It's a twig!
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Health and Safety
I walked past this electricity junction box on the way to work. Look at the warning sign in the top right of the picture and then look at the latch securing the door. This says all you need to know about Sri Lankan health and safety.
It's a twig!
It's a twig!
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Hikkaduwa again
It's the end of the tourist season, the beaches are empty and the sun is hiding. The bar at A-frame on the beach had one of the last parties of the season. I managed to meet up with some English people and get drunk on the Saturday night. The local drink Arrack is pretty strong and I had a few beers first but miraculously I didn't get a hangover. It took me an hour to walk home as I couldn't recognise my hotel from the beach and walked right past it.
It didn't look like this in the middle of the night as they board up the restaurant and only leave a narrow passageway open. There doesn't seem much point in heading back for a while as the resort will be dead until next November now. It will still be blazing hot but the bars will be empty.
It didn't look like this in the middle of the night as they board up the restaurant and only leave a narrow passageway open. There doesn't seem much point in heading back for a while as the resort will be dead until next November now. It will still be blazing hot but the bars will be empty.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Negombo
My workmate offered to take me north of Colombo for the day. I'd been south before but not north and Negombo is the original Sri Lankan beach resort. I got the bus half way and then we drove from there. The guys had to stop at a Catholic church on the way as it had special significance and they couldn't pass it without dropping in. There was a sign asking people not to take photos so I didn't.
I am sticking my fingers up here, but in a W not a V. Take your pick for what it stands for from Westside, Weymouth, West Country or West Coast of Sri Lanka.
I got burned when we went swimming in a hotel pool for half an hour, but for some reason the guys got away with it. The official tourist season is over and the beaches were pretty empty, although they weren't that full south of Colombo when I went. Tourism still hasn't bounced back completely since the Tsunami. The beach at Mount Lavinia was pretty busy at New Year and in the evening quite a few locals came down to watch the sunset at Negombo.
Traditional Sri Lankan fishing boat (below), probably giving tourists a ride as most of the fishing is done at night. We'd visited another beach further up the coast in the morning, which was the main fishing area. They have a market early each morning to sell the nights catch to locals and merchants who will then sell the fish in the towns.
A boat on the beach, which makes it easier to see that it's fairly retro technology. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
I am sticking my fingers up here, but in a W not a V. Take your pick for what it stands for from Westside, Weymouth, West Country or West Coast of Sri Lanka.
I got burned when we went swimming in a hotel pool for half an hour, but for some reason the guys got away with it. The official tourist season is over and the beaches were pretty empty, although they weren't that full south of Colombo when I went. Tourism still hasn't bounced back completely since the Tsunami. The beach at Mount Lavinia was pretty busy at New Year and in the evening quite a few locals came down to watch the sunset at Negombo.
Traditional Sri Lankan fishing boat (below), probably giving tourists a ride as most of the fishing is done at night. We'd visited another beach further up the coast in the morning, which was the main fishing area. They have a market early each morning to sell the nights catch to locals and merchants who will then sell the fish in the towns.
A boat on the beach, which makes it easier to see that it's fairly retro technology. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Art tart at the Kala Pola
I think Kala Pola translates as Art Market. I bought a newspaper last week and it had an article on the 14th annual open-air art gallery / art fair that was due in town. The local art students sell their paintings every Sunday from the side of the road opposite the National Art Gallery, but this was an opportunity for artists from all over Sri Lanka to exhibit and sell their work.
Bizarrely I woke up at about 7.30 on the day of the art fair. I couldn't get back to sleep so I went out on my bike to check it out. I was slightly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of paintings on display. I cycled up and down each side of the street seeing if anything caught my eye and then walked around more slowly to have a better look.
I wanted to get a picture that had a real flavour of Sri Lanka to remind me of my time here. This one guy's paintings caught my eye and I had a hard time working out which one I liked best. After he showed me his portfolio I said I'd think about it and come back later.
I had to cycle home and come back in a tuc tuc, as I wasn't going to try carrying a 3ft x 2 ft painting on my bike. This shot from the tuc shows how near to the road the art and artists were whilst traffic drove up and down as usual.
I bought 2 paintings in the end, which will brighten up my walls when I get back to England. This one depicts traditional Sri Lankan dance and music.
I liked the second painting, as the girls' features were slightly less stylised and looked more Sri Lankan to me. The colours were also cool and the painting kind of glows. I guess my taste is influenced by comics and graphics; they're like posters, which is cool, as I wanted something bold and bright.
Bizarrely I woke up at about 7.30 on the day of the art fair. I couldn't get back to sleep so I went out on my bike to check it out. I was slightly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of paintings on display. I cycled up and down each side of the street seeing if anything caught my eye and then walked around more slowly to have a better look.
I wanted to get a picture that had a real flavour of Sri Lanka to remind me of my time here. This one guy's paintings caught my eye and I had a hard time working out which one I liked best. After he showed me his portfolio I said I'd think about it and come back later.
I had to cycle home and come back in a tuc tuc, as I wasn't going to try carrying a 3ft x 2 ft painting on my bike. This shot from the tuc shows how near to the road the art and artists were whilst traffic drove up and down as usual.
I bought 2 paintings in the end, which will brighten up my walls when I get back to England. This one depicts traditional Sri Lankan dance and music.
I liked the second painting, as the girls' features were slightly less stylised and looked more Sri Lankan to me. The colours were also cool and the painting kind of glows. I guess my taste is influenced by comics and graphics; they're like posters, which is cool, as I wanted something bold and bright.
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