(Archive. 1st published 31/03/2011)
After the end of the war, long existing laws are now strictly enforced at remote Arugam Bay.
The East Coast has been largely left alone.
For many years.
With still no wine or liquor store for miles around and the odd shortage of “Gold Leaf” some desperate residents and visitors turned to natural marihuana consumption.A? Sadly, tame as well as some wild monkeys also got the taste and enjoyed the weird feeling.
Arugam Bay Special Narcotics squad arrested 4 addicts last night
NABBED!
“BiXXbo & Co.” Shown here in the local Police lock-up.
AtArugam Bay
Sadly, many more seem to be addicted to this illegal practice.
But they are still on the run.
Spotted at AbaY’s traditional Full Moon Party. Nov. 2010, Peanus Fm.
Cheeky! Openly flaunting the law of the Land!
Shocking! He is not even one year old. And already addicted.
The WHO, the RSPCA and other ENJOY’s have been requested to assist.
To support Arugam’s “Community Based Sustainable Junkie Rehabilitation” Program (CBSJRP). Some former NGO members volunteered at once, which is encouraging.
Desperate for a smoke, this monkey grabbed a ‘Cold Leaf’ from a diner sitting on Arugam’sA? SVH “Flower Power Terrace”To avoid detection, some clever chips adopted pipe smoking methodsDehiwala zoo officials are also concernedNabbed! Shown here in the Loco Tourist Police lock up. Beachfront Tourist Police, Arugam Bay.Other addicts have learned to camouflage themselves to escape arrest in Arugam’sA? jungles. Filmed here by undercover navy Security personnel near their new Panama Camp
The STF as well as the New Navy ‘Detachment’ at Panama has been on high alert to catch these subversive creatures
This graph is interesting. It shows the actual harm done (to the user as well as society) by the use of various substances. Published by a basket of the world’s leading experts
Originally published 10/01/2010 (5 years ago)
But this issue is now even more urgent.
At remote Arugam Bay, a few hundred homeless dogs are waiting to be adopted by caring animal lovers. Please help to save them.
Adopt an Arugam Bay dog !
A sponsor has already been found to provided a suitable, safe A?vehicle.
To take them to Colombo or elsewhere on the island.
All animals will be collected, fed, treated and transported with the outmost care & respect All the Community needs is an address to deliver them to.
Please, animal Lovers:
Please do come forward and let us know where to send them to.
Before even more are run over by speeding and careless drivers on our new fast roads!
The Social Networks are buzzing.
With appeals and online petitions to stop a rumored animal cull.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-the-sri-lankan-government-from-killing-millions-of-stray-dogs/ We support this initiative!
But. What to do?
At Arugam Bay four costly A?sterilization programs have been carried out, since the 2004 Tsunami.
In our A?remote Bay residents and visitors are unsure if any success can be reported.
Many people are simply too scared to walk on the beach or indeed the road, specially at night. Due to large packs of hungry dogs around.
Below is a copy of one of the stories we covered 5 years ago.
The writer of this article has personally observed that one A?particular, disabled bitch alone has had a litter every year since and produced 60 or so pups, most of which appear to be unwell or/and A?mentally unstable …..
Something has to be done – This situation is out of control.
The article below was first published 6th Marc, 2007:
The Tsunami Animal People Alliance (TAPA) has, in the true sense of the word: emBarked on a dog sterilization program at Arugam BayHow much nolvadex post cycle . Ponstel costs
In total 300 – 400 dogs are being treated locally. Arugam.info is informed that about 10,000 have been spayed island wide already.
It is said to be the best and most humane method of controlling stray and infected animals.
The visiting, all Sri Lankan team consists of 4 qualified vets and 7 assistants, a van, and a mobile clinic. Arugam.info is informed that a budget of 18$/dog has been secured by foreign donors, most of which (10$) will be used for quality drugs and medicines.
Take a look at the work in the attached photo album. Continue reading “Adopt an AbaY dog”
Update 04/ July 2015: AbaY is developing. Fast: 1.) The CEB now provides pretty reliable Power (Electric) 2.) The SLT now has two fiberglass Internet connections 3.) The a/c buses do not run anymore. :-(( 4.) The water supply costs double now.
Otherwise: Purchase norvascArugam Bay is still OK, romantic and beautiful.
Back to the original article:
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Nostalgia at AbaY
Coming from the re-vamped modern City of Colombo to Arugam Bay is like a trip into the past.
Escape the progress!
Millions spent on uplifts
However. Once you reach the poor East Coast and the Bay of Arugam. You will find:
Daily. And often All Weekend Powercuts.
Daily Power Cuts
So What?
It’s a perfect setting. For a romantic candle lit dinner by the beach. Under the clear star-studded sky.
A trip back to last century
Water supply cut off every day?
USAIDS Water supply
No problem!
Cool down and have an inviting ‘sea bath’ in the clear, blue ocean in front.
Plenty of clear water availableNo street lights
No Street lights? Even on the brand new USAID 14 Mill. $$$ bridge?
Mind your way – avoid the open drains
All drains are open
Internet disruptions?
Unstable Internet at AbaY
A perfect opportunity to talk to fellow travelers!
Most places have Free Wifi in the Bay. But often the connections are poor
Luxury Bus Service not coming?
Usually 20:30 departs
Ideal! To remain in the dark ages.
At Arugam Bay. After all, this is our island’s most promising, Government declared, tourist Resort!
Kite Surf Legend Dill Sill recovering at nearby KaputtoVille hospital.
He wasA?Blown off course and badly crash landed at AbaY today. He is dilsirious, but he has indicated a possible explanation to what may have happened to the missing Malay flight MH 370
Crashed at AbaY beach - blown way off courseDrifted in from the distant BondivesAttempted Kite Surfing in the Bondives
World class Kite Surfing legend Mr. Dill Sill seems to have been blown across from the previously unknown island of The Bondives to all the way toA?Arugam Bay.
His somewhat incoherent account is being questioned.
He claims that The Bondives IslandersA?reported a ‘low level flight’
However, his helmet camera has captured this amazing photo.
Which is the last known image of the missing Boeing 777:
Due to the isolation of the Island Nation of The Bondives this has only just now been reported. A group of Natives as well as the one only Police man on the island have seen a large aircraft a few weeks ago.
Did MH370 BonDive nr. AbaY ?A?
(artist’s impression)
Why does this news only come in NOW?
Because:
It happened in the uncharted Islands of The Bondives
You have never heard of them?
No wonder! Here is why:
(Extract from Wikipedia)
The Bondives
Are anisland nation in the Southern Indo-Pacific Ocean.
The Bondives are almost unknown. And they not even shown on any maps. The reason has just come to light: Those islands are shifting. Continuously.
The most singular feature of The Bondives geography is its mobility. Similar to the annual shifting of the famous ARUGAM BAY sand bank, The BONDIVES have a constant process of erosion that removes sand from the east coast and deposit it on the west coast, the islands were moving westward at the rate of 1400 meters a year. It is anticipated that the islands would collide with Sri Lanka in 2020. To slow down this movement, boats constantly ferry sand from the east coast back to the west.
Cocobanana Beach a?? famed for juicy coconuts and beachgoers in Flong thongs
Understand
Map of The Bondives
Long unfairly neglected by travelers, and surprisingly never even mentioned in the backpack bible ‘Loony Planet”, the islands of The Bondives truly offer something for everyone: a rich culture full of fascinating customs, an informative case study for environmentalists and economists, and a treasure trove of unusual tubers for botanists. Now under nominally democratic government, now is the time to discover The Bondives distinctive cuisine, tropical climate and quaint transportation, before the next volcanic eruption occurs.
Economy
The Bondives have been unkindly characterized as a banana republic, although Bondivians themselves have been known to take offense at this suggestion and physically remind the commentator that pineapples are also an important export crop. (Critics must also concede that it’s not really much of a republic, either.) Continue reading “Kite Surfer and the MH370 Mystery”
Arugam’s 2011 season is goingA? to be a blast!
Just a few more days before High Season starts.
On this occasion, below are a few facts & figures.
Arugam.info web Mistress informs
Arugam.info Is perhaps Sri Lanka’s oldest web site.
We have been on line for more than 15 years – well before anyone else know what Internet was and what it can doA? – here on this island.
Now we are well connected and teamed up with all modern social networking sites.
We have embraced Facebook, Twitter and YouTube a long time ago.
Because all of them offered totally free services to promote our remote little Bay.
We are happy to publishA? the following facts:
200,707 Visitors to this site (since 2010) on Arugam.info
100 registered readers (guys who get a short summary into their email)
1,300 unique Posts
1,600 Comments
400,000A? spam messages and posts. All intercepted and blocked
12 Scheduled posts (Important articles which will automatically be published)
470 Tweets on our Twitter site
117 Followers on Twitter
We are amazed how well our associated Facebook page has done:
Arugam Bay Champion of Champions winnersAlan Stokes at Arugam Bay
The weeks Sri Lanka Champion of Champions Surf Contest saw two new champions, some great weather and perfect conditions. UK Pro Surf Tour Champion Alan Stokes from Newquay and Welsh Champion Beth Mason showed stunning form in 3 to 4 ft conditions to take the top spots on the podium at one of the yeara??s most prestigious contests.
by Nilma Dole
The Coolum-born 21 year-old Australian endured many a wave and stride to come out clean with a good score of 14.33 that saw him win over 19 year-old American Nat Young in the Sri Lankan Pro Surf Tournament 2010 held in ARUGAM BAY
THIS IS THE SPIRIT OF ARUGAM
Hailing from a family where surfing runs through their veins, Julian is a down-to-earth surfer with a wave of a charisma that shows that you dona??t need a big surfboard to win big. He said, a??Sri Lankan surfers do have the potential to make it big because the Arugam Bay waves are first-class and are great to practice on.a??
2010 Winner. Best Surfer Julian
Winning Sri Lankaa??s first ever 6 star rated Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) SriLankan Airlines Pro tournament in awesome style, the surf went up 4 to 6 feet surf on the day of the finals. Continue reading “When they surf expressed!”
Dede Suryana : image courtesy Sri Lankan Airlines Pro
a??the wave is really good here, like Cimaja but longer and even more rippable for turns.”
Kuta-Bali — 2008 Coca-Cola ISC Pro Surfing Champion Dede Suryana from West Java is making big news with an impressive display of radical surfing at the 6 Star ASP World Tour SriLanakan Airlines Pro at Order zenegra 50Arugam BayCost of zocor without insurance in Sri Lanka.
Suryana hails from the small coastal town of Cimaja in West Java, about 5 hours drive away from Indonesiaa??s capital city of Jakarta, but considers Bali as his second home as he spends a lot of time here surfing and competing.
After his first round heat win (Round of 96), Suryana was elated with his result.A? He favorably compared the Arugam Bay wave to his hometown break of Cimaja where he first learned to surf saying a??the wave is really good here, like Cimaja but longer and even more rippable for turns.a??
After winning the first heat, he went on to place second in the second round and then further impressed the media team that is reporting the event by winning his third round heat, scoring a total of 15.03 points for his top two waves, a score bested only by Australian wunderkind Julian Wilson who racked up a 15.60A? (out of a possible 20 points).
….A also a paradise for party- and wild animals as well: ARUGAM BAY !
Anyone crossing the bridge will realise immediately that Arugam Bay, if only because of its unique weather conditions, is an ideal holiday location. This particular corner of the island is protected from the west monsoon by the natural barrier of the mountain ridge around Monaragala and the great Pottuvil Lagoon acts just as effectively as a shield against the east monsoon. These factors working together explain why this particular region enjoys an average of 330 days of sunshine each year a?? something which will not be found anywhere else in Asia.
The region is favoured with two major rivers and is therefore never in danger of becoming too arid.
These unusual geographic conditions together with the winds and currents around the coast were first discovered and recognised by surfers in the 1960s and the region quickly became one of the top ten most popular surfing venues in the world. From the end of March until the beginning of October and even for a few days in November, water temperatures range from between 24 and 28 degrees (no need for neoprene suits) and with waves reaching 5 metres the conditions are ideal for surfing. No sharks have ever been sighted in these waters, but occasionally wild elephants from the neighbouring national park have been observed in close proximity to the beaches.
After the discovery of the ideal a??right handa?? surf break at Surf Points, a number of other equally attractive surfing locations became popular.
Arugam Bay seems to work like a magnet and there are many visitors who come back year after year.
The last 30 years of bitter civil war have not stopped dedicated surfers from returning every year and it is this community that has kept the small coastal town alive.
Surfers and security forces were always good friends
The hippies of the past have now all gone a little grey and mutated to a respectable regular clientele, but they add in their own special way to the fascinating atmosphere of this place. These days, they still join in with about a thousand or so happy visitors who come to take part in the 48 hour Arugam Baya??Full Moon Partiesa?? that provide a more spontaneous alternative to the now stage managed so-called a??Happeningsa?? in Koh Phangan or Goa.
Arugam's FMP revival
And who would be surprised to learn that, in spite of the worst Tsunami disaster on record, an International Surf Championship took place here in July 2005 with competitors from Australia, England, South Africa and Israel. Many locations now have shops specialising in providing equipment for water sports and a complete outfit can be hired for as little as 500 Rs per day.
It is not only the ocean that provides opportunities for surfing, you can also surf the internet and here you will find more discussion groups and visitor communities dealing with Arugam Bay than any other place in Sri Lanka. Some examples are: Continue reading “Arugam Bay a?? A Paradise for Surfers”
Ready for take-off a?? Julian Wilson will head to the Srilankan Airlines Pro set to launch into moves like this! Photo: ASP/Robertson
A fully fit and recovered Julian Wilson (Australia) is ready to launch himself onto the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Star Rated World Tour at next weeka??s SriLankan Airlines Pro which will run at the famous Arugam Bay point break on Sri Lankaa??s superb south east coast.
Wilson is one of the worlda??s most exciting, progressive fast emerging new-age surfers capable of outstanding performances in all conditions.
It was a long journey; we (eleven of us )set off from Eco-v office at 4.30 a.m on Friday on 30th April and reached our destination around 2.30 p.m. Our destination was Lahugala Kitulana National Park (situated approx. 15 min. West of Arugam Bay).
Eco-v-Team: "Going to be a Force"
This monsoon forest lies in the basin of Heda Oya, 16 km inland from the coastal town Pottuvil in Eastern Province. The Pottuvil-Monaragala trunk road runs through the south eastern sector of the Park.
Officers of the Lahugala office of the Department of Wildlife Conservation of Sri Lanka warmly welcomed us. They served us a steaming cup of tea and we served them biscuits. So we had a tea party-discussion under the shade of a huge Mango tree. Park warden Mr. Gajaweera briefed us the history and the current situation of the park. Continue reading “CO-V visits Lahugala Kitulana and Kumana National Parks”
Buy bupropion hcl 100mgThis year, 2010, the security forces had more time for truly peaceful and also very beautiful activities.
At nearbyA?Arugam Bay camp, just across the bridge to PottuVille, the Armed Forces staged A?a lovely competition between the various local camps:
Who’s Vesak lights display was to be the best, most elaborate one?
Best Vesak display at Arugam Bay camp
Here you see a very large one with imaginative motion action and intricate, beautiful small details added to the colourful display. (STF = Special Task Force. An elite branch of the Sri Lanka Police)
A video clip showing full movements can bee seen on our Facebook site “Arugam Surf” as it was too large a file to upload here. (See and click on the direct link below, bottom of this front page)
Below are sample photo impressions of most other displays, submitted by A?various camps around Arugam Bay:
ASP 6 Star WQS Men’s event,
Arugam Bay Sri Lanka, 16 – 24 June 2010.
Sri Lankan surfers to get wildcards into
arugam.info's webmistress has been asked to publish this press release. Next time the boys will supply their own photo material, to make any new post more attractive.....;-)
The Surfing Sri Lanka movement recently created by the new Surfing Federation of Sri Lanka received a major boost today when it was confirmed by the ASP that 2 local Sri Lankan surfers will benefit from wildcard entries into the first major Association of Surfing Professionals international tour event to ever be staged in the country’s history.
The 6 Star WQS Sri Lankan Airlines Pro to be held on Sri Lanka’s east coast at the world famous Arugam Bay between 16 – 24 June will now see some local surfers strutting their stuff amongst the world’s best contenders on the WQS circuit. Two Sri Lankan surfers will gain entry to the elite event as part of the ASP’s strategy to assist and promote local surfing at a variety of surfing locations worldwide.
It is proposed that the Surfing Sri Lanka Trials event will be conducted the day prior to the main ASP event start in order to select 8 local surfers who will then surf-off in two x 4 man elimination heats. The first and second place-getters of each elimination heat will then advance to Continue reading “Arugambay’s Surf Club’s 1st Press release”