October_2016_Web

Two weeks in Sri Lanka
Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the colourful
island of Sri Lanka. It is an island of contrasts – the south-west has some
of the most beautiful beaches, the centre is the cultural and historical
region and the south-east is the area of the national parks where visitors
can see wild life in their natural surroundings.
We visited the Udawalawe National Park and, from the safety of our
jeep, watched a herd of elephants at play in the waterhole. Suddenly we
noticed a crocodile slowly gliding through the water, making its way
towards the two elephant calves. Just like human parents, the adult
elephants gathered round the youngsters to protect them. The crocodile
persevered but, finally sensing defeat swam away towards a group of
water buffalo which had stopped to drink at the waterhole.
The area is rich in bird life. I have waited all my life to see a kingfisher
and during my fortnight’s visit, I saw no less than 14 of these glorious
birds! There are many other interesting species to spot, some large such
as the painted stork, black and white with a splash of pink on its side and
a distinctive orange bill along with peacocks and peahens, and others
much smaller, such as the green and yellow sunbirds.
The unusual blue water lily (Nil Manel or Nymphaea Stellata) is the
national flower of Sri Lanka and can be found all over the island. These
colourful flowers are offered at Buddhist temples. The Botanical Gardens
at Peradeniya displays many interesting flowers and trees. The orchid
house alone challenges one’s colour vocabulary as there are so many
stunning orchids of differing sizes, colours and markings. The jack tree
produces large oval fruits, some of which can weigh as much as 32 kilos.
The climate enables fruit such as pineapples, melons, bananas and several
varieties of coconuts to be grown throughout the year. Shopping is a very
different experience; stalls at the side of the road can be seen in villages
or in small wooden shacks in the towns. The island is also known for its
spices; we saw peppercorns, nutmeg, cardamom growing.
Sri Lanka, or Ceylon as it was previously known, is famous for its tea
production. The hillsides of Nuwara Eliya are home to thousands of
camellia bushes from which the leaves are plucked. We left Kandy in
temperatures of 30 degrees and travelled the four hour train journey to
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