Why House Galle, Sri Lanka

On 1st Jan 2011 we began our new year in the air on our way to Sri Lanka. We went there with another family. At Colombo International Airport a band of musicians and dancers welcomed our arrival. We were garlanded on the way out. Our destination, Why House Resort was about 125 km away. There we were welcomed by the resort staff and garlanded another time.

At Colombo International Airport

At Why House Resort, Galle

Why House Resort has 3 acres of luxurious tropical garden with 3 different accommodations. The main house has internet access and a large airy living room in the center with a luxurious veranda. There are 2 cabanas for single person and 2 double bedrooms with separate entrace. All has private porch, air conditioning, satellite TV and a mini bar. There is also a salt water swimming pool.

Main house

Two double bedrooms with own entrance each

Cabanas for single person

We booked the whole resort for 8 days. Our group had only 10 people although the resort could accommodate 16 including children.

Activities

We swam at the pool or sat by the pool side reading story books. We played crickets with the resort staff. There was no badminton court. A net tied between 2 coconut trees was good enough for the purpose. The children enjoyed the game. At night after dinner we sat around a table at the airy and luxurious veranda to plan for the next day's meals and outings over glasses of red and white wines.

Pool activities


Cheers to tomorrow's outings

Cricket

Badminton

Meals

There was no set menu. It was up to us to decide what food we wanted to eat for each day.

Breakfast - we had fruit juices and fresh fruits followed by ah pong, thosai, Sri Lankan omelets and curry. We also had western breakfast of bread toast, jam, honey, butter, ham, bacon and eggs.
Lunch - main course was either chicken, pork or beef in Sri Lankan curry.

Dinner - main course was seafood such as crabs, prawns, lobsters, squids, fish and vegetables curry

Lobsters

Grilled mullet fish

Curry crabs

Steamed crabs

Sri Lankan dishes

Cheers to the chef and his yummy food!

Lizards

Squirrels

Birds

The resort has many fruit trees - coconut trees, jack fruit trees, banana plants and others. There were many birds of different species, lizards and squirrels too. I saw them every morning. They were used to guests there and I could move quite close to them to take pictures.

Why House Resort is the perfect hideaway for everyone who wants to relax in style away from the main stream tourist centers. It is a place for peace and tranquillity.

To be continued

Indian Gang Labourers

I returned from Galle, Sri Lanka last Saturday. As my vehicle passed by the Galle beach I saw about a dozen fishermen hauling together their fishing net in the sea. They reminded me of the Indian gang workers who were here before. When moving a heavy load, they pulled a rope tied to the load and yelled together 'ehloh ehlah, ehloh ehlah.... just like in a tug-of-war yell 'pull, pull, pull....'. I could not hear the fishermen's yell in an aircon vehicle. But, I am sure they did utter somethings to get a united strength while pulling the rope.

According to a book by PWD The Indian labourers were in Singapore as early as 1825. They were convicts in India but were brought here by the British to work in the Public Works Department (PWD) as menial workers. They built our roads, bridges, jetties, canals and sea walls. They also erected public buildings such as St Andrew's Cathedral and helped put up the Horseburgh Lighthouse. The most dangerous job was clearing the jungle in the interior to build roads. While doing so they faced the danger of attack by wild animals such as tigers, wild boars, snakes, dogs and others.

Furthermore, they made their own bricks, lime and cement from coral and quarry stones from Pulau Ubin. They fell trees for woodworks and prepared all types of ironworks. The convicts establishment was broken up in 1872. Many stayed in Singapore and continued to work with the PWD as skilled artisans.

In the 50s to 70s I remembered seeing them doing roadworks, digging trenches to construct roadside drains and also laying water pipes and laying electrical cables in the hot sun. They helped in the building and development of Singapore for more than 150 years. Singapore does not have a monument to remember them. A legacy that has been lost in history.

Photo credit to PWD - Roadworks at Beach Road in 1910


Photo credit to PWD - roadworks

Photo credit to PWD - roadworks

Photo credit to PWD - bull roller

Photo credit to PWD - digging trenches

Photo credit to PWD - laying of electrical cables

Seasons Greetings

Wishing All Bloggers and Viewers

A Happy New Year 2011

Christmas -Then, Then & Now

Children and the maids

It is interesting to know that time changes people as well as places. Lum Chun See's blog on 'then, then and now' is a good example and I took the cue from him. My family celebrated Christmas anually and I have many photos to show the growth of my grandson Guy at each season. He had his first Christmas with the family when he was about 6 months old. A Philippino maid was employed specially to look after him.

Picture 1 - The maid carried Guy in front of a Christmas tree. He was my only grand-child then. The Christmas tree was a little bare with few decorations. There was only one children's present at the foot of the tree (not shown) and it was for Guy. My other grand children was not born yet.

Picture 2 - Guy celebrating his third Christmas in 2001. He was two and a half years old and he wanted to pose for the photo alone with the Christmas tree. There was more decorations on the Christmas tree indicating that it had grown. More presents were displayed at the tree also meant that I had more than one grand children.

Picture 3 - Guy is now 11 years old. On Christmas day I got him and the maid to stand in front of the same Christmas tree to pose for a photo. Time has indeed changes people. Guy has grown tall. He is slightly shorter than the maid. The Christmas tree had more ornaments and more children's presents too. This season we had many new family members celebrating Christmas together. They were my niece, nephew and their spouses, plus their children.


Then


Then


Now

Halong Bay

I have not been back to Vietnman for more than ten years. There must be a lot of changes by now. Yg's post on Halong Bay last Sunday reminded me of my visit to the same place in 1987. I was there with a friend. We put up at Bachdang Hotel which was very close to the bay. Many private boats were at the harbour waiting for passengers. We chartered a boat which could accomodate 10 persons. We had the privacy of two persons. As the boats cruised down the lagoon passing many limestone islets, we had beer while viewing the beautiful sights. The boat package included one sea food lunch cooked on board the boat. We paid additional charge for our beer.


Bachdang Hotel


At the harbour


We chartered this boat

Lunch on board the boat

Going up to the cave

Inside the cave

Outside the cave

Hawker stalls

Outside our hotel on the way to the beach there were many hawker stalls selling souvenirs, food and drinks to the tourists. At the beach there were many beer stalls with beach chairs for the tourists to relax and enjoy the drinks. Beer per can was very cheap at S$0.85 cents each. That was more than 30 years ago.

Enjoying beer by the beach

Cao Dai

In 1994 when I was in Ho Chi Minh City, I heard of the Cao Dai Sect in Tay Ninh District, Vietnam. A friend took me there in his car. It was about one and a half hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City to Cao Dai village. I was told that all the villagers were members of the Coa Dai Sect. As the car moved into the village, I could see many Cao Dai temples on both sides of the road. They were very colourful with unique architecture. Some temples had single tower (picture 7) and others with twin towers (picture 8). Their main temple (picture 1) was the largest of all.

The Coa Dai Sect believed in all major religions such as Buddhism, Toaism, Christinity and Hinduism. The Sect also worshipped influential and powerful people in their life times like Confucius, William Shakespear, Victor Hugo, Joan of Arc, Sun Yat Sen, red face Kuan Kong, etc. Foreigners referred to Cao Dai Sect as One Eye God believers because under the ceiling of the main temple hung a globe with one big eye painted on it (picture 3).

We arrived early but other tourists were already there. We were not allowed at the prayer hall. An usher directed us upstairs to join the others to watch the prayer ceremony. At 12.00 noon sharp members of the sect walked orderly into the prayer hall. They put on colourful clothing in groups from white clothes novices to red clothes elders. We did not know what was going on as there was no guide or interpreter to explain to us. We watched for while and left after taking some pictures.

Picture 1 - outside main temple

Picture 2 - prayer hall with dragon pillars

Picture 3 - the One Eye Globe

Picture 4-6 members of the sect praying

Picture 7 - Single tower temple


Picture 8 - Twin tower temple