Batticaloa!

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Batticaloa!

Riding through the countryside approaching Batticaloa was like the approach to Jaffna. Destroyed buildings all along the way. Who was there when that roof collapsed? Did the people at this farm get out alive? Though the war officially ended in 2009, there are reminders of it everywhere. As with the tsunami, the people of "Batti" took a very big hit.

And as everywhere else in Sri Lanka, building is going on apace.

I was very keen to get to Batticaloa because of knowing several people in Australia who came from there. I hope you enjoy seeing these updated pictures!

One interesting feature of Batticaloa was the Muslim market area and also the fishermen selling their wares from the ground along a bridge. The Hindus and Christians were also very evident. It's definitely a multi-ethnic area.

We met an interesting man at the YMCA who runs a school for the deaf and is very committed to increasing the care and education children get who live in the rural areas.

Actually, we have met so many committed, caring and friendly Sri Lankans, it has made our journey very reaffirming.

We had planned to head north up the east coast to Trincomolee, but when we heard about "The Gathering" of wild elephants at Minneriya National Park to the west near Habarana, we made a sudden change of plans. Stay tuned for the elephant safari!!

Note: There are two pages of photos for Batticaloa, so please click on the 2 at the bottom of the first page to go on to see the rest of them.

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Photos

Batticaloa Gate
Batticaloa is a seafaring/fishing city and the city gate faces the sea, from which the fishermen return and the colonizers arrived.

Ghandi Waterside Park
This new waterside park is almost completed, giving the waterfront a spiffy new look.

Ghandi walking the walk
It's called Ghandi Park, and the messages of the man of peace and independence most likely resonate here.

New Kallady bridge
The new bridge and the old one are side by side, cheek to jowl.

Beside Kallady Bridge
Small boats passed under the bridge carrying joyriders out for some sun and fun.

Kallady Beach
No swimmers, no lifeguards, no flags, but some fishing boats

Kallady Beach boats
This seems to be the local way to encounter the sea.

Kallady Beach rest area
In the searing sun, some trees and a shelter look good!

Kallady Beach sign
Warnings regarding safe migration and safe fishing. We found this sign in several places, obviously a concerted effort to get across a message.

Tsunami-toppled steeple
Kept as a reminder, close to the new church, which has also been built at the edge of the beach.

New church at the sand's edge
So now what does the Bible say about building a house on sand????

Local monument to tsunami victims
Individual localities have their own monuments to those who died in the 2004 tsunami. This one listed something like 143 names of friends and neighbours.

Tsunami devastation
It's a matter of looking for what's no longer there. This barren stretch has foundations and rubble where once people lived and worked.

Lighthouse
But the signature Batticaloa Lighthouse survived the tsunami and is still a local attraction.

Batti Lighthouse Park
These picnickers were holding up their dresses and wading around looking at the small fish and jellyfish. Not quite the Bondi scene.

Batti pleasure boats
You could rent a boat for a little water excursion if you had the time and the money.

Hindu Temple
A closer look.

Lilypond by Hindu Temple
Way across the water on the other side, some people were enjoying a cooling dip.

Comments

[Hz]

The place is very serene
Funny in most pic you don't find big crowds and very serene.

[Nathan]

what a beautiful
what a amazing places... thanks for free tour... the pictures are tempting me to visit those places one day.