OSI - Sri Lanka
Holiday Camp
8-22 August 2007
To Wattegama - Tea Factory - Peradeniya Botanical Gardens - Dalada Maligawa - To Pamunugama
August
is a school-break month in Sri Lanka, and our Pamunugama and
Wattegama kids have the whole month off. About half of our kids are
taken by relatives for the holiday, leaving the remainder rather lonely
and glum, and the orphanages half empty. So this year, thanks to the
children's sponsors, we were able to initiate a first-ever exchange of our
Pamunugama and Wattegama kids, from one home to the other. From 8-15
August, all of our Pamunugama kids traveled to Wattegama where they joined
the Wattegama children, and together all children were treated to some
remarkable and educational excursions, provided by the generosity of some
very kind OSI donors. It was a great opportunity for the Pamunugama
children, coming from the coast, to see some remarkable historical and
natural sites in the interior of their beautiful island. Then from
15-22 August, we transferred all children to Pamunugama, where the
Wattegama children enjoyed their time away from home, and walks on beaches
that they rarely have the opportunity to visit. The exchange, the
week away from their homes, and the multiple activities and excursions
were a huge success and we saw many of the kids in a joyful new light that
we hadn't witnessed before. For this we are grateful to their kind
sponsors and our donors who allowed this to happen! Below are some
photos and more narrative of our wonderful two week "camp" and our time
together. Enjoy! (click on the photos for a larger image)
Leaving Pamunugama
8
August
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Leaving for their Wattegama Holiday
Our Pamunugama children, walking to the bus, wearing their best clothes for the trip; Amali, Nirosha V., and Nadeesha in the lead... |
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Headed to Wattegama
Stopping to buy boiled corn on the Colombo-Kandy Road... |
Tea Factory Excursion
11 August
Thanks to the kindness and generosity of Miguel Hererros and Santiago Ayerbe, visiting donors from Spain, our Wattegama children and their visiting Pamunugama friends enjoyed a beautiful one-hour ride from Wattegama straight up the surrounding hillside to the beautiful and cool tea estates of Panwila. After a breathtaking drive through rugged terrain and beautiful tea plantations, we arrived at a traditional Sri Lanka tea factory where the kids had a tour and left with their pockets clandestinely stuffed with tea. Sri Lanka (Ceylon) is famed for its tea, and besides the natural beauty of the countryside and education of the factory, it was wonderful for all of the kids to gain a better understanding of this part of their heritage.
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Tea Harvesters
Along the road near Panwila... |
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Tea Plantation
A remarkable scene with every bend of the road... |
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Drying Tea Leaves
Fresh leaves put on long screens, with heated air pushed through to dry them; Chamali and Malka M. in the lead... |
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Playing with the Tea
Chalika, Aruni Y., Nilanthika, Sandareka... |
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Grinding Tea Leaves
Rudimentary but effective equipment... |
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Children Watching
The various machines and staff at work... |
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Kind Factory Staff
With our friends... |
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Malkanthi and Champika
Wonderful views outside the factory... |
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Leaving the Factory
In a light shower, the usual climate in this up-country region... |
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Our Dear Friends
Miguel and Santiago provided our wonderful excursion; here posing in front of our colorful hired bus... |
Peradeniya Botanical Gardens
13 August
We are very grateful to Adele Fraser of the UK (Arunakanthi's sponsor) for providing a fantastic and full day for our Wattegama and Pamunugama kids. The first half of the day we spent at Piradeniya Botanical Gardens, near Kandy and about a 45-minute bus-ride from the Wattegama home. The Gardens are famous in Sri Lanka, and are outstanding in their own right. Created by the British in colonial times, the vast park-like setting is nearly surrounded by a loop of the Mahaweli River, and contains hundreds of species of beautiful trees and acres of beautiful flower-beds, laced throughout with quaint footpaths.
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Entering the Gardens
One of many long and scenic lanes... |
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Flower Gardens
Aruni Y. posing in the flower gardens... |
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Some Little Girls
Nilanthika, Chandrika, Shalika, and Chaturika, in their brightly-colored clothes... |
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Some Big Girls
Harshani K., Nadeeshani, Malka M., Indika, finding some shade... |
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Wandering Across the Green
A huge expanse of grass in the center of the gardens... |
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Little Chandrika In green grass... |
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A Shady Rest
Kids and staff, having a rest under the huge shade tree... |
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Leaving the Gardens
After our lovely 2 1/2 hour walk... |
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Lunch Pizza, ice-cream, and rest in Kandy's modern Pizza Hut... |
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Friends
Malkanthi and Seetha, relaxing after lunch... |
Dalada
Maligawa
13 August
After Peradeniya Gardens and lunch, we proceeded to the Dalada Maligawa (Tooth Temple) in Kandy, one of the most important historical and national monuments in Sri Lanka. It is an ancient and beautiful temple complex right in the center of Kandy, on the shore of the Kandy lake. Its significance in Sri Lanka is akin to that of Westminster Abbey to England or the Taj Mahal to India. As such it was a wonderful education for our children to visit this site, and the beauty of the place was equally worthwhile. Thanks again to Adele Fraser for providing this opportunity!
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Along Kandy Lake
Walking to the temple... |
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Dalada Maligawa
Arrival at the temple... |
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Crossing the Moat
Entering the temple compound; the moat is stocked with many large and colorful fish... |
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Amali
Sitting by the moat... |
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Fountain
Traditional washing before entering the temple; Deepika, Malani, Thakshila, Anita... |
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Inside the Temple The open-air architecture creates a wonderful atmosphere... |
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Inside the Temple
Champika, Arunakanthi, and Narmada... |
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Beautiful View from the Temple Grounds
Kandy Lake in the background... |
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Monk and Elephant
Inside the temple grounds... |
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Enjoying the Serenity
Malka M., Indika, Nadeeshani... |
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Leaving the Temple
Chamali, with the temple in the background... |
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Having a Rest
Amali, Malani, Seetha, and little Thakshila, at the fountain just outside the temple grounds... |
Back
to Pamunugama
15-22 August
After an event-filled week at Wattegama, all of our Wattegama and Pamunugama children were packed onto a bus for the 5-hour drive to Pamunugama. While their time away was wonderful, our Pamunugama children were happy to return home, while our Wattegama children were VERY happy to begin their holiday away from home. They spent the week just resting and playing, with walks on the nearby beach.
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On Pamunugama Beach
All of our Pamunugama and Wattegama children, posing together at sunset on the Pamunugama beach... |
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