Srilanks -3

Overnight we stayed at Hotel Kandy on 02/09/10

Here in Kandy we saw the Gem Museum

& in the evenine saw a beautiful Cukltural show -Kandyan Dancing Fire walking -a wonderful ! hour programme

Next morning we left for Dambula & Sigiriya

Dambula

here visited nthe CaveTemple dates back to the 1st centurythese caves sheltered the KingWalagamba for 14 yearsof Exile from Anaradhapura when he regained the throne he built the most Magnificent Rock temple to be found non the IslandIn the 1st cave is the recumbent image ofof the Budha 47feet cut out from the rock There are images of deities associated withBudhism -all around Frescoes on the ceiling dates back to15th -18th century In the 2nd cave the largest & finest of all there 150 life size statues of Gods from the Bhudhist religionalong with Numerous images of Buddha himself The cieling is also covered with frescos which depict great events in the life ofBuddha &landmarks in the life of the Sinhala people

to be contd---

SRILANKA [contd]

The Hotel Blue Oceanic at Negabo was on the beach & old but comfortable Hotel

Next morning we left by road to Nuwaraeliya -called little England full of tea gardens Gardens & English style houses this was the retreat for the British when they occupied Ceylon we went through beautiful landscaped saw the Widest waterfall of Srilanka =St Clair& also the Devon waterfalls

We made a stop at a tea kiosk Driving through Kithugala the oscar winning Movie ''Bridge on the River Kwai'' was filmed in this place

we did not see the actual place as it was interior

We checked in at St Andrews Hotel -A lovely Hotel with a panoramic view & beautiful well kept gardens & green Lawns

Next we visited ''SEETHALAYA'' the place Seetha was kept by the King Ravana under the Ashoka tree

here we saw the place where Seetha used to sit The river passing through Also the foot step of Hanuman when he landed in this place looking for Seetha

the temple was beautiful with statues of Seetha Rama Laxmana & Hanuman

from here we passed Gregory Lake & Victoria Gardens

KANDY

After breakfast we left Nuwaraeliya for Kandy On the way we visited the Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya -A huge bothanical garden with ever so many trees & plants -herbs Bamboo Lake with Lotus & Orchid house etc Here we saw ''Twin coconot tree'' with 2 coconuts on each branch they were Huge coconuts & takes about 5 years to mature This is the largest seed in the world & brought from Sechelles Island

In the afternoon we visited the ''tooth relic ''temple -tooth of lord Budha kept in a Golden It was very beautiful & the holiest of the Holy Places for the Bhudhist

SHRILANKA

At last I was travelling to my birthplace = Colombo my dream of about 60yrs we left on 3oth August from Bangalore by Srilanka Air & reached Negombo in about 2 hours We were met by a representative of Jet wings tour company & taken to our Hotel by the sea it was a comfortable Hotel & we loved sitting on the beach the best we were taken around Negambo by AC toyota -very comfortable

We did some shopping bread fruits cheese & lo& behold I foundGAL SIYAMBALA'' which i had tasted as a kid in colmbo this made my day -Imagine tasting it after about 60yrs Also had Mabgusteen to hearts content through out out stay in Srilanka-Ceylon as it was known before

Next day we left by road by the same vehicle for Nuwaraeliya -up country as it is called the highest place in SrilankaIt was quite cool surrounded by Tea gardens We were surprised to know that the tea gardens belonged to TATA though the brand name was kept the same & the name of the tea estate We visited one tea estate Labukelee where we were taken around & given the best tea i have ever tasted

To be continued------

Monsoon -once again

I wrote a continuation to this blog after the current shut down &a+

 posted/published it But today I find it is not there. I do not know what happened --washed away by the monsoon rains!!

The monsoon in North India is similar -current shut downs/bad roads /trouble for the farmers by too much or too little rains.

We as kids had sudden school holidays declared due to heavy rains .This was a bonus for us --the unexpected holidays Monsoon meant hot Pakoda session with dhania /pudina chutney or tomato sauce!! those were lovely times.eating then while watching the rain pitter patter outside . -I cycled to school -in the rain --just waited till it got less On the way if it again became heavy then just stopped under a tree or took shelter under the roof of some shop or veranda Nobody minded this an there was a crowd to share this shelter But it was real fun.The wet clothes dries soon under the fan in the school.

we had the usual cold/cough of the season -but never bothered about it.

We had a roof over our heads so we were very comfortable .Now looking back I think of all those people/families who did not have one They must have been cursing this season. I now can look at it in a different perspective.

Rashmi I now have a cordless phone which i have not yet started operating Waiting for the rains to stop The other day My friend Shyla 's cordless went ''phut'' due to the lightning & thunder & I told her''did you not know'' I felt more wiser than her due to my experience !!

All said & done I still love this season Mother nature has showered her bounty & the whole world around is ''HARIYALI green- at no cost we can feast our eyes & soul on this bounty & enjoy the greenery & cool weather

I know Money will never be able to buy this joy.

Monsoon

I have two inclusions Under this heading as when I was typing the current went off & I had to abandon this but it got ''posted'' as i had saved it

So after the current was restored I completed it

This shows the practical example of Current shut down '' when it rains heavily''!!

A practical point proved!!!

Monsoon

this is the coolest time in the South India This part of India is always is very hot the whole year round We have only one season most of the year --the summer But Monsoon is the other season which starts anytime May -June & last till September -some years i remember it rained up to December-January Oh it was lovely from the coolness point of view But this long monsoon is not good for the farmers Also even a short Monsoon heavy rains makes out roads into NO ROADS full of pits slug small ponds/puddles dot most of the roads well the kids enjoy jumping in to the puddles very happily -as it is the mothers that have to wash/clean the school uniforms!! The other thing is the washed clothes take so long to dry We have to have the Fan on to dry them Those who do not have a fan hang then above the fire place -the fire wood here plays a double role of cooking & drying the clothes But the one thing that goes with it is the smell of the wooden fire which lingers on the clothes!!

But I love this season Of coolness for a couple of months bad road,inconvenience & all I have to always remeber to disconnect the TV from the mains & the antena To disconnect the modem the the computer otherwise it gets burnt out with the lightning I lost a New cordless phone which Rashmi so lovingly got from me from the USA to the very first rain of the season due to the lightning

LONELINESS
I have realised that one can be lonely when one is all alone or even in a crowded room
The most common loneliness is when one is all alone But it is not all the time that one feels lonely in this circumstances. There are some days when I do not get a single phone call nor does the door bell ring. & also some days I just want to be this way & do not bother to call anyone too I am my own company,& I have started to like it though the dogs are around I feel like putting them outside & be on my own!!It feels like getting away from a child who needs attention all the time & a little time alone itself is a respite & relaxation.
I keep the TV on just to feel someone is around & on other times this is not needed.somehow the day /night pattern goes on smoothly without even thinking of how the day will go.
All this is is ones own attitude -to look at things one wants to see.the way things are at that particular moment of time.to feel self pity or to be elated.All is in our own hands.The way we deal with everyday problems which are small or big the way we look at it
even the most terrible ones look small with time & our attitude can make us laugh at them or despise them.
we should live life as fully as we can Taking each step sometimes with seriousness & sometimes with abundance But should learn to differentiate the trivial from the serious ones We may think we do not need anyone;s help but in reality living in a family/society one does need help.Whether we like it or not. But I always depend on myself for most of the things -this is my experience But this is not to say I do not need anyone .I also very much depend & believe on the SUPREME POWER above He has NEVER FAILED me. Yes there has been many dark clouds thunder & lightning but in the end there has always been calmness to rejoice Every cloud has a silver lining --very very true Just like the darkness will ALWAYS bring light after a few long hours Night has to be followed by day as day has to be followed by night This is the circle/cycle of life .take it or leave it
It is wise to take it the sweet/bitter spicy/hot /cold of life