Archive for the 'books' Category

Siyambala

Published on 23/02/2012 in Blogs, Culture, From our own Correspondent, Historical sites, Traveler's Reports, books, front page, people, press coverage and wild life. 1 Comment

“Places to go and things to do”

Kudumbigala cave Monastery & its wild life

Brothers David & Tyrone Graham returned to Arugam Bay after many years.
“Siyambala” is their web site and blog which  gives unique and detailed insights into our island’s hidden treasures and culture.
We hope to cover more of their amazing observations on this page soon!

Take a look at their work:

http://siyambala.com/

Surfers town Arugam Bay

Published on 03/05/2011 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, Traveler's Reports, books, front page, people and surf. 0 Comments

…”While Brent surfs his days away I am trying in vain to study for my exams but am more often than not distracted by the vast array of wildlife that combs the beach, monkeys, snakes, goats, cows, lizards, birds and the obligatory stray dogs and cats”…

Surfing is not just for men! (file photo)

Brent and I have spent the last five days or so on the East Coast of Sri Lanka in a sleepy little surfers town known as Arugam Bay. The moon shape beach is renowned for its point break and is often regarded as the best surf spot in the country. Being off season, Brent is in heaven surfing from dusk to dawn while only having to share his waves with a few locals and a handful of tourists. Unfortunately he learnt the hard way on his first day that the surf sits on top of a sharp and nasty reef and as a result has earned his far share of reef cuts and grazes.

While Brent surfs his days away I am trying in vain to study for my exams but am more often than not distracted by the vast array of wildlife that combs the beach, monkeys, snakes, goats, cows, lizards, birds and the obligatory stray dogs and cats. Upon driving into the town we even spotted a few wild elephants and Brent has been lucky enough to spot a few turtles in the surf. Further inland crocodiles lurk in mangroves but the locals charge a hefty price to visit them. Our little beach hut isn’t without Continue reading ‘Surfers town Arugam Bay’

Hideaway in Arugam Bay, Lahugala, 1st Century Monastery south of Panama

Published on 04/07/2010 in Blogs, Culture, Historical sites, Literature, accomodation, books, front page, guesthouse, hotels, people, restaurants and wild life. 1 Comment

(extract quotes) ……Hideaway in Arugam Bay for the best rice and curry I have had in a very long time – very fresh, very hot.

K: Kudumbigala monastery near Arugam Bay/Panama-a fantastic setting for a 1st century BC site

Lahugala in April with millions of butterflies…..

Together on and off stage
By Smriti Daniel
Ranmali and Kumar have known each other since they were 16 – they first met on the set of Richard de Zoysa’s and Rajiva Wijesinha’s dual productions of ‘Romeo & Juliet’.They shared the stage again for several plays, including Steve de la Zilwa’s ‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’. “I suppose you can say we ‘met’ on stage and the drama continues!” says Ranmali, of their 18-year marriage.

Unfortunately, acting hasn’t been a priority of late. As Manager Programme Delivery, Ranmali is responsible for all the arts related programmes the British Council delivers in Sri Lanka. An integral part of the team that created www.writeclique.com, she is also working on several new projects that will nurture and showcase young Sri Lankan artistes. Continue reading ‘Hideaway in Arugam Bay, Lahugala, 1st Century Monastery south of Panama’

Classic Dox – Adrift in Sri Lanka On air: 5 February 2010 13:20 – 1 March 2010 13:20

Published on 01/03/2010 in Blogs, Environmental, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, From our own Correspondent, Money Matters, Security & Safety, Traveler's Reports, accomodation, bars, books, cabanas, front page, guesthouse, hotels, people, press coverage, presse-deutsch, restaurants and services. 0 Comments

Producer Marijke van der Meer was holidaying in Sri Lanka when disaster struck in December 2004. Her personal report from one of the country’s devastated towns told of the harrowing situation there and the desperate need for aid.

Award winning (Re-) Broadcast on 1st March, 2010
In the southeastern Sri Lankan coastal town of Pottovil – a town with an ethnic mix of Singhalese and Tamils, Muslims and Buddhists – a golden statue of Buddha stares serenely over Arugam Bay. The bay was a Mecca for surfers, who stayed in guesthouses with names such as Chill Space Surf, Hideaway, Aloha and even the Tsunami Beach Hotel. The statue of Buddha is one of the few fully intact constructions in this demolished town where a thick layer of muddy dirt covers the ground.

Destruction and death

Arugam Bay after Tsunami 2004

Soldiers look on as bulldozers shove aside trees and bricks from destroyed dwellings. The bodies of some 1,000 people – killed within a few seconds of the tsunami – have been recovered. But there are many others missing and many families who have no roofs over their heads and are in so-called ‘collection centres’.

The medical situation is critical in this isolated district, where several people are saying that they feel neglected by the authorities because Continue reading ‘Classic Dox – Adrift in Sri Lanka On air: 5 February 2010 13:20 – 1 March 2010 13:20′

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Haiti, Arugambay Thoughts

Published on 18/01/2010 in Blogs, Money Matters, Security & Safety, books, front page, people and press coverage. 2 Comments

Steve Lendmann looks at Haiti, Arugam Bay and various backgrounds.
His personal view.

Steve Lendman's Blog and views

…… For the moment, their focus is Haiti, ripe for plunder, like the second tsunami that hit coastal Sri Lankans. The December 2004 one took 250,000 lives and left 2.5 million homeless throughout the region. Klein explained the aftermath at Arugam Bay, “a fishing and faded resort village” on Sri Lanka’s east coast that was showcased to “build back better.” Not for villagers, for developers, hoteliers, and other business interests to exploit. After the disaster, they had a blank slate for what the tourist industry long wanted – “a pristine beach (on prime real estate), scrubbed clean of all the messy signs of people working, a vacation Eden. It was the same up and down the coast once rubble was cleared….paradise” given the profit potential……

Disaster Capitalism Headed to Haiti – by Stephen Lendman

In her book, “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism,” Naomi Klein explores the myth of free market democracy, explaining how Continue reading ‘Haiti, Arugambay Thoughts’