Blogs from Sri Lanka, Asia - page 160

Elephant Polo. The annual Galle Elephant Polo Tournament consisted of six international teams from Hong Kong, Singapore, Scotland, England, Sri Lanka and Thailand, although all the players bar two were Poms. Each team has 3 elephants. A mahout steers the elephant, while the player sits behind and “trys” to hit the ball with an extra large polo mallet. It’s the slowest game in the world and hilarious watching the elephants perform for the crowd while the players desperately encourage the elephant to move towards the ball. Occasionally a player would stretch a little too far and actually fall off the elephant. Needless to say the 3 day tournament was entertaining. Independence Day. Independence Day saw Galle Cricket Stadium packed with people and national flags. There were marching teams, brass bands, bagpipes, and traditional dancers. The gun ... read more

well worth using the tuk tuks - make sure you get a good price though! they will offer you a lot more than your journey too!!!... read more

Oh well...you know...after a few months travelling - one needs a holiday. Cue the South Coast of Sri Lanka (Tangalle & Unawatuna). Picture perfect beaches, turtle watching & setting free, rooms 10 steps from the water, watching Arsenal play live on Sat at 9pm with the sand in our toes (1-1 Bolton - close shave - but at least Chelsea lost). Not much more to say really.... S&L x PS: Actually - there is a little bit. This was the area hit by the Tsunami. We heard some harrowing tales from people who were actually there, and who had lost loved ones and friends. It's difficult to tell how things really are - in most areas there seems to be a lot of new building and 'sponsored' projects, but we were also told that things are ... read more

"What do you do if you are on a train and the Tsunami comes?" We were stood in the open doorway of the slow-moving express train from Matara to Colombo, the hot breeze wafting our faces and the baking sun lowering beneath the palms. Out, beyond the blasted skeletons of once solid brick houses, beyond the temporary camps of tents and the gleaming white of the newly erected stupas and gravestones, was the sea, no more than 200m away. The questioner was one of three young Sri-Lankans from Kandy, sited in the cool of the central highlands, returning after spending time helping to rebuild the wrecked homes that stretch at least 250km along the southern coasts. I looked around me, paused, and made the sign of the cross. "Nothing. There is nothing you can do." The ... read more

So our next adventure was a safari in Yala National Park on the South East Coast. We stayed in a lovely little hotel called Vikum in Tissa and the owner arranged a full days safari, with a great guide and just the two of us. We had been warned that it was very difficult to spot the Top 3 animals: the Leopard, Elephant & Sloth Bear....but we were extremely luckily and saw all 3! the leopard bing the hardest to spot, lying high up in a tree (especially when you have shit binoculars!) plus lots of beautiful peacocks, crocs, mongoose, deer, bee-eater birds, monitor lizzards etc etc. On our way down to the beach front we managed to find a male elephant which decided to charge at us, but - and this is a top tip ... read more