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Background: The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty seized power in the north and established a Tamil kingdom. Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic conflict that continues to fester. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam formalized a cease-fire in February 2002, with Norway brokering peace negotiations.




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By Phip
September 20th 2009
The final chapter Asia » Sri Lanka » Southern Province » Galle
So long, farewell, auf wierdersehen, goodbye! The boys at the pool planted a fruit tree and called it The Skipper tree at the pool so they could remember me every day. It really was incredible touching and totally unexpected, Chami made me a special lunch packet and bought me a gift! For people with very little money it shows what kind of hearts these guys have! In fact, everyone that made an effort to say goodbye was incredibly generous and overwhelming and there are so many things I will miss. My time in Sri Lanka has been something very special and [View Full Entry]

Phip - Philippa Skipper | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
124 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 6 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: September 25th 2009 | 106 Views | [diary=439506]

Planting
Pool Guys and Adopt Sri Lanka Guys
Amazingly...

25 June No more Sri Lankan army wake up calls, just the monkeys as usual! For the past few days I have been at the pool with the Sri Lankan coaches and Dharmadasa! The coaches are really nice guys and so interested to learn new things, we are getting pretty good at broken English and Sinhala. They are amazed that my teaching is quite relaxed and fun for both teacher and students. The way they have been taught is very rigid and repetitious, so I think they are relieved to add some spontaneity to their classes. Today Sumit excelled and ran [View Full Entry]

Phip - Philippa Skipper | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
855 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 3 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: June 26th 2009 | 98 Views | [diary=412388]

Tashi!
Relaxing on the Balcony

21 June Headed back down to the pool on Friday afternoon to see more classes and the way the coaches are teaching. The young guys that are the coaches here are really keen to learn new techniques and between the language barrier we are slowly sorting things out. I just need to be more insistent that Dharmadasa helps translates, otherwise I will need to pay for a translator! I have women’s classes on Monday and one of the project officers for Adopt Sri Lanka, the charity I am volunteering with, has a young girl eager to learn to swim so she [View Full Entry]

Phip - Philippa Skipper | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1131 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 5 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: June 22nd 2009 | 126 Views | [diary=411028]

Lighthouse Pool Project
Lighthouse Community Pool
Maya's Ceremony

We arrived in Galle, and got a tuk tuk round Fort to Khalid’s guest house. We had to direct the driver, and felt on familiar territory especially as the 3 wheeler turned into the fort, and swung right up past the ramparts. The calm solidity of the metres thick wall, with the sea rushing pointlessly against it was both beautiful and instantly reminiscent of happy times. Eventually the sea with its insistent movement will win the battle, but for now that is hard to believe and these walls will endure for centuries yet. Within the walls every building has its merits, [View Full Entry]

Joeandnicky - Joe Yeates | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
697 Words | 4 Comment(s) | 7 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: June 21st 2009 | 152 Views | [diary=410668]

Look out tins
Walking along the wals
At the Galle Fort Roti Man's

I had an ominous feeling before leaving for Sri Lanka. Not only had the BBC weather forecast shown torrential rain for the last 5 weeks, but more worryingly the papers were re-ignited with stories about the Sri Lanka governments final push to end the war with the Tamil Tigers. I'd also been giving warnings from Olly's mum about the food hygiene and made an oath that no milk, cheese, ice, water or chicken would pass my lips. Poor Olly was in a stress because life without chicken is no life worth living in his muscle building world! My fears didn't disappear [View Full Entry]

Iona - Iona Maclean | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
873 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 4 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: April 21st 2009 | 79 Views | [diary=392751]

Rock temple
Stilt fishermen
Lighthouse Hotel

Friday 17th April After breakfast we took a tuk tuk to Galle Fort and Khalids Guest House. Chatwin would approve of this place, plain white walls, dark floor boards and ceilings, it is calm and simple except the noise of the ice cream vendors outside. With Nick and the boys settling in the rooms I wandered. At the train station I established I could neither reserve seats nor buy tickets in advance. Walking back past the cricket ground I was ushered in to see the ground by the security. Can you imagine that happening at Lords? As I left I wandered [View Full Entry]

Joeandnicky - Joe Yeates | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
467 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 3 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: April 21st 2009 | 160 Views | [diary=391732]

The boys in their Mosquito Tent
The sign at the beach

Despite having been warned by Roy NOT to wake up before 8am, I was awake at 5.45am. Mind you, so was he, so it isn’t all my fault today. We were out on the balcony having a coffee by 7.45am. I can’t believe the final leg of our Sri Lanka journey starts tomorrow. Breakfast at 8.30am. Eggs and beans for Roy, fruit and scrambled eggs for me. We’ve been getting bored at the beach - I never thought I’d say that - and so with Roy feeling a lot better now, we’ve decided to go out adventuring again today. We sat [View Full Entry]

Jan and Roy - Jan and Roy | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
2072 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 14 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: May 23rd 2009 | 86 Views | [diary=395630]

Samantha and his tuk tuk
Galle Roundabout and Cricket Ground
Just inside Galle Fortress

Woke at 5.30am! Roy still not too good. At 6.30 I was sitting out on the balcony, waving good morning to our very efficient and very cheery pool boy. It was quiet everywhere so I went downstairs to take some early morning photos of the pool and beach. At about 7.30am we went for breakfast and by 9.30am we were in place on our sunbeds! I went for a swim in the sea, it was lovely - very warm. Roy walked down with me and to his disgruntlement whilst I had a dip Chandika came along to talk to him about [View Full Entry]

Jan and Roy - Jan and Roy | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
609 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 9 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: May 23rd 2009 | 56 Views | [diary=388802]

And another one
Foyer at Fortress hotel
Pool and beach

Woke at 6 again. Fed up of waking so early. Managed to get back off to sleep until 9. Roy is not feeling so great, but I gave him ranitidine at 6.30am, thinking he had indigestion from last night's curry - he said he had pain in his stomach. Got and and got ready, with Roy moaning that he felt like crap. But that he'd be ok to come down for breakfast. Bad move. I was eating my curds and treacle, and looked up to see Roy toying with a piece of pineapple... suddenly he was sick. Violently. Everywhere. In the [View Full Entry]

Jan and Roy - Jan and Roy | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
590 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 6 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: May 23rd 2009 | 43 Views | [diary=388423]

Sunset
Fisherman's stilts at sunset
Pretty lights around pool

Woke at 6, which was not my plan! Listened to music, watched the ocean and just generally lazed around until 8.30am. Last night, Aminda showed us the "best room" in the hotel - a suite called the Residence. It was huge, with a fibre optic lit private pool hanging over the gardens and sea. It had a giant jacuzzi and huge Smeg fridge. He didn't tell us the room rate! We like our room though. It has a huge bed, CD/DVD player, bose sound system, plasma screen tv and an ipod, loaded with 6000+ songs. We've got it on shuffle and [View Full Entry]

Jan and Roy - Jan and Roy | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
867 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 2 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: May 23rd 2009 | 41 Views | [diary=388275]

Sunset


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