Go to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Erotica - Go Go Go to Sri Lanka - වැඩි හිටියන්ට පමණි

2011-11-15T13:46:00.000-08:00

වැඩි හිටියන්ට පමණි

Sri Lanka - the land of beauty

2011-11-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

Where else but Sri Lanka

2011-11-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

Sri Lankan Beauty

2011-11-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

One country, so many sights to see. මාලා මම ඔබ ගැනම සිතලා!

2011-10-13T02:53:00.000-07:00

Forever young – Jay Z. Stay young forever in Colombo, Sri Lanka

2011-08-23T06:39:00.000-07:00

So let's just stay in the moment
Smoke some weed drink some wine
Reminisce talk some shit forever young is in your mind
Leave a mark they can't erase, neither space nor time
So when the director yells cut, I'll be fine
I'm forever young…

Snakes are revered all over Sri Lanka

2011-08-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

Mate if you come here and never want to leave, your welcome to stay forever.

Sri Lankan Women - The hottest on this planet

2011-07-27T05:24:00.000-07:00

Hurry Go to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, the girl next door. Holidays to Sri Lanka, the paradise isle.

2011-07-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

Rest assured, they are everywhere in Sri Lanka.

Angry Birds

2011-07-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

Bentota, Sri Lanka

2011-07-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka - the tigers are gone, we still have a lot of vixen though! WOOF WOOF

2011-07-05T00:57:00.000-07:00

Sri Lankan Leopard - WE NO LONGER HAVE ANY TIGERS! :)

2011-07-05T00:50:00.000-07:00

Sri Lankan Birds come to London

2011-06-06T01:35:00.000-07:00

Vesak in Colombo – The Motherland Part 4

2011-05-19T03:56:00.000-07:00

The normal hot humid weather gives way in May to chilly but pleasant Colombo mornings. I wake up as usual to the toll of the Church bells at 5.30am. The cold makes me burrow into my pillows and pull the sheet up to my chin. My cat Choco stirs annoyingly as I have woken him up too. I lie awake listening to the morning sounds of the birds chirping in the Murunga tree outside my window, whispers of the domestic and my mother and the clatter of cups being washed for coffee in the kitchen. My internal clock is timed to wait for the prayers from the Muslim mosque at 5.45am followed by the chimes of the Temple at 6am. I live in urban Colombo and I am within short walking distance to these places of worship. Multicultural diversity at its best I guess. Today is a holiday and excitement slowly wells within me in anticipation of the day to come.

My niece’s day nanny has arrived early and she brings me my coffee to bed. As soon as I see her I spring out of bed. The nanny and I don’t have the best of friendships and I remember the three Vesak Pandols I have hanging in the living room fan blades. How last Vesak the nanny switched the fan on to get my goat, successfully. Despite sleeping late the night before I am full of energy as I turn the shower on high in the bath. Morning showers in Colombo are incredibly cold as only the rich and famous have hot water showers. Refreshing nonetheless and the best way to fully awake in the tropics.

The night before I completed the three pandols and they hang waiting the last touch of the fluffy kite paper balls for the corners. They are really intricate to make and the speciality of my third sister. Patience is required, none of which a 15 year old will ever have. I have also finished all the bulb holder streamers with intricate joints to couple with one of the bulb holders hanging in the living room. The joints and extensions are many as everything is connected to light up the colourful streamer with blue, yellow, orange and red bulbs and three extensions for white bulbs that light up the white pandols. So far in my memory although I have managed to set the trip off many times over I was never electrocuted. Not seriously anyhow. I quickly dress in my school clothes although it’s a holiday. Smart white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and white trousers. Waking my sister up and taking the fuse off for the living room fan I set off at a run to the temple down our road. The Mettaramaya down Lauries Road in Bamabalapitiya. A brief stop at my friends house and we arrive excitedly to the temple.

As we enter the tranquillity of the temple even calms the teen tempest within us. The Bo tree surrounded by the white wall sways softly to the wind. The yellow sand all over the temple grounds crunch beneath our now bare feet. It’s surprisingly cool to walk on. The innumerable jasmine trees that dot the temple glisten with morning dew and scent the cool May morning as if we were in heaven itself. As always we enter the Buddhu Mandiraya to pray for the blessings of the triple gem, the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. I wipe my feet off the sand on the big coir carpets outside before entering the big prayer room. A reclining Buddha and a sitting Buddha, larger than life size welcomes you. The tiled floor is cooling, flowers of every form and colour are on offer from Frangipani, Jasmine to Lotus. Mingled with the incense and the burning of coconut oil lamps the scent almost hypnotises you into a trance like silent meditative state.

After offering our prayer we run off to see our friend, teacher, advisor and overall psychologist the Reverend Mahinda. Never forgetting to carefully circumvent the living quarters of the Head Reverend of the temple who we are mortally afraid of. Reverend Mahinda as usual is sitting in his hansi puttwa (reclining chair) drinking a cup of plain tea. He carefully unravels the huge bunch of keys tucked into his robes and presents us with the key to his famous cupboard. The cupboard is famous only for the goodies it secrets. Every foreign chocolate, fresh fruit and all forms of biscuits reside in this cupboard. All offering from the rich Colombo ladies who travel abroad frequently. The good reverend uses this key to good effect to keep all of us well disciplined during Sunday school. Good behaviour is well rewarded by delicious chocolates from far away foreign lands such as England and USA.

After our snack and chat we are now finally ready for the day and what we have anticipated from last Vesak. About ten of us have collected now to be marshalled by Reverend Mahinda. As we are in the temple we are quiet and industrious. We break up into two groups, one to fetch the long bulb streamers and white bulbs that we’ll hang all around the temple, Bo tree and Chaitya. The others fetch the long bamboo stems, white kite paper and wheat flour to mix with water for paste. A basic vesak pandol is built by cutting 24 thin bamboo sticks to one length. Then you proceed to tie them into square of four. Finally these our tied to each other to create a hexagon shape. This is then hung on a tree at reachable height.

The white kite paper is cut into squares and carefully pasted on to the hexagon frame. White streamers are added to the bottom and the four corners. White kite paper is preferable but people to build more colourful ones with different colours of kite paper. We hustle around attending to our tasks and are careful not to disturb the gathering of sil mathas (usually old ladies who celebrate Vesak, the birth of Lord Buddha by observing prayers to the triple gem all day and fasting).

Late lunch time and our stomachs begun to rumble. Hunger is secondary when you are a teenager on a mission, but as all teenagers are, food is a must. So we quickly break up to head home. At home I quickly eat my lunch. My sister has finished the pandol décor and I proceed to quickly hang the colour light bulb streamers and the pandols. Superstition and habit prevent me from testing the lights, a ritual left for late evening when darkness descends. All of us gather again at the temple late afternoon. Now we hurry, hurry to finish all our tasks before the thousands of devotees flock to the temple to celebrate the birth of Buddha and offer their prayers. As usual we finish at the very last moment. Tired and weary our white clothes are now drenched with sweat and all the dirt accumulated during the day with the entire cutting, hammering, tying and pasting. Finally the Reverend Mahinda arrives to cast his final glance over everything and switch everything on. The pandols sway in the evening wind, the temple is now brightly lit with all the bulbs and we all now run home to get ready for the night.

I arrive home, have a quick dinner and complete my own ritual of switching on the lights of my three pandols and the streamers at home. My family is all there to see and everyone commends me on a good job. I shower quickly and this time around dress in traditional Sri Lankan dress of a white lunghi and a long sleeved white shirt with a low collar. White flowers have been picked by my sisters to take to the temple along with oil for lamps and incense.

The temple is a short walk away. As we all leave I look back at my decorations at home in pride. Back at the temple all of us teenagers assemble again to organise the lighting and hanging of the coloured Vesak lanterns all over the temple trees. We are encouraged by the Reverends to involve all the children who are at the temple. Everyone excitedly runs around lighting the lanterns with the candles inside them. Finally it’s all finished. The core of us who laboured during the day finally takes time out to admire the fruits of our toil.

Even as a teenager I still remember how my heart would swell with pride at the beautiful sight of our temple and a small tear of joy would gather at the corner of my eye. The temple would blaze with glory in light, a pandols rustling and swaying gently in the wind. Our parents, the sil mathas, worshippers and the reverends would all smile and acknowledge us as the architect of the most satisfying aspect of Vesak – Decorating and lighting up our temple for Vesak in home to the Lord Buddha and blessing of the triple gem.

Sri Lankan Spices and Hot Chocolate

2011-04-27T02:40:00.000-07:00

The beauty of Sri Lanka

2011-04-23T13:36:00.001-07:00

Sri Lanka - A natural habitat for birds

2011-04-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

Water-sports in Sri Lanka

2011-04-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

Go to Sri Lanka, then stay forever...

2011-03-21T02:30:00.000-07:00

A Sri Lankan Vision - Make us your next Mission

2011-03-21T02:25:00.000-07:00

sExploits in Sri Lanka on a bed

2011-03-21T02:21:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka Tourism - What's so special about us eh?

2011-03-21T02:18:00.000-07:00

96 degrees and rising...

2011-03-21T02:16:00.000-07:00

In Sri Lanka our hot tubs always have room for you

2011-03-21T02:14:00.000-07:00

Hot only as Sri Lanka can!

2011-03-21T02:11:00.000-07:00

The Grand Prix of Chillies 2011

2011-03-21T02:09:00.000-07:00

and the Oscar goes to...

2011-03-21T02:07:00.000-07:00

Horizontally Yours - Stop Press - Sexy Sri Lanka and our new bevy of models

2011-03-21T00:28:00.000-07:00

Sri Lankan hero thrills...

2011-03-03T23:24:00.000-08:00

Please come

2011-02-13T12:40:00.000-08:00

to Sri Lanka...

Sri Lanka - Strictly for Adults Only

2011-02-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

Loving Sri Lankan Women - 100% Natural

2011-02-10T06:54:00.000-08:00

Hot Sri Lanka - Hottest...

2011-02-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

Legend has it that every full moon...

2011-02-10T05:41:00.000-08:00

Sexy Sri Lankan Fashion Sistas!

2011-02-06T11:41:00.000-08:00

Five Star Sri Lanka : Sun : Sand : Sea : Sex : She!

2011-02-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

Colombo, Sri Lanka – Bucket List for a week – Please post your ideal week in Sri Lanka.

1. Arrive in Sri Lanka and check into hotel in Colombo.
Paradise Road Tintagel, Colombo - http://www.paradiseroadhotels.com/
2. Friday evening relaxing by the Beira Lake at Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel pool and bar – The 7 degrees - http://www.cinnamonhotels.com/CinnamonLakeside.htm
3. Friday dinner at Lemons Restaurant, Maitland Crescent.
http://www.facebook.com/lemonbarandkitchen
4. Friday night at Silk Nightclub after dinner. Silk is below Lemons.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/SILK/109416165751772?v=info
5. Saturday late morning – Go to Crown Man spa and salon for straight razor shave, manicure, pedicure and massage. Chillax in style and revitalise.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Crown-Man/114955671871700

6. Saturday late lunch at Barefoot, Colombo 3 and ethnic shopping.
http://barefootceylon.com/

7. Saturday early evening watch sunset at Galle Face Hotel terrace bar and café.
http://www.gallefacehotel.com
8. Saturday night seafood dinner at Beach Wadiya, Wellawatte.
http://beachwadiya.com/
9. Saturday all night at the Rhythm and Blues, Bar and Club, Duplication Road, Colombo 4. Live music and pool.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=16408634109&v=info

10. Sunday early afternoon Dim Sum lunch at Colombo, Hilton.
http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/COLHITW-Hilton-Colombo-hotel/dining.do#3
11. Sunday afternoon and early evening Jazz at the Barefoot Garden and Café.
http://barefootceylon.com/cafe/
12. Sunday evening after the sun goes down Jazz Sunday at CR & FC.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=149938651520
13. Sunday night after CR drive to Hikkaduwa. Find any lodge with cheap rooms by the sea.
http://www.hikkaduwanet.com/index.htm

14. Monday late morning wake up in Hikkaduwa – Chilled Lion Lager, Spliff, sea bath and lunch of Sri Lankan rice and curry with fresh grilled sea tiger prawns and crab curry. (For spliff - Please do not pay more than LKR 1500 – US $ 15, GBP £ 7.50 for 8Oz polythene bag so you see the spliff inside it. I am not talking about the miserable eighths we buy in the west. This actually is one whole sprig organically grown and lovingly dried in real sunlight.) Monday rest of the day laze by the sea, surf, go fishing or take boat ride to see coral reefs.
http://www.hikkaduwanet.com/music_party/

15. Tuesday morning go to Unwattunna, Galle. About half-hour from Hikkaduwa. Repeat same sequence as Hikkaduwa. In Unwattunna one can actually walk into the sea for about half a mile as the beach is surrounded by a natural reef. Spend a couple of nights in Unnawattuna to recharge body. Ask for ‘King Coconut – Thambili’ – drink at least four of these a day and apply lots of sun cream).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unawatuna
16. By Thursday return to Colombo. Rest. Fly back home.

Yes, please bring a camera.

Ecstasy. Sri Lanka. Go to Sri Lanka.

2010-10-05T04:58:00.000-07:00

Amanwella, Sri Lanka - Where else do the gods holiday at!

2010-09-29T02:25:00.000-07:00

Pix - Digby Hill, freewheeling, A creative and design company

Sri Lanka – We invented sex on the beach!

2010-09-23T01:48:00.000-07:00

Fresh, Hot, Sultry, Sexy Sri Lanka!

2010-09-23T01:45:00.001-07:00

Sri Lanka - Go find your own beach - you know?

2010-09-17T09:55:00.001-07:00

Sri Lanka - Find your own beach

2010-09-17T09:51:00.001-07:00

Women from Sri Lanka - They're waiting for you to come...

2010-09-13T04:06:00.000-07:00

More Meow Meow from Sri Lanka - Hurry Up and Go!

2010-07-14T06:51:00.001-07:00

Sri Lanka - Local Pussy - Meow Meow

2010-07-14T06:48:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka's darling in cinema - Sachini Ayendra

Sri Lanka - Fly so high, over the rainbow

2010-05-26T03:43:00.000-07:00

Arugam Bay - The Surfing Beach of Sri Lanka from SLTB Media on Vimeo.

More 'sexy' reasons to go to Sri Lanka

2010-05-19T02:27:00.000-07:00

http://www.slmodels.info/fy1.htm

'Hot' reasons to go to Sri Lanka

2010-05-12T02:16:00.000-07:00

Waking to Paradise

2010-05-06T06:11:00.000-07:00

I wake to the slight chill in the air and the blur of bright sea blue as someone adjusts the pillow on my head and covers me with a blanket. The steady drone I hear is the aircraft engine and the bright blue morphs into a smiling stewardess. I have slept for over five hours on my flight to the Paradise Isle from London. I stretch comfortably and slowly meander my way to the back of the cabin for a fresh cup of Paradisian tea, a shining red apple and some Paradisian chat. The Malaysian Tamil female passenger reads the palms of the stewardesses and mine. I smile as the stewardesses ask her the main question in any single female Paradisians mind, when will they marry? We all cross the fortune-tellers palm with silver and I meander my way back to my seat.

It’s early morning when we land in Paradise. In the typical Paradisian way everyone pushes each other to disembark. I make my way through immigration; pick my bags up, quick stop at duty free and onwards to book a taxi to take me to the salubrious surroundings of Pelawatte. After a prolonged dismal English winter and dodgy spring, the April heat of Paradise overwhelms me. I long for the air-conditioned comfort of my sister’s home.

As always I am delighted by the sheer colourfulness of my Paradise Isle. The painted and gaily decorated public buses and scooter taxi’s, cars as old as 1950, the latest in luxury SUV’s all jostle and bustle with each other as they proceed at breath taking speeds down the airport road to Colombo. The only differences are the slow bullock carts, cows and street dogs that sedately share this road with vehicular traffic. I look forward to the three weeks ahead as I flinch and close my eyes inside the taxi that’s taking me to Pelawatte. I flinch because the taxi driver keeps taking his eyes off the road to talk to me.

I jump into the shower as soon as I get home. After five years, the solar powered panels that provide hot water still surprisingly work well. I set the water from hot to really cold as I wash the journey off me. I am wide awake as I jump off the shower and what seems to be ages, which it actually is as I put on a pair of my GAP shorts, a tee from Abercrombie, slippers as my friend arrives in his jeep to pick me up. Its post election day so the sale of alcohol is prohibited, therefore all the clubs and bars are closed. We head to another friends house and I start my holiday in earnest as I sip my first long ice filled glass of Absolut and Red Bull. Helped down smoothly at dusk by the freshly fried chicken and prawn rolls from Tasty’s. My thirst and hunger sated it is late night as I head back for a long nights sleep. My stay in Paradise has begun. I awake refreshed late next afternoon. Meeting family, seeking funding and partners for business, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, the post new year procession in seeking the blessings of Lord Skanda in the deep south of Paradise, Kataragama, the wedding of one of my best buddies, catching up with college mates, clubbing, bar hopping, binging on drink and food all await me. I am truly in Paradise. As I have been strictly warned to not mention smoking material from Pakistan and Thanmalwilla I shall detest. Ask any Paradisian they will know.

I blaze my way through the two most happening nightclubs in Colombo. Mojo at the Taj Samudra Hotel and the Silk nightclub next to the CH & FC rugby club. Highlights at Mojo are meeting the former Blue Elephant DJ Naushad who spun one complete night of house music for me, helped along with bottles of Absolut, Moet and Grey Goose.

At Hambantota, just before we come to town we are sent on a detour due to construction of the new port. We drive down a brand new fully carpeted road. I get my driver to stop quickly to take pictures of the peacocks hanging out by the roadside. The peacocks are fully alert and as long as we stay in the SUV they stay put. The minute I get off the jeep they run away. We pass the new International Conventions Centre in construction. The sheer size of the structure leaves all of us in the jeep impressed.

Usually extremely hot in April, Kataragama is pleasantly cool, as rains have fallen at night. We visit the Kirivehera Stupa and Temple to offer flowers, incense and light oil lamps to seek blessings of the Buddha, dharma and sangha. Afterwards we walk to the scared temple of Lord Skanda to seek his blessings and protection. In April I usually time my visits to Paradise in time for the procession of elephants in ball gowns and dervish dancers in homage of Lord Skanda. Firewalkers, various forms of ethnic dancers in brilliant costumes are a photographers dream.

Back in Colombo, family and friends take me to some of the best fusion, Indian and Chinese restaurants in the world. Sunday and poya day dim sum at the Wok in the Colombo Hilton, Mango Tree for Indian food and the Peach Valley Chinese restaurant down Flower Road in Colombo are most noteworthy.

Meeting old school mates and friends at the members only private clubs and bars in Colombo and bacchanalia is a special treat that one must enjoy in Sri Lanka. A prelude of our colonial past and a memento of the British, clubs such as the Old Thomians Swimming Club (OTSC), Orient Club and the Swimming Club must be visited to see true friendship and bonding amongst Paradisians.

My holiday is fully completed with my attendance at a best friends wedding. Quick purchases of fresh spices, Paradisian Tea, and souvenirs for friends from Barefoot. A pair of perfectly matching pink sapphire earrings for my wife. All too soon it is time to leave. The cab arrives late night as my friends help me load my bags in. Hugs, kisses and goodbyes.

Intermittent lights of Colombo blink below me as I look down from the Srilankan Airlines flight to Heathrow. This time back I get a seat by the exit door with loads of leg space. I stretch out and allow the drone of the aircraft engine to lull me to sleep. Dreams, sweet dreams of my motherland, and another fantastic holiday.

Sri Lanka, the Paradise Isle.

Delicious!

2010-03-23T00:43:00.001-07:00

'Bar Tenders World-wide look forward to working with Ceylon Arrack
Arrack from Ceylon can be found in the oldest of cocktails books and recipes, most commonly used as a formidable ingredient in punch. Rockland Distilleries now brings Ceylon Arrack to the forefront of the global cocktail scene as an exciting new ingredient, as bartenders everywhere anticipate the chance to put their own spin on one of the world’s oldest known spirits.'

http://www.ceylonarrack.com/cocktails/index.html

Paradisian Style. Dance like a Sri Lankan.

2010-02-22T08:32:00.000-08:00

Visit Sri Lanka 2011 - Travel to Sri Lanka for free

2010-02-06T03:01:00.000-08:00

http://www.visitsrilanka-2011.com/

Picture Perfect - The Paradise Isle - Christmas 2009

2010-01-15T03:39:00.000-08:00

Then came New Years Eve - Paradise Isle 2010

2010-01-15T03:31:00.001-08:00

The only way to spend Christmas day - In the Paradise Isle

2010-01-15T03:19:00.000-08:00

Fly me to the moon...

2010-01-15T03:10:00.000-08:00

Close encounters with the elephant kind…

2010-01-07T23:34:00.001-08:00

On the road to Udawalawe. The road from Thanmalwilla bordering the wildlife park. (Thanmalwilla is an inevitable stop for me to procure the freshest spliff in the world). Please note my bravado was for the electric fence that separated us from each other. Sadly the elephants have been forced to co-exist with human kind. The justification being wildlife conservation.
Sugar cane fields surround the wildlife park. At night the more intelligent animals drag trees on to the electric fence and break through to feed in the sugar cane fields. Sporadically a safari tracker or driver is killed by getting too close to the animals.
On a positive, elephants thrive in this park and a sustainable breeding program flourishes.

Heaven, and after, Barefoot…

2010-01-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

Lazy Sunday morning. The aroma of fresh coffee wafts into the room. This is enough incentive for me to roll out of bed. Everyone eventually showers. All of us take off for Dim Sum at the Hilton Emperor Wok.
Full as we eventually head off to my piece of heaven in Sri Lanka, The Barefoot Shop, Gallery and Café. We immediately leave the heat and humidity of the day as we walk into the Barefoot Garden. The splash of colour never fails to surprise me. Sunday Jazz Band in attendance and the crooning voice of Jerome Speldewinde entertains.
Christmas hols and it’s almost like back in London. I spot many of the Diaspora. Wave, grin and cheerful greetings shouted across. Many of us carrying around the absolutely necessary piece of Diaspora kit, a Canon camera! Picture’s taken, hugs and New Year kisses. I quickly look about and spot in relief that my mates have headed upstairs.
The true beauty of the Barefoot garden is truly captured from the balcony. The Jazz Band forms the centrepiece to a bustle of colour. The religious statues from far off kovils in the north, ethnic Christmas trees, the wonderful painting hung on the bar wall, a fusion of colour in the table cloths, huge ceramic pots teeming with little orange and red fish.
The Tiger beer I sip feels colder, much better than anywhere else in the world. I am home, in heaven, in my Paradise Isle. The two Diaspora kids who run up to see me are impressed. They believe that broad upper floor over the Barefoot Café bar is where I live when I am in Sri Lanka! Reluctantly I set them right.
I give up on the uber cool image I am trying to project and click away with my piece of Canon kit. Dom the owner of Barefoot spots me from downstairs. Grin, wave and a huge thumbs up.
Some of us head into the Barefoot shop to do some shopping. I have already been. Sterling statue of God Gnanapathi, the famous Barefoot stone Buddha’s, compulsory Barefoot sarongs, Table Mats, Napkins and a load of knickknacks for the kid. All for just under £100! All in the unimaginably glorious Barefoot colours of Sri Lanka.
With the mildly amused acceptance of Nas and the obliging grin of Dom’s I take a few shots of inside the shop that you enjoy now. Normally a strict no the shop staff looks at me annoyingly and are still suspicious despite the fact that I inform them I have approval.
Dusk arrives and all too soon Jerome and the Band pack up for the evening. Few pictures, goodbyes to everyone and we head off. Getting into my friends monster sports car I take one last look back. It’s Sunday, I leave my Paradise Isle early Tuesday morning. My heart aches, the lump in my throat and teary eyes I hide from my friends. I console myself that I am back in April for a friends wedding.
It’s twelve inches of snow and minus eight degrees outside as I sit here typing this from the stix of England. But in my soul I hear the voice of Jerome Speldewine. Brilliant colours mix in my mind. I am full from the café’s fresh fusion food. I am wearing the bright gold Barefoot sarong mixed with shades of black. The warm tropical wind caresses my back. The scent of frangipani flowers scatters everywhere. Lord Gnanapathi gazes at me in benevolence.
Colombo’s wonderful oasis for every weary traveller. Barefoot.
http://www.barefootceylon.com/home.htm

A fantastic way to preview Sri Lanka! It’s own blogsphere – www.kottu.org

2009-11-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sri Lanka has a lot to offer tourists. A novel way to experience how it’s native’s live is its own blogsphere, Kottu. The best way to see and live life in Sri Lanka is headlined through some of the more popular blogs featured on Kottu. My favourite five I list below for a must browse, muse, see and read.

Indi - http://indi.ca/
Born in Vancouver this young man and his family are now back living in Sri Lanka. Part of Colombo’s elite young, indi’s blog gives you a snapshot of how the rich and famous live in Sri Lanka from dining in Colombo, holidays in the lesser known tourist spots which include wonderfully secluded beaches, Colombo people’s popular haunts and the wonderful nightlife. Time must be spent trawling through indi’s photo albums to get a superb snapshot of how the hoi polloi in Sri Lanka eat, drink and party.

Dom - http://dominicsansoni.blogspot.com/
He is a world-renowned photographer and uncrowned king of Colombo’s creative. Dom also owns the popular barefoot brand. Barefoot is Colombo’s creative Mecca and boasts of the complete ethnic shopping experience for fabrics and local handicrafts, a gallery and café.

David - http://blacklightarrow.wordpress.com/
Author, Creative Director at O & M Colombo and a fine example of aging playboy’s usually found at the Cannes Film Festival. David adds lots of colour to Colombo’s landscape, of Dutch Burgher and Tamil descent he is usually found sulking at Colombo’s less popular watering holes. He is part of a Blacker Boys creative consortium with a younger brother who is also a creative director at a local Colombo ad agency and blogs as the Kill Romeo Project. http://thekillromeoproject.wordpress.com/

Rhythmic Diaspora - http://londonlanka.blogspot.com/
The blogger known popularly as RD is the proud owner of the blog London, Lanka and drums. Somewhere in a bachelors pad overlooking the Thames River in London, RD’ s a recently divorced trendy drummer Dad and the typical metrosexual man bag carrying Londoner. His greatest and only weakness is his country of descent – Sri Lanka. Which he visits as much as possible or moons around when elsewhere. An interesting world traveller, RD stands testament to London’s multi ethnicity with his ex-ties to Poland, numerous trips to Sri Lanka and Singapore. His posts on SL encompass everything about this wonderful country that attracts tourists to it from all over the world. Especially the more adventurous souls who live in the west.

Natty - http://themissingsandwich.wordpress.com/
When mentioning Sri Lanka and blogging one must not forget Natty who unfortunately has more than a sandwich missing. Anther employee of Ogilvy in Colombo, Natty gives true meaning to spliffing, tripping and is a staunch supporter and loooyalist of the Rainbow movement in Sri Lanka. Rock metal chick Natty wears her heart on her sleeve with a pair to rival any other.

http://kottu.org/ - Please do come and see before you go to Sri Lanka.

And fall in love.

Sri Lankans - We smile in so many ways...

2009-10-14T02:49:00.001-07:00

Light refreshment from Paradisian shores…

2009-09-29T01:18:00.000-07:00

Roel Raymand and Christina Britto. All pix sourced from Google images.

See all at photographers site: www.sandundesilva.com and www.flickr.com/photos/sandsrocks

Sri Lankawa, uthum deshaya/divaina (Sri Lanka, the paradise isle…)

2009-09-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

Sri Lankawa, uthum deshaya/divaina (Sri Lanka, the paradise isle…)

A golden age has finally dawned on Sri Lanka to herald a new decade from 2010.

From 2,500 years ago this beautiful island in the Indian Ocean has stood triumphant through the ravages of foreign invasion, more recently terrorism from within its borders to natural disasters such as a tsunami.

500 years ago we survived victoriously over our northern neighbours invasion. We survived the plundering and ravaging of our country by the Portuguese, Dutch and finally the British. Known then as Ceylon, finally in 1948 our beautiful island finally gained its independence from the British to become a democratic country.

The past 30 years have seen Sri Lanka’s past thriving industries of tea and tourism suffer due to internal conflict with the LTTE, internationally known as the Tigers, Tamil separatists who fought for their own homeland threatening the sovereignty of Sri Lanka. Through all this the nation emerged victorious this year with the final annihilation of the LTTE and the killing of the elusive tiger leader.

Most importantly the nation has survived in pride. A new garment industry serving global renowned brands, notably GAP clothing and Marks and Spencer has provided much need foreign exchange. The nation despite the tsunami has now recovered to boast of 800,000 rooms all over its beautiful coastlines and other areas of mountainous beauty and wildlife parks. From three stars, the hotels in Sri Lanka offer international brands in the calibre of the Hilton, and now growing in popularity, exclusive boutique hotels that offer an experience rivalling any other globally.

A 90% literacy rate with international recognition of their education ethic. Every year Sri Lankan students leave for the hallowed halls of Oxford and Cambridge in England. Many walk the corridors of the Ivy League college’s in USA. Minimum of 500 students leave every year for further education in the west. For a country of 20 million people this itself is indeed a feat.

Post LTTE, people of various ethnicities and religions live in harmony within the sovereignty of this beautiful paradise island. Despite heavy pressure applied by some Sri Lankan Diasporas who migrated to the west using the ethnic war as their platform, Sri Lanka has prevailed in their war against terror. This decade has seen the strong emergence of the terrorism all over the world; Sri Lanka has proudly managed to emerge victorious.

A new decade emerges as 2010 beckons. Already many of the Diaspora is enjoying the providence of peace with the people of Sri Lanka. Holidays for December from the west have been so popular that many airlines flying from the west to Sri Lanka are fully booked. Tourism is set to boom with the liberation of beautiful beaches in the north and east. Investment in new projects is many. Many Diaspora have already outsourced their business operations to Sri Lanka enjoying the fruits of an economy well set to serve them. The Board of Investment in Sri Lanka is one of the best in the world and follows best practices of developed nations. In a world of recession this has been welcome to many global investors. Investors favour Sri Lanka as a country of choice for investment both in our people and infrastructure.

The golden beaches glisten, Sri Lanka awaits.

A race of people as old as time, ever smiling, ever obliging. Sun, sand and sea. Culture. Adventure. The perfect pair of matching pink sapphires for earrings. The dream golf holiday.

Go to Sri Lanka… The waves, they are calling. The wild elephant trumpet, the leopards roam the jungle, the peacock is in mating season, their mating calls ring through Sri Lanka, the paradise isle.

Please come. You are always welcome.

www.srilankatourism.org

www.boi.lk/2009

www.srilankan.lk

Sri Lanka, the paradise isle...

2009-09-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

Sourced the photographs via Google.

The photographer is Sri Lankan fashion photographer Sandun De Silva.

www.sandundesilva.com

Please click on images to view larger size.

The Paradise Isle. Sun, Sand, Sea and Shopping…

2009-09-17T03:32:00.000-07:00

The Paradise Isle. Sun, Sand, Sea and She…

2009-09-17T03:30:00.000-07:00

The Paradise Isle. Sun, Sand, Sea and Sexy…

2009-09-17T03:28:00.001-07:00

The Paradise Isle. Sun, Sand, Sea and Sumptuous…

2009-09-17T03:26:00.001-07:00

The Paradise Isle. Sun, Sand, Sea and You?

2009-09-17T03:24:00.000-07:00

DD’s in the Paradise Isle!

2009-09-09T03:03:00.000-07:00

It’s 30 centigrade and the sun blazes overhead. The humidity adds an extra dimension to the heat. Landing at the international airport in Katunayake I especially feel it as I had left cold miserable weather back in Heathrow. I have been dying for a smoke after the 12-hour flight and I quickly light up as I stand on the pavement in front of the airport passenger pick up point and look for Bandu and the car.

As soon as I landed when switching the mobile on I already had sms’s from my friends in Colombo welcoming me. Nice, very nice. Bandu rolls up and almost leaps from the car in welcome. As usual he tries to worship me and I stop him by giving him a warm hug. The sweat sticks to my body; my white linen shirt is covered with sweat. I don’t mind, I love it. I slide into the refreshingly air conditioned car but immediately roll the window down to light up another cig. Bandu helps the porter load my bags; I call out a warning to them to ensure none of the booze bottles purchased from duty-free break.

Finally as Bandu pulls out of the airport I just let the tension in my body, just let it all go and slide more into the car seat. I enjoy the incredible feeling of the suddenness of everything being completely right. I am home. Bandu wants to stop for a cool Thambili (King Coconut), I am more eager to get home, so we keep on. The school and work traffic has started and the goings slow. I greedily take in the sights and sounds of my Paradise Isle.

A fusion of bright colour.

The Buddhist priests standing by the bus stop.

The orange king coconuts in the wayside shop matching their saffron robes perfectly.

The little kid inside the bus on the way to school. Peering at me curiously and rewarding me with a brilliant white toothed smile and shy wave.

The private buses shooting recklessly by. Their coloured livery and signs make me smile.

‘Don’t kiss me’ stickers on Scooter Taxi bumpers.

The young lady in her pastel flowered Saree and umbrella to match walking to the train station.

The girls from the garment factories hurrying by, chatting one to a dozen. Pretty, very pretty.

Noise emanating from everywhere, the record bars littering the Wattala area blasts pop music from speakers placed right outside their shops.

A Policeman stands in the middle of an island on the road. His face in resignation to the chaos around him.

I am waiting to just get home and stand under the cold shower for hours. Wash off the dirt from the journey, all my trials and tribulations. For I know I am home. Home in my Paradise Isle.

I am surprised to find my cheek already wet as I wipe it. Jolted out of my dream I realise I am in bed snuggled under the duvet. It’s cold outside in my part of Hertfordshire, just 12 degrees this morning. The alarm from the mobile rings urgently. I quickly wipe the tears off my face and head downstairs to prepare my first cup of coffee for the day.

It’s OK, I am OK. I have my precious memories, my dreams. Home, my Paradise Isle.

I LOVE SL

2009-09-03T23:07:00.001-07:00

Sri Lanka Tourism (TVC) from SLTB Media on Vimeo.

Successfully Concluded - Hikka Beach Fest 2009

2009-08-26T02:53:00.000-07:00

Pix from http://www.hikkafest.com/ via http://www.srilankatourism.org/

Sri Lankan Music Video - Young Asia Television, Pelawatte, Sri Lanka

2009-08-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

Lankan Hotties

2009-07-28T01:37:00.001-07:00

Lankan Jewels

2009-07-28T01:32:00.000-07:00

The best way to her heart and other areas of her anatomy.

Lankan Fauna and Flora get wet

2009-07-27T08:28:00.001-07:00

Pretty Pink - Lankan Eye Candy

2009-07-27T08:24:00.001-07:00

Look!

Can Touch?

Go and see. Go to Sri Lanka.

Hurry...

Lovely Lankan Lasses

2009-07-27T08:18:00.001-07:00

Personal note of thanks from blogger to Mr. Laksiri Wickramage, head honcho at Derana TV. Machan can I be a judge at next years?

Paradise calling. Weekends in Colombo. Friday!

2009-07-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

Weekends in Colombo must start with a liquid lunch at the popular Colombo Swimming Club in Colombo 3. The late Joanna Miles our then Brit creative director loved the place as all Brit expats and any tourist do. A left over of the colonial era, this swimming club’s main attraction is it’s main building. An old bungalow still preserved in its original condition. A long verandah at the back serves as the spine to the club where one can sit and watch the trains go by frequently on the adjoining commuter train track that connects Colombo to the deep south of Sri Lanka.

All this capped by a magnificent view of the Indian Ocean that the club overlooks. Aunty Jo as we popularly called her was the epitome of the British expat. Single and born to be, she loved her drink and got on famously with all the boys from the advertising and marketing fraternity in Colombo. She would unfailingly arrive most Friday’s around one o’clock at our desks and off we would go. Fresh grilled seafood, the proverbial Gin and Tonic and the weekend is off to a brilliant start as we sway off back to office late afternoon. Wherever you are in the nether world Aunty Jo, rest in peace, we remember you with love.

Last copy checks of art works, sending material off to press, last minute frantic calls to clients for approvals and everyone’s done by late evening. The start to the debauchery is always at a sports club that dots Colombo’s landscape. These clubs, a hangover from colonisation of Sri Lanka by the British, range from exclusive Golf, Rowing and Swimming clubs to the bit more rowdy Rugby clubs and little more refined Cricket clubs. Most have huge lawns that are readied every evening with tables, umbrellas and chairs for relaxation and quaffing of alcoholic beverages after a hard day of sport or work. A wee different from the rest of the world, this does not mean a couple of drafts of beer, no, Sri Lankan men and women alike love their spirits from the local arrack to whisky, brandy, gin or vodka. Bottles of it are consumed, not shots, especially on a Friday evening.

Our club of choice was the Old Joes Sports Club within the premises of St. Joseph’s, a boy’s catholic school! The main attraction to this establishment was the incredible fried pork that was served with fresh buttered bread to deaden the effects of various alcoholic beverages. Late evening when the sun sets the view you see from the club is the lovely green cricket field, the old chapel standing grim and proud with wonderful shadows giving light to many ad man and woman’s imagination. Old Joes serves to encourage every one of us to reach the correct stage of inebriation for someone to start clambering to go play pool.

Allow me to meander from this weekend of mine for a brief moment. If the reader is wondering where are the spouses, partners, children, boyfriends, and girlfriends of these people? Under the guise of one’s profession, Advertising, these loved ones all over the world suffers in patience. Not all but most. Ad people are very good at hiding behind their profession. The creativity, short deadlines, demand what we call letting off of steam with the team!

Now back to a late Colombo Friday evening where darkness, any party animals friend has announced its arrival. Groups of us stagger into our respective cars and zoom away to one of Colombo’s best nightspots. Owned by the genteel Russell Fernando ‘Rhythm and Blues’ is a club that offers live music six nights of the week and pool at any time of the day. Popular amongst Colombo’s ad and marketing fraternity, young expats and tourists, R n’B caters to a slightly older clientele through a delicate balance of live rock music with covers performed of songs from CCR, Eagles, Santana and Eric Clapton to name but a few. DJ Ben takes over during band breaks.

If Ben is exceptionally ‘smiling’, smiling the operative word, he can be persuaded to play a bit of house, drum and bass late into the night. And if you wish to ‘smile’ too, Ben will point you in the right direction!

The atmosphere is uber cool and relaxed starting from Russell and his lovely wife. One is required to be in pants and shoes and adequately covered on top. Our noisy entrance is usually accompanied by grins from the doormen, bouncers and waiters, and wry smile from Russell. We’re regulars, so tolerated for our various vices and curiosities. Again explained by ‘Oh ad people, no?’ Fiercely competitive amongst some of us, games of pool begin. Unusually or usually one finds games of pool where suddenly it’s creative vs. the suits. It’s late Friday night as I usually wean myself from the pool and enjoy my Jameson on the rocks with live music from the band.

R n’B’s small dance floor is usually packed with expats dancing their cares away. The crowd is eclectic, from Colombo’s executives to tourists, musicians, journalists, and the worldwide mandatory Russkies and Thai girls. Everyone’s cool. Universal love is always in the air.

Late night and the stronger souls stagger off to Clancy’s. Another Brit Pub themed bar owned by Russell’s family. Here one finds live rock music from the more modern era performed and an edgier, younger crowd with many young couple on night outs or dates. Clancy’s like R n’B stay open to the wee hours of morning. Finally Friday ends on early Saturday morning. There is still no hurry-to-hurry home, everyone chats about and finally heads off to Colombo’s premier 24-hour night restaurant ‘Pilawoos’ for breakfast.

Sri Lanka formerly known as Ceylon was on a world spice route via the Indian Ocean. Colonised by the Portuguese, the Dutch and finally the British, the food influences are many. Especially through the Chinese and the Moors who continuously did and still do business here. The Muslim and moor culture is part and parcel of Sri Lanka. So are their food and the origin of many of these night restaurants called ‘night kades’ in Sri Lanka. The choice of food amongst Colombo’s night lovers is called a Kottu. A Kottu is cooked on a huge metal plate heated from underneath. Pieces of delicious roast chicken, beef or mutton, eggs, onions, leeks, tomatoes, garlic, herbs and curry sauce are all fried with cut pieces of leavened bread parotha’s on this metal plate. The noise accompanying the cooking of this dish is loud, and usually the cook does this right outside the restaurant, so one can watch this dish being prepared. All part of the night experience and the food washed down either with cool incredibly sweet chocolate milk or limejuice. For the more adventurous party people all one has to do is whisper in a waiter’s ear either for more of Sri Lanka’s home-grown alcohol, arrack or a neatly rolled spliff. The Kottu roti is a Mongolian dish adapted to suit Sri Lanka’s palette for spicy food and is the best food guaranteeing the lack of a hangover in the dawning day!

Finally dawn breaks in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s commercial capital. There is an early morning chill, little forewarning of the humidity and a median temperature of 96 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade during day. The restaurant Pilawoos is on Galle Road itself that links the capital to the south of the country. Morning commercial traffic, huge commuter buses, lorries carrying large loads of fresh produce to the city thunder down the road. Wearily but happily sated and plied with alcohol and food everyone meanders to their cars. The last cig is smoked, hugs, kisses and goodbyes. The end of a busy week, the beginning of the weekend. Saturday morning has dawned and what happens on Saturday, another post from this blogger.

Partying every weekend in Colombo is a must. An experience any visitor to Sri Lanka must experience. Seeing is believing. Please do go…

Sri Lanka, a promise like no other.

Sri Lanka’s best-kept secrets. Playing in Paradise. Kandy.

2009-07-15T05:25:00.000-07:00

It’s Friday evening and darkness, a thick blanket has descended on Kandy. The only sound is the steady trickle of rain usually common to any late Kandy evening. We roll into home and my nephew springs out from the car to open the gate to our house. The spotlight brightens the gravel on the driveway, shining black stones shimmering. My mums rose bushes glimmer invitingly with dewdrops. Getting down from the car and stretching as the fresh mildly cold air hits you, refreshes you.

The kids run into the house screaming in youthful exuberance in anticipation to the week ahead. The dog jumps at you in welcome, pawing at you in impatience to be petted. Your home, in the city called Maha Nuwara (Big City) during the days of the Sri Lankan kings. Best known as Kandy, 72 miles from the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. With evening traffic Kandy is about a three-hour absolutely wonderful scenic mountainous drive that really tests the skills of any adventurous driver. I usually successfully attempt to do in two hours.

Kandy, life is slow, uncomplicated there. Mountainous Terrain. Home to Sri Lanka’s dubious descendents of loyalty, sons of the soil. There is plenty of rain, so agriculture and rolling fields of paddy are common. The mornings hot with blazing sun and days that cools from the afternoon with a steady trickle of rain turning to majestic thunderstorms during the monsoon. Fresh produce in everyone’s backyard, an abundance of natural food, and a lifestyle very different from the rest of Sri Lanka, chilled would be the best word.

My friends in Colombo would always wonder why in the wide world I descend to this part of the world of perceived boredom every single weekend. But the secrets: the sights, the sounds and places of Kandy are many, waiting to be discovered, enjoyed.

I worship the statue of Buddha in our living room, then kneel in worship to my parents, say hi to rest of the family and go to my room to change in to Sri Lanka’s preferred choice of relaxing wear, the sarong. The domestic is awaiting my arrival and has a huge simmering cauldron of hot water heated by wood fire by the well in the back of our house. As I draw the first bucket of water and pour it on my head all the worries of the week from life and work in Colombo just wash away. I scrub the dog on his weekly bath and myself hard with Lifebuoy soap while chatting to the domestic. The dog loves it and splashes water all over us. Finishing with icy cold water drawn from the well and drying in the icy cold of the night outside feels wonderful with the terry cloth towel washed and dried in the sun. I head inside in anticipation for the night. Call my half Brit-half Sri Lankan gentile friend to check if he has made it home from Colombo too. Quick dinner and off to his house on the high mountains of Pitakanda, Kandy. About five minutes drive from our house in Wattapuluwa, Kandy.

We sit in his verandah overlooking the rolling mountains right above the Nittawella rugby grounds, home to the Sri Lankan champion team, Kandy Rugby Club. Infamous for its credentials of importing players from as far as Fiji and Samoa for an unfair edge in the national rugby league. A spliff is rolled, vodka poured into tall glasses filled with ice and we finally lay back on the antique long arm chairs famous only to Sri Lanka. The first sip of vodka with the spliff sends an incredible feeling throughout my body. We can’t help but smile. My friend’s partner is sitting on the cool tiled floor using his legs as a rest for her body.

We finally get out of our chairs lazily and head out to our favourite watering hole in the Kandy town, the Bake House. The feeling of euphoria and freedom is incredible as our trail bikes thunder around the Kandy lake to our destination, I can hear my friends partner screaming as we try to out do each other too see who corners the best. After the beers at Bake House we set off to one of the hotel discos or to hear live music in a hotel lobby. The choices are many but Mahaveli Reach, Earl’s Regency or the Tree of Life are personal favourites. Couple of hours in town and we are back at my friends winding down from the evening and weeks trails and tribulations of hot and humid Colombo. I am finally off home in early twilight to collapse on to bed for dreamless much needed sleep. Fresh cotton sheets, large white pillows filled with natural cotton all dried in the sun cocoon me in comfort. The dog flops into bed at my feet and I am too tired to push him away. I sleep by myself in the ground floor of our house in the annexe, the large Alsatian dog does give me a sense of comfort and security.

Wake up late next morning to hear the house hustling and bustling upstairs. A cup of coffee lies on the nightstand beside my bed, discreetly brought in by the male domestic. I open the door of the bedroom that opens out to our garden, quietly light up the first cigarette for the day and enjoy my coffee sitting on the step. My mothers jealously guarded visitor, a King Cobra glares at me from behind a rock in the garden. I acknowledge him nervously and hug the dog close to me. The Cobra is a venerated animal in Sri Lanka and it is believed that the gods send them to your home to guard you but also test your belief. Believe you me I have actually seen this Cobra come really close to my mother and just chill out when she ventures out to the garden.

I then use the bathroom; change in to shorts and t-shirt and head on upstairs to be greeted excitedly by my niece and nephews waiting for me to rise for the day. We eat a delicious breakfast of rice and mung beans soaked overnight and cooked in coconut milk with fresh-grounded chillie and onion paste and fresh river fish curry. Finally we all pile in to the car and head out to the Tree of Life hotel where we rent mountain bikes and go for a vigorous ride on the trails especially built by the hotel for hikers and bikers. Back after an hour and the kids all splash into the hotel pool. The Tree of Life hotel’s main section is over 100 years old and used to be the British Lord Mountbatten’s jungle hunting retreat and bungalow where as well as hunting for wild boar and deer, he sowed his oats as any good colonial sod did in Sri Lanka during the late 1800’s and as far as 1948 when Sri Lanka finally gained independence from British Colonial rule. Although much debated and unaccepted the bony Kandy lasses are amazingly beautiful. The tanned local heritage mixed with British blood and toned down over generations give these local lasses golden skin which contrast amazingly with their long dark tresses. It is not unusual to see some of them with light brown almost hazel or blue eyes. Beautiful is an understatement.

While the kids splash around, I head off to the hotels Ayurvedic centre for Herbal Treatment. Head, Face and Body Massage ‘Snehana’ (Oil Massage), ‘Swedana’ (Steam Bath), ‘Shirodara Kutisweda’ (Herbal Sauna), and Aroma Therapy. The hotel offers a genuine, reliable and traditional Ayurveda in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Ayurvedic therapy comes from an age-old formulation passed down from generation to generation of Ayurvedic families in Sri Lanka. After a good couple of hours I emerge a new man, now finally all the worries of the week massaged away.

All of us then head to the hotel buffet lunch. I stick to the traditional rice and curry from the buffet as the hotel maintains it’s Ayurvedic credentials by offering a range of Sri Lankan vegetables that sadly do not feature in the regular fare of Colombo’s home meals.

Afterwards we drive to the Kandy town for the afternoon. First visit is to the Dalada Maligawa, the former palace of Sri Lanka’s last king, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe and now a Buddhist temple that houses the scared relic of Buddha, one of his teeth. Outside the palace the regular showpiece before entering the temple a huge tame elephant awaits the brave. It is believed that going under the elephant’s stomach and circling three times builds bravery and courage in children and also wards off evil! After offering the traditional araliya flowers and incense in the inner sanctum we head off to explore around Kandy town.

Kandy offers a labyrinth of streets more complex than those of New York City. Around every corner awaits a surprise, always pleasant. All though buyers must be aware as you may end up purchasing a useless trinket, for the discerning eye antique jewellery shops abound in Kandy. From genuine antique bracelets, earrings, and rings worn by the nobility of ancient Sri Lanka, one will find small shops selling silver rings woven with elephant hair for luck, leopard tooth pendants made from real tiger teeth from hunters of the past and various intricate jewellery items made from ivory. The elephant is a venerated animal in Sri Lanka largely, so buying ivory although needs to be at one’s beliefs and discretion, most ivory items are antique and obtained from elephant graveyards of old. I still remember the large leopard skin that adorned the games room wall at my grandmother’s home in Kandy. Gemstones and jewellery made from precious gems such, as rubies, sapphires, garnets and moonstones are a plenty. Unless you really can identify gems, I would advice a visitor to only purchase jewellery made from moonstones. These are really cheap and won’t be more than 10 to 20 British pounds maximum. All this and more such as local handicrafts made from brass, devil masks, and Sri Lankan drums and in the main though fare of Kandy, a Cargills supermarket and a KFC for a quick snack of chicken! Even a Pizza-Hut!

If visiting Kandy in July and August one has to book early to avoid dissapointment as these months herald the beginning of the world famous Kandy Dalada Maligawa procession. A parade of over one hundred elephants in ball gowns brightly lit up very alike a Christmas tree with thousands of dervish dancers, firewalkers, whip crackers and traditional drummers. These processions are held to give thanks to the gods for life, gifts of nature that nourish and good health.

After our walk-about in town we finally head home early evening to beat the drizzle that gradually starts as small drops to steady. Fresh cups of tea for the adults and Milo for the kids, everyone crashes in bed for a nap. The kids head out to the garden for a noisy game of cricket. I switch the TV on and drowse off to the news and woken up again only when the domestic brings me a cup of coffee.

Darkness falls early in Kandy. It’s twilight when I wake up and refresh myself to head to Pitakanda to my friends house again for dinner. I have my dad’s driver drop me off as I plan to get properly sloshed at my friends. More spliffing, loads of vodka and a refined dinner. My friend’s family were restaurateurs in England. So we enjoy a refined meal of pasta with a lovely mushroom sauce all washed down with red wine. Chatting for hours with coffee made from freshly ground beans, the sun’s rising as my friend drops me off at home.

Awake unusually early for a Sunday morning and fast drive to the picturesque Victoria Golf Club for a couple of holes of golf, ride around the club complex on a trail bike and some much needed exercise. The English breakfast at the clubhouse later negating the benefits of the previous exercise. Then I head back to set off with the kids to the Polgolla dam a five minutes walk from our home in Wattapuluwa, Kandy. We have on our bathing suits underneath and carry fishing rods, as beneath the dam, in the flowing calm waters of the Mahaweli River is a perfect secluded spot for bathing and if one wishes to even fish. Not the hectic sport fishing, but the type that calls for calm patience with a line cast in the water and watching the world go by, not counting the seriously adventurous and curious Monkey families living on the trees by the banks of the river that glare at you for invading their territory.

The kids I take along with me as they provide the perfect credentials to my status as an uncle, therefore harmless to parents looking for prospective bachelors for their bony Kandyan female offspring. An insight to life of the people in Kandy, the girls are beautiful, respected and protected. Culturally with no real fuss or bother, they usually head off to school, socialise mostly with the family, an occasional chaperoned movie with friends. Otherwise home. On a Sunday the proud parents allow these girls to hang out by their front gate in the garden in their Sunday best. It is a very subtle way for parents to almost show off their offspring. Be proud. Believe you me the concept of an untouched virgin still exists in this part of the world. This was and still is the best eye candy I have seen any where in the world! And an important part of what makes Kandy, Sri Lanka what it is. One of it’s most jealously kept secrets.

Sunday evening dawns. Early dinner, worship parents and its time for the mad drive back to Colombo. This time more fun as driving in you climb, going back is downhill and much faster!

It’s early Monday morning. I am in office in London. The room is just 10’ by 10’, but I do have a large window that looks out. The winds howling outside, dark clouds make it seem like night, rain beats incessantly on the window as I type this post. The office tower blocks are foreboding, a Range Rover parked illegally is clamped as the owner runs up to it screaming. Traffic was especially bad this morning on the school run, the Jubilee line running late with the tube station closed and I had to get off and walk six blocks to work in the rain. Forgot my raincoat. Inside my mind the parrots with their lime green plumage and bright red necklaces call out to each other from the Mango tree in my parents garden in Kandy. I wipe the tears falling down my face, I imagine my clothes and my face is soaked from the fresh tropical rain of my country of origin, my Paradise Isle. I am OK.

Kandy, Sri Lanka. Please do go and see…

http://www.hoteltreeoflife.com/

http://www.aitkenspencehotels.com/earls/

http://www.mahaweli.com/home.asp

http://www.maligawa.pooranee.lk/index_maligawa.html

http://daladamaligawa.org/esala-rituals-observer.htm

http://www.golfsrilanka.com/

96 degrees in the shade and rising...

2009-07-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

Smouldering Sri Lankan beauty/s. Shehara Zade and Thilini.

Sri Lanka - Discover the Secrets...

2009-07-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

Colombo’s best-kept secrets.

An Oasis in the middle of a city. Barefoot.

Either to drink long glasses of ice tea at its café on a Saturday morning to recover from a hangover from the previous night of debauchery or to chill out and listen to live Jazz on a Sunday afternoon, Barefoot is undoubtedly one of Colombo’s most famous but best kept secrets.

Galle Road is Sri Lanka’s busiest highway as it loops through the southern coast linking Colombo the commercial of capital to Sri Lanka’s other best kept secret, wonderful stretches of coastal towns with long stretches of beach and gin clear waters of the Indian Ocean. On Galle Road in Colombo 3, popularly known as Colpetty awaits Barefoot. A clothing store, art gallery and café. Barefoot is Sri Lanka’s creative Mecca where advertising people, writers, aspiring poets, artists, musicians and the expat community haunt at all hours of the day.

From outside the black and white ‘Barefoot’ logo against the white building with colourful store windows say little to the outside world. One must drive down the lay-by and park in the parking lot at the back. The first surprise is immediate as soon as you walk in through the arched entrance into Barefoot’s garden and café. You leave behind Colombo’s hustle and bustle, hot sun and humidity. A sense of calm and tranquillity awaits you.

The café experience is usually to be savoured unhurriedly after a walk-about inside the Barefoot shop. In the shop awaits a colourful selection of Sri Lankan hand-woven cloth. Sarongs and shirts for men and women, hand woven material, table clothes, handicrafts, antiques of every nature, trinkets and presents for friends abroad. A bookshop that boasts of every Sri Lankan author and every type of book on Sri Lanka.

With it’s long bar, high ceiling fans, the beautiful garden with tables strategically placed for relaxed dining one wonders if this is still the city. A fusion of bright colours, bustling smiling waiters await with blackboard specials for the day. The Kalu Pol Pork Curry is a personal favourite.

What really make Barefoot special however are the people. The ever-affable Sri Lanka’s top chef, colourful personality, wonderfully gay doyen, chubby Kolu who is ever ready to stroll over say hi and chat. The chilled out owner and world renowned photographer Dominic, bustling wife Nasreen are always around again to come over say hello or just simply to help you select something for your house.

Suresh the tailor who will help you choose the right kind of fabric for your curtains and sew them for a reasonable fee has always been a centre of attraction for the hoi polloi of Colombo. In fact even as far away as London, all our house curtains, cushions and chair covers are Barefoot fabrics carefully discussed, chosen and stitched by Suresh. Well placed warm lighting and the wonderful Barefoot colours always uplifts the mood of anyone venturing to our living room on a cold, foggy London morning.

Barefoot, no suits in attendance, calm, tranquil, chilled out. Native Shopping, Fantastic Food, Jazz, and Art exhibitions at the Gallery, Film nights, Colombo’s creative fraternity and much more. The scent of jasmine in the air, aromatic candles, incredible splashes of bright colour, the gentle trickle of water from the koi pond, cool air wafting amongst the garden gently caressing your troubles away, wonderful fusion cooking, the most relaxed shopping experience for a discerning visitor to Sri Lanka.

A true insight to the untroubled life of Sri Lanka and its people’s philosophy. Take it as it comes, always with a smile. A secret that is best shared.

Sri Lanka’s best-kept secrets. Wild Elephants, Wild Boar and the deep rural South.

2009-07-01T02:08:00.000-07:00

A young child stands bare bodied with a grin on his face as he waves at the SUV as we approach. The intense heat bounces off the tarmac in the long smooth road as I squint through its haze tapping the brake to slow down and see what the boy has to offer. He has been in the forest picking up the fallen feathers from early morning, the prize he now waves to us for sale. The bright blue and purple hues of the Peacock feathers wave in brilliant colour as we roll to a gentle stop. A scene I have seen many times on the southern coast stretch from the city Matara to Kataragama. Home to Lord Skanda who is venerated all over in Sri Lanka. A scene my fellow companions from London have never seen, a Peacock in its live glory.

I am taking my friends on a journey that I have made many times in my life. To the home of Skanda in Kataragama, Sri Lanka, 350 kilometres away from the city of Colombo.

Our journey begins past midnight from Colombo. In my opinion the best time to travel, as the nights are cooler, traffic less and as a person who loves quiet long drives the best time for solitude. My companions soon fall asleep, waking only when I pull over almost half way through the journey for my usual nicotine break. I wake them again only close to Kataragama. The morning is chilly as its 4am in the morning now. The full moon bathes the Weerawila stretch of road with its adjacent sugar cane fields in soft light. I have switched the headlights off. The lone wild elephant waits to cross the road, the promises of the sugar cane on the other side. He is nervous of the SUV and us as I am of him. My friends scramble around for cameras, their sleepiness all gone, everyone’s wide-awake. The bravest of the lot demanding to be let out of the SUV to take a better photo. My experience of wild elephants limited to viewing at wild life parks and chance encounters like this on the road demand that everyone stays in the car. I switch on my parking light and roll forward slowly as cameras click furiously inside.

We finally arrive at the Rossen Hotel in Kataragama. After the elephant experience everyone in the car is pumped up, wide awake and our chattering wakes the security guard up and he opens the huge gate leading to the hotel. The staff stir wake, the receptionist still manages to smile brightly at us and cheerfully wakes staff in the kitchen to cook my ravenous companions chips, eggs, toast and pots of coffee and tea. As we head out to our rooms the heated pool beckons invitingly. A mist escapes from the pool and the bellboy informs me that at the request of some visiting tourists the pool water has been heated to exactly 70 Fahrenheit. We are delighted, nip to the rooms, breakfast served by the poolside, everyone’s in the pool. It’s 6am and all the staff is out and about. Bright Sri Lankan smiles, the traditional ‘Ayubowan’ mixed with ‘Good Morning’. The other guests must be annoyed, an impromptu game of tag has the females in our group screaming. The pool lifeguard still sleepy looks on in bemusement. While three of our group stay back in the pool the others accompany me to the Lord Skanda temple.

I drive the SUV through the back and we park behind the temple. The flower vendors clamour for our custom. Especially the custom of my British friends. Incense, Coconut Oil for the lamps, and the traditional Sri Lankan flower - white and pink lotuses. I offer the pooja of light, scent and colour to the Buddhist Stupa and the statue of King Mahasen. My friends help eagerly all excited to participate in everything and enjoy their holiday. The suns up now and all of us are glad for our loose white linen clothes, the bottles of water in our hands and the stiff breeze that blows through the wind swept sandy ground beneath our bare feet. Pilgrims from all walks of life go about their business of worshipping. We get back in the stupa and drive to the Skanda temple. From the white clothes and the pilgrims at the stupa to the incredible fusion and splash of colour at the kovils amaze my friends. Camera’s click constantly.

I grin as we stay for the Skanda pooja, the ritual of cleaning the gods casket and sutra lying in the inner sanctum of the god where no one other than priests are allowed. A large curtain with a picture of the God Skanda and his two consorts cover the entrance. The pilgrims pull on the bells that surround the camphor filled outer sanctum of the temple. I grin as I now see my friends drenched in sweat. They smile, their OK.

We return to the hotel find the rest of our gang still lazing around by the pool. Long showers in our rooms, a late lunch in the hotel and a nap in air-conditioned comfort. The sun blazes overhead now, only a few ventures outside in the deep south of Sri Lanka as temperatures reach the 35 to 40 centigrade at noon. We emerge out of our rooms early evening. Tea, coffee and sandwiches have been served to our rooms. Some of us pile into my SUV, the others into the carefully maintained Land Rover of Suresh, the driver from the Udawalawe Wildlife Park who will accompany us on the short drive from the hotel to and in the park. Especially to see wild elephants. After this mornings experience, I hear my British friends narrating this to Suresh and egging him on to take us as close as possible to the elephants. After one close encounter with a heard of elephants, a friend climbing on to the track much to my annoyance and dismay of the tracker, millions of photographs we leave the park. Everyone is excited talking one to a dozen about his or her experience. In the parking lot I discreetly open the boot of the SUV and surprise everyone with my cooler filled with pint bottles of the best Sri Lankan lager – Lion Lager. We then pile into the SUV and wave our goodbyes to Suresh after much banter about the evening’s elephant experiences. Suresh leaves happy, his wallet much fatter than when the evening started.

At the top of the road on the turning to Udawalawe begins my friends experience to the wild side of Sri Lanka’s deep south. We stop at my favourite roadside restaurant. I discreetly inquire if the night’s fare includes ‘Meat’. We are lead to a table, wild boar curry, venison, and Potatoe curry in coconut gravy with freshly baked bread. All washed down with Sri Lanka’s fiery Ginger Beer and more Lion Lager. The night is cool now as we finish. We make one last procurement stop in Tanamalwila for the best and freshest green before returning to the hotel late at night. Deep in the jungles of Tanamalwila away from preying eyes there lies farms that rival any produce even grown in the jungles of Jamaica. A discreet smoke by the poolside puts everyone in the mellow but party mood. I have carefully packed the rest of it away in the bottom of a cane basket containing fresh green oranges on the top for the remainder of our holiday. Midnight and everyone’s at the hotel bar singing karaoke and drinking numerous numbers of Sri Lanka’s arrack and cokes. In a couple of hours I stagger to bed as we have a long drive ahead of us. I do not forget to drink a huge glass of chilled king coconut juice, Sri Lanka’s best hangover remedy. My friends I know will party on until the wee hours of the morning.

The soft sound of the A/C and the far way sound of my friends singing Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen at the bar lulls me to sleep. An end of another day of holiday in Sri Lanka. I dream of the day that awaits us. Hikkaduwa, more Lager, fresh Seafood direct from its source, Sun, Sand and Sea.

Surfs up, anyone? White linen shirts, shorts, Speedos, fresh white cotton sheets dried in the sun, sun tan lotion, flip flops, go to Sri Lanka.