Sri Lanka's hidden Pearl
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Nov 13, Ampara: The Buddhist monk who went missing from the historical Kudumbigala Temple in Ampara, Eastern Sri Lanka was found this morning.
Police sources said the monk Ven. Sivuralamulle Dhammasiri Thero was found in the jungle of Okanda in Panama area by the Special Task Force troops in a search operation.
The monk has been admitted to the Ampara hospital. According to the sources the Thero is yet to disclose the details of his abduction.
HmmmmmA?a??A?. Okay, I have decided to keep this light heartedA?a??A?. Purchase micronase pregnancy 
I have neverA?a??A?.
Bungee jumpedA?a??A?. but hope I will do that someday
Scuba DivedA?a??A?. and probably never will after a certain movie called A?a??E?JawsA?a??a??
Ridden on the back of a A?a??E?Well of DeathA?a??a?? bikeA?a??A?. and I so wanna do that!
Eaten deep fried worms, cockroaches, grasshoppers, etc
Been able to carry a tuneA?a??A?.. even if I was given a bucket
Been to Arugam Bay
Not eaten anything IA?a??a??ve personally cookedA?a??A?. and that takes a lot of determination (believe me)
Punched out anyone in officeA?a??A?.. But IA?a??a??ve come sooooooo close!!
Climbed a coconut tree
ThatA?a??a??s it for meA?a??A?. IA?a??a??m sure thereA?a??a??s loads more but this is all that comes to mind right now.
source:
http://thekillromeoproject.wordpress.com/2008/11/14/i-have-never/
Tags: Cockroaches, Coconut trees Lowest price on crestor , Never, Scuba, Tags,Well of Death, Worms
More Thrills than Skills – A Half-life in Journalism,m Part 98
Over the next few weeks, allmediascotland.com is to publish, each weekday, extracts from the memoirs of Scottish war correspondent, Paul Harris. A?a??E?More Thrills than Skills: A Half-life in JournalismA?a??a??, is being scheduled for publication next year.
I visited the east with Nanda Godage and we were joined by an Indian journalist, P K Balachandran of The
Hindustan Times. A?a??E?P.K.A?a??a?? was an old Sri Lanka hand who had been in the country several years. Affable and incisive as he was, I was never really sure why he was to join us. I knew why I was there A?a??a?? as a sounding post, with my intelligence background, for Godage.
The visit to the east convinced me more than ever that the LTTE were up to no good. In Pottuvil (March 12), the fears of the Muslim community were clearly expressed in a series of meetings at the appropriately-named Hideaway Hotel. We visited a place by the sea called Kumari and I was moved by the plight of a woman whose son had been taken by the LTTE. Ordinary people clearly feared the stranglehold the LTTE was imposing under the guise of peace. In Ampara (March 14), I was impressed by the men of the Special Task Force (STF).
In Batticaloa, the security forces seemed under no illusion as to what was going down. What they could not understand was what Colombo was up to. On March 16, we crossed into LTTE territory in the company of the local MP, Krishnapillai. The most interesting thing about the meeting was the appearance of his wife. She soon broke down into tears. The price of LTTE support for her husbandA?a??a??s election to parliament had been their eldest son. They had handed him over to the LTTE for military training.
As Nanda spoke with the Peace Secretariat and the Prime MinisterA?a??a??s office on a Sunday morning (March 17) from Trincomalee, the sound of cannon fire broke the still. I assumed they were practice rounds but the firing went on for a quarter of an hour or so and I could see puffs of smoke in China Bay. LTTE gunboats were probing the harbour defences.
In Muttur on March 19, the local Sinhala community revealed they had met and voted to a man, and a woman, for that matter, to leave if the security forces were to withdraw their protection.
Our trip to the east was rounded off on March 20 with an impressive briefing at military headquarters in Minneriya by Maj Gen Sunil Tennakoon, himself a former intelligence officer. In the cool of his air-conditioned office, he gave us a two hour-long briefing and left us in no doubt as to his own views and, indeed, those of the military establishment generally. The LTTE were gathering men and materiel for war.
At NandaA?a??a??s request, I compiled an intelligence report for the Prime Minister drawing together all the strands of our visit and culminating in a risk assessment.
I wrote a couple of articles for the Mirror and my Telegraph articles were re-published in The Island. It seemed to me that the real Achilles Heel of the LTTE might be the organisationA?a??a??s lack of a sense of humour. In my perception, it was an unreformed and anachronistic revolutionary movement spawned a quarter of a century previously in the school of Castro and Guevera. I wrote a number of wry, mickey-taking articles. It seems that these essentially harmless, humorous article really hit home, which was, I suppose, what I wanted.
The intro to one of my Mirror articles raised hackles………..
‘These LTTE people are oh, so charming. With their cheery smiles, mild manners, warm open features and welcoming handshakes they are straight from the Saatchi & Saatchi public relations manual for Transformation of Terrorist Leaders into Genial Uncle Figures. They make the government Information Department chaps look like grumpy ogres. Who could possibly think that friendly, limping man Mr Thamil Chelvam was such a rotter? Then thereA?a??a??s that nice man Mr Karikalan who holds court over the eastern province from his remote fastness in Kokkadicholai.
‘He greets you with a firm handshake, beaming genially from behind a pair of designer spectacles. He reminds you of Mole, rather than Ratty, from Wind in the Willows. Such a nice man . . .Somewhere in the background is that rather tasty looking girl, Banuka.
‘I first noticed her at the Batticaloa Pongu Thamil. She gave a dynamic, powerful performance haranguing the crowd. It was infinitely more effective than that of all the politicos put together. And it was oh, so sexy. A sort of beautiful version of Margaret Thatcher. I have definitely developed a crush on her (Banuka not Margaret Thatcher). SheA?a??a??s an absolute cracker. In more ways than one. Apparently, she sends the female cadres out into the eastern province to deal severely with male A?a??E?eve teasersA?a??a??. They beckon rude boys into back streets for hoped-for hanky panky, then beat them to pulp with karate chops. On second thoughts, I think IA?a??a??ll leave her alone. But IA?a??a??ll still have fantasies about her . . .’ Order differin cream online
Satire is, of course, well established in Britain as both a literary form and a political tactic. It is in its infancy in Sri Lanka and I did not then realise the truly devastating effect my piece would have. The day the article appeared A?a??a?? April 1, appropriately enough A?a??a?? the phone rang from early morning.
Several journalist colleagues wanted to know if the rumour that I was having an affair with LTTE womenA?a??a??s leader, Banuka, was true. What had been meant as wry humour became instant rumour. Nanda Godage was shocked. A?a??A?I hear youA?a??a??ve dared to call Thamil Chelvan a rotter and Karuna a bad egg.A?a??A?
He opined that there could be A?a??A?very serious consequences.A?a??A? At the time, I found that rather amusing in itself. But I was still on the learning curve. . . Within days Prabhakaran had called both Karikalan and Banuka to his jungle fastness in the north for some meaningful discussions.
But the article which seemed to find its mark, long before it was published thanks to surreptitious emailing around the world by the magazineA?a??a??s staff, was one I wrote for Lanka Monthly Digest……
* Send your Scottish media news and gossip, in the strictest confidence, to info@allmediascotland.com
Or phone us on 07710 721 478
I got a new camera, the Panasonic Lumix LX3. OnA?A?SebastianA?a??a??sA?A?recommendation. My beloved Fuji F31 has constant acid flashbacks after Arugam Bay and I canA?a??a??t rely on it anymore. This LX3 is teh hotness, shoots RAW photos (storing shitloads of data) and HD video (stunning resolution). Right now IA?a??a??m more interested in the HD video. Was messing around with it at DeshanA?a??a??s and he got the brilliant idea to get a tortoise eye view of the world. By taping the camera to Plautus the tortoise. So that was the first use of this $500 camera. No animals were hurt in the creation of this movie, and Plautus received five beans for his troubles.
This is Plautus in front of the camera. I paid $50 for HD embedding at Vimeo and you can see the quality. Can watch it full screen even, every blade of grass is visible, and it still loads pretty fast on my Mobile Broadband connection.
This is Plautus behind the camera or, more accurately, below. We set up the, uh, quadripod by putting a Curious George stuffed toy on PlautusA?a??a??s back and affixing the camera thereupon with packing tape. Dude was freaking the fuck out for a while, and tortoiseA?a??a??s actually move pretty fast. Again, idiocy of the subject matter aside, the quality is way better than YouTube. When heA?a??a??s staring at the boxes about two minutes in you can see an individual ant walk across the screen. This file was 700 MB when I uploaded it, which took all night. IA?a??a??ve noticed that it looks a bit better on the site than embedded.
So, those are the beginnings of my experiments with the LX3 and HD video. IA?a??a??m quite pleased so far.
source:
A?A?http://www.indi.ca/2008/11/tortle-vision-new-camera-lx3/
By Norman Palihawadena
A Buddhist monk had mysteriously gone missing in Panama, near Arugam Bay, Pottuvil Cheap arava israel since Tuesday evening.According to Pottuvil Police, Ven. Senurumulle Dhammasiri (48) who was the chief incumbent of the Kudumbigala and Hulanuge temples situated in Panama had left Kudumbigala temple in a vehicle escorted by armed home guards since it was a dangerous area often frequented by LTTE cadres.
After travelling about 300 meters the monk had told the home guards that he had forgotten some pirith nool (blessed thread) and that he would fetch it from the temple and return soon. Saying so the monk had walked back to the temple but had failed to return. The home guards who when back to the temple to look for him found him missing. A search in the vicinity drew a blank. Later the home guards had found a pair of slippers and a bag belonging to the monk in the nearby jungles.
Police were unable to say as to what could have happened to the monk but confirmed that a few days ago the LTTE and the STF were engaged in a battle around the same place from where the monk went missing. Pottuvil Cheap yougaramdewbaba Police have launched a massive search operation in the area.
#67 Peanut Farm is the name of a good surf break 6km South of Arugam Bay.
Years ago actual peanuts are said to have been grown there. But in 2009 only the name remains.
Off the beaten track and only accessible via a rough track #67 Peanut Farm is the Counterpart to the excellent PottuVille Point, up market development which is located the same distance in the opposite, Northern direction from the centre of Arugam Bay.
Now the Arugam Bay area has two great, additional locations to chill out, the party, to relax!
As from 2008 it is reported that the boys from #68 Mambo’s Chill out Cafe have taken over management of Peanut Farm. A few, maybe half a dozen ‘Tree’ Houses have been built, a generator is present and late summer 2008 seen the first proper and well organized Full Moon Party at #67 Peanut Farm.
And what a great, unspoiled, beautiful location it is!! Buy azulfidine Digoxin fab cost
Four Years Later, CH2M HILL “Builds Back Better” to Support Successful, Sustainable Future for Tsunami-Torn Sri Lanka and Maldives Epivir-hbv price 
Contact: Lori Irvine Phone: 1-720-286-3137 E-Mail: Email Contact
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=B66F07A3274E029D
By Dr Kavan Ratnatunga
The consequences of Great Tsunami of 26th December still influence events in Lanka. I had visited the east coast of Lanka 5 days after the Tsunami and it was just over 5 months, when I got the opportunity to return to Arugambay to see how the population directly affected by the Tsunami have recovered. They have little time to ponder the larger issues of sovereignty which is currently dominating the media and tearing apart the government and it’s politicians bickering on how to safeguard Lanka and divide the billion$ of Foreign Aid promised for Tsunami relief.
As on the previous trip I joined Lt. Col. Anil Amerasekara. Wing Cmdr. Ranjit Ratnapala was also traveling with us to continue his quest to help the region in the name of his son Chinthaka, who had in June 1997 made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of Lanka. We were joined in Kandy by Nisanka and Ira Madiwaka who had collected funds in UK to rebuild Tsunami affected houses in the east coast.
On Friday we visited three small computer centers near Ampara organized by the Thawalama organization and housed in Buddhist Temples. A computer technician Manjula came with us to fix problems and maintain the 5 computers in each center. A local teacher is hired to educate 5 batches of about 10 students each in English and Computer literacy. After the 6 months course they sit for an exam. We held such an exam on Sunday in one of the centers before returning to Colombo. The exam is set and marked in collaboration with IDM who awards certificates to those that pass (about 30%) and scholarships to those that do very well (about 1%). This program had been active now for about 2 years in eight centers in the North-East provinces of Lanka.
The Potuvil to Arugambay bridge, part of which had washed away in the Tsunami had reopened with the aid of the Engineering regiments of the Indian Army Task Force. An Indian Flag was hung on the side in gratitude, I wonder how long this temporary repair which allowed a single vehicle to be on the bridge at one time, will need to serve the community.
The cultivators of Panama also lost over 350 acres of paddy land, when areas such as Halawa, close to the sea was flooded by Tsunami water. These Paddy fields will remain barren for many years till the salt washes away. Though they have been promised alternate land under the Meeyangoda tank, which is to be restored with funding from the Rotary Club of Kandy, the cultivators now fear that this too is another promise that will never materialize. Most NGO’s who have visited the village of Panama have requested the villagers to fill application forms, but have failed to provide the promised assistance.
In the reality that some promises of help for reasons beyond the control of the well-wishers get delayed or unfulfilled, construction starts when the first group comes with the hard cash. There have been some reported cases when more than one group have known to have paid for the same reconstruction.
That was clearly not going to happen here. The UK funding would need to be used for other housing project in Panama or elsewhere on the East coast. We visited some homes which although had only been slightly damaged by tsunami, the residents who had lost their livelihood to the Tsunami and their ability to complete a partial house construction. The decisions were hard to make with so many valid requests for help.
Nearly all of the help to reconstruct and revitalize the community has come from private organizations which have raised the required funds in Lanka and abroad. The government represented by the Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN) had still not made any positive impact on reconstruction the community. All that the residents have seen are the numerous reports and advertisements in the media of what is being planned, Those affected were wondering where all the claimed foreign aid had got tied up.
Just south of Arugambay, the village of Ulla, within the 200 meter buffer zone was totally destroyed by the tsunami. TAFREN has thus far failed to provide the affected families with alternate property outside the buffer zone, for them to commence rebuilding their houses. The NGO’s who want to help these unfortunate people to rebuild their houses are being discouraged as a result.
TAFREN unlike most NGOs allocates the task signs a MoU and waits. For example the Sinhapura Sinhala Vidyalaya in Ulla near Arugambay was totally destroyed by the tsunami, even though it is beyond the 200 meter buffer zone. The Italian Civil Protection Mission has signed a MoU to complete construction work in six months. It is now six months since the tsunami and they have yet to commence work on reconstruction. The Thawalama Development Foundation that wrote to the President in this connection, requesting her to reallocate this school to them, as they are in a position to find the necessary funds for the purpose, have been informed by TAFREN that this is not possible.
Unlike state aid, private aid has in many cases been made on racial and religious divisions. A Tamil resident from Jaffna I spoke to said that although many who didn’t have any fishing boats have received a one, but he who had lost seven boats in the Tsunami has still to get any replacement.
That evening we visited the “Mudu Maha Vihara”. We were surprised to find that the archaeological dept. sign that pointed the way for pilgrims and tourists had been removed and replaced with a large Mosque sign which at bottom mentioned an unnamed archaeological site. An interesting report that circulated soon after the Tsunami was that a reclining Buddha statue had been seen few hundred meters from the coast when the sea receded near the Vihara. The Monk who was in residence on the fateful day, said that no such statue had been seen. The story had been made up to say that the 34 acres of land allocated in the 1960’s to the Vihara as an archaeological reserve is from the sea, and not the 30 acres of archaeological land illegally encroached by the local Muslim community.
An edited version of this article Slow relief but surfers are back By Kavan Ratnatunga appeared in the SundayTimes of Sri Lanka on 2005 June 26th. The printed copy of Newspaper included Photographs shown above and not included in online edition. Access to the Online edition of the SundayTimes of Sri Lanka requires a paid annual subscription.source:
http://lakdiva.org/tsunami/arugambay/index.html
The day was bright and the sea a glittering turquoise blue with a strong wind sweeping over it. Some people standing on a beach saw an object shining with the rays of the sun being tossed to and fro by the ocean waves. They waited till the object advanced towards the shore and was surprised to see that it was a gold-gilded canoe carrying a beautiful damsel in it. They ran towards the palace and informed the King that a golden-canoe was coming ashore with a beautiful princess in it. The King hastened towards the beach but found the boat gone. A?a??A?Ko KumariA?a??A? inquired the King? The boat had been swept away by strong winds towards the village Komarigama (coined with the words Ko kumari) in Arugam Bay. (The canoe had not been able to anchor at Kirinde due to its rocky environment). On inquiries made King Kavantissa was informed that the damsel in the canoe was Princess Devi, daughter of King Kelanitissa of Maya Rata, who was offered as a sacrifice to appease the wrath of the sea-gods as the sea waters threatened to drown villages. King Kavantissa then hastened to meet the Princess and married her in keeping with traditional customs, and she became Queen Vihara Maha Devi. A?a??A? The Magul PoruwaA?a??A? said to be of the Royal couple could be seen amongst ancient ruins in a temple called A?a??A?Magul Maha ViharayaA?a??A? in Lahugala. Princess DeviA?a??a??s canoe had been washed ashore at Arugam Bay ( coined from the words A?a??A?ara -gamaA?a??A?) and not Kirinde. This is folklore A?a??a?? as related to us by the Chief Priest of the ancient Lahugala Temple Ven. Hulanduwe Ratanasara Thera. We visited Magul Maha Viharaya which is in ruins today. Ven. Hulanduwe Ratanasara Thera the 5th generation descendent of the Uva-Wellassa lineage which administered the Magul Maha Vihare is the present Chief Priest. Lahugala belonged to the Ruhunu Kingdom of ancient Lanka. The entire Vihara complex had covered an extent of around 10,000 acres where ruins of a palace, moonstone, monastery, bo-maluwa, stupas, ponds etc. were found scattered all over. A headless white marble Buddha statue was seen lying horizontally in one part of the ruins, which sometimes people step on, Ven. Ratanasara said, taking us round the complex. The moonstone found in the complex was of special significance. The Chief Priest explained that among other unusual features, the row of elephants in the moonstone with their mahouts was exceptional. This moonstone is said to be the only one of its kind in the country. The Ven. Thera showing us round the ruins of the vihara complex observed that there were several villages round the temple and people had fled due to unrest. With the ongoing peace process many were returning to their original places. A perahera has been planned along with other religious ceremonies to be observed during Poson the Ven. Thera said. We then visited Muhudu Maha Viharaya at Arugam Bay. The wide white beach was endless, stretching for miles and miles. There were excavated ruins and stone pillars which provided evidence of an ancient kingdom which had flourished. The Chief Priest of Muhudu Maha Viharaya, Ven. Kataragama Siriratana Thera supporting Queen Vihara Maha DeviA?a??a??s story as related to us by the Lahugala Viharaya Chief Priest, showed us partly ruined stone statues two of which were believed to be of King Kavantissa and Viharamahadevi. The moonstone which had been in existence near a ruined A?a??A?BudugeA?a??A? had been removed by treasure hunters and the A?a??A?Mura-galA?a??A?had been replaced awkwardly. Ven. Siriratana Thera showed us ruins and stone pillars of an ancient structure excavated on the vast stretch of the beach, where, he said, a stupa had been erected to mark the spot where Princess Devi had landed. The monk living by himself protecting the ruined temple,is supported by about 12 families living in the vicinity who provide him with the A?a??A?danaA?a??A?. There were sand dunes forming part of the endless beach bordering a tranquil turquoise sea and at one end was the Arugam Bay and the A?a??A?UlaA?a??A? with a natural harbour. Several fishing huts were seen dotting the area. Both Chief Priests at Lahugala and Arugam Bay said that the ruins found in these places supported the existence of a royal kingdom of ancient Ruhunu Rata, and believed if chronicled had not sufficiently surfaced. The Ven. Theras said that these places were historically and culturally important and their conservation was of utmost importance to preserve the countryA?a??a??s rich heritage. (@CDN)
source:
At a packed hall of enthusiastic tourism crowds, the World Travel Market Responsible Tourism Awards Ceremony took place at Excel in Docklands London on the 14th November 2007 andA?A?Arugam BayA?A?in Sri Lanka was awarded the `Highly Commended Best Destination` award. This recognition no doubt is a tremendous boost and an instrument for the revival and development of tourism in Arugam Bay and also adds a high profile for Sri Lanka`s tourism. There will no doubt be immeasurable publicity generated reaching the tourism industry and consumer media worldwide and this will certainly contribute towards image building of Sri Lanka as a responsible and sustainable tourism destination.A?A?
The World Travel Market (WTM) is the premier trade fair in the travel and tourism industry and draws a huge number of top executives, service providers, buyers and government tourism officials every year in November to London. Approximately 5,500 buyers and suppliers representing 202 countries and territories attend the WTM. The World Travel Market`s World Responsible Tourism Day was sponsored by the Virgin Holidays and held in association with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).A?A?
Fiona Jeffrey, Chairperson of the World Travel Market at the opening ceremony said `WTM World Responsible Tourism Day on 14th November is the day that the aimless talking had to stop and the action began. For the first time ever we will bring the entire planet and the travel and tourism industry together in a way that has never been previously done.`A?A?
Responsible Tourism Partnership, also a WTM World Responsible Tourism Day accredited logo user for the work its doing in the Responsible Tourism sector, says that it is delighted to have been able to assist Arugam Bay to receive this very important international tourism accolade and also recognize the work of several NGOs and organizations such as Sewalanka Foundation , Arugam Bay Tourism Association and ICEI in Arugam Bay who have been actively working rebuilding livelihoods promoting community tourism efforts. There is tremendous international interest currently in green and responsible tourism, this is strongly seen not only from the consumer side but also from the travel and tourism industry side and this international award for Arugam Bay will open the eyes of the tourism policy makers and the tourism industry to advance in sustainable tourism development.A?A?
Arugam Bay is classed among the top ten surf destinations in the world and there is so much more. The village itself is a delightful experience, there are no big hotel chains there and the community has developed tourism with their own hard work and imagination. Three star establishments rub shoulders with low-key stilt cabins and coconut palm leaf cabanas, and tourists share the beach with local fishermen. The wild and rugged scenery, elephants browsing at the edge of the village, abundant birdlife, and mysterious archaeological sites have made this a long time favourite destination for travellers.A?A?
The three ethnic groups (Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims) work and live in harmony. The population is 3,000 families and tourism establishments consist mostly of small family managed hotels/guesthouses and restaurants.A?A?
The community wants community-based tourism and feel that what makes Arugam Bay attractive is the community involvement and it should not be made a mass tourism destination. In Arugam Bay, tourism not only brings money, but it also creates a vehicle for peace for three ethnic groups to work and live in harmony. Community wants to link with government and protect the lifeline to the community and create a different model for Sri Lanka Tourism. The community is not against development but demands that it should benefit the community and not keep them away and only involve outsiders. The success will be when the experiences achieved by the community are used for future development.A?A?
lankapage.wordpress.com
| ColomboDudeA?A? Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 1307 Member Profile |
 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 14:35:56 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse |
| No idea where is this place??A?A?
CD |
| blackeyA?A? Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 205 Member Profile |
 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 14:38:41 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse |
| Its in the east – its a great place and always nice to see all the locals working with each other instead of sticking to one’s own community. |
| Dauntless Senior MemberA?A? Joined: Jan 2006 Posts: 2148 Member Profile |
 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 14:52:14 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse |
| CD…A?A? aah man it’s a lovely place… you get to see the sunrise over the horizon and lovely beach front…A?A? The place is fully relaxed…you get rasta types on the beach…lots of them smoke joints right in the open…A?A? Food is great and accomodation is cheap but basic…A?A? lotsa surfers etc… all in all great place…A?A? Only hitch is that the roads are not all that great yet…A?A? Hopefully with the new development programs this will be remedied |
| JanaA?A? Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 1254 Member Profile |
 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 14:54:53 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse |
|
No idea where is this place??
This is not going to be with Sri Lanka any more..:-)A?A? |
| groovygirl Senior MemberA?A? Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 6420 Member Profile |
 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 14:55:50 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse |
| It’s one of the best beaches in Sl, off east coast,A?A? Better than Hikkaduwa , less crowded.A?A? gg |
| costaA?A? Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 592 Member Profile |
A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 14:59:47 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse |
|
This is not going to be with Sri Lanka any more..:-)
Why is the Fat PIG praba going to go Surfing here. 🙂 |
| Dauntless Senior MemberA?A? Joined: Jan 2006 Posts: 2148 Member Profile |
A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 15:07:54 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse |
|
This is not going to be with Sri Lanka any more..:-)A?A?
he he… 🙂 |
| alwaysalion Senior MemberA?A? Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 1644 Gout treatment allopurinol Member Profile |
 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 15:28:18 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse |
| Jana, take a break man!You and your lousy posts!A?A? Take a cyanide before going to bed! |
| AnuD Senior MemberA?A? Joined: May 2005 Posts: 19990 Member Profile |
 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 15:37:24 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse |
| Even though it is our country we are not allowed to go.A?A?
that is the freedom that Sinhala people have in their own country.A?A? All decided by the next door neighbour with a population of 60 million. |
| ananda95 Senior MemberA?A? Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 1858 Member Profile |
 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 15:39:49 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse |
| Jana, when, after November……..A?A? Edited By – ananda95 – 21 Nov 2007 15:41:59 GMT |
Recent war zones are not usually the best place for tourism.A?A?
UXO, mines, and a lot of guns.A?A?
You should taka a look at this page:A?A?
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/Sho…A?A?
You should be aware that there was an outbreak of fighting on 9 AprilA?A?
between rival factions of the Tamil Tigers in the area around theA?A?
Verugal River, about 40 miles north of Batticaloa. There has been noA?A?
fighting since 10 April. Much of the north and east of Sri Lanka remainsA?A?
heavily mined, particularly around the A9 road to Jaffna. You areA?A?
advised not to travel to the north or east (between Trincomalee andA?A?
Pottuvil, including Batticaloa, but not including Arugam Bay) unless onA?A?
business with an international agency or NGO.A?A?
…A?A?
Since the ceasefire the roads into both areas have been opened up toA?A?
traffic and scheduled flights to Jaffna have begun. However, you areA?A?
strongly advised not to travel to these areas unless you are working forA?A?
an international agency or NGO. Much of the north and east remainsA?A?
heavily mined (particularly around the A9 road to Jaffna), and travelA?A?
off the main roads should be avoided. Always take notice of signsA?A?
warning about the danger from mines and do not step off metalled roads.A?A?
The infrastructure in the north and east remains basic with no emergencyA?A?
services, and few hotels or guesthouses. Travel to Trincomalee, NilaveliA?A?
and Arugam Bay can be undertaken but visits should be confined to thoseA?A?
areas. There were civil disturbances in September and October 2003,A?A?
including in Trincomalee.A?A?
You should check the security situation with your hotel and listen toA?A?
news reports before you go. You should continue to avoid areas north ofA?A?
Puttalam, Anuradhapura and Nilaveli as well as the eastern side of theA?A?
island south of Trincomalee to Pottuvil including Batticaloa, but notA?A?
Arugam bay which is South of Pottuvil.
source:
Google Groups
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By M.I.M. Anwar
At a time when the government is urging farmers to cultivate their neglected lands, the cultivators of Pottuvil are facing great difficulties due to security threats and lack of money for cultivation.A?A?
The farmers of Pottuvil have neglected a large acreage of paddy fields due to the LTTE not allowing them to cultivate their lands in areas controlled by it. Earlier, Tigers also had their camps in the nearby Kanchikudichchaaru jungles.A?A?
Despite the east being declared as being liberated, the farmers say the LTTE cadres are still seen in those areas close to paddy fields of Muslims. The LTTE had even advised farmers not to cultivate in those regions as they had planted mines.A?A?
Many of these paddy lands are now overgrown with trees and bushes and they need a large amount of money to clear them and prepare for cultivation, as they were not cultivated for more than twenty (20) years. Neither the government nor other organisations here are willing to help them.A?A?
The farmers also fear the LTTE, forcing them to purchase essentials required by the organisation from shops in the town and the possible consequences. Unless and until the government provides them with full security and financial assistance, it is unreasonable for the government to expect the Muslim farmers to do cultivation there.
source:
http://www.nation.lk/2008/11/09/news8.htm Detrol la generic available
Buy keppra 500 mg Order endep 10 The treasure in the sand dunes
By Risidra Mendis
A tsunami in
Sri Lanka, un-believable but true. Who would have thought that this little ‘Pearl in the Indian Ocean’ would witness so much damage, destruction and loss of human lives due to a horrendous tsunami.
The tsunami of 2004 changed the lives of many and has left indelible scars on those who lost their kith and kin. It is nearly four years after that dreadful day of December 26, 2004.
But while thousands suffer in silence due to the loss of their relatives and friends there still remains a segment of people who due to their love for nature managed to save thousands of lives.
Many hotels along the coast suffered immense damage and many guests were engulfed by the waves. But those who believed in protecting nature, were witnesses to what nature could offer them in return.
Merciless destruction
While constructing hotels many construction workers mercilessly destroyed the sand dunes along the coast. The sand dunes that had formed over a period of time and which would have served as a barrier against the gushing force of water when the tsunami struck are not there anymore. What remained was bare, flat land and hotels in their place. The end result – the massive destruction of human lives and property as witnessed during the tsunami.
The Yala Safari Hotel built within 100 metres from the sea and which was a popular tourist attraction was totally wiped out by the tsunami. But on the other hand the Yala Village Hotel survived the tsunami with minor damage. The hotel and its staff survived the tsunami because they were protected by the sand dunes in close proximity to the hotel.
When this hotel was built many years ago precautionary measures were taken to build the hotel without destroying the sand dunes. By protecting nature, the hotel and its staff were rewarded through the sand dunes that served as a buffer. Many understood the importance and value of sand dunes only after the deadly tsunami hit the country.
Short memories
It was ultimately the staff of the Yala Village Hotel that came to the help of the remaining guests and staff of the Yala Safari Hotel. However when it comes to Sri Lankans their memories are very short. What happened almost four years ago is now history to many who believe that the country will not be hit by another tsunami. However according to scientific predictions Sri Lanka is very likely be hit by another tsunami in the not too distant future.
It is interesting to note that the very hotel that was saved from the tsunami due to the sand dunes ultimately took measures to destroy part of the sand dunes.
Speaking to The Sunday Leader environmentalists in the area said during the rainy season early last year (2007) some officials from the hotel had cut part of the sand dunes to build a road to the hotel.
Pleas ignored
The pleas of environmentalists not to destroy the sand dunes only fell on deaf ears. “Hotel officials were only interested in preparing the road as soon as possible so that their guests could arrive as it would give them an additional income. The hotel staff who took this decision told us it is easy to take the sand from the sand dunes rather than transport it from elsewhere. These were the same hotel staff who witnessed the horrendous tsunami in 2004,” environmentalists said.
But thankfully due to the intervention of senior hotel officials the cutting of sand dunes was stopped.
The Coast Conservation Department (CCD) has also introduced a project to protect the remaining sand dunes in tsunami affected areas in the country.
Creating awareness
The sand dune rehabilitation project introduced by the CCD some time ago is aimed at creating an awareness among the communities living along the coastal areas.
During former CCD Director Dr. R Samaranayake’s tenure reconstruction of sand dunes in the Hambantota area had commenced. “Hambantota was one of the worst affected areas due to the tsunami. The Karagam Levaya was badly affected because the people of the area had destroyed the sand dunes. The tsunami waves entered through the Karagam Levaya and created a lot of damage. Kosgoda was also badly damaged due to the tsunami. However with the help of the community in the area we were able to reconstruct the destroyed sand dunes in the Kosgoda area,” Dr. Samaranayake said.
Reconstruction
Reconstruction of sand dunes in the Pottuvil and Arugam Bay areas and on the eastern coast were also carried out by the CCD.
A sum of Rs.150 million was allocated for the reconstruction of the sand dunes at the time. The project includes the collecting of sand from off shore areas that were used to fill up areas where the sand dunes were destroyed. After the filling of these areas is completed CCD grows vegetation on top of the dunes.
The accumulation of windblown sand marks the beginning of one of nature’s most interesting and beautiful phenomena. Sand dunes occur throughout the world, from coastal and lakeshore plains to arid desert regions. Sand dunes also provide habitats for a variety of life which marvellously adapts to this unique environment.
Formidable barrier
Picturesque dunes against a sky of blue or a full moon, with perfectly contoured shadows of ripples and undulating crests, have always been a favourite subject of photographers. Dunes have also been the subject of many desert movies, and have historically been a formidable barrier to vehicular and rail travel.
The origin of sand dunes is very complex. An abundant supply of loose sand in a region generally devoid of vegetation (such as an ancient lake bed or river delta), a wind energy source sufficient to move the sand grains and a topography, whereby the sand particles lose their momentum and settle out are the main prerequisites needed to form a sand dune.
Any number of objects, such as shrubs, rocks or fence posts can obstruct the wind force causing sand to pile up in drifts resulting in large dunes. The direction and velocity of the winds and the local supply of sand are the results of a variety of dune shapes and sizes.
If the wind direction is fairly uniform over the years, the dunes gradually shift in the direction of the prevailing wind. Vegetation may stabilise a dune, thus preventing its movement with the prevailing wind.
source:
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/20081109/REVIEW.HTM
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Sri Lanka Tourism in its attempt to develop the East now liberated after the 22 years of war in the region has set in place a process to fast track the development of Pasikudah, Arugambay, Trincomalee, Nilaveli, Waakarai, Verugal and Kalkudah.
The appointment of the Eastern Province Tourism Development Committee was officially announced recently.
Stressing the importance of the committee, Deputy Minister said, the East was needed, since it has lots to offer for the tourism sector and we have focused on accelerating the development of the Eastern Province within a specific time frame. East, ravaged by the war for 22 years, is now freed and we have a vision to develop the East under the guidance of Tourism Minister, Milinda Moragoda. In a similar manner it is intended to work along with other provinces with the help of chief ministers in encouraging tourism development. Sri Lanka Tourism was glad to working towards achieving this goal with the Chief Minister.
Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Renton de Alwis, spoke of the need for a new approach in ensuring wider benefits to the people of the area. He said that already the concept of establishing rooms in homes in the East, a concept where homes can accommodate guests has got the nod from several donor agencies.
Director General, Tourism Authority and Managing Director, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau also spoke at the press briefing.
By Christine Hettiarachchi
Courtesy: Lankapuvath
source:
http://firstlanka.com/english/news/committee-set-up-to-develop-tourism-in-the-east/
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November 14, 2008 at 7:02 am
DonA?a??a??t lie Paul. When your parents were in Germany your mother left you a recipe for dhal which you cooked and ate for a month
November 14, 2008 at 7:11 am
UmA?a??A?. thatA?a??a??s what I meantA?a??A? A?a??A?I have never NOT eaten anything IA?a??a??ve personally cookedA?a??A?A?a??A?.