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Orchids
The year-round hot and humid
climate of southwestern
Sri Lanka, makes the ideal
climate for growing some varieties of orchids, while the dry and cool climates
of the central highlands make other varieties thrive, thus making the whole
island, except perhaps the dry north eastern sector, one large nursery
for many varieties of this exotic bloom. Originally started as a hobby
by the "idle rich," growing orchids, now is a money making hobby for
anybody with a green thumb.
As the world demand for
exotic flowers gets more
intense, Sri Lanka seems to
be in an enviable position
to supply that demand, and
earn some badly needed foreign
exchange too. Shown
here are some of the more
common "every day" v
arieties of orchid.
Since many orchid varieties
lack alluring scents to
attract life-giving bees
and other insects to aid in
pollination, they depend
on their profusion of colors to
lure these insects. Thus,
in good nursery one can find orchids of just about any color of the rainbow.
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Pastoral Symphony
A clear cool morning in the
valley, everywhere eyes
can see, lush, green, vegetation,
birds singing their
heart out --- perhaps Tchaikovsky
spent a night here
before writing his famous
symphony. In Sri Lanka we
have a special branch of
poetry, "pal kavi" (poems of a cottage), inspired by scenes like these.
These poems
keep the farmers, who spend
the night at temporary
huts like these to protect
the crop from marauding
animals, awake and entertained.
It is not uncommon to
hear "poetry contests" that
sometimes run all night,
between farmers in adjoining
farms.
These huts have a bamboo
frame, covered with
woven coconut fronds. This
allows for good air circulation
to beat the mid day heat,
yet provide ample protection
from the monsoon rain that
keep the vegetation lush
and green. These huts also
are used during the growing season, for resting between bouts of work,
and serve
as a convenient place to
enjoy the meals brought to the
field by the women folk
of the village.
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Seascape
Sri Lanka has 1,340 km of
sea shore, and most of it
is spectacular and full
of contrasts. A serene, white
sandy cove, next to a craggy
promontory with
thundering waves beating
against the granite boulders.
Few miles up or down the
beach, perhaps a quaint
fishing village, with rugged
sea going "oru," a craft akin to
an oversized canoe with
a history going back to Inca
times, drying on the beach.
If you happen to be in the
area of Ahangama, or Weligama,
near Matara, the southernmost city in Sri Lanka, exactly 100 miles
(161 km), from Colombo,
you might be in for a unique
sight - the stilt fishermen
of Weligama -. Have your
cameras ready and with a
full roll of film, because
you won't find this anywhere
else in the world.
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The Verdant
Hill Country - Ramboda Falls
If you ever tasted a cup
of good High Grown Ceylon
Tea, preferably in the unblended
form, you have tasted
the BEST TEA there is. Of
course, to experience that pleasure, you must go to the central hill country
of
Sri Lanka. And once you
are there, take Route 5 from
Maha Nuwara (Kandy) to Nuwara
Eliya. This take
you through some of the
best scenery of the Hill
Country. The road takes
you by the shores of Mahaweli River from Peradeniya ( don't forget to visit
the famous botanical gardens - remember "Bridge on the River
Kwai?") to Gampola, long
ago a capital of Sri Lanka.
From Gampola it is a steep
climb with many hairpin
curves for some sixty kilometers,
through spectacular scenery like this, until you get to Nuwara Eliya, the
old British hill resort.
To taste that heavenly cup of tea,
on the way to Nuwara Eliya,
look out for tea factories
that advertise tea tasting.
You won't forget that
unique experience.
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South - West
corner of the Island
If you like to do some scuba
diving, or do some
quiet swimming, go past
Matara to the four-mile-wide
bay at Tangalla. The calm
and clear water of Tangalla
bay is a swimmers paradise.
Perhaps you like some
rougher water, to do some
surfing--- not to worry, The
small towns of Hikkaduwa,
Totagamuwa, and
Dodanduwa, in the south-
west corner of the
island are blessed with
the ideal beaches
for that sport.
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A Carpet of
Flowers
Frangipani or Pansal Mal
(temple flowers) trees can
be seen just about anywhere
in Sri Lanka. They flower
all year round and come
in a variety of shades, from
pure white to deep red,
to dark purple. The fragrant
flowers, fresh picked in
bunches, are a favorite
offering at Buddhist temples,
thus the name
"pansal mal." The color
of the more abundant variety,
yellow, resembles the color
of the robes worn by
the Buddhist monks, again
making it the favorite color
of the devotees. The flowers
are used in making
modern day fragrances, and
when dried, can be
used in a potpourri with
other flowers and spices. In
Sri Lanka and India, garlands
made with fresh
frangipani flowers are favorites
when welcoming
dignitaries to various functions.
Anybody who has been
to Hawaii as part of a tourist
group will also recognize
this as the flower used
in making the Ôlei's" that
welcome the visitor to that
island paradise.
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