LIVING IN THE SEA - DAY 1...

When I remember the last weekend, the feeling I get is a completely ‘jumpy and happy’ feeling.. Why? I got to spend 3 days in the Southern beaches of the country, rolling with the ocean waves and dipping in the warm, comfortable sunlight. Have I ever told you that I’m a sea creature by birth? Well… I am. My love for sea and beach is endless. There’s nothing in this world I like more. So.. Imagine how it was for me…!!

It was initially a family trip. Mom organized it coz she wanted to go on a trip before my brother starts Medical College and there were some poojas promised to Katharagama. So… it was my family… a cousin brother, my best friend, his mom and his sister’s kid. The beaches of Sri Lanka are so beautiful. I witnessed it once again and fell in love with them all over again.

On our 1st day, we stopped for breakfast near the Boralesgamuwa Lake. It was quite a sight in the early morning with sun rising over the lake and birds chirping all around to start the day. The next stop was Beruwala beach, to see a fishermen pulling off a fishing net full of fish. The next destination was the Turtle Hatchery in Kosgoda. I even got to hold a huge one in my hands too. We were in Galle Fort by mid day. We enjoyed the beautiful view and had our lunch there. Then we had a look inside the Old Dutch Church inside the Galle Fort. The inside of the church is a burial ground for rich Dutch people. Even the walls contained tombs carved into them.

Next, it was a sight worth seeing… Roomassala, where Rawana dropped a part of a mountainful of medical plants by accident. We visited the Japanese Peace Pagoda there. From the top of the hill, the Galle Fort and harbor created a marvelous view. The sun has started to sink. We stopped for a sea bath in Koggala and I got to roll with the waves as much as I like.

Once again we stopped to watch some fishermen fishing in a traditional way, sitting on sticks planted in the sea. See the picture..?? Next, we straight away went to the place we stayed that night : People’s Bank manager’s Bungalow in Devundara. We were in one corner of the country. What a place it was! Next to the beautiful beach, on the top of a hill, facing the Devundara harbor… full of sea breeze… the sound of the sea hugging you all over.. and when the night falls, the sky gets lightened up by the light rays of the Devundara Lighthouse. I had a nice walk along the beach. It was a place in your dreams.

We all were hungry. We were having so many snacks on the way, all home made. Chocolate Swiss Roles, Marshmallows, Chocolate cakes, Aluwa, Rulang and Cornflakes cookies. Yet we were hungry. The caretakers cooked us a delicious dinner. That was the best meal under perfect conditions. After the dinner, we played a game of cards till late hours of the night. This is how I spent the first day of the most wonderful 3 days in February.

THE SOUTH IS MADE OF BEACHES - DAY 2

How does it feel like to wake up to the cool breeze of the sea and the endless sound of the ocean waves? Well.. That’s how our second day started. I woke up around 5.30 in the morning, dressed up quickly and ran out to see the beauty of a sea morning. The thin fog was covering the bay… and the fishing boats were slowly swaying and resting in the harbor.

I walked up to the end of the jetty and found my best friend sitting in the farthest corner. We watched a colony of fish jumping up from the sea surface like antelopes running is land. It was beautiful. When we watched the rocks closely, we found crabs..!! Yes.. Crabs of different sizes and colors.

The sad thing was… no matter how beautiful the place was, we had to leave the place, because we were suppose to reach Katharagama by nightfall. We had a great breakfast and said goodbye to the place and left for Katharagama. The next stop was Dewinuwara devalaya. I’ve passed it many times, but never being there. So.. we got the chance this time.

Next, we went to see the beautiful Devundara lighthouse. You should.. SHOULD.. I mean.. you really really SHOULD go there. What a view it is..! The sea around it was sooo beautiful. The lighthouse stands among the rocky surface as a proud giant...! You'll love this place, trust me. Actually... my whole intention of the trip was to go and see it.. and it finally worked..!
The Mulkirigala Rock temple was on a top of a hill. It has quite a history behind it. So many folk tales are woven around this ancient temple. Beli mal... ranawara... hakuru... straight from heaven to kill the thirst...!!

Now.. I'm going to tell you about a very interesting place now.. Ever heard of Ussangoda?? It's called the 'Horton Plains of South'. Just see the picture, guys..!! It is believed that a meteor has fallen to the beach in Nonagama.. long time back. And this is it..!! The meteor is the plain. The soil is pure red.. and you find strange types of stones there... The plain is a higher ground, so... you get a fantastic view of the sea from there.. Theer's only thin grass.. and medical plants. Animals live in the thicket... and the beach is full of biodiversity.. We had out lunch from an open sea restaurant in the beach and had a good mid day bath from the sea...

We were in Katharagama by 7.30. The moon was up and the climate was softer... The perfect time to visit Kiri Wehera..!! Had quite a good dinner from the place where we stayed.. Two spectacular days...! One more day to come before this ends.. So.. Good night for today, folks..!! These two days were absolutely awesome.!!

IN GOD'S COUNTRY - DAY 3.....

Waking up in the morning... far from home. You're now in Katharagama..! I'm a little bit sad since it's the last day.. Hmmm.. Well.. After a quick breakfast, we headed to Sellakatharagama... OK.... I know... That's where you get loads of dodol and all other kinds of sweets...!! Menik River was quite calm that morning... Peacock feathers... sweets... morning prayers for hindu gods... smell of fresh fruit... and various kinds of sweet smells in the early morning...!!

We wanted to be for the poojawa at 9.30 in Katharagama Dewalaya. So we hurried for it.. So. what's the best thing about it?? Well... the fruits.. yeah... you get to eat loads of them after the poojawa... I love and love it...!! We visited Thissamaharamaya on the way too..Ate loads of nelli & delum from there.. Woodapples..! There were a plenty..!! Dodol... we bought 12 kilos.. It was around noon when we reached Kirinda.. The sun was high up and it was very hot. But we didn't miss the wonderful view...

After having a late lunch at the bunt of Thissa Wewa, we started our return journey.. crossing Udawalawe & Embilipitiya.. We stopped to look at elephants and peococks.. There were so many...!!

It was around 10 at night when we reached home.. and I felt that i've gained a lot for the 3days.. maybe I ate a lot of sweets.. But.. who cares?? i enjoyed the trip a lot...I wish I could go again to see those wonderful beaches again.. I dream of them very often... Guys.. girls, don't worry about sun tans... You just go there and enjoy..!! You'll get your skin colour back...!! Katharagama.. in the best time of the year..!! I'll remember these 3 days forever..!

THE COLOURS OF THE OCEAN....

Just near the Lighthouse in Devundara... The sea is full of colours..!

GOBLIN : THE REBIRTH OF A PIRATE...

How many of you believe in mythical legends, mythical beliefs and mythical creatures? If you’re a Harry Potter fan, I’m sure you do. The creatures and beliefs in Harry Potter books were not created in one night. Do you remember the Hippogriff in the 3^rd Harry Potter movie? For most of you, it should have been the first time you’ve seen a Hippogriff. But Hippogriffs are legendary creatures who conquered the world of myth, since long time back.

Now.. who knows about Chimeras? Well.. I’ll tell you. It’s a creature from the Greek mythology with a lioness’s body with a tail that terminated in a snake's head and with a head of a goat arose on her back at the center of her spine. Time for you to picture it..!! Unicorns? Legends say that Unicorns exist in this world, but you can’t see them, because the horn in its forehead is not visible to us. I can tell you so many stories abut these creatures. But last week, an article in a newspaper caught my eye. I found it interesting and wanted to share it with you all.

It was about Goblins.. Goblins in the coastal village of Cornwall, England. Cornwall..?? Ring any bells, anyone? If you read Sherlock Holmes, this should be a familiar name to you. However… let’s get back to the story now. Who exactly is a Goblin? The word GOBBLE in English annotates eating food in a greedy way. From generations, the coastal area of Cornwall is a famous gathering place for Goblins. Everybody can’t see them. Some can see… but most cannot. For those who have seen them say that these creatures are about 8 feet tall, massive bodied and covered with golden colour fur. Their faces resemble faces of goats, horses or sheep.

From centuries ago, these goblins used to give predictions about thunderstorms to the fishermen in the village. So, for fishermen in Cornwall, these goblins are like guardians of the sea. According to those who have seen these Goblins, they just sit on rocks and stare at the ocean. When a storm is near, they scream and warn the fishermen about the nearing disaster. To pay their gratitude to these life savers, when fishermen come out of the sea after fishing, they throw a big fish or a two into the huge rocks in the beach, hoping that these unseen Goblins would eat them.

People have seen them staring at the sea, but none has seen them walking. Legends say that a Goblin is the rebirth of a pirate… and by staring at the sea and helping fishermen and boats, the pirate is paying for his sins. That’s how the story goes. Interesting, isn’t it? Well.. There are many mythical stories I know. Time by time, I’ll share them with you all. You’ll love to hear about the Unicorns, I’m sure.