Sri Lanka

[sathya_1979]

PR, might help
http://www.dinamalar.com/News_Detail.asp?Id=211865

சென்னை கொழும்பு இடையே மீண்டும் ஏர் இந்தியா

சென்னை: சென்னை கொழும்பு இடையே ஏர் இந்தியா விமான சேவை வரும் 27ம் தேதி முதல் மீண்டும் துவங்கவுள்ளதாக அந்நிறுவனம் தெரிவித்துள்ளது. ஏர் பஸ் ஏ 321 விமானம் இந்த சேவைக்காக பயன்படுத்தப்படும். புதன்கிழமை தவிர மற்ற நாட்களில் இந்த சேவை இருக்கும். நிர்வாக காரணங்களுக்காக கடந்த ஆண்டு நவம்பர் மாதம் முதல் சென்னை கொழும்பு விமான சேவை நிறுத்தப்பட்டது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது

[aanaa]

to be visited


Botanical garden of Peradeniya, Kandy
Nuvereliya
Badulla
The waterfall at Laxapana - power station
( 3 power stations from uphills to down - nature.)

Trincomale - Temple/ 7 water springs (?)( closer to each other in different in temperatures)

More to visit

enjoy

[P_R]

Thanks folks.
Leaving tomorrow morning. Thu-Sun.
Going to Bentota and hopefully Galle.
Will let you know how it went

[P_R]

Back from a lovely 4 day trip of SL.

We had booked a beach hotel in Bentota. Bang on the beach - naalu naalum thaNNi dhaan!

Went on a nice safari in Maduganga river with its mangroves, wide expanse containing small but thick-with-greenery islands
Watersports at Bentota river were quite good.
I canoed till the place where Bentota river meets the sea just at the time of sunset. One of the best sights I have ever seen. Excellent.

Galle fort was huge. May be as big as the Udaipur palace fort - if not even larger. We had a packed lunch sitting on the ramparts of the 17th century fort overlooking the crickut stadium.
Picturesque is a cliched word but can't help but use it for what I saw on the ride from Bentota to Galle, with the roadside railway track on the seafront throughout
There was a plan on going coral sighting on Hikkaduwa. But the rains made the sea too rough to have enough visibility.

Even in the smaller roads from Bentota to Galle were lined by the kind of bucolic charm that has gone out of circulation in our worlds.
'As if manicured' lush lawns and gardens even the smallest of houses on the road, traditional architecture- reminded me of some parts of Goa near Panjim river.

On the last day we passed by the huge Stupa at Kalutara. The only place I saw any crowd at all in the whole trip.
And then a whirlwindy drive through tour of Colombo city. The colonial buildings in the city near the old parliament building were impressive. South Bombay style arches, stone finishes etc.

Also saw the Galle Sea Face area a grand seaside area in Colombo city.
Couldn't get enough of the seaside railway tracks and station. We stopped for lunch at a roadside shop and I ambled down to a track near a station (Bambalapittiya I think). A very oldworld small train was chugging its way through. Just 100 m. away you had the high rises of a business district. Even accounting for the fact that it was a Sunday I couldn't help feel how crowdless the places were.

Some General impressions
The smoothest immigration I have witnessed anywhere - okay I've only seen a handful of countries, but still, it was as close as it can get to traveling domestically.
English comes only third in the signposts - after Sinhalese and Tamil
I can't help but notice that the Tamil fonts here seem different.
And many Sanskritized words அபிவிருத்தி சபை for development council !! - so it felt like leading some very old magazine
And of course their spelling is different: றோடு for Road!
I saw கொழும்பு and கொழம்பு were both being used as spelling.
Galle (pronounced Gaul) is written as காலி. I saw a bus that had the board கொழம்பு-காலி

Absolutely clean main roads, near zilch encroachments - looks like law-enforcement is quite strong here
The driver was anxious about stopping for more than 5 mins on the road (when we got down to take pics) as he was wary of getting parking fines from the police !!

Due to this being a short trip and the fact that we had a beach holiday in mind we chose a small stretch.
Sure there's more to see in SL on future trips.

[geno]

http://www.hitler.org/artifacts/autobahn/

"...The best possible way to bring the German people back into work is to set German economic life once more in motion through great monumental works... This is not merely the hour in which we begin the building of the greatest network of roads in the world, this hour is at the same time a milestone on the road towards the building up of the community of the German people. "

-- Adolf Hitler

Perhaps best known throughout the world for its superior engineering and open stretches without a speed limit, the Autobahn was Hitler's invention from his dreams about an interstate highway system. Over 2000 km were built by 1938 and today approximately 11.000 km cover Germany. True to stereotypes about German engineering and maintenance, road designs are solid without a single pothole, with 4% or lesser grades, long acceleration and deceleration lanes, gentle curves, and free-resistant surfaces. Just as Hitler insisted on having buildings and other infrastructure that would last 1000 years, the engineers of the Autobahn design things right the first time and perform critical inspection and thorough maintenance to keep the best highway system in the world at peak operational performance.

[P_R]

Roshan, not sure if you got my mail.

Am planning another trip...needed some info.

Neenga ippollAm email paakka maatteenga, only facebook-nu sonnadhaala inga pOttu vaikkiREn

[P_R]

Is Dehiwala a convenient place to stay in Colombo - for suththi paarthufying reasons. indha Galle Sea Face area pakkathulayaa irukku?

[Roshan]

Is Dehiwala a convenient place to stay in Colombo - for suththi paarthufying reasons. indha Galle Sea Face area pakkathulayaa irukku?

Have sent a reply to your mail with the details requested. Looking forward to seeing you in Colombo. If there's anything urgent please text or call me as I dont check mails regularly these days and also not online mostly.

[P_R]

Thank You. Saw the mail. Will let you know when I lock down my plans.

[aanaa]

good luck
viist to Dehiwala Zoo
- small place but lots of animals