Archive for the 'From our own Correspondent' Category

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Polluted Lagoon

Published on 28/01/2008 in From our own Correspondent, front page, Money Matters and the bay. 1 Comment
Arugam.info has been informed that the beauty spot known as Metformin how much dosage Arugam Bay Lagoon has been polluted by Thousands ofA?A? nasty Nylon, non-degradable bags.

Pollution of Arugam Bay Lagoon

The well published ‘Environmental Impact Study’ by USAID Buy motrin platinum muscle and body totally ignored the fact that Hundreds of Thousands of these damaging bags would be introduced into the water as sand bags by defense contractors CH2MHILL.
The cheap bags were used in construction of the new bridge, as shown above.
Hessian or coconut (degradable) bags were suggested by our Arugam.info representative at the time, but the request was totally ignored.
Following recent floods, many bags were dislodged and some have been found washed up on the beaches as far away as Crocodile rock.

Fishing people fear that the unraveled bag strands could be mistaken to glass type worms and swallowed by fish or prawns. This would cause a further environmental disaster.

It is certain that Thousands of bags will never be recovered!
They will pollute the area for many years to come.

Also, one wonders, if such environmental damaging practices would have been allowed to take place in the USA.

USAID and their PVC waste disposal system

Dislodged bags hastily covered up, as shown above.
Photos Copy right: www.sri-lanka-board.de

Sanity Project Arugam Bay Mk. 3

Published on 20/01/2008 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, front page and Money Matters. 5 Comments
Order metoclopramide Arugam Bay Cheap finpecia finasteride is proud to present yet another “Sanitary Project. Mark3″.
Situated on the beach, in view of famous Surf Point, just inside the reservation land; as indicated by the red/yellow marker:

img_2312.JPG

photo copyright: www.sri-lanka-board.deA?A?

It is unclear, however, which Organization might be behind this impressive achievement.
Also, Arugam.info has not been informed how much has been spent on this innovative high tech. project.
Maybe we fail to spot the artistic side of his rare monument?
Is there a well known, international sculptor involved?

A new year’s resolution for aid agencies and broadcasters

Published on 08/01/2008 in From our own Correspondent and front page. 2 Comments

As the first full week of the new year kicks off, self-improvement is at the forefront of most people’s minds.

Instead of the usual resolutions to give up smoking, eat less and go to the gym, my plea for aid agencies and journalists is: rethink your relationship.

Continue reading ‘A new year’s resolution for aid agencies and broadcasters’

#68 Mambo’s Surf Cafe

Published on 08/01/2008 in accomodation, From our own Correspondent, press coverage and the bay. 15 Comments

2013 update:

Our local correspondents regret that they are unable to provide any further photos, comments or news from this #68 establishment.
Aygestin generic name This is due to the fact that “Mambo’s” management (or their manager) have banned them Order bentyl 10mg from their premises. Even a young child wasA?threatenedA?by him (a Mr. “Ranga”) and a group of A?”Mambo” supporters. We deeply regret this weirdA?behaviourA?and sad incident. And will no longer support or mention this particularA?establishmentA?in future.

However, anyone else isA?herebyA?invited to contribute to this page and post.
Below is an extract from our earlier post.

Arugam.info has not left the boys from Hikkaduwa out for any other reason, but for the fact that their brilliant place is not situated on the main road as such.
In fact, #68 Mambo’s can’t be accessed by road at all: The well developed complex is actually located on the sandy beach, near famous surf point itself. Only a 4×4 can be driven there, across the beach front.

A bit of history:}
Mambo is a house hold name in Hikkaduwa, on the South Coast.
The two resorts are Sri Lanka’s main surfing destinations.
But they have opposing seasons.
About 2003 clever business man Mr. “Mambo” decided to offer all year round facilities to his mainly Japanese guests. When a local offered an ‘inaccessible’ place for sale at Arugam Bay it was time to act and the place was swiftly purchased.
Some nice bungalows were build, a restaurant constructed and best of all:
A good, new PARTY PLACE was born.

Some locals, Arugam Bay – or mostly distant PottuVille people – did not see the benefit such a new, western orientated approach would bring to the area and there has been some predictable opposition.
It has much to do with different life styles – and nothing religious or political of course.

The boys from the South do know how to attract tourists, how to make them happy, how to have a good party and how to deal with western girls:
East Coast guys may have some learning and catching up to do.
Of late, Arugam.info has been informed that Mambo may develop a branch at nearby Peanut Farm – half way between Arugam Bay and Panama.
Another brilliant choice, if so!
Because, away from all this local jealousy, in the middle of an undeveloped, peaceful and beautiful area any visitor and tourist can and will really be able to enjoy a true party in unspoiled nature settings. Without unwanted local interferences.
Arugam.info certainly welcomes #68 Mambo as a valuable contribution to the services the Bay can offer.

#50 Siam View Hotel

Published on 06/01/2008 in bars, Blogs, From our own Correspondent, guesthouse, hotels, Money Matters, people, press coverage, presse-deutsch, restaurants, services, surf and the bay. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Good Morning Friends!

Today we have Good News!
(for a change…!?, but Why?)

Because this is our last Newsletter from Arugam Bay Emsam sale !
Why? Who is giving up?
Nobody!
It’s because you now have you very own, daily, Newsletter from AbaY
It is:

www.arugam.info
Local news, as well as reviews, are already published on our new look, interactive home page.
Anyone can now add photos, comments, questions!
Please take a look and help to develop Greg’s brain child by participating. Just a little bit!
Contents are already changing EVERY day on our new style web pages, simply click link above and take a quick preview.

Feedback required
Folks, remember we are just simple guys trying to help ourselves and promote our area.
Your comments, suggestions, ideas are most welcome and very valuable to us.
Please tell us what you like to see, what you want, what you would like us to include.

What has happened since June 2006?
As this might be our final, direct message to you we take this opportunity to report on some results and developments since we contacted you with our June Newsletter. And we can tie up some old ends in that way.

Season:
The 2006 Surfing Season went actually much better than feared. Given the situation in the rest of the island we have done quite well.
We had a good crowd in town, great surf conditions and a very peaceful time here at Arugam Bay.
Sadly it was a very much shorter season; strange it seems to be over so early.
Because the swell is actually best right now….at the end September.
All NGO’s, our last year’s only customers, have largely gone home as well. Just as well. No great loss for us or the Bay. See “Attitudes 2006” below.

N.s.s. Simon
Due to his local popularity Simon’s present predicament was at once known and was already widely discussed even before any publication, anywhere. We are still observing an unexpected, international interest judging by the flood of emails on this very subject.
Relax. Everything possible is being done.
Sadly this is uncoordinated as usual; because many guys trying to help, but they don’t know of each other’s efforts …..

SVH Holiday Homes Idea:
There has been some interest in our offer to construct a few dream homes/offices/studios by the sea, but no firm takers so far.
Understandable, with the ongoing civil unrest not many wish to invest in Sri Lanka at this point in time.
However, we are convinced that once peace is settled, any early investment into property will prove to be a very wise one.
Rich Middle Eastern Property Speculators already keenly monitor our area; read the link below.
Please form your own opinion what top guns in the Arab Emirates think of Eastern Sri Lanka:
http://www.forumromanum.de/member/forum/forum.php?action=ubb_tindex&USER=user_338742&threadid=1136005235

Actually time is near perfect right now to make a real bargain.
Whilst prices are equally as depressed as potential vendors ….

New, for the SVH is the fact that we now work on a new design study by a disciple and former student of Sri Lanka’s greatest ever Architect, Geoffrey Bawa. The entire concept also benefits from my own, highly advanced civil engineering techniques.
As a result the new Siam View will not only be beautiful, right on the Eastern Sea but of course it will be 100% Earthquake, Tsu/Flood and Typhoon resistant.
Please drop us a line or call my number if you are interested in further details.
My personal phone number is mentioned right below together with a summary and link to background info about Bawa’s great visions, in case you haven’t heard of this great visionary as yet.
SVH’s unique location:
We are aware, but only now, that we are sitting on a beautiful, still very rough diamond.
Only experts will be allowed to cut and improve it in future.

There is NO doubt the SVH will go far one day. We just have to take our time. And chose our partners carefully.
And we must prevent to fall into the common trap of cluttering our beautiful beachfront with dangerous sheds and silly cabanas like everyone else has to do, just to earn a quick buck.
But the locals are here to earn money, many try to get rich. We were rich and are only here to live and retire.
Income and money only concerns us when we can’t afford to pay local staff or bills.

Right now we possess everything else, including a brilliant reputation and the best position near surf point, all with a good view and a vision.
We even have potential guests and good bookings; if had the rooms….they would be full.
All we need is just a bit of financial help, that’s all.
And a dream will come true. Not just for us, but our friends as well.

“Enjoy” NGO’s
Good News! At last we have succumbed, we have actually given up and hope that we will not mention them anymore
Our daily observations simply are too depressing. Let us not spoil what is left of a fine day.

World Cup Coverage and our June Projector appeal
Thanks Folks! We really had a great time.
With our BIG screen, open air cinema setting overlooking the open sea and perfect surround sound from our huge Party systems it was almost like being back there in Germany.
Our June appeal for help resulted in just one single contribution of 65$ from Aussie Dan, but we still managed to find an old projector and the rest of the cash from our own resources.
Even the Italian NGO’s loved it; see yourself on the link right below.
We have created a popular Gallery specially for you:
http://picasaweb.google.com/arugamsurf/WorldcupCoverageLiveAtArugamBay

Photo Album:
The entire, new photo gallery has been so popular that we decided to incorporate the whole concept into our new home Page
www.arugam.info
In addition we hope, with Markus’s super expert’s help will soon offer online ratings and voting facilities.
To make it more democratic than ever.

Best Surf Photo/ Most romantic Photo competition
To stimulate even more interest, to show the nice side of Sri Lanka life and promote the peaceful nature of Arugam Bay we decided to offer a price in each selected category. Maybe YOU can win a free holiday in the Bay for two?
We promise to take care and publish YOUR photo! The best shot -with online voting- is the winner! If it is sent to:
ArugamFoto@Gmail.com

Security considerations
Sri Lanka has slipped back into the dark ages.
Outrageous murders of many innocent have taken place, Again
Only in the last few days there are signs that common sense will surface
Sides seem to agree on cordial meetings, in Oslo. Again
Lucky for the Bay, we have been spared and it is still very safe and peaceful here.
Maybe it is even better and more secure than Colombo, London or any other place these days?
Arugam Bay and all its approach roads are perfectly safe!

Loans
Sadly nothing has changed this year as yet.
As mentioned our total (non-self earned-) income since 2005 still comes to about 10,000 Euro .
Most of this are kind loans, only some of it represents a grant to us.
It came from true friends who (still?) trust us. Nothing at all was ever given to us or the Hotel Association from any official source, like Governments, Companies or Organizations.
We are very sad that we still owe loan cash to two of you, and much longer than hoped and agreed.

Unless a proper finance can be arranged, or we see good upturn of income we simply don’t know how we can cope with the present, serious cash flow situation.
As we don’t even earn enough to pay all our staff; what can we do?
The long term future however is still very bright!
Our advice: Buy shares in Siam View Projects (Pvt.) Ltd., back a winning horse and you will part of a great future
(Sorry, this is just another new idea we are working on – if all fails)

Guide Books
We are honoured to have received many very positive entries in new editions of many travel books.
The best on the market at present seems to be the German Loose ” FA?hrer !”
Sorry for this, folks, I believe it is just a Deutsches Wort for “Leader” – but most of you will known this anyhow.
Some relevant author’s comment, in German though, have been scanned and can be inspected below:
http://picasaweb.google.com/arugamsurf/TravelGuideGermanLooseFuehrer

Cash & Business
The SVH Company Inc. & Co this year actually reached record turnover figures.
Each day, Millions pass through our hands.
Sadly all of it just is handled by us in trust representing many huge transactions on behalf of others
The main volume of transaction originates from the Oil rich Arab States destined for this poor Muslim area….

Throughout this year many wonder why the SVH the only place within a 2- 3 hour drive is which:

Provides cash advances for all Credit cards
Pays out all local Western Union money transfers
Pays out PayPal transactions
Transfers money globally as instructed, with low or even NO charges

Our bank should be impressed. But they don’t assist at all. Rather the opposite.
Fact is that the sad case of Bank of Ceylon rent arrears since Tsu day will now go to Court.
SVH Fred fighting another Goliath …..

The SVH: Suitable for the Disabled and Blind
What happened to the blind man?
We still think he is brilliant & gifted, and he is still welcome
But so far he has not been able to join us.
Any new construction at the SVH, however, is undertaken with disabled people in mind in any event
One never knows when it is needed and by whom.

Attitudes 2006

A nice Swiss family rewarded us with kind words for working honest & hard.
On departure, they actually paid us double the due amount!
Something like this has happened 3 times already this year already; things are looking up!
Some see it as a direct support for guys who don’t want to rely on donations or organisations.

Great! But:
An Italian NGO woman refuses to pay our staff 40Rs./ for one forgotten soft drink she consumed.
The whole issue ended just short of a fist fight ….. you can see how very serious this case was for her….
As a result, and her interaction with our Thai manageress the dear Senorita might not return in a hurry, so Somlak says
After her release from Base Hospital…;-)
If I had not interviewed her colleagues would no doubt still be hanging around waiting for the 10Rs./ change we simply didn’t have in the till…..
I admit, sometimes Somlak often plays a game with such tight guys and lets them wait until the boy returns from the shop, Bank or even from Colombia, Colombo or where ever with a huge stack of change for which a EURO equivalent simply does not even exist and the average German toilet cleaner would reject: And you know what? They actually hang around until they get their last Loopee! Four hours if need be.
If I ever see this show it I am very happy give them my last 100Rs./ note: We are not that poor and we will have to keep a ‘good’ customer happy; specially the humanitarian helpers to this Nation!
They obviously have a complex about spending too much cash on location.
Or being accused of wasting money by some sarcastic clown like me.

Friends
Maybe it’s us, the so called ‘non believers’ – maybe it’s just them, the ‘others’ with hats on?
Due to huge, suddenly surfaced lifestyle differences, locally common two faced attitudes and real bad experiences of selfish behaviour we do not consider some locals as our close friends anymore.
We are happy to report, however, that during 2006 a much better understanding and mutual respect has developed between all but one of the Expats in town and also between most other modern thinking residents.
It is a sheer pleasure to have a dialogue with people who can actually tolerate each other’ opinion…
But even our German Holy Father had to be careful these days; it’s far too easy to upset intolerant guys these days
Believe it of Not!

Cheers & continue to E.N.J.O.Y. your life!
Just as everybody else, here on holiday, here seems to do!

SVH Team
& AbHa
Arugam Bay
Eastern Sri Lanka
0094 – 773 200 201

Ps.: Prolific Geoffrey BAWA (1919 – 2003) believed to let NATURE into each home he designed.
Modern developments seem to exclude nature with multiple walls, doors and windows
Part of the new SVH concept is:
From every new room,
From every bed if you wish
The first thing you will see when you open your eyes each morning will be:
The deep, blue, tropical sea right in front of you.
Dotted with hunky surfers, and hopefully also decorated with the odd bikini girl.
Could this not be a brilliant beginning for a days work or play?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Bawa

To finish this letter we have just only one single request:
Once a month, please take at least one quick look at
www.arugam.info

—
Have you looked at our new Home page?
Our Picasa Web Gallery is also worth a visit.
Please support us by leaving a Comment!
www.arugam.info

source:

http://www.sri-lanka-board.de/archive/index.php?t-2334.html Flagyl price ireland

Sri Lanka TeleCON

Published on 04/01/2008 in From our own Correspondent, front page, Money Matters and services. 7 Comments
Don’t Surf too much when you visit Silly Lanka!
!!! Be Warned !!!
!!! Be Warned !!!
Sri Lanka TeleCoN’s “Prepaid” Services hide Huge Hidden Charges!
The above adverts, also printed on the prepaid cards themselves, create the impression of good, manageable, consumer controllable Internet connections. Island wide.
The actual TELEPHONE (modem access to the server) charges, however are NOT included!! Only when bills arrive, the customer might realize that the whole thing actually will cost you 10x more than mentioned.
This is because calls to access numbers such as 1289 and 1250 are charged at 3Rs./ Minute.
Correctly stated, it should read:

12hrs.: = 2,360Rs./ (not Rs.200Rs./-)
30hrs.: = 5,900Rs./ (not Rs.500Rs./-)
60hrs.: = 11,800Rs./ (not Rs.1,000./-)


In other, civilized Countries this would be seen to be a Consumer FRAUD and nasty deception of the poor, uneducated public.
Worse still, Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) service is terribly slow, unreliable and the lines drop frequently:
Resulting in extra costs.
And more HUGE profits to SLT.

None of arugam.info‘s letters to SLT on this subject have ever been answered by super ‘efficient’ Sri Lanka Tele-CON.
Since June, 2007 we dispute about 70,000Rs./!

(This is because we had to give up our broadband connection and Community Internet Centre in April, 2007. Since then we are reduced to ancient, slow and as we only found out now: Ultra expensive modem operations. A step back into last Century’s technology: Back to AbaY in 1999 to be precise)

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Christmas Greetings 2007

Published on 25/12/2007 in From our own Correspondent, front page, Security & Safety and the bay. 0 Comments

Reporting directly from the bright, sunny Bay at Arugam:
Photo taken 25th December, 15:00hrs.:

Arugam Bay looking towards bridge cranes & construction Delivery voltaren

A very Merry Christmas to all of you, our strong supporters of the Bay.
Sadly, we have NO visitors to speak of in the Bay this Christmas.
After all. It is our so-called “Rainy Season”.
It has NEVER been this quiet before.
(Even all the ENJOY’s are absent)

Take a look at this afternoon’s pictures!

A bright, sunny, clear day with mild, European mid-summer temperatures!
And very peaceful, thankfully, too!
Arugam Bay Surf Point, Christmas Day, 2007, 15:00hrs. Generic for cialis

2007 Capture Competition

Published on 16/12/2007 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, front page, Ideas, Money Matters and the bay. 10 Comments

The grand Arugam Bay Order zenegra photo Competition price of 2007 remains unclaimed!
Even a regular visitor to the Bay, having won 2 weeks Free B&B for two in an a/c suite, did not visit the Bay this year. It has never been as quiet as this before!
Order lisinopril hydrochlorothiazide AbHa has decided to extent the offer to redeem for one further year, hoping to welcome brilliant photographer Mr. Philip sometime in 2008.

How about a capture contest?
Below are a few amateur shots, all taken around the same location.
During the past 3 years.

AbHa, trying hard to attract tourists thinks the few photos sum up the “progress” of the past three years rather well, without many words. And show the conflict of interests in the Bay these days.
The winner of the most apt, funny or fitting capture will win a chance to run up and down Arugam Bay beach (just 2km) and try to match the amount of vessels with the slogans painted upon them.
At our expense.
Simply click “Comments” and let us hear your suggestion.

2004 View to Beach

December 2004; a Natural Event

Clean Arugam Bay April 2005

April, 2005. A fine balance is still in place

Outlook 2005

2005: Is this what tourists come to the Bay for?

Outlook Dec. 2007: After NGO

YOUR Suggestions Please!

Boats?

Published on 15/12/2007 in From our own Correspondent, front page, Money Matters and the bay. 0 Comments

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Sinking Ship

Published on 12/12/2007 in From our own Correspondent, front page and the bay. 4 Comments

Don’t worry! This is nothing political, military or New!
The first part of this story relates to the greatest attraction the East Coast has to offer, to any diver.
HMS Hermes Airphoto by japanese pilot

Just North of Generic diovan hct availability Arugam Bay Is there a generic for lamictal the British aircraft carrier HMS Hermes lies in fairly shallow waters. Sunk by Japanese Aircraft at the end of WW2. The carrier was on its way from Trincomalle harbour to Male, Maldives.
A full dive report has already been published on this site; use the search function if you are interested in details.

HMS Hermes sinking off Sri Lanka Coast

The Hermes was once a fine ship.

Hermes Aircraft Carrier in Action

Very much like some good Hotels and Restaurants on the East Coast once were.

Whatever sealed the fate of HMS Hermes 65 years ago has a certain resemblance to the slow death of the entire Hotel industry. Their boats started to sink when a big wave hit them, in 2004. Plenty of help was promised, from all sides – but nothing substantial ever came along to rescue them.
A combination of civil unrest in other parts of the Nation, incompetence by visiting NGO’s and a total lack of finances have resulted in closure of most establishments which managed to stay afloat.

One leading hotelier describes the situation as such:

Ever since 2004 we feel like sitting in a boat, full of holes.
We kept ourselves busy plugging them by whatever means we have – but scooping out the water to stay afloat has been a hard job, left on our own devices.

….to be continued

Green Lung of Asia

Published on 22/11/2007 in From our own Correspondent, front page, Ideas, Money Matters, people, press coverage, the bay and tuk tuk. 0 Comments

The responsible world begins to take global warming serious.
And Sri Lanka is planning to point out its unique ecological position.
The island Nation, it is said, has NO Co2 emission at all.
Indeed, our green Island produces more Oxygen than its own emission of harmful gasses.
Arugam.info is informed that if this claim is proven to be correct, it will form the back bone of the entire future strategy of the Tourist Board.

In Arugam Bay we are blessed with no sea pollution at all.
That’s obvious, as we clearly have no industry or sewage which could ever spoil the quality of our blue waters.

Due to foreseeable energy shortages a few fossil fuel power stations are under construction in places like Trincomalee. The government might be forgiven to seek quick fix solutions; Ministers are busy with more pressing tasks.

Arugam.info however feels that wise and western NGO’s should have played a better role in using their huge financial muscle to influence policy and educate our small developing Nation.
Starting by giving a good example, for example?
In the case of Arugam Bay the exact opposite has happened!
Still, there is not a single solar panel around, there still are no windmills on any of our windswept beaches or hills, no renewable energy sources qualified for funding, there hasn’t even been a single low energy bulb donated (or used in NGO’s offices!!).
Instead, guys like Mercy Corps donated:
1.) Two stroke Mopeds (instead of electric ones, available for the same price)
2.) Compressor fridges and freezers (instead of LPG or inverter or heat pump systems)
3.) Two stoke 3-wheelers (outlawed in most Nations, the 4 Stroke BajajA?A? was available)
4.) Electric water heaters are said to be donated and installed in small restaurants
5.) Noise & beach polluting boats and Suzuki Kerosine engines
6.) Obscure Las Vegas Style light chains for visiting TV stunts like O.W. “Lights of Hope”
…….and many more energy consuming gimmicks were dished out in true US style, just to obtain a good photo for the distant donors and for the flash M/C newsletter.
Buy tadacip from india Arugam.info at the time tried to help organizations such as Mercy Corps and The Angel Network to see the light of the future and use chances a remote enclave like the Bay offered to them and their long-term plans.
Our help was refused – and our own bed sheet poster, at the time: “No light – No hope” was of course totally ignored. Although much more appropriate, as NONE of the great Mercy Corpse funded ‘projects’ survived the first year of ‘operation.
Indeed, some dismissed and jobless staff had to be drafted in for the follow-on Oprah show to state “how much the US guys have changed our lives” and so on.
Five minutes after the TV guys left – the local girls of the tailor shopA?A? were without any job again, until this very day…A great deception some would call it.

It is with regret and great sadness that with all the huge sums collected, and the wisdom the rest of the world possesses regarding the future of our GREEN planet that we seem unable to begin to make realistic changes in a greenfield micro location such as Arugam Bay.
We (the NGO’s) had the cash, we had the knowledge and wisdom – and still the end effect has been totally negative.
We even damaged our own environment more than before 2004.
We had a great chance to build a better place, but it was totally missed.
At least ever since the arrival of ‘expert’ men and women from overseas.
Online prescription for cymbalta And thanks to Mercy Corps to change lives in Arugam Bay!
(Closing words of Ms. Whinfrey in her show on Arugam Bay)

Jessica Leas Vision

Published on 11/11/2007 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, Money Matters and people. 1 Comment

Filming Mangroves

Used static caravans for sale yorkshire dales Gayani, Dr. Lionel and I went east with Peter from Diokonie and Monfrie and Elke, filmmakers that Diokonie commissioned to do a short (very short, 5-10 minutes) documentary on the mangrove project in Panama. Click here to see an example of their previous work.

Donors crack me up. Originally they were going to go with us in a Sewalanka vehicle. It is actually good for me that they chose to take their own vehicle, otherwise there would not have been room for me (or that is the story I would have been told, but you will see that this would not have actually been true). The reason for taking a separate vehicle is that Sewalanka’s vehicles were determined too uncomfortable. Sewalanka does actually have some very nice vehicles in their fleet, but only certain people have the pleasure of using those vehicles. Now the vehicle we used would have actually been slightly uncomfortable if everyone was in it as there are only air conditioning vents in the front and the only windows that open are at the front two rows of seats (it has four rows). Thus, those of us relegated to the back would be quite hot.

So it was actually reasonable that Diokonie wanted to use their own, fancy, white SUV. Unfortunately, these SUV’s not only suck up quite a bit of fuel, but are also very particular about their fuel. About half way to Arugambay they needed more petrol and apparently did not receive 100%. Thus, their vehicle could only go for 20 minutes and then it needed to rest for 30 minutes while the particles in the petrol settled. Well, Argumabay is very far away and it was decided this just wasn’t going to work, so everyone loaded up into the Sewalanka vehicle to finish out the trip. Magically I did not get left on the roadside for space considerations. I was (as implied above) relegated to the very back seat, by myself, with a pile of luggage. I don’t want to sound like a whiny foreigner, but I will anyway. I do have this torn disk in my neck so it is really starting to irritate me that I always end up in the back seat. This means I get the brunt of the bouncing and these roads are not smooth by any stretch of the imagination. So my neck really, really hurt all week long (it is better today, so maybe I didn’t do any permanent damage).

Anyway, we made it to Arugambay and Ranga had some string hoppers waiting for us (Ranga runs the Beach Hut, which is basically where all NGO and INGO staff stay when in Arugambay as he is the best cook around). This made me happy even though it had taken us 14 hours to get to Arugambay. I’m regularly told it takes seven, but I have never made it in seven. I knew it would take a little longer due to the increased security and we added some time with the SUV issues, but still, twice as long!

The film crew had very specific ideas of what they wanted to capture, which is good because otherwise we would have wasted a lot of time seeing little pet projects of Dr. Lionel. Anyway, first order of business was to get to Panama, where the project takes place. This is the village next to Arugambay, so not a major feat, except the lagoon had flooded due to the recent rains and the road was washed out. Flooded to the exact height of the wheel of our Sewalanka vehicle, which unlike the fancy INGO white SUVs does not have the plastic tubbing on the tailpipe so that you can drive through water. Thus, we put the car in neutral and pushed it about half a kilometer to the other side of the lagoon. When I say we, I mean our driver (Pyas — in picture testing depth of water) Peter, the film crew and myself. Yep, Dr. Lionel did not help. I wasn’t so surprised that Gayani didn’t as women in Sri Lanka [warning: enormous generalization about to be written] tend to go the frail route, but Dr. Lionel is not so old that he couldn’t try to be some assistance. Afterwards, and yes I am terribly offended by this statement, Dr. Lionel said he now knows what help I can provide on trips to the east — I can push the car. I have to say I’ve just about had it with this man!

Anyway, we got to Panama and looked in on the nursery. There were two boats to take us to see the mangroves being replanted on the lagoon. We loaded up film equipment and people and headed out. The film crew were rather funny because they were clearly getting exasperated with people not following directions. I find this funny because it isn’t that people are trying to be irritating, but understanding English with thick German accents when English is your second or in some cases third language, is difficult. Anyway, they got what they wanted on the boats and we went to see the ladies planting.

In Panama the planting is done mostly by women. In the other village we went to (without film crew), the men do the planting. The difference — Panama is Sinhala and the other village is Tamil. Anyway, they filmed the ladies planting and interviewed them.

I am a little worried I somehow irritated the filmmakers. Once we hit land we were standing around and they were setting up so I was taking photos. When they were done setting up I walked away from the group and just stood there, trying to stay out of the way. Anyway, Elke was telling everyone to be quiet for the filming and then she singled me out and said, “Jessica, no photos.” Not in a mean way (although Germans do have a hard time sounding nice), but I still felt like I missed something. Every time on the boat when they began filming I stayed quiet and I sat on their boat just so their film wouldn’t have me in it. I mean I was working very hard at staying behind the scenes and not getting in the way. There is the possibility that she mentioned me by name because she could remember my name and it was clear she was having problems with the Sinhala names (I totally understand as I’m awful with names too).

Anyway, they got their interviews and film and we went down to another planting location and filmed another group of women.

Then they wanted to climb this rock to get a nice overview of the scene. This took an extraordinary amount of time, but I assume it was successful. We went back into the village for lunch (it was around 4 p.m. by this point so we were starving) and they set up a little community meeting to be filmed. I sat inside the house to stay out of the shot, so I can’t provide specifics of the meeting, but it sounded from inside like they were really discussing things (although it was technically a fake meeting, just organized for the filming).

The village kindly offered a tractor to pull us back across the lagoon. The following day the village broke through the lagoon wall that separates the lagoon from the ocean and let the extra water flow out to sea. Elke and Monfrie told us that night that once the water was released they counted eight crocodiles sitting in the lagoon. The lagoon we walked through the day before pushing a car!

On Wednesday the filmmakers wanted to go back to Panama and film in the village, but Dr. Lionel really wanted Peter to see the other village. So we broke up — I went with Peter and Dr. Lionel. Gayani did not drink enough the day before (hydrate or die people!) and thus was in bed all day with a headache. This was a problem as she was sort of the star of the film the day before, explaining things, translating, etc. and without her this meant a hole in the film. Anyway, apparently the dealt with it o.k. and it all worked out on their end.

In the Tamil village the mangrove plants in the nursery were much healthier and way taller. No one could explain why this was (Peter asked a couple of times and people acted as if they did not understand him). The fishermen prepared two small boats for us and we rowed down the lagoon in the rain. I don’t think Pieter really felt this was necessary, and as these were boats fashioned after traditional boats — read extremely small, it was not the most comfortable ride. I enjoyed it because without a motor we were able to see many birds. Of course, it was raining, so no photos were taken.

When we got back to shore there was a traditional wooden boat sitting on the ground and all the fishermen told us how much better that type of boat was compared with the fiberglass boats they all use now that were given to them by various INGOs (names stamped on the side just so we know who gave what). So I asked, how they used to acquire their boats and they answered that they made them. I don’t understand this. It has been almost three years since the tsunami — if they don’t like the boats they were given, why haven’t they replaced them with the type they used to make for themselves anyway. Not to mention that the shoreline is littered with these old wooden boats and some of them are still seaworthy. The real problem is that the tsunami relief process has created a serious problem in Sri Lanka — now everyone just expects whatever they want to be handed to them. It really is a huge problem. I don’t even work for an INGO, yet every time I go to Arugambay someone asks me for something. Generally it is not a necessity and usually the person asking is absolutely not in need (I imagine some of the hoteliers most likely make more money than me).

O.k. end of tirade (for now). Gayani and I were supposed to return to Colombo on Wed., but because filming was not completed on Tuesday, we stayed an extra day. We got back to Arugambay early Wednesday afternoon and Peter thought he’d get to write a few e-mails, but Dr. Lionel would not stop talking to him. Luckily, cell phones were turned back on at some point and this kept Dr. Lionel busy for a bit, so hopefully Peter got some work done.

Yep, in response to the attack in Yala the government turned off all cell phone coverage in the east. Because I’m sure cell phones are the Tigers only means of communication. Phone service was disabled for two weeks, but if you ask anyone in the east they will say they had no phones for one to two months, depending on the person. I found the lack of coverage blissful, but I guess if I had to deal with it for the full two weeks I would not have been as happy.

Thursday we drove back to Colombo. For some reason, Dr. Lionel felt we should all travel together until the turn off to Andurandapuran. Dr. Lionel decided he would accompany the Germans to see another project they are funding. We were all invited, but there wasn’t space in their vehicle for another person and Gayani wasn’t interested in going, so I didn’t go either. I’m not sure why, but Dr. Lionel rode with us until the turn-off. I think it was just to not allow me the front seat in the car as long as possible. Clearly I have issues.

Purchase xalatan generic name Around 2 p.m., long after deserting the Germans, we started to look for food. My thoughts on food while you travel here are that you eat what you can find. Gayani wanted rice and curry and you would think this wouldn’t be a problem, yet it was. Many places only had fried rice and this, apparently, was unacceptable. So we didn’t eat until 3 when we found some rice and curry for Gayani. I have to say that Gayani isn’t the easiest person to travel with what with the preventable sickness and the picky eating habits.

And now I’m back in Boralesgamuwa. Today was basically uneventful. Harshana finally got his visa to England (he was supposed to leave Sunday, but has now rescheduled to Tuesday). I am really happy for him, but a little sad because if he hadn’t received the visa we would be using the grant money to go to Bali to study community based tourism there. Since England is so expensive the grant that was for two will only be used for one and I’m left in the cold. At least in this case I agree as Harshana did have far more to do on the Arugambay project than I and thus should reap the rewards. He promised to bring me a jar of lemon curd so I’ll be happy with that.

source:
http://expatwithelephants.blogspot.com/2007/11/filming-mangroves.html

Feathers

Published on 06/11/2007 in From our own Correspondent, front page and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

Arugam.info‘s broken hand phone message seems to have ruffled a few feathers.
As often in Government, one Department does not know what the other does.
Sri Lanka and Colombo appears to be no exception….
Arugam.info is informed that the Himalaya clarina cost Tourist Ministry did not know about the decision of the Military to disconnect communication Purchase indinavir nursing to a peaceful, quiet resort.
The very same one they try so hard to promote: Arugam Bay.
We are informed that the wisdom and strategic necessity of cutting the Bay’s phones off is under review at high level and might lead to a review.

Hopefully, there are no security objections and we shall be online again very soon.
If not:
Anyone out there interested in a pigeon race? Starting at famous AbaY of course.

No Phones

Published on 02/11/2007 in From our own Correspondent, front page, people and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

Arugam.info has received a growing number of enquiries from overseas; people are concerned that they cannot contact their friends and relatives in recent weeks.
There is no case for alarm!
Everything is well. In the Bay.
It is true, however, that all mobile phone networks have been disconnected.
disconnected_cell_phone.jpg Purchase dapoxetine reviews
Also there is no proper, good or reliable Internet in the Bay any more.
Land lines, in general, are working.
Arugam.info understands that the present communication restrictions are not of a technical nature, but aimed at supporting ongoing military operations in the wider (NOT local!!) area.

Should you wish to trace or contact any person in the Arugam Bay or PottuVille area AbHa is again offering our trusted, confidential contact service:

Simply send an email for your desired contact person to us at the mail address below.
WE will always find a way to communicate!
AbHa will deliver your message locally and ask for a feed back / reply /report from the traced person, if so required.
Norvasc price usa letter-delivery.jpg
VisitArugamBay@Gmail.com

AbHa

Published on 13/10/2007 in From our own Correspondent, front page, Ideas, Money Matters, press coverage and the bay. 3 Comments

The neglected Bay is still stuck since 2004!
abha-logo.jpg

AbHa (the original Arugam Bay Hotel Association) is considering:
Where did we go wrong?

Because we have little doubt that:

  1. We represent the interests of the Arugam Bay Hotels, since 1999
  2. Arugam Bay has been, without any doubt, the hardest hit area by the 2004 waves
  3. The sea quake centre was, after all, directly opposite the famous surf Bay
  4. Cheap seroflo Arugam Bay Hotels have, so far, not received any real help or funds to rebuild
  5. Although Millions were collected for cases such as our predicament

    6. Norvasc prices

  6. The hotels suffered most. First 25 years war, than water, than war again
  7. Fishing folk received great help, but they were back in business the next day…
  8. And: Fish prices – a FREE raw product- have increased 4-5 fold since…!??
  9. A great ‘Master Plan’ exists – but little has happened in Arugambay.
  10. Apart from more obstacles and outside interferences. Nothing! Since 2004.

AbHa considers that, overall, this is nothing short of a scandal.
Or part of a very devious mater plan?
Whatever, before we look for faults elsewhere:

Where do you, our supporters and critics, think WE have done wrong?

Perhaps we voiced our objections to the observed waste of donated Millions to openly?
Perhaps we were too undiplomatic in our approach?
(But after all we have gone through we doubt that anyone else would have been more moderate)
Your feed-back and any observation is always most welcome.
Posted right here, as a plain comment or per email to:
VisitArugamBay@gmail.com
And we will publish your full article!

Arugam Elephants

Published on 11/10/2007 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent and wild life. 0 Comments
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Lahugala Kitulana National Park

Size 1,554 hectares
Main attraction Large herds of elephants

The Lahugala Park was initially declared a sanctuary on 1 st July 1966 and then upgraded to a national park on 1 st October 1980. Although this is one of the smallest national parks in the country, this is a popular location for elephant enthusiasts and bird watchers.

There are 3 tanks within the park. They are, Lahugala (243ha), Kitulana and Sengamuwa. The water from these tanks flow in to the Heda Oya. These tanks are largely silted up and support an abundance of Beru grass, which is a delicacy for elephants. These lakes also support a large variety of birds, local as well as migratory.

Cheap innopran medication Being in the dry zone, the land is generally flat with occasional boulder formations. In addition to the elephants, the park is home to the endemic toque macaque, common languor, sloth bear, jackal, rusty spotted cat, fishing cat, leopard, wild bear, Indian muntjac, spotted deer, sambar, pangolin and black naped hare. The tanks and the surround area has become nestling places for wetland birds like pelican, purple heron, painted stork, lesser adjutant stork, white bellied sea eagle, grey headed fishing eagle, common kingfisher, stork billed kingfisher and white breasted kingfisher. Endemic comb duck, rare red-faced malkoha and Sri Lankan Spur fowl too can be seen the park.

There is no accommodation in the park it self, but Pothuvil and Monaragala can be used as the base when visiting the park.

On the nor then edge of the park is the Magula Maha Viharaya, an ancient temple built by king Devanmpiyathissa in the second century BC. This is said to be the location the king married princess Vihara Maha Devi. The foundations of the A?a??A?Magul maduwaA?a??A? where the wedding ceremony took place can still be seen in the vihara premises. 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. are found scattered all over. The moonstone here is said to be unique in the country as this is the only location where elephants are carved with their mahouts in the moonstone.

Location

Lahugala National park lies in the basin of the Heda Oya, 16km inland from the coastal town of Pottuvil in the Monaragala District. The Pottuvil-Monaragala trunk road runs through the south-eastern sector of the park. It is 2 km off the main Monaragala A?a??a?? Pottuvil road some 5 km from Pottuvil…… And only 6km from Arugambay.

source:
http://www.angelfire.com/planet/wildlifesl/lahugala/lahugala.htm