Rain, Rain, Rain! - Well, well, well! Water was what we asked for, and water we finally got! Monsoon rains arrived in a vengeance! Day and night it emptied from the heavens above. There has been a constant battle to prevent water from flooding property. Lagoons were full and breaking through to the ocean, causing a brown stain to spread across the once untainted crystal blue sea. A month where laundry failed to dry, had been re-washed and re-washed to rid it of that damp and musty smell that materializes when it fails to dry. New doors and windows were swollen from the moisture and refused to slot back into their previously once perfect apertures. There is a coolness in the air, still warmer than our summer, but a coolness that requires a t-shirt at four in the morning. An abundance of green has arisen from the once hard and dusty ground. Farmers are hurriedly catching up with their tasks of ploughing and sewing seed. Mosquitoes have woken to torment those that have the sweet blood they love to feast on. I feel fortunate that my once desired blood has become sour and less attractive to them. Them that sing in ones ear so torturing a once peaceful sleep. Perhaps the arrival of a British visitor was the cause of all that rain. As now, having left these shores, the rain has abated and the sun once again taken its rightful place within the expanse of a rich blue sky!
December 5th, 2009
Former Abay Surf Club Chairman Dies – 49 year old Former Arugam Bay Surf Club Chairman, Ranjan, died of a massive heart attack whilst surfing at Baby Point, Arugam Bay, on the East Coast of Sri Lanka. Attempts of CPR by both local people and western tourists alike, to revive him, proved fruitless as numerous locals stood helpless around him. Ranjan leaves behind a wife and three sons. Alan, the eldest, is a regular surfer, who uses UK surfboards donated by Paddle4Relief. He has been a force within the charity by using his skills to repair our computer. Ranjan’s death again shows the need for both Beach Life Guard and a Medical Centre in the village. With the Civil War over, internal travel within Sri Lanka, particularly the East and North is more relaxed, so seeing increasing numbers of both Western and Sri Lankan Tourists crowding the beach and sea. It is now more apparent that there is a desperate need of qualified life savers. Regularly local surfers are rescuing individuals from the unpredictable tropical coastline. The young surfers of the village are demanding action to prevent further loss of life. They are willing to undergo training and man the local surf breaks in an attempt to save life and prevent injury. These young men are turning to the International Humanitarian, Medical, Surfing, Surf Life Saving and Water Sports Communities to assist them in their quest! Out of respect to Ranjan the community of Arugam Bay are focused on achieving this quest and hope that all that read this article can be generous in offering either practical or financial help. Please either contact Fawas, present Chairman of ArugamBay Surf Club - abay_surfers@yahoo.com or Tim Tanton, Paddle4Relief - tim@paddle4relief.co.uk
October 21st, 2009
Water, water, water! - The drought continues on the east coast of Sri Lanka. The rains were due weeks ago, not heavy as the later monsoon rains, but enough to allow the farmers to start work on their paddi fields. Alas the ground is bone dry, rock hard and useless to work with. All the rivers, lagoons and tanks are dry. Wildlife continues to die. Many Elephants and Deer have already perished. Elephants now becoming more dangerous than ever as they search desperately for fresh water. Some areas are using water bowsers to transport water to watering holes so as to prevent all of the areas wildlife from dieing! Yet it is not only mother nature who has caused this drought. Huge pumps have drained massive amounts of water from the rivers. Pumps that feed water to a water filtration plant. Don’t get me wrong, the unit is extremely beneficial to many. It is invaluable but at a cost it seems. It is probably unfortunate that the two have coincided and hence why so many locals are critical of the huge pumps and feel powerless to do anything. They feel that they could have achieved something towards working on their lands and trying to grow some crops! Although there is no proof of this. It is painful to see everything dieing around us. So dry and dusty. Surfers are happy because the swells continue to come with the lack of rain, whereas the fishermen are crying out for the rains to come as well, hoping for better fishing! Egrets are coming into the garden looking for food. Normally in the Paddy fields, in huge numbers, eating frogs and small fish etc. The lagoons dry, the fish dead! I don’t know where the crocodiles are!
October 10th, 2009
Bike Mechanic – Bohoma Stuthi (Thank you very much) to Chris Martin for repairing Paddle4Reliefs two mountain bikes during his stay in Arugam Bay. Chris came out here for a much needed holiday but made himself invaluable to the P4R team by his tenacity in getting the bikes functional. Guess he managed to improve his tan at the same time though!! Chris also caught many kilos of small fish for the family even though he is unable to eat fish due to his allergy!! Shame! All the more for the rest of us though! They are soo good fried! Thanks for coming out Chris. It was a real pleasure to have you come visit. Hopefully more will follow from the UK now it is so safe to travel to the East Coast.
October 10th, 2009
Rat Attack! - Most people would not expect to see a rat attempting to jump and climb out of the toilet as they are busy going about their business! But not once but twice this happened this morning. A nasty shock for sure and a difficult situation to deal with. For what does one do first? Finish what one has started or stop mid flow and kill the rat before returning to ones business! Yes, funny for sure but not so funny if the little long snouted black rat had managed to clamp it’s sharp set of teeth into my soft delicate English skin!
October 10th, 2009
has been up the ladder painting and in the kitchen doing carpentry! Did manage a surf first though! ABay Main Point Pumping!
October 10th, 2009
Big Yellow Banana Carnage – Over excited, frantic, gungho and a host of similar expletives come to mind following my first surf session on returning to Abay! It had been a little over two months since I had dragged my battered body from the right hand reef point break. My last wave in July had seen me pile driven into the reef. Torn boardies, cuts to hand and butt! Bruising to spine and shoulder! Oh how everyone laughed as I struggled to sit down on the thirty hour jaunt back to the UK! One butt cheek more damaged than the other! Well I was back. Still can’t surf for toffee but totally addicted to surfing in this tropical country. One can’t really miss me out at the point! I’m generally the token long boarder! The board like a boat! 9′ 5” Gulf Stream and very yellow! Primrose! Or as the locals say “Big Yellow Banana”. My first surf back at the point and I tweak my right calf, crack a rib or two and do nothing to help my heavily strapped left shoulder! Who knows what tomorrow will bring, so best live for today and enjoy! It’s got to be a giggle to see surfers and their boards scattering as I charge through the line-up with total disregard to life or limb! What I know is that I have a smile from ear to ear as the adrenaline surges through my battered limbs. It’s after that I feel the pain, the discomfort and the foolishness of my actions. My ears harassed by my adopted Sri Lankan sisters and my closest friends from back home. I know they’re right but I’m Taurean and apparently very stubborn! So, expect to see the “Big Yellow Banana” causing carnage a few more times out at the point!
September 30th, 2009
No Fish, no dinner! - the fishing season is not quite happening for many of the fishermen. The rains have failed to appear, hence the fishing slow. With this years summer season being so hot and dry, the local community is desperate for the rains to start. With less fish around comes a higher price per kilo. So, when shoals of small fish are spotted close to the shore it’s a time for the hand lines with sets of small feather type lures. Much the same as our Mackerel fishing here in the UK but scaled down to accommodate the smaller fish. For Chris and myself it’s an easier task, we have rods n reels at our disposal. Sets of lures we brought out from the UK prove successful. Unfortunately the reef claims Chris’s top catching set and his ability to catch goes to the dogs! For four days we catch enough to feed the family, and more. And this is no small family, more than dozen mouths to feed. Luckily for us Chris is allergic to fish! And how those small fish taste, both fried and curried. Result!
September 29th, 2009
Elephants and Water – A trip to Pottuvil Point highlighted the destruction a herd of thirsty elephants can cause! In one night a vast area leading to the point had it’s Coconut trees flattened. Their shallow root system torn from the ground. Those locals that live in areas that offer water during such dry periods, do so in fear! Many throughout the years have been killed by these huge mammals. It’s a tragic fact of life that this occurs, and shows how desperate that all within the animal kingdom thrive to quench a thirst. A thirst that is paramount for survival!
September 29th, 2009
Galvanized Sheet over Concrete – Not only did he head butt a long board but now he has chosen to fall down a concrete pit! Now you would have thought that a load of galvanized sheet lying on the ground would have given one cause for thought! Alas no, galvanized sheet means a smoother surface for the feet to walk on! Well hey, concrete more rough! Sure, it was night time, and the ability to see poor but why?
I was not witness to the event, I had heard a commotion from where I was situated at the local Tea Shop. We had been previously surfing together at Baby Point and I had caught a sweet, waist high wave in and was keen for a glass of tea. When we heard the crash we thought a fight had started. It has been the end of Ramadan Festival and many Sri Lankans had been celebrating by getting drunk and at times volatile! The few that do drink tend to be light weights and quickly get drunk. Generally it is quite entertaining as they tend to burst out in song and/or dance, or just fall over and sleep where they collapse!
As for Chris, he was sober and had just surfed. He had no excuse! He has however got three cut up toes and a constant reminder of his excursion down the concrete jelly fish hole!
September 29th, 2009
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