Sri Lanka's hidden Pearl
Arugambay is full of places to stay. None of them are super posh but they’re usually cheap. LKR 700 was the cheapest rate I was quoted and LKR 5000 was the most expensive.
To find a place to stay, we just walked along the beach south from Stardust, walking into beach front guest houses and hotels and checking them out. Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay Guide 2 – Hotels and Restaurants’
Arugambay is a lot like Hikkaduwa. The accomodation is cheap but the majority of places are holes. They have fancy names (#39 Hillton!) and big, digitally printed signboards but are still holes.
Originally, when we decided to go there for the long, long weekend, I’d booked into Ranga’sA? #05 Beach Hut. When my wife found out Ranga’s had shared bathrooms, she had a fit, called me unspeakable names, names a wife should just not call a husband, and booked a place she found on the web called Galaxy Lounge. Continue reading ‘#03 Galaxy Lounge’
Arugam Bay is situated on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of Sri Lanka’s South-East coast. The Bay is located 220 km due East of Colombo. It is a popular surfing and tourist destination.
Many of the buildings were destroyed in the 2004 tsunami.Due to its popularity among tourists thearea has managed a slow recovery by private initiatives only.
The main road through town has not been repaved yet.By April,2008 no help has been received from any official source or International organizations.
An exception is uncoordinated support for fishing folk as well as many school rebuilding programs, sadly resulting in a continuation to provide only separatist schools for each Community.
He Bay hosts a large fleet of fishing boats which operate off the beach. Many organizations donated boats after the tsunami andas a result there are far more fishing boats than ever before.The main beach is bit dirty as it is used as a garbage dump and a toilet by some locals.Nearby beaches are more esthetically pleasing and also have excellent waves. Arugam Surf Point has a very long, consistent, sectiony right hand break.Many organizations claim to ha ve done extensive work in the area, but locally and on close inspection no progress can be observed so far, end first quarter, 2008.US ‘Mercy Corps’ has been the most active organization, funded by Oprah Whinfrey ‘Angel Network’, following a huge fund-raising TV series in the States.Sadly, none of their projects survived the first year of
operation.A bridge survived the first year of operation. A bridges being constructed by USAID to replace the old, original landmark box girder construction linking Arugam Bay with PottuVille town. There is excellent elephant viewing nearby as well as two types of monkeys wandering around the area.
Arugam Bay is far away! 7 hours drive from Colombo, it has until fairly recently only attracted a tthts. There are now almost dayly flights to Ampara with Sri Lankan Airlines sea planes.
They are presntly applying for a licence to land on Pottuvil Lagoon. The ISA (International Surfing Association) staged Arugam Bay’s first international surfing competition in the summer of 2004, and despite the shocking destruction of the Tsunami, returned again in 2005 to give the battered local economy a boost.
2005 was a difficult year for Arugam Bay as it was one of the worst hit areas of the country.
The post Tsunami recovery has by and large been very quick despite the remoteness of the area. many NGO’s and private organisations like ourselves (LankaRealAid) have help rebuild the area and some of the guest houses are now much better than before the wave. Both north and south of Arugam Bay there are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful beaches in the whole of Sri Lanka.
SURF SPORTS IN ARUGAM BAY
Arugam Bay is on the list of the top ten surf points in the world. Situated on the South East side of Sri Lanka Arugam Bay receives the same Antarctic winter swell’s that hit Indonesia in the in the middle of the year. The best time of the year is between May and November when the predominant wind is offshore for at least the first half of the day.
Due to its location and southerly swell direction the area is dominated by right hand point breaks. There is a beach break in front of the Stardust Hotel, which can be fun for body surfing or for beginners but that’s about it.
Three of the point breaks “The Point”, “Pottuvil Point” and “Crocodile Rock” are within a hour tuk tuk ride from the Hotel, with “The Point being visible (15 min walk) from the hotel. There are several other points that are within a 1-hour’s ride or can be accessed by boat. Some of the staff at the hotel surf and are only to happy to help you plan surf trips to some of these lesser known breaks
The Point: This is the main break at Arugam Bay. The point is a long right-hand point/reef break that breaks at the headland in front of Arugam Bay. It is also the best swell magnet of all the points and you can almost always guarantee that the The Point will be a couple of feet bigger than any of the other breaks. It breaks from anything between 2 and 6 feet but tends to max out after 6 foot. Due to its location it is also attracts the biggest crowd but seems to be handle it as it often sections in a few spots. On a good day it provides a clean rideble wall that will barrel in the sections and give you a 400-meter ride right through to the inside. When you ride all the way through the best option is to paddle a few yards to the beach and walk back out to the entry point (booties are advisable as the reef starts from ankle depth). There is also cafA?A?A?run by some of the locals that provides a grant vantage point to watch the action from and take in stock up on energy for the next session.
Pottuvil Point: Pottuvil Point is every surfers dream tropical wave. A long deserted sandy beach doted with some huge boulders at the waters edge, make this wave a favourite with some of the season veterans. Less
crowded because of the hour tuk tuk ride north from Arugam Bay, Pottuvil point provides 800 meter rides from the outside section right through to the beach on the inside. The unique thing about this wave is that for most of it you can be working a four foot face and be only a few meters from the beach as the wave grinds down the sandy point.
The outside section sucks up and throw’s out as the swell raps into the point giving a 30 meter wall to work with before it fades as it hits deeper water for about 10 seconds. The wave then tends to double up as it hits a shallow sand bottom section that will have you hanging in there for all you worth just to try and make the next 40 to 80 meter section. Failure can leave you standing in knee deep water with a mouth full of sand if you manage not to get slammed into one of the boulder’s first.If conditions are right and you can make it through this section then the wave peels perfectly meters from the beach for an eternity until it closes out in the bay and you begin the long walk back. Pottuvil Point needs a decent size swell before it starts working at all and a large swell before the middle section
source:
Cheap finpecia india Arugam Bay is situated on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of Sri Lanka’s South-East coast. The Bay is located 220 km due East of Colombo. It is a popular surfing and tourist destination.
Many of the buildings were destroyed in the 2004 tsunami.Due to its popularity among tourists thearea has managed a slow recovery by private initiatives only.
The main road through town has not been repaved yet.By April,2008 no help has been received from any official source or International organizations.
An exception is uncoordinated support for fishing folk as well as many school rebuilding programs, sadly resulting in a continuation to provide only separatist schools for each Community.
He Bay hosts a large fleet of fishing boats which operate off the beach. Many organizations donated boats after the tsunami andas a result there are far more fishing boats than ever before.The main beach is bit dirty as it is used as a garbage dump and a toilet by some locals.Nearby beaches are more esthetically pleasing and also have excellent waves. Arugam Surf Point has a very long, consistent, sectiony right hand break.Many organizations claim to ha ve done extensive work in the area, but locally and on close inspection no progress can be observed so far, end first quarter, 2008.US ‘Mercy Corps’ has been the most active organization, funded by Oprah Whinfrey ‘Angel Network’, following a huge fund-raising TV series in the States.Sadly, none of their projects survived the first year of
operation.A bridge survived the first year of operation. A bridges being constructed by USAID to replace the old, original landmark box girder construction linking Arugam Bay with PottuVille town. There is excellent elephant viewing nearby as well as two types of monkeys wandering around the area.
Arugam Bay is far away! 7 hours drive from Colombo, it has until fairly recently only attracted a tthts. There are now almost dayly flights to Ampara with Sri Lankan Airlines sea planes.
They are presntly applying for a licence to land on Pottuvil Lagoon. The ISA (International Surfing Association) staged Arugam Bay’s first international surfing competition in the summer of 2004, and despite the shocking destruction of the Tsunami, returned again in 2005 to give the battered local economy a boost.
2005 was a difficult year for Arugam Bay as it was one of the worst hit areas of the country.
The post Tsunami recovery has by and large been very quick despite the remoteness of the area. many NGO’s and private organisations like ourselves (LankaRealAid) have help rebuild the area and some of the guest houses are now much better than before the wave. Both north and south of Arugam Bay there are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful beaches in the whole of Sri Lanka.
SURF SPORTS IN ARUGAM BAY
Arugam Bay is on the list of the top ten surf points in the world. Situated on the South East side of Sri Lanka Arugam Bay receives the same Antarctic winter swell’s that hit Indonesia in the in the middle of the year. The best time of the year is between May and November when the predominant wind is offshore for at least the first half of the day.
Due to its location and southerly swell direction the area is dominated by right hand point breaks. There is a beach break in front of the Stardust Hotel, which can be fun for body surfing or for beginners but that’s about it.
Three of the point breaks “The Point”, “Pottuvil Point” and “Crocodile Rock” are within a hour tuk tuk ride from the Hotel, with “The Point being visible (15 min walk) from the hotel. There are several other points that are within a 1-hour’s ride or can be accessed by boat. Some of the staff at the hotel surf and are only to happy to help you plan surf trips to some of these lesser known breaks
The Point: This is the main break at Arugam Bay. The point is a long right-hand point/reef break that breaks at the headland in front of Arugam Bay. It is also the best swell magnet of all the points and you can almost always guarantee that the The Point will be a couple of feet bigger than any of the other breaks. It breaks from anything between 2 and 6 feet but tends to max out after 6 foot. Due to its location it is also attracts the biggest crowd but seems to be handle it as it often sections in a few spots. On a good day it provides a clean rideble wall that will barrel in the sections and give you a 400-meter ride right through to the inside. When you ride all the way through the best option is to paddle a few yards to the beach and walk back out to the entry point (booties are advisable as the reef starts from ankle depth). There is also cafA?A?A?run by some of the locals that provides a grant vantage point to watch the action from and take in stock up on energy for the next session.
Pottuvil Point: Pottuvil Point is every surfers dream tropical wave. A long deserted sandy beach doted with some huge boulders at the waters edge, make this wave a favourite with some of the season veterans. Less
crowded because of the hour tuk tuk ride north from Arugam Bay, Pottuvil point provides 800 meter rides from the outside section right through to the beach on the inside. The unique thing about this wave is that for most of it you can be working a four foot face and be only a few meters from the beach as the wave grinds down the sandy point.
The outside section sucks up and throw’s out as the swell raps into the point giving a 30 meter wall to work with before it fades as it hits deeper water for about 10 seconds. The wave then tends to double up as it hits a shallow sand bottom section that will have you hanging in there for all you worth just to try and make the next 40 to 80 meter section. Failure can leave you standing in knee deep water with a mouth full of sand if you manage not to get slammed into one of the boulder’s first.If conditions are right and you can make it through this section then the wave peels perfectly meters from the beach for an eternity until it closes out in the bay and you begin the long walk back. Pottuvil Point needs a decent size swell before it starts working at all and a large swell before the middle section
source:
Hiya, Has anyone been to Arugam Bay? Or stayed at any of the guesthouses there? I would like to know everything if at all poss. Or if you would recommend staying soemwhere else i would like to hear it. Thanks Sarah |
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Hi We stayed in Arugam Bay last year. Suggest you take a look at the following site which give some good information and blogs, comments etc about Aurgam Bay and hotel, facilities etc.https://www.arugam.info/category/accomodation/ We stayed at the Siam View Hotel (SVH) when we were in Arugram bay. Accomodation there is very basic but the restaurant and bar are excellent; best food in ABay. They only a few rooms left after the tsunami destroyed most of the hotel, as with a lot of the hotels and bars in Arugam Bay. We stayed there mainly to provide practical support after the tsunami – Arugam Bay received very little or no funding from the various Non Government Relief organisations. If you read some of the blogs on the site you will see that the author (Fred) is very bitter about the lack of support. I think Arugam bay is definitely worth a visit as part of a tour, the beach, surf, swimming and diving are probably the best in Sri Lanka. The best accomodation is probably the Star Dust Hotel – If you are going there I would recommend staying at the Star Dust but eating and drinking at the SVH. You may find that you have to contact the local AB hotels to arrange transport – some of the Colombo based taxi drivers give misleadiing info about the safety in the area. It’s perfectly safe. Regards |
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Thanks for the info. How much is food and drink? We are looking at staying in that area for 10 nights. Is there lots of activities to do? Thanks Sarah |
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Hi Sarah Food and drink in the Siam View Hotel was very reasonably priced. When we were staying there were quite a few surfers and students from OZ and the UK using the restaurant. Most of them didn’t have a lot of money. I can’t recall the exact price, but it was one of the cheapest places we visited in Sri Lanka. If you are there during Full Moon they have big Poya beach parties at night. If you want to find out more, suggest you post a question on the Arugam.info site. Regards Ken |
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Sorry, forgot the add that if you are into water sports and surfing this really is excellent. You can hire a surf board for the week for not a lot of money. If you can’t surf, then I suggest getting paying for a few lessons from one the beach boys. The beach is really exccellent for learning to surf; the waves sweep across and into the bay, so it’s a great place to learn. If you are an expert surfer then you can go a few miles south to the point where the waves are much bigger, but they sweep across at right angles to the shore. There are also a number of locals who will take you sailing or rent a boat, also I believe that you can hire diving equipment as well. There isn’t a great deal else to do at Arugam Bay, it’s very much a beach bum and surfers location. It may be possible to go further south down the coast to Yala East National Park to do a safari, but you would need to check if this is open. it was closed at one time. Regards |
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Thanks for all of the aswers. How did you get to Arugam Bay from Colombo? We were looking at making it a 2 day trip by train and bus. Any suggestions? |
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Hi Sarah We hired a van and driver for the whole holiday which included 4 days in Arugam Bay. However if you are going to spend a significant period in AB and don’t need a vehicle and driver then there are a number of alternatives:- 1. You could get the Hotel in AB to arrange a pick up at the Airport – that can work out quite expensive. I don’t think there are any direct bus services to Arugam Bay, only pre-arranged pick up by AB Hotels/taxis. They charge about $80/person 2. A good (and spectacular) alternative would be to get the train from Colombo toElla or Badulla; then negotiate with a local driver to drive your party to Moneragala and finally arrange with the Arugam Bay Hotel to send transport from Aurgam Bay to pick up up at Moneragala. The train trip from Bandarawela to Ella is amazing, the track even loops over itself in order to gain height. The reason you will probably have to do the road part in stages is that it’s sometimes difficult to get drivers to drive to Pottuvil and Arugam Bay even though it’s perfectly safe – but they are normally ok going as far as Moneragala. There may even be a bus from Ella or Badulla to Moneragala but Sri Lanka buses can be a bit rough – but an interesting expperience. You may find that most drivers going to Moneragala from Ella or Badulla prefer to take the longer route via Wellawaya as the road from there to Moneragala will be better, so getting out at Ella may be better. Maybe Erik or Dave can advice, we didn’t travel on the A22 from Badulla to Moneragala so I don’t know the state of the road or if there are buses – I can only speculate. From Moneragala to Arugam Bay there is only 1 big Police/Army checkpoint at Siyambalanduwa; the road is good but goes through a jungle area near Lahugala which is the bit that seems to worry some of the Colombo drivers – but it’s really safe. Take a look at some of the blogs from Fred on the www.arugamBay.info site about travel to Arugam Bay. You might even want to have a stopover somewhere on route such as Bandarawela or Ella, we stayed a couple of nights at the Bandarawela Hotel which is an old fashioned Hill Station Hotel and ok Hope this helps |
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Thanks so much for all of your help. Were so excited and just cant wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!xx |
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Hello Sarah! Know you’re probably overloaded with all the great info that’s gone before but I had to chip in with one other accomodation reccomendation! My cousin runs a place in Arugam Bay called the Galaxy Lounge (it has it’s own website so take a look.) It’s at the quieter end of the beach which means you can sleep at night when there are parties going on but it’s only a 5 min walk down the beach to the ‘action’!! You stay in beachside cabanas + the food is really great. Proper traditional Sri Lankan food but you can ask them to cool it down a bit if you’d prefer!! As others have said, chilling + surfing aside there’s not much else to Arugam Bay but I spent the last week of my holiday in June at the Galaxy + it was awesomely relaxing!! Have a great time wherever you end up!! Rach. |
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Thanks for you info. I have had a look at the website and the place looks amazing. Im going to send them an email this week for rooms! Thanks Sarah xxxxxxxxxx |
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hi saby just got back from arugam bay last week glad you have got loads of great info, just to add a few points 1. be prepared for a significant military presence all along the road from buttalla to arugam bay. lots of soldiers and checkpoints. all friendly though 2. stardust hotel is horrendously expensive..i d’ont know why..60 USD for a room with no ac !! 3. have a look at hideaway..a delightful place set back from the beach with gardens and wonderful staff..real rustic charm we only stayed a day as someone said if you are not a surfer, there is not much to do. there is a lot of construction going on..its not the preetiest of beaches in my opinion,, the south e.g tangalle ,unawatuna is on a different level.. would i go back ..only if i had a midlife crisis and wanted to surf ! |
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| Arugam Bay: ItA?a??a??s back to dancing on the waves | |||||
| By Sanath Weerasuriya, Pix by Nilan Maligaspe | |||||
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The tsunami that hit the coast of Sri Lanka in December 2004 left Arugam Bay completely flattened. Most of the hotels, which provide accomodation for the die-hard surfers were destroyed. Almost four years later, apart from the physical scars, Arugam Bay, is almost back to normal. The tourists are returning, surfers are dancing on the waves, almost all the hotels, guest houses and restaurants appear to have re-opened but no development appears to have taken place in the rebuilding. The lifestyle is the same as it was before the tsunami.
After the liberation of the East from the grip of LTTE recently, Arugam Bay and Panama have taken centre stage in the East Coast tourism development drive and been identified as the areas with the most potential in the Ampara District to project sustainable community development tourism. The Arugam Bay Tourism Association (ABTA) is working actively once again to woo tourists to the area. The new Arugam Bay Bridge constructed to replace the old, original landmark box girder linking Arugam Bay with Pottuvil town seems the only significant sign of development. Most of the popular guest houses and motels, RangaA?a??a??s Beach Hut, Paradise, Tri Star, Stardust, Tsunami Hotel, Rockview Beach Side Hotel, Hilton Beach Hotel operate on the same scale as before. A?a??A?It is sad to see Arugam Bay still standing behind the line of poverty and yet to get a glimpse of the modern tourism facilities like in other areas in the country. Though the post tsunami aid and relief funds have reached the East, none of them benefited the community in Arugam Bay. We are still the same,A?a??A? said Mohomad Fizer, President of the Arugam Bay Community Eco-Guide Association (CEGA). Reaching the east coast, especially Arugam Bay is not easy. It is a nearly 10 to 12 hour drive from Colombo with few stops. The main entry point of the Province via Siyambalanduwa usually closes at 7.00 p.m. and visitors have to be at the point before dark.
The 45 km stretch of golden beach from Pottuvil to Okanda is the base for future development in Sri Lanka. It has great surfing, wildlife sanctuaries, heritage sites, places of religiously importance as well as opportunities for adventure and nature holidays with camping facilities. It is indeed a destination on its own and should be developed as the top attraction in this region, reiterates S. Harshana, one of the locals who is a keen promoter of sustainable community based tourism. Being a villager in Panama, Harshana has many ideas and plans, such as A?a??E?home stayA?a??a?? tourism, which is a fast-developing trend in the rest of Asia. A?a??A?To learn about the culture you should live with the culture. This is the basis of A?a??E?home stay tourismA?a??a??. This kind of travellers are educated and intellectual. They come here in search of culture and lifestyle. We have started this type of small projects in Panama Village but they really need a push from the top,A?a??A? he said. Getting the community involved
Major players of sustainable community-based eco tourism projects met in Arugam Bay last month and formed a cooperative society to involve local community organizations to share economic benefits from the development of tourism and to promote respect and understanding between the host (local communities) and the guest. The Community Eco-Guide Association (CEGA) based in Arugam Bay is promoting sustainable community based tourism. A collaboration between local community based organizations (CBOs), cooperatives and associations, the association made up of 13 Eco-Guide Members was formed during a community-based ecotourism project implemented by the Institute for International Economic Cooperation (ICEI) in partnership with Sewalanka Foundation and funded by Italian Cooperation and Regional Lombardia. A professional guide training course has been conducted and 13 guides were officially licensed as Area Guides by Sri Lanka Tourism, specializing in ecotourism and community-based tourism. source: |
These guys are legends in Sri Lanka! Hannes and Marco surfing off the coast of Arugam Bay!
Kiteboarding Kitesurfing Sri Lanka Surfing Sri Lanka Arugam Bay Surfing
Plaquenil delivery
December to March
No wind in April
May to October
No wind in November
Daily Sri Lanka Wind Report
Windguru
source:
http://kitesurfsrilanka.blogspot.com/2008/08/hannes-knolz-marco-in-action.html
Outrage at Arugam Bay
The Government of Sri Lanka has imposed a rule in Sri Lanka that no – one can rebuild homes within in a certain distance of the sea, beach. Sometimes rumour was that the distance was 100 meters other times the distance was to be 200 meters.
This has meant that nearly six months on people are still living in refugee camps. They are getting desperate to move back home. Home for many is on/near the beach because they are fishing people. However, in Arugam Bay they have other plans!
Current situation specific to Arugam Bay
On May 17th there was a meeting for Arugam Bay representatives. Participating were the Tourist Board Chairman Mr Udaya Nanayakkara with collegues, Harshna Navarante Sewelanka Foundation Chairman and colleagues. Plus representatives from the Fisheries, Tourism,Surfing, Women. They were seeking further insight as to the plans of the tourist board for the region.
This is a summary of the response from the Chairman of the Tourist Board as described in the minutes of the meeting. Brackets are my comments otherwise the points below are copied from the minutes of the meeting.
The A380 at Changi AirportI went through Phuket again, Steve was having his 40th birthday so I thought I’d drop in for a couple of ales to help him celebrate. As per usual, it was a pretty crazy week. Highlight would have to be trying to rock n roll dance with a bemused and probably slightly scared Thai girl while Max, an English guy that lives there, belted out Elvis over the stereo of some bar. Should really stay off that Samsong I guess, does funny things to you…
Steve ringing the bell to bring in his birthday
Eddie helping Steve with his birthday bikini and water wings
The girls behind the bar in Sirocco – Goong, Fa and AonAfter that flew to Perth and down to Bunbury for a few days. I stayed with John and Ange, Ange was pretty pregnant by that stage (she’s due around Christmas or New Year). Did a bit of visiting around, saw some of the old flatties etc which was all nice. Went to Perth to catch up with Aza but he got the wrong month – he thought I was talking about December when I was actually talking about November. He’s still Spaza.
Langley Park in PerthFrom Perth I trooped on to New Plymouth where I did some hardcore sleeping for a couple of days – achieved about 13 or 14 hours on the first couple of nights. Mum cooked me a lamb roast which was grand and I did a fair bit of lazing about and hanging out with my niece. After that I flew down to Christchurch, my first trip back there in a long time, maybe 6 years. Hasn’t changed too much. Caught up with Greg, Rik and Kate, Setter and Cheryl and Poo as well as doing a bit of shopping.
Mountains north of Christchurch
Greg’s dog KupaNext was Blenheim, I hired a relocation rental (which didn’t turn out Fincar price in india to be as cheap as I thought after petrol was $1.70 per litre) and drove up to Picton which was a nice drive. I stayed with Lorree (she was house sitting). On Saturday, along with Andrea, we went and played mini-golf on the Picton foreshore, where I got a resounding hiding from both the girls as they have both been playing a lot of golf lately and had home-course advantage (OK, I was just really crap). After that we had lunch and a few beers. The next day Lorree and I went across to Nelson to see Marco and Anna in Mapua where we had a nice BBQ lunch and a chat and then an icecream at the inlet.
The Kaikoura coast 
Mapua 
Marco and Isabella
MarlboroughThe new week had me in a plane to Wellington, where I stayed with Luke and Anna. I hadn’t seen them in a long time, and they had moved back from Melbourne earlier in the year so it was good to catch up. We did a short pub crawl then went to a Japanese restaurant, then another short pub crawl before having to go home as everything shuts quite early (or doesn’t open) on a Monday night in Wellington. Except for Luke and Anna’s house, where the bar was open until about 4am… Whilst in Wellington I also had lunch with Sean Gledhill and caught up with my cousins in Lower Hutt and my Aunt in Paraparaumu.
Paekakariki and Paraparaumu from Paekakariki Hill 
Kapiti IslandThen it was on up to Hawkes Bay for a night with Jock and Kylie before back to Taranaki for Georgia’s 6th birthday party (kids can be so tiring, and I was only there for 1 1/2 hours with all of them!). Next day was on up to Auckland, where I had lunch with Theuns (who I used to work with in Napier) and also saw my Aunty Pat and Uncle Denis and cousins Brian and Craig. Craig had just arrived from Sweden and it’s been a few years since I saw them so we had a cuppa and a chinwag.
Georgia’s “rock star” birthday party – shes in the blue T-shirt and headbandI flew back through Singapore (11 hours, ouch) for an overnight. I got upgraded to a suite at the hotel but couldn’t really enjoy it fully as I was absolutely knackered and only there for about 8 hours, most of which was sleeping. Then back to Colombo where I got stuck until the day before Christmas Eve. Now I’m back out east for Christmas and New Year, Christmas will be in Arugam Bay and New Year I’m not sure about yet.
Fraser 0 people talking back 
First (or sub-base for you engineers) layer in Lahugala
Setting out in PanamaAlso, here are a couple of photos of beaches that we are lucky enough to be able to enjoy. Both are pretty deserted (Pottuvil Point has a reasonable break so it does get a lot of surfers when it is on) at present which makes them nice. Peanut Farm has a lovely gentle slope and is very calm at the moment, I had a very peaceful swim around there last weekend.
Peanut Farm
Pottuvil Point. How’s the serenity?This weekend Fergus and I went down and spent Saturday afternoon at Pottuvil Point, where we went for a wee paddle around the lagoon on a contraption consisting of a pallet nailed to a couple of the local fishing “canoes”. During the wet season we’ll get a couple of big torches and go out at night and try and spot crocodiles (there are some “beauties” in there”). Merete (the owner of Stardust where I was staying at the beginning of the year) had the opening party for her restaurant on Saturday night, which she has finished rebuilding after the tsunami. It’s been a bit of a labour of love for her, slowly slowly at times, but she is pretty happy she has finished and it is a beautiful building with great views of the sea and a nice breeze to keep it all cool.
Last week the LTTE attacked a small Army camp south of Panama, inside the Yala National Park. The usual knee-jerk reaction happened, with the military sending in a whole bunch of troops to look for them but by the time they arrived they were long gone. However they have decided to piss everyone off and cut off the mobile networks again in Thirukkovil and Akkaraipattu, and also this time in Pottuvil which they didn’t do last time, so I am kind of cut off with telecoms at the moment, probably for another week or so. It ain’t so bad though.
South Africa won the world cup, at least it wasn’t the Poms. But I’m over rugby…
Fraser 2 people talking back
Part of Ha Noi from the hotel
The Red River. It’s not so red, and not as famous as the MekongFergus and I went for the SEACAP (South East Asian Community Access Project) conference. SEACAP is being implemented in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam at present but UNOPS has also secured a contract to implement a similar programme in Sri Lanka in the near future. Basically it’s about assisting with developing national standards for rural roads and providing reliable road access to vulnerable rural communities, kind of the same How much remeron does it take to overdose that we are doing under our EU funded project. We get to build 200 different trial sections and do lots of nerdy engineering stuff with them.
The conference was on 2 days but we arrived a little early so had a free day to have a bit of a wander around the city. Didn’t get too far as it rained a bit (wet season so hardly surprising) so we went and hid in a coffee shop for a couple of hours. After that we wandered through the city, got accosted by a lady trying to sell us t-shirts, who actually followed us down the road on a motorbike twice to show us different stock. Full marks for persistance…We ended up at a small bar/restaurant thing next to the lake which was pleasant (and cheap) for a couple of beers and watch the madness that was going on as the lads from three adjacent restaurants tried to get customers. The later it got into the evening, the more chaos there was as they tried to stop motorbikes and cars, and with “valet” motorbike parking, people would just get off their bikes and leave them in the middle of the road until the lads moved them.
Fergus and a statue
Crazy wiring
Me and a big glass o’ beer. Very heavy, had to lighten it a little…
Anyway I quite liked Ha Noi and Viet Nam (what I saw of it at least) and I think it will go on the “visit when I decide to give myself a nice, long holiday” list. One thing that did intrigue me was how they used a version of the Roman alphabet and not script like the Thai or Khmer language or characters like the Chinese. I guess it is a result of the French colonisation.
After Ha Noi, Fergus and I flew to Bangkok for the weekend, after Fergus decided that as it was his birthday on Saturday we shouldn’t spend it in stinky old Colombo. We got in late Thursday night and retired after some pizza and beer just down the road from the hotel.
Bangkok is pretty damned big
Bernardo and Fergus outside Siam Paragon shopping centre
Kickboxing action
Fraser 2 people talking back
Fraser 0 people talking back
Just thought I’d share my shitty week. It was pretty shitty.
Shit Monday: My driver got fired after 1 1/2 years. To be honest he probably deserved it. Bright Spot: Got given 1 kilo of wild pork in Panama (the town, not the country)
Shit Tuesday: Tractor driver working for us in Pottuvil got arrested for “illegally” transporting sand between 2 sites, I spend 1 hour trying to get him released then another 2 at the court.
Shit Wednesday: Meeting with Police in Pottuvil to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Bright Spot: The Pottuvil Divisional Secretary (Government Rep) ragging on the Chairman of the Pottuvil Pradeshiya Sabha (Local Council) for 10 minutes about how hard he finds it to work in Pottuvil, and how he has never had so many problems in any other division he has worked in over the past 20 years. We agree.
Shit Thursday: Not much on the shittiness front this day.
Shit Friday: Boundary wall collapses on a site and kills one labourer and injures another. ’nuff said. Visit wailing family, accident site, got offered to see the body but turned it down. Police arrest Technical Officer and Supervisor but release later. Bright Spot: Get another 4 kilos of Panama pork
Shit Saturday: Visit other man in hospital. Bright Spot: Seems like he will be OK with no lasting damage. Fiji beats Wales (sorry, South Pacific solidarity and our Security guy is a big Fijian).
Shit Sunday: Get some sort of weird allergic reaction to something and lips around left corner of my mouth swell up for a few hours. Bright Spot: BBQing some of Friday’s pork tonight. Have lunch in Arugam Bay with Dawn as she is leaving for a few months. Get word that Annette will be back soon. Don’t have to deal with anything to do with work. Guys are here installing generator so I might be able to sleep in AC at nights now (it’s really hot at the moment).
Conclusion: This week SUCKED.
Had to share that. Hope to have some pics from Ha Noi and Bangkok up soon.
source:
http://intheeyeofthetiger.blogspot.com/
| Forum Topic: Arugam Bay | ||
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Forum Topic: Arugam Aldactone acne cost Bay – Security Situation | |
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Forum Topic: Travel to Arugam Bay from Colombo
From forum: Sri Lanka by thewoodshed (March 13, 2007)
… would like to go to Arugam Bay, for … … Eliya (Nanu Oya) and Eliya-Arugam. For the … … nice time, & [Sandya] Hi, Arugam bay is … … about the perceived problems in Arugam Bay with … |
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Forum Topic: Taking Young family to East coast Arugam and up – Plausible? | |
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Forum Topic: Info on Arugam Bay, and weather in August on west coast | |
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Forum Topic: Stardust Hotel Pottuvil etc
From forum: Sri Lanka by planetvenus (July 01, 2007)
… 1) Haven’t been to Arugam but read … … influence it then. 3) Colombo-Arugam: 8 hours Arugam-Kandy: 6 … … s post. We stayed at Arugam Bay last year and met a family … |
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Forum Topic: where do we go?
From forum: Negombo by HansFreekit (August 02, 2007)
… Colombo.. Do we go east (Arugam?) for the … … kandy…Any suggestions? Hi there, Arugam is best visited from the south coast, can’t find a driver willing to bring you there from … |
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Forum Topic: diease | |
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Forum Topic: Is it safe to travel to Aragum Bay | |
| Copegus purchase |
Forum Topic: west or south coast hideaway
From forum: Sri Lanka by MisterMark (December 15, 2007)
… inland and New Year in Arugam Bay but I want to move west when my friends have gone back to work to chill out before I come home. Can anyone recommend a |
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For years, this bohemian beach town on scenic Arugam Bay was a colorful stamping ground for surfing fanatics, backpackers and pot-smoking Rastafarians in dreadlocks and Bob Marley T-shirts.
They drank at bars alongside local fishermen and rice farmers. About 60 thatch-roofed resorts and eateries such as the Aloha, Hang Loose Hotel and Cool Spot restaurant A?a??a?? run mostly by Sri Lankans A?a??a?? lined a busy thoroughfare where motorcycles buzzed past ox carts appearing like holdovers from another time.
Goodwill alive and well after disaster
JOHN M. GLIONNA
ULLE, SRI lANKA, JANUARY 14 For years, this bohemian beach town on scenic Arugam Bay was a colourful stamping ground for surfing fanatics, backpackers and pot-smoking Rastafarians in dreadlocks and Bob Marley T-shirts.
They drank at bars alongside local fishermen and rice farmers. About 60 thatch-roofed resorts and eateries such as the Aloha, Hang Loose Hotel and Cool Spot restaurant A?a??a?? run mostly by Sri Lankans A?a??a?? lined a busy thoroughfare where motorcycles buzzed past ox carts appearing like holdovers from another time.
Then the tsunami struck, turning this hip little resort into a rubble-strewn wasteland. More than 1,000 of the villageA?a??a??s 6,000 residents are dead along with many tourists. A thousand residents are missing A?a??a?? A?a??E?A?a??E?taken by the sea,A?a??a??A?a??a?? as the locals say.
Only three hotels remain A?a??a?? The Ali, MermaidA?a??a??s Village, DeanA?a??a??s Place and Rustling Palms. The ghostly ruins of the Stardust have been left to sink into the sand. Its owner, a Dane named Peer Goodman, drowned in the water. Amid the adversity that would drive away some less determined entrepreneurs, the few hotel owners whose buildings survived have become the townA?a??a??s ambassadors of goodwill.
Places such as the Hideaway, a grand turn-of-the-century house surrounded by several thatched cabanas, have turned themselves into free-of-charge headquarters for foreign doctors and relief workers, journalists and Sri Lankan military men. At the Siam View Hotel, the French Red Cross has set up a clinic and pharmacy at the site of a former Internet cafe, where each night at the second-floor bar, beers are tapped from warm kegs and relief workers, reporters and others anxiously keep up with the developments of the international relief effort on cable TV.
As the relief workers and physicians arrive from around the globe, those Sri Lankans who have the means to do so A?a??a?? natives as well as transplants A?a??a?? have made the newcomers feel welcome.
At the Hideaway, which has seen its share of damage, two cabanas and acres of gardens were lost to the rush of water. The waves washed up on the grand front porch, turning the once-secluded resort into beachfront property. Now, electricity is scarce and owner Vernon Tissera can afford to run his generator for only a few hours each day.
But rather than gouge visitors, the Hideaway has thrown away the bill. Three times a day, a local chef working for the Tisseras serves up spicy Sri Lankan delicacies and gourmet meals to people who are little more than strangers.
The hotelA?a??a??s Toyota Land Cruiser is one of the few remaining privately owned vehicles in this town.
Now the vehicle has become a makeshift taxi, and Tissera, his two sons and grandson ferry relief workers and supplies to and from the beachhead. The Tisseras have enlisted a dozen villagers, homeless and unemployed after the tsunami, to help put the hotel back together. A?a??E?A?a??E?We need to help people A?a??a?? you canA?a??a??t be material-minded,A?a??a??A?a??a?? said Marlene Tissera, VernonA?a??a??s wife.
Relief workers say such hospitality makes a difficult job more do-able. A?a??E?A?a??E?It makes it a pleasure to do this,A?a??a??A?a??a?? said Mark Stinson, a San Francisco-area doctor working with Relief International who is a guest at the Hideaway. At the Siam View Hotel, which is playing host to the French Red Cross, agency nurse Jean-Michel Pin likens owner Manfred Netzband-Miller to Mother Teresa. A?a??E?A?a??E?Without him, weA?a??a??d be living in tents, or worse,A?a??a??A?a??a?? Pin said.
Still, Marlene Tissera has a hard time fathoming how the waves that once drew so many tourists here have transformed the tropical paradise. A?a??E?A?a??E?WeA?a??a??re just shattered, all of us,A?a??a??A?a??a?? she said. When she talks about the destructive wall of water, Angela MitchellA?a??a??s eyes widen. Just before 9 am on December 26, the Hideaway manager recalls, she heard people shouting: A?a??E?A?a??E?The sea is coming! The sea is coming!A?a??a??A?a??a?? And the tourists and villagers came too, in droves, fleeing the oncoming wave.
More than 100 stood on the roof of the old hotel. Mitchell, a 54-year-old native, moved the crowd and several vehicles behind the building for more protection. Her plan worked: No one at the Hideaway was killed.
Hotel owners such as Vernon Tissera promise to rebuild both their own land and the town. Down at the Siam View Can i order aciphex online , owner Netzband-Miller embodies the keep-on-partying spirit of the old Ulle. A?a??a?? LAT-
source:
http://www.lankalibrary.com/news/arugambay3.htm
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Hi,
beginning of 2005 and 2006 I travelled between Haputale and Arugam Bay to see what changed. With some volunteers from Haputale and a truck full of vegetables we drove January 2005 to Pottuvil. Cause the refugees in the camps cooked all for themselve we packed them vegetables in family parcels, gave them to a camp near 3-mile-police-camp, took the rest with a canadian Navy boat to Arugam Bay and gave them to tent families. Some way with a soldier on our side. I know by some internet forums about the worries of many people who got no contacts and were most interested to know whatA?A?s going on there. So I hope my informations will be a little help. Meanwhile most guesthouses and restaurants are re-opened, fishermen have hundreds of boots and life is going on better than before. But there are still many families sitting on ruins. People who have no rich friends and got no donations, or they do so to get more help? Difficult to understand whoA?A?s telling a story and who needs real help. The eastcoast of Sri Lanka was hardly effected by Tsunami and help came only to places where locals have international or political friends or good contact to the radio, TV and newspapers. This was the time of us backpackers who know to accept simple comfort. No toilets. No drinking water. Polluted wells. No electricity. Not enough beds. But all of them, friends of Arugam Bay, came to help. Eye whitnesses reported me from 10 m high waves which swapped in the Bay from the left to the right like boiling water. Especially the south of Arugam Bay, the old fisher village Ulla with the first known surfer cabanas had lot of losts. And further down south to Yala Nationalpark I saw trees lying down, mangroves hanging like balls in the fields and broken fisher boats all around. The partly destroyed brigde connecting Arugam Bay with Pottuvil town got reopened allready. The sandy road at the south of the bridge was wash away. The indian army attached there a new oneway bridge. All material they took from an old bridge somewhere inside the jungle. So long there were privat floods and the canadian Navy transporting people, goods and vehicles from one to the other side. Cheap ampicillin drug Close to this bridge was the wellknown danish hotel A?a??A?StardustA?a??A?. The owner Per Godman died with some of his workers in the waves. His wife Merete reopened the hotel now in a smaller size. The beautifull open terrace, which looked like a big tent, was totally destroyed, also the kitchen, well and all cabanas. Only a closeby new house with some rooms is in use. Email: sstarcom@eureka.lk + Homepage Another guesthouse most famous to all surfers since many years was the A?a??A?SiripalaA?a??A? of Ramini which got totally destroyed. Everything was under water (same situation in 2006). Where there was before the family-house, three cabanas, a terrace, kitchen and another house with some guestrooms, there is now a lagune only. RaminiA?A?s family survid all this. I had many good days there and will always remember this special place. In 2006 I went to visit Ramini but she was out. Living now in a simple house somewhere in the dunes behind the school. But the water did not stop behind this guesthouse. It ran a half kilometer inside against the school and wash it away. Nothing left. Good luck it was a holiday. All children were home and less fishermen on the sea. Some Italians tried to rebuild the school but came in conflict with authorities. A provisional school built by long open tents were given to the students. Also the german city Hamburg gave 18,750 Euro to rebuild the school. RaminiA?A?s brother belongs the guesthouse A?a??A?ChutiA?A?s PlaceA?a??A? which got also effected but less cause itA?A?s closer to the the road. Chuti lost his wooden and stone Cabanas, fishing boat and equipment. His truck got damaged. Also his family survived. The family house is still there. In 2006 I saw him building new cabanas and his top restaurant looks quiet good with chairs, tables and fence made by wood. A highlight there is a rescue boat in the top of the restaurant. The SVH A?a??A?Siam View HotelA?a??A? od Fred (red telefon cabines on the road) got wellknown to many people for uncomplicated help to all who asked for. They lost all their cabanas and the mainhouse stood little bit to the side now. The xmas opening of A?a??A?Bank of CeylonA?a??A? office will be later than exspected, the internet cafA?A? is already open. After Tsunami the SVH owner Fred, his workers, friends and guests came from all around, stood for many days and weeks and gave a lot of help. Many collected donations were given to plenty neighbours to rebuild, buy tools, give food and for basic existence. His kitchen gave some tousand meals, food and water to all people, free telefon and internet for all users. This people have done a realy good job without any official help. This year the restaurant looks bigger and there is a big party hut on the beach. Also a big 7 m high cage for some monkeys of Wolfgang who is offering eco-tours in the jungle. Email: arugambay@aol.com + Homepage Lot of people survived only cause they found a save roof on A?a??A?ChutiA?A?s PlaceA?a??A? und A?a??A?SVHA?a??A?. I guess a problem of many victims were the all private grounds surrounding fences with barbwire which hold the people under water and they died in the higher and higher waves. ThatA?A?s what I miss from the past early 1991/2. There were no fences all around and easy walk between the houses down to the beach. Also from A?a??A?RupaA?A?s PlaceA?a??A? and the old house (Upali) at the surfpoint was nothing left but in 2006 I saw them having new but simple cabanas. Also “Sunrise” of Mohammed is running well and cheap for low budget travellers. Food is good and sweets are his favourite dish. This March I payed 150 Rs. only for single/bath. Only problem there was fungus under the bed. Maybe this why I got headache there? With timber and metal sheets locals tried to build simple houses to accommodate the foreighn helpers and tourist who had to sleep in this heat and mosquitos somewhere on the roofs or share some of the less houses with lot of people. Arugam Bay had lot of friends this days, who came to help and sent lot of money. Finally Arugam Bay will be more beautifull than before. Except the lost souls. Some A?a??A?victimsA?a??A? there are quite clever and know well how to get help and fishing boats from NGOA?A?s they never owned before. In 2006 I got disappointed to see how many boats with modern hightech sonar equipment and best nets are lying there. Incredible to much for this area and maybe the death of the fishing. The Temple Sastraweli further south in the jungle behind Elephant Rock looks much better now. The buddhist monks are back and cleaning the jungle. Slowly hided treasures came out. Old ruins, dagobas and up in the hills a giant of a rock with caves and ancient walls. Looks all like more than 2000 years old. To get there follow the beach one hour and pass 2 lagoones. 500 m right behind the big rock is a jungle road going to the temple. Cause tsunami washed away all trees you can see a part of the temple, a white pillar, from the beach side. Beware of Warans, Bears, Elephants and Crocodiles. There can be also rough currents in the lagoones. Safer by car you take the road down south about 5 km, pass a little river/bridge and turn left at the army camp. The road goes left hand around the army camp and makes finally a big turn left around to the temple. About 250 m meters behind the camp is a shortcut on the left hand to walk up to the giant rock and down to the temple. Totally different was the north of Pottuvil. No camera teams, less help. Some times I drove down the eastcoast between Kalmunai, Akkairapattu (expensive), Tirrukuvil (temple damaged), Komari (ghoast town) and Pottuvil (many tent camps alongside the road). There is nothing of interest for tourists. Komari has nice, wide beaches but less houses and the YMCA looked empty. I think the people have other worries than to think about us. But some places the locals sound more aggressive cause they got disappointed not to get the same help like others. A well organisationed desinformation by some groups who follow their own interests. My favorite, cause there is a better climate, good location and less mosquitos, is the new B&B guesthouse A?a??A?White Monkey – Dias RestA?a??A? near Haputale. On the Dambetenne Road 3 km east from town in the little village Thotulagala. Walk down the steps at km-post-3. It runs by the friendly tamil owner WSM Dias and his family (5 children and 5 dogs). ItA?A?s about 1500 m above sealevel, has a climate like summer in Europe and good local, spicy and vegetarian food. There is a new house with two big rooms, a 100 mA?A? roof terrace and a nice cottage with a mega-size panorama window. Saddled on a rock infront of a 700 m deep abyss visitors can join the sounds from the deep jungle and see the coastline in 70 km distance. ItA?A?s an excellant place surrounded, by a tea estate, for families or people looking for nature. They have international telefon, solar light and big watertanks (looks more like a swimming pool). Cost whitout breakfast only 500/700/900 for single, double or family. Meals between 1-2 Euro. Much better than others in Haputale town and sure a good adress in the future. Email: mailvaganamdias@yahoo.com + Homepage Another place close by on the way to Haputale is the A?a??A?Kelburne EstateA?a??A?. A luxery place with excelant service, kolonial style, interesting visitors and acceptable prices. Bungalows can be rented only with all rooms and staff from Colombo office but itA?A?s worth to spend some tousand rupees to join this. I used to go there for a ice cooled beer, small-talks and newspaper. A surprise for me were there low prizes for beer. Much cheaper than the A?a??A?Royal Top Inn RestA?a??A? at the railwail station where visitors have to say all drinks they bought are from outside, cause the owner has no alcohol license. And finally the guests have to pay overrated prices plus tax and service charges! My warning to all is check the menue card and prices before you do any order. Also check the final bill. There is always an additional win for the staff. A big negative for such a beautiful hotel. Another interesting, colonial hotel is the A?a??A?QueensA?a??A? on the road to Bandarawela. They offer some rooms and a terrace in the top floor. Also a nice high hall decorated with wooden paneels and old furnitures. Worth to go there for a beer. Since some days Haputale got his own homwpage with lot of photos and interesting informations for tourists and locals at www.haputale.de A one hour walk north up the hill above Thotulagala is a little Hindu “Surangamuni Kovil” (like temple/take off your shoes), from where you can see all of Haputale like a map. At clear nights and days also Adams Peak in the west and the north western highlands. Easy way just follow the top left side arround. Right behind the temple in the man-size bushes is an 80 meter footpath going to a cave. The entrance is a 5 m hole and only possible to get down with a rope or ladder. DonA?A?t worry about some small bates in the cave. But be carefully in case you like to explore the top of the cave. Rocks just lying together with soil and green in the corners. This soil wonA?A?t support you and there are 10 m holes down under. All around in the hangs there are lot of house-size rocks lying aroung like a child lost his toys. A big adventure for children. Made me to feel young again when I was a scout and we had our tents between ruins of old castles somewhere in south Germany. Save area also for women and no pollution. Unbelievable this place is just some hours from hectic Colombo and offers so much. 9 km east from Haputale is the Dambetenne Tea Estate better known as Lipton. This tea factory was built by Sir Thomas Lipton in the year 1890. Visitors are welcome for a tour against some fees. They will show you all the works and machines from drying to rolling, hackling, sieving and grading. Some kilometers right above is the highest mountain of this area. The 1950 m high “Lipton Seat”, from where people can have a brilliant view at clear days. Best time is early in the morning. From Dambetenne it takes about 90 minutes for fast walkers. Or 3 hours with children to walk up and down. Shortly behind the former Lipton fabric, nearby a large yellow building, are some hundred old steps going up to a plattform. Follow the old stonemade way about 100 m to the white house of the tea pluckers, turn left and follow the sandy road to the car turn and further on a small, sleepy footpath to a viewpoint surrounded by a white wall. From here you can see the fabric from the top. Little bit on there are steps going 20 m down to an old, lonesome temple, called “Samimale Rock Temple”. There is bell to sign your visit. Behind the temple are other steps going up to where you started. Go back to the turn but walk down to the left through the tea between the trees. There is a shortcut going down to Pitaratmalie Estate, the only place is this area having a real, origin but privat forest. Romantic walk like Adams Peak. North from the turn is a more than 100 m high red-white SLTV/Telecom tower you can see also from Bandarawela. ItA?A?s forbidden to make photos there but possible to walk tho the gate, have a tea or some water from a tap. To find it go back from the turn, pass the white house of the tea pluckers, turn next road left and than up the cement road. Cause weather can change within minutes and shops are rare I recommend all to take enough food, water, rain dresses, a warm shirt and torch with you. Sometimes fog comes in secounds and view can be less than 20 m. Nights can be cool sometimes. From the A?a??A?Dias RestA?a??A? itA?A?s a 40 minutes (slow) walk to Haputale. There are some good viewpoints and many ways inviting to walk through the tea. Trees growing on rocks and grey-white monkeys jumping around. Haputale is a little town but offers all need. Many shops, restaurants (guesthouses), bars, police station, public library, petrol stations, post office, busstop, railway station, a colonial hospital (no x-ray), internet, comunication, banks and many taxis and wheelers. Thursday most shops are closed. The new Fair is opposite the busstand or downroads after the railway cross. ItA?A?s a one hour walk from Haputale to the Adisham Monestary. A shortcut from the railway station is to follow the railroad to the steps near Amarasinghe Guesthouse. Adisham is a nice old, colonial building like a little castle with a beautiful flower garden and lot of roses and some statues. Now it runs under monchs. They have a slaughtery there and sell jam, oil and honey to the visitors. Also they have a shop on the road between Haputale and Bandarawela. Who likes to go for shopping, cheap internet (60 Rs./h) or fast photo service should go by train or bus to the next town Bandarawela. Also a day tour to Ella or Ohiya (WorldA?A?s End, Horton Plains, Baker Falls) is interesting. Or walk to Indulgashinna alongside the railroad and come back by the train. The trains are so loud that you will hear them right in time. Enough time to jump to the side and get some good photos or videos. Somewhere on the way is an old goods train fallen down by accident and a nice funny dog is living in a barrel right from the railroad. Long distances by train have also their charme special down to Kandy but take much more time than busses. For example Colombo: Bus 6 hours, train 9 hours. You know to deal well and want to go long distance than hire a taxi for 15 rupees a kilometer and make a trip to Nuwara Eliya, Hatton (Adams Peak), Kandy, some beaches or Colombo airport. Daytours to Diyaluma Fall Koslanda, Baker Fall Horton Plains or Dunhinda Fall Badulla cost around 1500-3000 rupees. On the way to Badulla have a stop at Doha temple and find there an old, some meter high stone carving of Buddha. Warning: I know from some taxis they take double money (8000 Rs/200km) for airport tours. Once a driver told me cause IA?A?m leaving the country they canA?A?t make more money from me so they do it on this last tour. This why and cause of my long legs, good view and toilet I prefer the first class panorama train which cost a quarter of the taxis. In Colombo I would recommend privat cabs you can order by phone. They were always in time, correct, save drivers and cheaper than the airport guys. So, thatA?A?s it from my side. Hope you got some ideas. |
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source:
http://boards.bootsnall.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/448097925/m/99300393316/inc/-1
Just so it doesn’t look like it’s all fun and no work here, I’ve added a couple of pics of some of the roads I am doing at the moment. I’m just about finished the bottom layer of a couple of kilometers, with the macadam (stone) and surfacing to seal it all off will be started soon. We’re going balls to the wall to try and get as much finished off before the rain, but I fear we may be fighting a losing battle.
First (or sub-base for you engineers) layer in LahugalaDepakote medications for bipolar disorder Purchase procardia in pregnancy
Setting out in PanamaAlso, here are a couple of photos of beaches that we are lucky enough to be able to enjoy. Both are pretty deserted (Pottuvil Point has a reasonable break so it does get a lot of surfers when it is on) at present which makes them nice. Peanut Farm has a lovely gentle slope and is very calm at the moment, I had a very peaceful swim around there last weekend.
Peanut FarmPottuvil Point. How’s the serenity?This weekend Fergus and I went down and spent Saturday afternoon at Pottuvil Point, where we went for a wee paddle around the lagoon on a contraption consisting of a pallet nailed to a couple of the local fishing “canoes”. During the wet season we’ll get a couple of big torches and go out at night and try and spot crocodiles (there are some “beauties” in there”). Merete (the owner of Stardust where I was staying at the beginning of the year) had the opening party for her restaurant on Saturday night, which she has finished rebuilding after the tsunami. It’s been a bit of a labour of love for her, slowly slowly at times, but she is pretty happy she has finished and it is a beautiful building with great views of the sea and a nice breeze to keep it all cool.
Last week the LTTE attacked a small Army camp south of Panama, inside the Yala National Park. The usual knee-jerk reaction happened, with the military sending in a whole bunch of troops to look for them but by the time they arrived they were long gone. However they have decided to piss everyone off and cut off the mobile networks again in Thirukkovil and Akkaraipattu, and also this time in Pottuvil which they didn’t do last time, so I am kind of cut off with telecoms at the moment, probably for another week or so. It ain’t so bad though.
South Africa won the world cup, at least it wasn’t the Poms. But I’m over rugby…
source:
http://intheeyeofthetiger.blogspot.com/2007/10/work-and-play.html
Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka – 26 Aug ’06
(but only discovered on the net October, 2007)
Text: Pablo Chaterji
Photos: Pablo Chaterji
Apologies for the somewhat morbid beginning, but of all the methods of shuffling off the mortal coil, drowning is the one I fear most. There’s something about being caught under water that inevitably scares the daylights out of me. Since one Mr Murphy revels in just such situations, perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised to find myself deep inside the ocean, under a wave of fairly gigantic proportions. I could feel the blood pounding in my forehead as I struggled furiously to come to the surface. My eyes were stinging from the salt water, my lungs were at bursting point and I could feel water starting to enter my nose. I was in a blind panic, to put it mildly, and the fact that I had a surfboard attached via a cord to my ankle wasn’t helping matters any. The overall sensation was that of being thrown inside a giant washing machine in Turbo Spin mode, and the more I struggled, the more air I burned up.
Just then, in the midst of all the panic and chaos, I suddenly realised I was being stupid. Sure, the water was deep, but not that deep; I could see the ocean floor a couple of feet beneath me. Also, although the wave that had knocked me flat and churned me underwater had been huge, it had spent itself and was now not much more than a large swell making its way to shore. I stopped fighting the water and allowed myself to float to the surface, treading water and gratefully sucking in lungfulls of air. Man, this surfing business wasn’t as easy at it looked.
Nevertheless, I was in Arugam Bay, on Sri Lanka’s eastern coast and among the world’s top ten surfing sites. I hadn’t come all the way here just to give up after being battered by one wave, so I gathered up my (rented) board and headed back to shore in order to try again. Before coming here, I had done a ‘surfing for idiots’ Google search and had carefully memorised some of the how-to lessons I had found. Naturally, as is usually the case with such foolishness, the chasm between rote learning and practical application had turned out to be considerable. Still, the absolute basics were valid, so I began to go over them mentally as I walked into the water.’You saarf faarst time?’ I turned around to find that the query had come from a spectacularly fit Japanese girl in a bikini the size of a postage stamp. Board in hand, she looked like she had been surfing for years. ‘Is it that obvious?’ I asked. She giggled in the way only Japanese girls do. ‘I see you fall. Also, you holding saarfboard wrong way.’ I produced one of those sheepish ‘heh heh’ grins and quickly turned my board around. ‘I show you? Is not so difficult.’ ‘That’d be great’ I said, although frankly I would blindly have said yes even if she had suggested I walk barefoot over hot coals, such was the power of her attire.
‘Ok, you lie on board now’, she said when we had got close to where the waves started to break. ‘Lie in middle so board is frat, aazzawize front go down or back go up.’ I did as I was told and managed to lie flat on the board without stoppie-ing, wheelie-ing or rolling it over.
We were now paddling parallel to the wave as it started to build itself up. ‘Now you stand up slowly, put your feet on middle and look straight. You looking down, you fall.’ I positioned myself as if I was doing a push-up, raised my upper body and swept my feet underneath myself. I stood in a low crouch with my hands just above my waist and my feet positioned shoulder-width down the middle of the board. ‘See, now you saarfing!’ said the divine Oriental. And what do you know, I was. For about ten seconds, I managed to stay upright and guide the board across the wave and I tell you, it was a trip and a half. There was a wall of water to my right, from which spray was hitting my face, and when I looked ahead I could see the wave curling away over my head into the distance – it was like being in a tunnel of water, and the
feeling was quite indescribable.
Then my beginner’s instinct kicked in and I looked straight down at my feet, at which point I plunged head first into the water. This time I let the wave pass over me and surfaced quickly, feeling completely overjoyed. Surf Girl was giggling away and offered congratulations. ‘Ha ha, now you saarfar. You practice more, you more better.’ I decided to
follow her advice and went at it for the next few hours, and although I can’t claim to have got rid of my learning wheels, I certainly managed to stay on the board for longer than ten seconds.
Back at my charming beachside hotel, I collapsed into a welcoming beach chair and ordered as much lemonade as they had on the premises. I was totally exhausted, but the physical tiredness was eclipsed by the elation of having achieved something. I slurped down my lemonade and looked out onto the water, which was a simply dazzling blue. It was a picture perfect scene, but just over a year ago it wasn’t quite like this.
The tsunami that hit Arugam Bay on the 24th of December, 2004 completely flattened what is little more than an overgrown fishing village that just happens to have some of the best surfing waves in the world. The structure on whose balcony I was now sitting was one of the few that survived the seven massive waves that swept inland, but the Danish owner of the hotel hadn’t been as fortunate. Almost 3,000 people died that day, which for a small village is a huge number. Even now, I could see reminders of the utter devastation. The main road running through the village was little more than a series of craters, and the surviving buildings on both sides looked like they had been at the receiving end of an air-raid. Buses and Toyota Hiace vans were scattered here and there, crumpled like so much tissue paper. New structures and houses had come up, made mainly of wood and tin, giving the place an air of a refugee camp more than anything else. Teams of flustered white people drove up and down in Landcruisers, aid workers who looked like they’d much rather be downing cold ones at the Colombo Hilton. Just after the tsunami, the village had apparently received
consignments of mini skirts, ties and dog food among other things, so exactly what the aid agencies were doing was anyone’s guess. Anyway, as is usually the case, most of the meaningful help came from private individuals, friends and well-wishers, not to mention the fact that the locals hauled up their socks and got back down to the business of living.
Apart from the physical scars, the village was almost back to normal now. Tourists were coming back, almost all the hotels and shacks appeared to have re-opened and the fishing boats were putting out to sea again. Even then, it seemed unlikely that it would ever develop into a full-fledged ‘tourist’ centre, which was just as well. I couldn’t think of anything worse than the place being overrun by hundreds of people and swank hotels. You see, ever since it was first
discovered by itinerant surfers more than 20 years ago, Arugam Bay has been off the regular tourist circuit – its location in the war-affected east coast has been a dampener. Although it’s now quite safe and the LTTE have largely been driven out by the security forces, the odd incident does take place, which is usually enough to scare the average traveller away. From a purely selfish viewpoint, I hoped that this would continue to be the case. I mean, here was the perfect holiday spot. It had 330 days of Met department-certified sunshine a year and largely missed out on the effects of both monsoons. It had incredible swimming and surfing beaches. The people were welcoming and friendly, the atmosphere was tranquil and the seafood was straight off the boat. What more could you possibly want, to use a clichA?a??A?? Well, for one thing I wanted another crack at the surf. I downed the last of the lemonade and headed to the beach. Heck, maybe I’d persuade Surf Girl to give me a few more lessons…
TRAVEL LOG
Arugam Bay isn’t the easiest place to get to, especially if you don’t have transport of your own. However, you’re reading BSM, so I’m assuming you’ll be resourceful enough to find a car to drive. Although the roads aren’t of the best quality, the route is very picturesque, passing through a major reserve forest at one point where you’re likely to encounter elephants crossing the road. Being a sensitive area, you’re also likely to be periodically stopped at check-points, but the soldiers are usually very polite and let you through immediately once they realise you’re a traveller. Just make sure you slow down and stop no matter what, though; even if you don’t understand what they’re saying and keep going, they might shoot first and ask questions later.
And please don’t be alarmed by all this – it’s perfectly safe to go there, probably safer than an average day spent in Delhi. Once there, there’s the beach, the beach and the beach. You can go swimming, hire a surfboard and try your luck or simply flop down and sunbathe till you’re well cooked. Visit the ancient Buddhist remains in neighbouring Pottuvil for a bit of culture – they were protected from the waves by a large sand dune and survived. Walk down the beach to Crocodile Rock, from where there’s a great view of the whole bay. Drive 25 km further south to Panama Tank, where you’ll see crocodiles and huge numbers of birds of all kinds. Round off your day with a moonlight swim in the sea and a plate full of fresh prawn curry. Trust me, it’s the life.
The very first hotel you’ll see in Arugam Bay is the Stardust Beach Hotel (+94 63 2248191, www.arugambay.com, US $24-55 a night). Stop here, because it’s the best one. There’s a choice between simple cabanas and swankier rooms in the main building, but they’re all basic, clean and cheerful. The food alone is worth the price of admission; it’s a little pricey, but is simply out of this world. Their home-made ice-creams are to die for. Next door is Ranga’s Beach Hut (+94 63 2248202), which is cheaper but just as clean. Ranga’s a magnificent cook and handles the kitchen himself, so don’t miss his crab, fish and prawn curries even if you’re not staying at his place. For a touch of morbid irony, there’s the Tsunami Hotel further down the road.
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When catastrophe strikes and you know someone in it, it all becomes more real. Nate Berkus, who has helped dozens of guests on the show decorate their homes, was vacationing in Sri Lanka with his partner when the tsunami hit. While Nate survived, his partner, photographer Fernando Bengoechea, is still missing.
After the final wave receded, the stunned tourists and locals of Arugam Bay and nearby Pottuvil were left to face the utter devastation left behind. In this area alone, more than 400 people died and hundreds were injured. Dozens are still missing. More than 2,000 homes were damaged or destroyed leaving an estimated 7,000 homeless. It will be years before this former paradise will be able to recover from this historic disaster.
When Nate finally made the emotional 30-hour journey back from Sri Lanka, Oprah visited him at his home, where he told of unbelievable stories of courage and of loss, of anguish and compassion. There are countless stories like these rising from the heartbreaking wreckage of southeast Asia. Nate is here today to share his own story.
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Nate’s partner, Fernando Bengoechea, is still among the missing. Fernando, an internationally acclaimed photographer, has had his work appear in major magazines including O, The Oprah Magazine. From celebrities, to gorgeous interiors, exotic locations and wonderful portraits of humanity, Fernando captured spirit and beauty. Fernando’s family recently released this statement:
“Based on all of the information we have gathered and the search team’s extraordinary efforts, we still have not heard any word of Fernando. Therefore, it is with great sadness, we are forced to presume Fernando died in the tsunami. We believe everything that could be done has been. This is a difficult thing to say, comprehend and accept. We are sure there will always be a bit of hope in our heartsA?a??A?He will be greatly missedA?a??A?”
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Marcelo Bengoechea says his brother Fernando “was just the most wonderful person you could probably meet.”
“And I just want people to know that his life meant so much for so many people that it’s a pleasure to have been part of his life and I’ll for sure continue his life through mine and my wife and kids and Nate and all of his friendsA?a??A?I’m sorry, I have no wordsA?a??A?It’s very hard.”
Oprah says, “I want to keep saying [Fernando’s] name out loud because I think it’s important for everybody who’s lost their life for their life to be more than that moment of death. And his work and his art will live on for everybody who he filmed; for everybody whose life he touched. But we get to see him through his work forever.”
4
Arugam Bay was a seaside paradise, tucked away off the southeast coast of Sri Lanka. The only way there was a bridge from the nearby town of Pottuvil, a remote Shangri-La of white sandy beaches, swaying palms, world class surfing and colorful fishing boats. Arugam Bay was so far off the beaten path, only surfers and adventurous travelers had discovered this charming village. It was here at the quaint Stardust Hotel where Nate and Fernando were vacationing when the tsunami came out of nowhere.
It was 9:30 a.m. and Nate and Fernando were making plans for the day in their hotel room, a small hut about 50 feet from the shore. All of a sudden, water started pouring into the room very fast. As Fernando tried to pick things up off the floor, they suddenly heard a crack. The next thing Nate knew, he was trapped on the floor underneath the bed, his face pressed to the wall and floor, and he was covered with water.
Nate explains, “I remember thinking to myself, ‘I have to get up. I have to get my face up because I can’t breathe.’ And in the next minute, it was really a miracle. The roof of the hut was torn off by the force of the water. And both Fernando and I were taken out of the hut and it just felt like we were drowning immediatelyA?a??A?The force of the water was so great and the debris in the water was so extreme becauseA?a??A?all the nails and the wood and the barbed wireA?a??a??you were swirling within all of those things. So I had a lot of scratches and cuts which I didn’t know how I had received, but I realized that it was becauseA?a??A?I was in a soup of everything.”
5
Nate and Fernando were washed out into the swirling water, and ended up popping up together. Fernando swam to Nate and they just tried to stay together. “And then a minute later, we were drowning again,” Nate says. “And we popped up again andA?a??A?we were still moving forward at about 50 or 70 miles an hour, but the water wasn’t coming over our heads any longer. So you could breathe. And that was the main goalA?a??a??to breathe.”
As the currents swirled around the two, they tried to keep their heads above water. They were again separated and reunited in the mayhem. When they both grabbed and held onto a telephone pole and to each other, the water calmed and then Nate says Fernando kept saying, “It’s over.” “And then all of a sudden we felt the water surge again and [Fernando] looked at me and said, ‘It’s not over.’ And I felt his hand on the back of my shirt and I felt his hand slip awayA?a??A?And then I was drowning again.”
When Nate finally got up for air and the water had calmed again, “That is when I felt like I was in a video game,” he says. “And it’s the only way I can describe the sensation of my body traveling at such a speed in one direction and you visually are looking at the obstacles in your pathA?a??a??You have the presence of mind to have all of these obstacles coming in your path and you are really thinking about the present. ”
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Nate was washed into a relatively calm area behind one of the few houses that was still standing after the first wave.
“I found myself in this pool of water where I wasn’t being pushed in any direction. There was a fence: the water was about as high as the top of the fence, and the fence was made out of logs and palm fronds.”
Nate believed that his only hope was in reaching that house’s roof. “Every time I stepped on a log, the water would take it away. So I would fall back, and then have to grab onto the next log. It happened about three times. Finally, the last log stayed in the ground and I was able to pull myself up on it and then reach the edge of the rooftop that was covered in red tiles.”
Nate was determined. “I thought to myself, I just need to climb up and I’m certain that Fernando is doing the same somewhere right around here. I reached out to grab the tile and the tile just broke off in my hand and I fell again.
“I climbed back up on the post and I thought to myself, ‘I am going to die if I don’t get on top [of the roof],’ and somehow I was able by just squeezing the side of the rooftop to pull my whole body on top of it.
“There was a Sri Lankan man sitting hanging onto the post and once I was up on top and out of the water, I reached down to try and help him. He grabbed my hand but didn’t have the strength to come up and then grabbed my arm and didn’t have the strength to come up and I don’t know what happened to him. On the rooftop, I just started calling out for Fernando and looking all around and just was expecting for him to say, ‘I’m here’ or ‘I’m hurt’ or ‘I’m in this tree.'”
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From the rooftop, Nate realized that he could not stay there. “I remember thinking, ‘I have to climb back into this. If I want to survive and find [Fernando], I have to climb back in.'” So Nate lowered himself off the roof and “got into the water with bodies, with animals, with glass, barbed wire and everything and I had to walk about 150 feet back towards the direction where I thought our hotel was.”
At that point, Nate ran into Anneli, a Swedish guest at the same hotel where he and Fernando were staying. Anneli told Nate that another big wave was sure to come, and that they needed to get to higher ground. They ended up staying on this hill with other survivors, stranded, for about a day.
When rescue helicopters finally arrived, Nate was unsure what he needed to do. “I had a minute where I just didn’t know what the right thing to do was,” he says. “Should I actually leave, or should I continue looking [for Fernando]? I was hurt, we were running out of food, we were running out of water. Some of the water we were drinking we thought was contaminated. I just didn’t know at that moment what the right thing to do was. And Phil [Squire, another survivor] said to me, ‘It’s the right thing to do. Get on the helicopter because you can’t do anything for him here.'”
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On the hilltop, someone miraculously had a cell phone that worked. Nate had a turn on the phone. He left an emotional message for his mother, Nancy Golden, which she says she’ll never forget or erase.
“Mother, it’s me,” Nate said. “Listen to me very carefully, okay? There’s been a horrible natural disaster in Sri Lanka. I am fine. I don’t have a passport and I don’t have anything, but there are many people here from different countries and we’ve already alerted the embassy. Fernando, I can’t find still and it happened hours ago, so I don’t know where he is. But I just want you to know that I am fine and that I will call when I have an opportunity. I borrowed the one cell phone that works from the government here. Okay? I love you.”
So how did Nate’s mother respond? “I was really in shock because I hadn’t heard about the tsunami at this point,” she says. “I was in an airport. And so I get this call and I’m thinking, ‘What has he survived? What is he alive from?’ My husband’s watching me take this call and I have no blood left in my body and I don’t even know who to ask. I saw some man with a laptop and I said, ‘Can you tell me if you know anything about Sri Lanka?’ And he said, ‘Yes, there’s been the largest natural disaster in a hundred years there A?a??A? a tsunami.’ So I said to my husband, ‘[Nate] survived a tsunami? Oh, my God. I don’t believe it.'”
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Letters of love and support have been pouring in for Nate. He says, “For the first three days when I was back in Chicago, I went to bed every night with a stack of thoughts and prayers from people for me and for Fernando and Fernando’s family. It literally made me go to sleep and gave me reason to get up.”
Kirstie Alley sent a video message of support to Nate, who helped her redesign her house. “Fernando is a free spirit,” Kirstie says. “And free spirits always have a way of finding their way home. I love you Nate.”
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While Nate and his some of the amazing survivors he met were stranded on that hilltop for about a day, he says not everything about the experience was negative.
“Despite the death and the destruction and the horror, there was an incredible amount of beauty going on at that time,” Nate says. “The beauty in the midst of it was just so staggering. The kindness that was shown, not only to me, but to one another. You could feel the humanity: it was palpable and it was very, very real. When you’re there and you have nothing and you have no clothing and you have no identification and you have no water and you have no food, you are dependent on someone else’s smile.”
source: Oprah Whinfrey Show
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