found on Flickr by "Brian"
Monthly Archive for November, 2009
Indomitable spirit
...The Laya Project does not dwell on the tsunami itself, nor is any footage on the DVD of it included.
Project takes a fascinating musical journey across tsunami-affected communities
The 2004 tsunami caused havoc across Asia, affecting many coastal communities from the Maldives in the Indian Ocean to the Indonesian archipelago. We know of the horrors of this tragic event from the news media which showed the awful devastation. But what of those who survived? How have they survived?
The Laya Project shows the incredible spirit and resilience of the coastal peoples.A team of producers, filmmakers and musicians from the Chennai-based EarthSync music label travelled for two years across the tsunami-affected region, visiting coastal communities and recording the music each one played. The aim was to produce a part-documentary, part-music video and part-travelogue that would show the incredible spirit and resilience of these coastal peoples. The result is a wonderful package, the Laya Project, which includes two audio CDs of studio and field recordings, produced by Patrick Sebag and a film (DVD) directed by Harold Monfils. The film has already received worldwide airplay and has garnered many awards.
The Laya Project does not dwell on the tsunami itself, nor is any footage on the DVD of it included. Continue reading ‘…singing fishermen from Arugam Bay …’
Arugam Bay this afternoon
Arugam awaits the long weekend
The Bay is empty today - but still, some restaurants are full .....
spiritedbolderwomen.com
Adventure Travel for Older Women
Angela was surprised that I found her place on the Galaha Road up from the University of Peradeniya located just outside of Kandy. It is indeed a more remote area then what most travelers would find on their own. But her instructions were meticulous and the three wheeler driver I found at the Peradeniya Junction was able to get me to her green gate after a right turn at the Twelve Kilometer mark off Galaha Road.
I met Angela two years before on a trip to Yemen and she mentioned she had a home in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka was on my short list of countries to visit so that is how I came to her place off Galaha Road.
Resting at Panama BeachAngela has proposed we hire a car and driver and organize a short trip to the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka as well as to Arugam Bay. Arugam Bay was one of the areas hit by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami so it was interesting to see the redevelopment of this area as well as the communities south and north along the East coast.
The first day started with a journey through Continue reading ‘Seven Day Road Trip— Kandy to Arugam Bay (Day one and day two)’
An excellent video clip!
and great, fitting sounds.
Produced by talented young Sri Lankans
Submitted on 2009/11/24 at 12:42pm
It looks like Jerry’s clip (http://thejester100.wordpress.com/). The guys in the clip are me (www.indi.ca) and Halik (http://abdulhalik.wordpress.com/). I posted my impressions here:
http://indi.ca/2009/11/south-along-the-east-coast/
We love A-Bay very much, thanks for what you’re doing
Remark from all of us at arugam.info:
Thank YOU – for your contribution and kind words!
Paddle 4 relief fundraisers
visited Pottuvil Temples, worked on School Book Project, went fishing and ate Banana Rice Pudding!
source:
http://www.paddle4relief.co.uk/blog/index.php/2009/11/visited-pottuvil-temples-work/
The kite surfers jumped in winds gusting at more than 40mph
Two kite surfers from West Sussex took advantage of strong winds on the south coast to realise an ambition to jump over Worthing pier.
Jake Scrace, 25, and Lewis Crathern, 24, had been planning Monday morning’s jump for three years but had to wait for perfect weather conditions.
They took off from ….. Continue reading ‘Two kite surfers jump over pier’
(0)……Fonseka said government and industry should promote focused events such as surfing contests in Arugam Bay…….
Lanka Business online
Nov 17, 2009 (LBO) – Post-war Sri Lanka has an opportunity to generate employment quickly by developing tourism to ensure employment for youth especially in conflict-affected areas, a new report said. Continue reading ‘Tourism Prospects’
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website
Environment correspondent, BBC News website
…….The project’s initial tranche of work focussed on forests, finding that the ongoing loss of forest comes with an annual pricetag of US $2-5 trillion, dwarfing the banking crisis.
The new analysis takes the economists to the undersea realms of fisheries and coral reefs…………
Societies gain financially from leaving forests intact rather than clearing them
Money invested in protecting nature can bring huge financial returns, according to a major investigation into the costs and benefits of the natural world.
It says money ploughed into protecting wetlands, coral reefs and forests can bring a hundredfold return on capital.
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity study (Teeb) is Continue reading ‘Big profit from nature protection’
CID detectives said they were investigating an incident where two Sri Lankans had allegedly cheated a British citizen Steven James Klive of pounds sterling 253,586.62 on the promise they would provide him land from several parts of Sri Lanka.
...& Two faced people
In his complaint to police, Mr. Klive said he had remitted the money to a private bank between July 31 and December 31, 2004.
He said the suspects had promised to get him 50 acres from the Arugambay area in the Eastern Province, nine acres from Kandy and one acre from Tangalle.
LS
source:
http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=67756
- Pottuvil and Arugam Bay
Arugam Bay, 3km (2 miles) south of the small fishing village of Pottuvil, had a reputation as a surfer’s paradise before the area became unsafe due to incidents in and around Pottuvil and on the roads leading to it. It has long, empty beaches and a wide lagoon which is a haven for numerous bird species.
- Lahugala National Park
About 16km (10 miles) west of Pottuvil, Lahugala was designated as a national park mainly to provide a protected corridor for elephant groups moving between the larger reserves of Ruhuna (Yala), to the south, and Gal Oya, to the north. In the dry season this small park is reputed to have more elephants than any other part of the country, attracted by the grazing around the reservoirs within the park.
Yala National Park
Yala National Park , one of Sri Lanka ‘s premier eco tourism destinations, lies 24km northeast of Tissamaharama and 290km from Colombo on the southeast coast of Sri Lanka , spanning a vast 97,878 hectares over the Southern and Uva Provinces
Yala West (Ruhuna) National Park is well recognised as one of the best parks in the world to observe and photograph leopards. The park covers an area of over 100,000 hectares and is divided into five blocks. Block one is the most visited area since it contains the highest density of leopards. However other areas of Yala such as Yala East had been closed to visitors for some years and it will take time to research leopard numbers in these areas. Yala West consists of scrub jungle, brackish lagoons and stunning rock monoliths scattered throughout the park, its eastern edge is bounded by the South East coast.
An excellent ‘Natural World’ wildlife documentary was filmed here featuring Continue reading ‘Sunita’s “Best of Sri Lanka”’
(0)South Along The East Coast
The road south from Arugam Bay has been closed for years. We got some bikes for Rs. 200 and started pedaling down it. The landscape is desolate, dry and severe. Their building the roads, it seems, from scratch. The fields are barren. Water buffalo wallow in puddles and peacocks pick at whatever’s green. There’s nobody but military and construction workers and us.
We bike about 15 k to Panama, where there isn’t much. Bike another 10-15 through the scorching emptiness, protected only by youth and the motion breeze. I’m black as dirt now, but we didn’t notice. Then, after an eternity of barrenness, you get into the jungle. This is sorta where Yala East begins, I think.
Hidden away, there’s this rock monastery called Kudumbigala. After the heat and dust of the journey, it’s an oasis. Just to be in the shade. There were some STF (military/police) guys stationed at the bottom. They let us draw some water from the well. We poured a couple buckets over our heads and felt much better. The old monk up among the rocks and the caves was reading the newspaper. He said the place had been off limits and nobody visited anymore.
I saw some footholds on a rock and climbed it. There was a path leading to a jumble of rocks. Sadly, an overturned arrack bottle. I found a place in the shade to meditate. Halik is Muslim and asked the monk if he could locate Mecca and pray. That was cool. It was a really peaceful place.
source: http://indi.ca/2009/11/south-along-the-east-coast/
“……..A cheaper option is surfing. Surfing lessons are about 100 bucks an hour (including board) at Mirissa but much cheaper Arugam Bay especially off-season…..”
Polhena ©kristenpelou.com
For an island surrounded by water, and well-known for it’s if not world-class, at least great-for-ameteurs surfing spots, its inhabitants are surprisingly lax at engaging in water sports.
Expense is probably a factor. But maybe not a big one. Sporting as a leisure activity is mostly only common with a country that has a growing mid-income class population. The poor tend to get their thrills out of their jobs itself and the rich are far too lazy most often to engage in active sports, and the proportion that do are far too small to figure. Continue reading ‘Water-Sporting Sri Lanka’
“One exception, if you like waves, is Arugam Bay, a couple of kilometres south of the small town of Pottuvil. The town was badly hit by the tsunami of 2004, but a lot of small new houses have been constructed since, funded by international aid and built with the help of foreign volunteers, very pleasing to see that out of tragedy came such help and generosity.”
A strange thing happened on my first day in Sri Lanka.
A water rat appeared in my Negombo loo. Not what one expects to encounter when about to sit down. Continue reading ‘One more nice traveler’s report’
“The strip from Arugam Bay to Trincomalee was beautiful,” said Thilina. “The changes in culture and atmosphere and the rapid transformation in scenary from brown to green as we cycled, was also amazing to behold,” added Anushka.
By Adilah Ismail
“Where from?” was the first question the bemused villagers along the East Coast asked, as they gathered around the three lads on their bicycles and gazed at them curiously. Continue reading ‘Seeing the land on three cycles’
“………Six star world surfing festival at Arugambay……..”
Tourism industry to target over 700, 000 tourists by end 2011; campaign to market destination on key TV channels
(L-R) Director Marketing Sri Lanka Tourism, Dileep Mudadenia and Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism George Michael in Conversation while Minister of Tourism Promotion, Faizer Mustapha and Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Bernard Gunathilake answers the questions raised by the media. Pic by Varuna Wanniarachchi
By Cheranka Mendis
A value and price driven global “Visit Sri Lanka 2011″ campaign costing Rs.1.3 million is geared to attract 765, 000 tourists by the end of 2011.
The key objectives of the campaign ‘Visit Sri Lanka 2011’ are harnessing Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Tourism to attract travellers to “Visit Sri Lanka”’
Arugam Forum
Arugam Photo Galleries on Picasa
Old Website
Press Coverage
Surf Forecast for Arugam Bay
ALIYA Wildlife Project
TODAY’s Comments