The Curse of Aragum Bay

I went to Aragum bay again at the weekend, two hours in a van on a very bumpy road with a bad hangover. We got to the outskirts of Potuvil near aragum and the van started making really bad noises. Last time it was a puncture on the motorbike. Anyway got to hotel and sent driver to get van checked out. He phones to say van has broken spring and there is also a brake problem. The spring is no surprise at all! Anyway van heads back slowly with intention of swapping with another one. We had just had a swim and lunch when a call comes through, air strikes in Batti. We are at the beach with no vehicle and no sat phone, not good. So off we trot to find an INGO with vehicle and sat phone, this w/e is a quiet one but eventually we find the only other people from Ampara who also sent their vehicle back and have no sat phone. Luckily one of them is head of the security tree so if he can, we can! We are then told that the van will be sent back to Aragum first thing Sunday morning and we are to return ASAP. I have been here before! In the event we didn’t set off till about 1pm so only lost a couple of hours on the beach.

Football match

These guys live in the street where I lived for a short while. I met them every night and they kept asking me to play football with them. Eventually I turned up so did some other INGO's. Chris who is in the picture managed to get a football through his organisation and this was the presentation ceremony.

Tsunami temple damage

What is left of a Hindu temple just North of Nintavur where I work. FCE, who I work for are rebuilding the temple. I went to see how the work was going. When I saw the tower and the lone statues I had to go back and take a photo. The temple and church rebuilding is being done courtesy of a grant from the Norwegian government.

For volunteers, when you start looking at who is working and funding projects in the developing world you uncover a whole new world. A lot of the funding in Sri Lanka comes from nations who eat lots of fish and have a fish economy. Japan is a main funder, Sri Lanka has a lot of fishing waters and most fish are sold fresh. The Japanese are helping develop infrastructure to facilitate freezing the fish and exporting them.

Sunday Climbing

The mountaineers again, TDH, Solidarites and I climbed a very steep and difficult rock, the views were worth it and after we swam in the lake. No crocodiles around!

Highway Code

Just to give an idea of the driving conditions over here on an average day on the motorbike. They drive on the left as we do in the UK here. When turning left nobody looks right, it is just assumed that those on the road will make room for you. This applies to tractors as well as bikes, I do have the occasional close one as the bike I have tends to brake like an oil tanker, you need a bit of time so large vehicles pulling out are a problem.

If people in vans or buses coming the other way decide to overtake using the whole road you are expected, or should that be forced, to drive in the dirt off to the side of the road. Signaling is interesting, last night a van I was following indicated right and slowed, I went to pass on the left and he promptly turned left! This also happens in the UK occasionally but here it’s frequent.

Cows generally just wander across the road as and when they wish as do goats, occasionally though they are driven across the road and I have had to make my way through a heard moving at it’s own pace. Did have a close one at night, no street lights in or out of town, and a heard of water buffalo crossed, they are black so didn’t see till last moment.

Stopping is interesting, often the vehicle in front will just stop suddenly and for no apparent reason, no signals, no warning, you get a lot of emergency stop practice.

Then there is dust, if the vehicle in front has to go off road then you are covered in a cloud of dust and visibility goes.

There are junctions with no right of way so all approach with caution and work out their own rules. Most of the time all events are well natured, a smile and a nod, whoever is at fault. In its own way quite nice, anarchy in operation.

Horsing about

The horse racing game, kindly made by GOAL the Irish INGO, and intended for some team building workshops