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Quote - Joseph Pulitzer

"PUT IT BEFORE THEM BRIEFLY SO THEY WILL READ IT, CLEARLY SO THEY WILL APPRECIATE IT, PICTURESQUELY SO THEY WILL REMEMBER IT AND, ABOVE ALL, ACCURATELY SO THEY WILL BE GUIDED BY ITS LIGHT" ***** JOSEPH PULITZER *****
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 *****




Over: 70 Pages, 800 Posts, 1000 Photographs and 900,000 Page views

05 August, 2009

SRI LANKA - UDAWALAWE NATIONAL PARK [ BRIEF ENCOUNTER ]




THE UDAWALAWA NATIONAL PARK IN SRI LANKA IS FAMOUS FOR ITS ELEPHANTS AND OTHER WILD ANIMALS SUCH AS BUFFALO, WILD BOAR AND DEER, THERE IS A CONSIDERABLE BIRD POPULATION TOO. WE SET OUT ON OUR FAMILY EXCURSION IN JANUARY 2009, ON THE 16TH OF JANUARY WE REACHED OUR HOLIDAY BUNGALOW "De OLIFANT" AT ABOUT SIX IN THE EVENING. THE NATIONAL PARK HAD THE MAIN ROAD AS ONE BOUNDARY AND THERE WAS AN ELECTRIC FENCE ERECTED TO KEEP THE ANIMALS AWAY. TO OUR SHEER AMAZEMENT THERE WERE ELEPHANTS STANDING JUST BEYOND THE ELECTRIC FENCE WATCHING THE TRAFFIC PASS BY. SOME TRAVELLERS STOPPED AT THE BOUTIQUES SELLING FRUITS TO BUY SUGAR CANE IN ORDER TO FEED THE ELEPHANTS, WHICH THEY GLADLY ACCEPTED FROM BEYOND THE FENCE, BUT THIS WAS PROHIBITED ACCORDING TO THE NOTIFICATIONS POSTED ON THE FENCE.


"De OLIFANT" WAS A PLEASANT ABODE WITH THREE DOUBLE ROOMS WITH ATTACHED BATHS AND A DORMITORY TO ACCOMMODATE TWELVE. THE CARETAKER DID THE COOKING WITH HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER,THEY LOOKED AFTER EVERYTHING IN A VERY PLEASING MANNER AND WE FELT AT HOME AND CONTENTED.THERE IS A HUGE RESERVOIR A FEW KILOMETERS AWAY WHICH PROVIDES WATER TO THE VAST EXPANSE OF PADDY FIELDS IN THE AREA AND AGRICULTURE IS THE MAIN SOURCE OF INCOME FOR THE POPULATION IN THE UDAWALAWE AREA.


THE BRIEF ENCOUNTER - WITH A WILD ELEPHANT - TOOK PLACE ON THE SAFARI IN THE UDAWALWE NATIONAL PARK THE FOLLOWING DAY. A FEW KILOMETERS INTO THE PARK THERE STOOD,RIGHT ON THE TRACK, A LONE ELEPHANT IN MUSTH WITH ITS TEMPLES DRIPPING. THE TRACKER IN THE FRONT SEAT OF THE JEEP BECKONED US TO KEEP STILL.THE VERY NEXT MOMENT THE BRUTE STRODE GENTLY TOWARDS THE JEEP AND EVERYONE WAS AGHAST, LOW MOANING SOUNDS WERE HEARD FROM THE LADIES, BUT THE YOUNGEST IN THE CROWD, GEELAKA KEPT ON CHATTERING. 


THE TRACKER GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND SHOUTED WITH ARMS RAISED IN A FEEBLE ATTEMPT AT SCARING AWAY THE COLOSSAL BEAST BUT THE ANIMAL KEPT COMING,THIS PROMPTED THE TRACKER TO GET IN THE JEEP IN HASTE, THE BLACK HEAP OF FLESH AND MUSCLE STRODE GENTLY AND GRACEFULLY TOWARDS THE JEEP AND PASSED ON THE LEFT SIDE ,JUST A FOOT AWAY AND GOT ON TO THE TRACK PICKING UP GRASS ON ITS WAY. THOSE WHO KEPT THEIR EYES CLOSED OPENED THEM WITH DELIGHT AND THE CHATTERING BEGAN. ACHINDA HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO FILM THE HAIR RAISING INCIDENT ON HIS MOBILE PHONE.GOOSE BUMPS VANISHED AND THE SWEAT WAS WIPED OFF. WE RETURNED TO "De OLIFANT" AN ENTHRALLED AND SATISFIED LOT. (WATCH VIDEO)






3 comments:

Unknown said...

At first I thought Sanjaya was a foreigner. Looks like you all had great fun!

Chunkyd said...

very nice fotos uncle, Good to see everyone again. Hope we can meet up and all go on a trip sometime later.
Regards,
Chanaka

Wella said...

BRILLIANT LOST FOR WORDS.

YOUR WRITING SKILL,NO ONE NEVER KNEW.

THIS CERTAINLY IS TESTIMONY.

KEEP IT UP I AM SURE THERE ARE MANY SILENT ADMIRERS.

CHEERS..

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