we finally moved off it became obvious that I had joined a load of either professional or amateur botanists. All I wanted to do was to have a gentle wander around the estate, take a few pics and leave. But our tour guide was having none of it. Every tree was stared at, every leaf was inspected. I do like gardens and gardening but this was a step too far!

The construction of this estate was started in 1947, just before Sri Lankan independence, took 20 years to complete and must have been stunning in its heyday.

A staff of 42 (2 in the house and 40 in the garden!) were employed to ensure the place was always in perfect condition for Mr Bowa’s occasional visits. He only ever visited for 1 day a week, his working residence being in Colombo, although his bust is in residence 24/7.

Now however, there is clearly not enough money being invested to arrest a gradual decline despite parts of the buildings being turned into a US$300 per night hotel

On a scale of 1 – 10 with Waddeson Manor, for example, being 10, I would say Lunuganga is a 3. I’m glad I went though as, frankly, there is little else here other than the glorious beaches. I can’t help feeling that a bit of help from a few key chaps from our National Trust would do wonders for this place.

The journey back to the hotel was slow,

hot and humid. So liquid refreshments from the main supermarket were in order.

 

Buddhism is the major religion in Sri Lanka although the temples are nowhere near as ostentatious as in Thailand.

but dedication is just as strong. I asked this man if the flowers he was collecting were for decoration or even for eating.

He smiled at me and simply said: “for Buddha”.

I have spied another cheap looking restaurant close to my hotel with an interesting looking menu and, equally importantly, selling beer (not all places do). So I shall venture out later for a quiet dinner

until the train rattles past!

Phileas

My down market meal last night was delicious – and trouble free. The tiny restaurant (a loose description)  was, as far as I could tell, built into a 40′ shipping container!

Predictably, I was the only westerner there which attracted a few questioning looks from those queuing for their take-a-ways. A lovely chicken and tuna curry with vegetables and rice cost me the princely sum of £2.12. Just over 12% of the price of the previous evening’s fare and way, way more tasty.

I am told  (and it could well be true) that Sri Lanka is the epicentre of the universe for the making of herbal remedies for more or less anything and everything.

So, being the hypochondriac that I am, I just had to visit the garden showroom of one of the companies that make all this stuff ‘up country’.

It’s only a small,  cool and peaceful place but the range of plants, trees and shrubs is amazing. I had heard of many of them e.g. cinnamon, turmeric and

aloe vera (above) and even what was described as a cocaine bush

but the vast majority of species were completely unknown to me.After the tour I was given a free (with tip of course) neck and back massage and presented with a leaflet (which I have since mislaid!) listing every ailment under the sun that can be cured with one or more of these potions. Naturally I had to buy something.

If my hotel is anything to go by. Sri Lanka has yet to fully embrace the concept of good service which is so taken for granted in other more developed Asian countries. There’s nothing hugely wrong but it’s the small things that make the difference.For example, no hand towels in the room, room cleaning not taking place until late afternoon, used cups/glasses in the room not taken away etc. And I won’t even mention the quality of the music belted out last night by a local band. The thing though that really separates this hotel from others in which I’ve stayed is the quantity of Sri Lankan (mainly) men wandering about seemingly doing nothing, only a few of whom are dressed in the hotel’s uniform. So you have no idea who is staff and who is not.

However,on the plus side some of the decor makes me smile. In my room I have the inevitable elephant photos and a picture of rural Sri Lanka plus this.

Kama Sutra meets Picasso?

Phileas

 

The Sri Lankan kamikaze mosquitoes don’t play by the rules.  I always believed  that bare skin is an acceptable target but skin covered by clothes is not. These guys attacked my fully clothed back last night. Not fair!

The big excitement of the day on the beach is when the day’s catch is brought in and an impromptu market set up

whilst those not selling the day’s catch spend time mending and cleaning their nets.

And that’s about it really on this pristine, clean and quiet stretch of sand other than the turtles. These amniotes (that’s what mammals that live in water but breathe and lay eggs on dry land are called) are not quite nearing extinction but they soon will be if more is not done to protect them. The females come ashore to  lay their eggs at night on the beach around this time every year. But the ever increasing number of brightly lit hotels puts the turtles off so they are reluctant to come ashore and do their maternal duty. And even if they did, more often than not the eggs are stolen as they are considered a delicacy in Sri Lanka and surrounding countries. However, some help is at hand as there are a number of turtle sanctuaries and rehab centres dotted along the coast.

Here, turtle eggs are moved away from the danger of the beach, marked with species and date of laying and buried in sand in protected areas until they hatch – just as Mrs Turtle would do on an unprotected beach.

Once the babies are hatched they are fed and watered for 3 days

until being released back into the beautiful ocean

at 6.15 every evening in the breeding season!

The other part of this simple centre’s activity is rehabilitation. Turtles get caught in fishing nets. They sometimes damage themselves on rocks. And this poor fellow got his shell gashed by a passing propellor.

Some just need looking after when they are old

and by old I mean really old. Turtles can live for more than 200 years -or so it is claimed.

The proud owner of this place (a retired hotelier) lets parties of school children in free of charge as part of their conservation education.

A splendid man and a very worthwhile retirement project.

It’s been a beautiful day with a few clouds appearing this afternoon. No chance of rain, though, so I need have no fear of ‘lighting and tundaring’.

I ate ‘posh’ last night (£17). It wasn’t the worst meal I’ve had on my travels but it was certainly nothing special. So, tonight I’m going cheap native. The Immodium is already by the bed!

Phileas