Discover-SriLanka

DISCOVER - SRI LANKA: PROLOGUE

IN PRAISE OF MY BEAUTIFUL ISLAND,

INFORMATION, PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEO.

THE 13th CENTURY VENETIAN TRAVELER MARCO POLO DESCRIBED THE ISLAND AS 'THE JADE PENDANT IN THE INDIAN OCEAN'. THE ABUNDANCE OF GEMSTONES, SPICES, RAIN FORESTS AND WILDLIFE; THE MAGNIFICENT BEACHES, ANCIENT RUINS AND A WRITTEN HISTORY OF OVER 2500 YEARS MAKE THIS ISLAND A TOURISTS' PARADISE.

THE RUINED CITIES OF ANURADHAPURA AND POLONNARUWA ILLUSTRATE THE GLORY OF THE ANCIENT KINGDOMS. THE GIGANTIC STUPAS AND BUDDHA STATUES ARE AMONG THE BIGGEST MAN MADE STRUCTURES OF THE WORLD. THE MASSIVE RESERVOIRS, BUILT BY ANCIENT KINGS TO IRRIGATE THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF LAND, ARE MARVELS OF HYDRO ENGINEERING. THERE ARE EIGHT UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN SRI LANKA

THE ISLAND WAS KNOWN TO THE GREEKS AS 'TAPROBANE' AND TO THE ARABS AS 'SERENDIB'. EARLY MERCHANTS VISITED THE ISLAND IN SEARCH OF GEMSTONES AND SPICES, MAINLY CINNAMON AND PEPPER. COFFEE AND TEA PLANTATIONS WERE STARTED BY THE BRITISH COLONIAL RULERS. CEYLON TEA IS FAMOUS THE WORLD OVER.

TOURISM INDUSTRY IS A MAJOR MONEY SPINNER FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL ISLAND. THE VAST EXPANSE OF BEACHES, RAIN FORESTS AND NATIONAL PARKS WITH HERDS OF WILD ELEPHANTS, THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS WITH LITHE WATER FALLS, BRING IN THE TOURISTS. THE ISLAND IS DOTTED WITH HUNDREDS OF HOTELS TO ACCOMMODATE THE TRAVELER. AN ISLAND OF 25,000 SQ; MILES HAS 103 RIVERS AND 25000 RESERVOIRS, MOSTLY MAN MADE. WITH VARYING CLIMATIC CONDITIONS THIS IS TRULY A 'SMALL MIRACLE'.

" THE ISLAND OF SRI LANKA IS A SMALL UNIVERSE, IT CONTAINS AS MANY VARIATIONS OF CULTURE, SCENERY AND CLIMATE AS SOME COUNTRIES A DOZEN TIMES ITS SIZE........I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ANY COUNTRY WHICH SCORES SO HIGHLY IN ALL DEPARTMENTS - WHICH HAVE SO MANY ADVANTAGES AND SO FEW DISADVANTAGES. LOVELY BEACHES, BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES, IMPRESSIVE RUINS, A VIBRANT CULTURE AND CHARMING PEOPLE- NO WONDER SRI LANKA IS A SMALL MIRACLE ".***** Arthur C. Clark *****

14 January, 2015

SRI LANKA - PHOTOGRAPHY [PUMPKIN FLOWER]

Pics by: Nelsonlanka

Canon EOS 600D

31 December, 2014

SRI LANKA - MONGOOSE

Mongoose and son looking for snails for lunch.

Video by: Nelsonlanka

Canon EOS 600D

18 December, 2014

SRI LANKA - A LAND OF ELEPHANTS

"Although the number of these animals is still so immense in Ceylon, they must nevertheless have been much reduced within the last twenty years. In those days the country was overrun with them, and some idea of their numbers may be gathered from the fact that three first rate shots in three days bagged 104 elephants".

Page 114, from the book - Eight Years In Ceylon - by Sir William W. Baker, published in 1902, by Longmans, Green in New York.

http://www.archive.org/stream/eightyearsinceyl00bakerich#page/n6/mode/1up

Today the elephant population has dwindled to about 8000 and some are in orphanages! These pictures are from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.

Pics by: Nelsonlanka.

Sony DSC H7.

27 November, 2014

SRI LANKA - ERADICATION OF SLUMS IN COLOMBO

The capital city of Colombo has 1499 slum areas covering 900 acres or 10% of the City area and the number of families living in these unhygenic dwellings have been identified as 68,812. The Ministry Of Urban Development plans to utilize 300 acres for new housing projects, 150 acres for urban beautification and 450 acres for projects under direct foreign investment once these high value spaces are cleared.

Nearly 4000 units have been completed and given to shanty dwellers, free of charge. A 450 sq.ft. unit consists of 2 bedrooms, living room, pantry, bathroom and a balcony. The high-rises are equipped with elevators and have recreation areas, 26,000 units will be constructed under Phase 1 and Phase 2.

16 November, 2014

SRI LANKA - MOTHER CHAMELEON

The mother chameleon has laid eggs in a hole dug in the ground and covered it with loose soil. Now she is meticulously pressing, the loose soil with her snout, for protection and proper incubation.

Filmed by: Nelsonlanka

Canon EOS 600D

12 November, 2014

SRI LANKA - GREATER COUCAL - A GLIMPSE

Greater Coucal is a shy bird of the cuckoo family that does not seem to like flying and could be seen clambering through the undergrowth.

Filmed by: Nelsonlanka

Cano EOS 600D

11 November, 2014

SRI LANKA - 500,000 PAGEVIEWS FOR DISCOVER-SRI LANKA

http://discover-srilanka.blogspot.com reached 500,000 pageviews today, after publishing 508 Posts and over 1500 photographs and videos since July, 2009. Thank you for catching a glimpse of my beautiful Island - Sri Lanka!

27 October, 2014

SRI LANKA - THE RED VENTED BULBUL

The Red vented Bulbul is a common bird of Sri Lanka, it has a short crest and dark brown plumes with a red vent. This hungry pair, feasting on a ripe banana, was filmed very early in the day.