Sunday 13th
Today was our last day in Kandy and we got up early and headed on to a southern coastal town near Galle called Hikkaduwa. The drive took 8 hours. On the way we stopped for lunch at a resort called Bluewater Resort. It is situated on the coast, about half way between Colombo and Galle. We then continued onto Hikkaduwa and on the way saw the devastating effects of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Many of the coastal houses have been reduced to ruins, and we were taken to the local train station where they have kept a train which was destroyed in the tsunami. It is reported that 1270 people were killed at the train station, while on a train or waiting to board one. We then arrived at the hotel which we will be staying for the next few days, called Amaya Reef. This is a beachfront hotel which too was affected by the tsunami.
Tuesday 15th
After a rest day on Monday which involved playing cricket with some locals on the beach, we headed on a bus trip to see sights around Hikkaduwa and Galle. Our first stop was to the newly built MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) Centre for Excellence. This site was originally set up as a contained village to house the less fortunate in the region, which was unfortunately reduced to ruin after the tsunami struck. Funding was then provided by the MCC to build a new centre which would be used to educate the young people in the region who were directly impacted by the tsunami. Further funding was provided to a local school to rehabilitate their oval into a fantastic cricket oval.
Today was our last day in Kandy and we got up early and headed on to a southern coastal town near Galle called Hikkaduwa. The drive took 8 hours. On the way we stopped for lunch at a resort called Bluewater Resort. It is situated on the coast, about half way between Colombo and Galle. We then continued onto Hikkaduwa and on the way saw the devastating effects of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Many of the coastal houses have been reduced to ruins, and we were taken to the local train station where they have kept a train which was destroyed in the tsunami. It is reported that 1270 people were killed at the train station, while on a train or waiting to board one. We then arrived at the hotel which we will be staying for the next few days, called Amaya Reef. This is a beachfront hotel which too was affected by the tsunami.
Tuesday 15th
After a rest day on Monday which involved playing cricket with some locals on the beach, we headed on a bus trip to see sights around Hikkaduwa and Galle. Our first stop was to the newly built MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) Centre for Excellence. This site was originally set up as a contained village to house the less fortunate in the region, which was unfortunately reduced to ruin after the tsunami struck. Funding was then provided by the MCC to build a new centre which would be used to educate the young people in the region who were directly impacted by the tsunami. Further funding was provided to a local school to rehabilitate their oval into a fantastic cricket oval.After visiting the MCC Centre for Excellence we drove into Galle to see some of the many tourist sites. Our first stop was the Dutch fort which spans a great distance across the southern coastline of Galle. According to our tour guide, it was established over 400 years ago during European settlement. From the fort you can see right across the city of Galle and far into the Indian Ocean. It is quite a remarkable structure yet poor management has left its mark on the sight, with rubbish lying around in many places, beggars on many corners, and structural damage evident. While visiting the fortress we drove past the cricket stadium in Galle which was also destroyed by the tsunami. Over time funding has seen this ground rehabilitated into one of the better cricket stadiums in Sri Lanka.
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