Sri lanka a safe country (www.dailynews.lk)

Sri Lanka History is incident full. Being an important trade port and oasis of Nature for sea farers of China, Arabia and Europe of the ancient times. Sri Lanka has a fascinating documented history over 2500 years of Civilization. The most valuable source of knowledge for the legends and historical heritage of Sri Lanka is the Mahavamsa (Great Genealogy or Dynasty), a chronicle compiled in Pali, in the sixth century. <www.srilankareference.org/Sri Lanka History Page>

 

what's the ruin on top of that steep mountain in Sri Lanka?

 

<www.sripada.org >

 

Frenchman builds yacht to sail to France from Lanka

VOYAGE: For the first time a French family is building a yacht in Sri Lanka with the intention of sailing to France in two months from the Galle harbour. This is the first time that a yacht is sailing from Galle to France.
Graham Oliver Fancon who has already completed building half of the yacht said that he would finish the yacht in


two more months.
The vessel would be built mostly with local raw material
The yacht when completed will have the capacity to accommodate five people and the total cost would be around US $ 40,000. If this boat is built in Europe the cost would be double as some of the material and labour costs are high.
"After reaching France we hope to keep the Yacht and do further cruises with it," he said.
He said a locally manufactured sail and wood would be used for this family cruiser build with fibre glass. Fancon who is a professional sailor was in Sri Lanka for four years with his wife who is a teacher.
"Since her contract is finishing and we have to go back to the country, I thought of designing this boat as it would be more economical and amusing rather than flying," he said.
Two of their children aged 4 and 6 too would join this voyage.
He said that the journey to France would take around 40 days and they would have stopovers in the Maldives, Gulf and Greece.

 

Where is Sri Lanka? The chap above is having stop overs in Maldives, Gulf and Greece? Interesting route. Presumably he means the Arabian/Persian Gulf - how do you get to Greece from there - get 'blown' I suppose!

 

The Ancient Maritime Sea Route

250 BC - 250 AD
During the period between 250 BC and 250 AD, a maritime sea route existed between Alexandra in Northern Africa and China. As trade took place along this route, a number of kingdoms rose to power, flush with finances from trade. These kingdoms all came into being around the same time, and all waned around the same time. The map below illustrates the route. Arab and Indian dhows sailed down the Red Sea to Palk Bay in Sri Lanka. Indian dhows traveled from India as far as Malacca where they met Chinese junks. Some Chinese junks traveled as far as Sri Lanka where they met Arabs.
www.nabataea.net/ruhuna.html

 

Walruss, I think it's somewhere near Ceylon.

 

Thank you Gamage...nice link!

 

Poida mate thank'ee kindly, now I know where I am - they keeps changing the names of these places since we gave em back (Good job we still got some Brits in Aus and Kiwi in fact I think they are more Brit than we are these days - well they play our games better!) Still can't figure how you can get by sea from the Arabian Gulf to Greece tho' Appreciate that French chappie de'lesseps or something dug that ditch out Sewage way (spelt it a bit funny tho' "Suez" I believe he called it - been there, and I know who is right with the spelling - anybody remember Nazzers tinfoil aereoplanes on the Bitter Lakes, always in the same confiuration and the same amount no matter when you went past!) But from the Gulf! No way

 

What blew me away while reading the history of Sri lanka was that during the early 1980's, with the country in the middle of a civil war between opposing religious groups, Sri Lankan university students decide to stage a communist revolution!

It got to a stage where everyone was killing everyone else.

Tamil Tigers were killing other tamil rebel groups so only the tigers would be in control.

Indian Army peace keepers (mostly Tamils) were killing Tamil tigers and anyone else who got in the way. Tamil Tigers were killing the Indian Army peace keepers.

Srilankan Army were killing Tamils/Tigers and vice-versa.

Srilankan police and army were killing young communist students and workers and vice-versa.

Terrible time.

 

So is there anybody left? Just in time for the Tsunami and a nice bath! Not many Tigers left either!

 

Hi Gamage

Have you moved back to Sri Lanka or are you still in Kuwait?
This will be the first February in the last 4 years that we aren't somewhere in Sri Lanka. Miss the West coast, great place and great people.
It was one of your ideas as a service in your boat yard to encourage yacht fitouts by the owners. Who built the hull for the Frenchman?

Geoff

 

Thank you .Yes still I am in Kuwait. I think that cat designed by Ian Ferrier. Hope to meet you in Sri Lanka soon.

 

Gamage,

I can't read anyone's mind, but in reading Mark's post, I did not find any remark saying all Sri Lankans are killers by nature. He described what was happening, and called it a "terrible time". "Everyone was killing everyone else" was said for effect, I think, not meant to be taken literally. You are correct in saying millions of innocents were killed in wars in Europe, and 150 years ago in the US we had a terrible civil war. Mark seemed to be "blown away" by the fact that there were so many different factions fighting each other, and that the communist students entered what was already a widespread conflict, something like Lebanon at several points in its recent history (although that's not so rare, Mark, history is filled with examples of a group believing that they can end a civil conflict by moving decisively; some succeeded, many did not). I'm not arguing with you, just stating my belief that there was no slur intended on the nature of the Sri Lankan people.

Please, would you translate to English the meaning of "nahi werani werani"? The way you used it, it sounded profound.

Thank you,

Charlie