The Saga of Dexter's
Journey to
As you will be aware, I was one of two people (the other being Merv Foot)
sent to
(Readers please note here, I am an Electronics Technician by trade, and am trained as a "trouble-shooter" to pick up on things that are not quite as they should be. My skills in this are enhanced by my nature - in common with many Virgos "I analyse". This sometimes, unfortunately, leads to frustration and less-than-clement moods and outlook when encountering obstinate, persistent, or serial difficulties.)
The journey out.
Merv picked me up in a taxi on the way to the Airport at Palmerston North
around
By the time the flight resumed in
The first Tuk-tuk ride, and that was something new! Exposed to the hazards
of traffic (not least the fumes!), and stopping off at various shops along the
way (and some out of the way), we were treated to a local
The shops are amazing - anything you could possibly want is there, but you
have to dig a bit to find cigarettes, particularly the Western brands. I'd
noted a tie in one of the shops in the
We spent most of the next day (Saturday 9th) in the Airport lounge, waiting
for our flight out at
We checked into the hotel for the night, and in the morning took a stroll along the foreshore. At this point, it’s a rocky coast and unsuitable for swimming, though further south it gets to sandy beaches. We chatted with a fellow who was a teacher for the Blind (and I think the Deaf too), and of course he soon made a pitch for a donation. Neither of us had any cash on us, so we left him with best wishes.
Our driver arrived a little later to take us to Panadura, and we checked into the hotel there (Villa Ocean View in Wadduwa, just to the south), then went back up to the installation at Moderawila to check the Plant. A cursory check showed only minor damage, all fixable, so we left it at that for the day and went sightseeing (see below).
Work.
Monday (11th) saw work proper begin on the Plant, with the side-task of sorting out who could speak English (or understand Newzild). Fortunately, there were people who could (both), with skills in all required areas, so we were able to communicate our ideas quite well. Still, getting things done promptly, fully and effectively was rare. There is a policy of "rob Peter to pay Paul", and the tropical "Mañana" lassitude is still there – if not in the immediate vicinity, then at a fairly close remove. Transport difficulties add to this, it being easier to make an item or make do with what is already lying around because it takes so much time to get to the suppliers and back. Ultimately, the end result is often inadequate and a trip to the supplier proves more fruitful and effective, but this is commonly only done as a last resort.
The Crew at Moderawila.
Rear (L to R): Lal, Welder; Myself; Nalinda,
Electrical/Electronics tech; Ajith, Electronics Engineer; Jayasiri,
Chief Technician; Ajantha, Design Engineer.
Front (L to R): Lal, Driver; Jayantha, Electrical tech; Samantha,
Assistant Technician; Srihan, (ex-)Chemical Engineer;
Roshan, Technician.
The plant "wetlines" were fairly quickly put in place, with the drip-trays underneath. These were lined with plastic sheeting as a temporary cure for the leaks, and the outflows taken individually to pour onto the ground outdoors. The inflow taps were stripped off the waste-gate assembly, as this and its associated purity sensor were (I hope only temporarily) ignored.
Water proved to be a problem: their existing supply was to a tank at about head-height, adequate only for hand-washing, and filled at night. The top of this tank is only about 2ft above the level of the faucet of the sink installed in the Plant, so as soon as this gets down a little the sink is useless. Hand-washing has been by Sunlight soap, which does not lather well in the type of water here. It took until late in my stay before I could convince them to supply some Rinso powder, and some decent-sized rags for hand-towels, but a demonstration of their effectiveness has, I think, convinced them. The Industrial Park at Moderawila is supplied with reticulated water, but only at night when domestic/ commercial use elsewhere is low. We overcame this by erecting a tower with another tank, but this still gave inadequate pressure and quantity for best operation of the Plant. It might perhaps serve in the interim, but will need serious attention before continuous operation is contemplated.
Lighting was another inadequacy: the high overhead sun plus wide eaves made for only indirect light, and a passing cloud could make visibility, particularly for detailed work, very tricky. The existing two 2ft fluorescent tubes were supplemented with another plus a 3ft tube, but this was still really not enough. Besides, one of the 2ft tubes was robbed to illuminate the inside of the N.C. Drill machine, leaving the main room back almost at scratch. Electrical outlets were at a premium, too, and extension cords used extensively! Some of these, and many appliance cords, were in extremely bad repair, and some I banned from the room. I cut the plug from one appliance (later fitting a halfway useable plug that was lying around), and in retrospect should have cut the outlet-box off one extension cord, for safety reasons. In fairness, the provision of extra outlets as required (including the 3-phase for the Plant proper) was prompt and efficient. Sri Lanka's 3-phase standards are similar to NZ, so a socket for the existing plug was readily available.
Tools were sparse: we managed to get by, but more than one person doing electrical work at a time was tricky. Our only hammer was an engineer’s ball-pein with a half-handle. I don’t think the message sunk in that maintenance and development (let alone operation) of the Plant would require a full set of good tools dedicated to the Plant alone.
The Control Cabinet was fairly quickly mounted on blocks at a height that allowed use of the existing air-inlet/outlet muffle-box. This also allowed plenty of room for wiring and plumbing to exit below the Cabinet. Before doing any wiring, we checked for safety and plugged into the 3-phase. First switch-on blew their circuit-breaker. A basic electrical check showed nothing amiss, so we tried again: same result. Closer inspection showed they were using an RCD or Earth-leakage type of breaker, and something clicked in my mind. NZ (and particularly the old Plant room) uses the MEN (Multiple-Earthed Neutral) system, and the Neutral is strapped to Earth in the Control cabinet. Removing the link there cured the trip-out, with no adverse safety ramifications.
The wiring was next, and the decision made to terminate at each line then extend to the cabinet. This proved necessary for all except the thermal sensors, and was fairly rapidly and smoothly accomplished once the proper style of termination box had been purchased. The comparator-box for the thermal sensors had developed a fault, which was quickly rectified, and a modification was made to accommodate PTC thermistors for the Etch tank. The existing thermistors had etched away due to acid spills, and the only readily available replacements were larger PTC units. Later, it was discovered that direct replacements for the originals were available, but this was too late for my efforts- it will need to be dealt with in my absence. One of the thermistors for the Reflow tank had gone high, so we disassembled, found the offender, and repaired it. There was micro-spot-welding available (better than here!) which made this easy. A duplicate was made for the "hockey-stick" sensor for the indirectly-heated tanks, and this was welcome for the "too-hot" sensing. One of the sparging-line taps had broken away at the supply pipe: the hole was patched over and the tap fitted elsewhere. The filter-pumps were quite straightforward, though one filter’s priming-button had to be re-manufactured. The air compressor in the cabinet had to be serviced, as the oil had drained from the sump in transit. The inlet fitting had to be re-made also, and this took three attempts (two at repair, and in desperation a complete re-make).
The N.C Drill’s concrete block had shifted in transit, and had semi-demolished the front of its cabinet. An attempt was made to refurbish the glass door on-site, but this failed so the parts were sent to Colombo. The specialists made a really good job of it, and cracks in the counter-weight mounting bars were welded. The cabinet was mostly repairable, though the front tray remains a little rickety. I had to re-trace the wiring behind the computer unit, though the rest of the Drill’s reassembly was easy and uneventful.
Compressed air proved the next obstacle: there was a compressor already in place, in the Plant-room, used in a small room next-door for spray-painting (primer for their powder-coating process I think). This, however, proved to have too little capacity for the N.C. Drill. A larger unit is evidently available, and both will eventually be housed outdoors (and even further soundproofed, I hope!).
Accommodation.
Villa Ocean View is a beachfront hotel, perhaps not the most opulent, but certainly good value for money for the Western visitor. It has almost all one could wish for - swimming pools, bars, shops, Ayurvedic Health Centre... The rooms are good: the main wing has three floors of double-bed rooms, and there are cabin-rooms (Motel-style, I assume) as well. The staff are friendly, and very approachable, with most having quite good English (and German) speaking and comprehension skills.
The "street" leading to the hotel from the main highway (Galle Road) was little more than a cart-track, with foot-deep pot-holes and lined by high walls, until the railway line. The crossing is uncontrolled - well, very few "country" crossings are, but by NZ standards this was still "suburbs"! Straight ahead after the crossing is a true cart-track to the beach, but the road proper turns right (North) parallel to the rail. This is better-surfaced, but still has pot-holes (not so deep perhaps), and is still quite narrow, certainly we would consider it single-lane. There are piles of shingle alongside the railway, crowding the road against the high wall of the Hotel. There were a couple of shops the other side of the rail, obviously targeted at the tourists as there was no road that side. Just outside the Hotel gate, there was a clear spot beside the rail where there were a couple of the Bajaj tuk-tuks parked. This seemed to be usual, with an occasional tourist taking a "Tiki-tour by tuk-tuk".
When we first arrived, Merv and I were assigned rooms on the third floor of the main wing. From the front (individual) balcony we could catch a glimpse or two of the ocean through the palm trees, and the rear balcony/walkway overlooked the road-gate, the railway line (and the few shops beyond), the small shopping complex inside the grounds, and the Badminton court. The cooling-tower/tank for the air-conditioning was tucked into the southeast corner beyond this. Again, at eye-level, the palm-tree tops.
There was not much printed matter in the rooms - we were fairly much left to find things out for ourselves. We had to ask for our mini-bars to be unlocked, and for remote controls for the TV (good, large-screened modern sets). Investigation showed laundry bags in the closets, with order sheets, and these were put out in the morning and laundry returned in the evening (unless difficult, which none of mine was).
As is to be expected, when one is in a different country, not all is to the standard it could be. Here, as in many other places, maintenance was minimal. There are Maintenance staff, yes, but they have little or no English, and show very little initiative, even once directed by their Manager who can speak it well. My first difficulty was with the bath: between it and the surrounding tiles, the grouting was old and cracked. It had been sealed with silicone sealant, but this was old too: some was completely gone (though I could see where it had been), and more had lifted away. This meant that, when I took a shower, some water leaked down the side, under the bath, and out onto the floor where it pooled right beside the toilet. I got a wet foot when I went to the toilet on the first night. I explained to the Manager, he got the maintenance man in, I showed him the problem and thought it would be fixed. Not quite. Yes, some more sealant was applied, but only where there was no old sealant, and then not behind the taps (I had shown only the side, perhaps?). The next night there was the same problem. I pointed this out to the Manager, and more sealant was applied. No more wet feet. Next difficulty was the air-conditioning. I'd started feeling quite cool in the room, and after a few days developed quite a Cold. This, I knew from previous experience, could have been from frequent transits through heavily air-conditioned space. I checked the control. It seemed to operate about 22.5 degrees C, so I set it about 21 and left it a while. Returning to check, it still worked around 22.5 even though the room was tangibly cooler. I turned it off and opened the door, and after a while checked again. Still 22.5 in a considerably warmer room. I called the Manager and explained, he said "we don't have A/C problems", but sent a Technician anyway. He gave a cursory check but did nothing, and I was left with a non-responsive sensor. Next I noticed that there was water dribbling down the closet doors. Boy, was I glad I was still living out of the suitcase! Once again the Tech was called, and he cleaned it up. He did not seem to take on board the possibility that this could have been condensation from the pipes due to continuous operation. I continued to live out of the suitcase, and was glad I did: further dribbles occurred, and were cleaned up as before, with the addition of a good crop of mould around the top cupboard door. At this stage (after one week), I asked for a different room. They put me down on the ground floor, right next to the "New Bar" and closest to the foyer. I welcomed this latter, as my knee was very sore (see Sightseeing), but the former meant drumming bass from the music next door. I tolerated this through the rest of the stay. The move also meant a fresh round of wet foot syndrome, cured by my removing all the old sealant before getting the bath-edge re-sealed. I also had no better response from the A/C sensor, leaving it set just above trigger-point (again around 23 C), and tolerating the room being a bit warmer than I'd have liked. I think the fan in the unit operated at this setting, though the cooling was not working.
Part of the accommodation arrangement was for cut lunches to be supplied for both of us, but this did not seem to be taken as a regular feature. We had to ask several times, and I think my no-red-meat dietary restriction complicated matters. The lunches we got were good, though there were sausages provided most days. I did not enquire, but towards the end of my stay began to suspect that they were vegetarian (perhaps Soy-based). I just passed them on to one of the other workers at lunch (usually Ajith, as I recall) - the remainder was quite sufficient, as energy was not required just to keep warm as in NZ. Between bottled water and Coca-cola at lunch, fluids were well supplied.
The meals at the Hotel were excellent, set out Buffet-style, and the selection varied. Each night of the week is set up to a theme, and there are dishes (and decorations) that correspond, as well as a few constants. All preparation is with purified water, as befits an International establishment, so there are no health worries. Linen and cutlery were spotless, and apart from the odd grain of wind-blown or trampled sand so were the floors. Service was tastefully attentive, and the waiting-staff well-trained and friendly. Here again, maintenance (or lack of) showed a little: some of the decorations showed some damage, and the (ancient) toaster, which occasionally "ate" the bread, got its chains out-of synch. The former seemed to have been that way for some time, and the latter took a couple of days to get attention. I also saw one of the Managers fiddling with the mains cord for the urn, and this (cord) seemed well into its dotage. The hours worked by the staff here are tremendous! 20-hour days and 6-day weeks seem not uncommon, though with decent stretches of break reasonably often. Not much chance for a social life out in the real world.
Security personnel work long hours, too: 12-hour shifts, 6 days. There are several on duty at any time: one at the beach, one roaming, one at the gate (at least). There are others at the gate, too, to record names and vehicle numbers as they come and go (security such as this is common, and present at both the Moderawila and main Panadura Complexes of I-E Technics).
Amateur Radio.
I had thought I might like to operate Amateur Radio while in
On arrival at the Hotel in Wadduwa, I plugged in the rig and resolved to do some listening in the interim. My hastily-constructed "slim-jim" antenna enabled me to hear one repeater (of the two on 2 metres), but there was little activity, and I was far too tired in the evenings to persist for long: sleep claimed me by about 9pm each evening. Together with Ajith I visited Calvin one evening, and found he'd been too busy with overseas commitments, and had not forwarded my documents. I resolved to visit the authorities in Colombo in person. Events conspired to put me there on Monday 14th, first visiting the Hospital to have my knee X-rayed after the fall near Kandy (see Sightseeing, The first weekend, below). The officials at the Telecom Regulatory Commission informed me that nothing would have been done inside four months at any rate, so operation was not permitted. The full requirements are appended to the end of this 'travelogue', two pages' worth!
As you may note (Instructions, 4), there is no option of letter certifying good character: one MUST have a Polic [sic] clearance certificate! Note also the time requirement in the RSSL's page of instructions: the two months quoted there are a minimum. In fact, if you have less than 4 months' notice of your journey, don't even consider applying. This is NOT the fault of the the Telecom Regulatory Commission, they have to pass it through the Military (due to the general security alert), and this goes through their Intelligence service. You might even find yourself under slight scrutiny by the Police both before and during your stay. Personally, I don't know why they bother: Radio Amateurs are internationally known as being of good character anyway, the self-regulation of the Ham fraternity quickly expels any falling short. Most if not all will take operation in another country as Ambassadorial duty and be on their best behaviour in any case. Still, each country has its own concerns, and "when in Rome..."
I had enjoyed the evening with Calvin, and Ajith offered me a visit to his
place. We managed this during that (second) week, and I thoroughly enjoyed
sitting in on a conversation with another Ham only a few miles away. The road
Ajith lives on is not only pot-holed and narrow, in common with most others,
but is also steep! Getting in and out of the gate in the van was a major
exercise! Ajith had constructed, and was in process of erecting, a 5-element
Yagi antenna which he hoped would give him reliable coverage into South India -
I hope this is successful.
Sightseeing.
The first day: South.
On our first full day in Sri Lanka, after a brief inspection of the Plant, we went sightseeing. Our driver, as for much of our stay, was Lal, and we travelled in the 4WD van he is assigned to drive. We went south, and the first stop was a nearby Buddhist monastery/school ("Viharaya"). This gave an idea of much of the traditional teaching in the country: open-air or in open-sided shelters, and all in Singhala. A previous regime had prohibited instruction in English, and this as much as anything has contributed to Sri Lanka's lag in international participation. Major schools now teach English, but these mainly in the Cities. Lal, I suspect, is a "country boy" - his English is good for such, and we didn't have too much difficulty, though we had to take time occasionally.
On South again we went to Kalutara, where there is a massive Stupa or "Bodhi". The main feature of these is the dome, but there is also a square base, and a spire. This particular one is distinctive, in that it is essentially hollow: most are solid, some contain a holy relic or two. Here there is a smaller stupa inside, with fairly large Buddha-statues (rupas) at the Cardinal points around that, and open floor to the perimeter. Large windows all around give good views of the nearby river, bridge (one parks to the north side and walks across to the Bodhi), and town, and above these are a series of pictures depicting the life (historical and "mythical") of the Buddha. The atmosphere is quite reverential, even with the occasional child testing the echoes with chirping voice and slapping feet. Families and individuals come regularly to worship, and though occasionally there would be major festivals, etc., it is open almost continually for this. There are four trees at the corners of the base outside: one is the "Bo" tree, or sapling generated from the original tree under which the Buddha was sitting when he attained his Enlightenment. This has its own separate shrine, and this arrangement can be seen throughout the country at random intervals along any road: a Bo-tree with a shrine beneath it. Not all such shrines are Buddhist: the tree is also sacred to the Hindu, and even most Buddhist shrines will have one of its Cardinal shrines a Hindu one. Also in the courtyard here, as at other major Bodhis, is a rack of cupped-Bo-leaf-shaped oil lamps: one may light a lamp to symbolise the wish for Enlightenment. Some of the major Bodhis also have a wall-slot or two by the roadside entrance for donations from passing travellers, who will often offer a brief prayer as well for safe travels.
Further south, and we finally got a glimpse or two of the Jungle in between houses. Just after the road crossed the rail, we stopped where some children were at play. There was a clear space to the beach, and there were a few fishing-boats drawn up on the sand. These are large tree-trunks hand-hewn, with sides up to a few feet high lashed to the top edges and caulked. They often have outriggers attached, of similar construction though smaller, and these outriggers can be used as boats in their own right, with plain log outriggers. While beached, they are covered with palm-frond thatching: two fronds, one on top of the other but end-for-end, and the long leaves woven. This construct can often be seen thatching the roofs (and often the sides as well) of squatters' huts and temporary construction workshops (as indeed is the case at Moderawila, where I-E Technics is constructing a new Warehouse). Near where we stopped was a rudimentary sawmill with men at work there. Merv took a few pictures, as this was the level of technology his grandfather would have worked with. Amongst the trees around were a number of coconut palms. This is not unusual - they are everywhere! - but these ones were lashed together with double ropes, and there was a man up the tops, moving from tree to tree via these ropes, harvesting coconuts. His companion on the ground was cutting off the tops and collecting the milk, probably for fermenting into a strong liquor.
Further South again is the town of Beruwala, with its fishing port. We were escorted by a port official, and though he did not wear any uniform he seemed to be well-respected in the community: a few words from him, some to other bystanders, quelled a minor scuffle as we were passing – I think he said there were Tamil issues involved. The fleet here seems to be fairly modern, with western-style trawlers mostly. The communications room had a really ancient rig sitting there, but off to one side was the active rig – a modern solid-state affair. The main road into the port from the North was blocked, with a bridge under construction, so we walked from there. We could perhaps have gone into the town and then back out, but the "slice of life" we saw, including some men in a wayside shanty cadging money for drink, was worth the walk.
Road travel in Sri Lanka is an education! The main roads are mostly about the size of our secondaries, with smooth surface (not chip), and a lot of bumps. There is not much space either side, either, and pedestrians (lots of them) stray out to about 1/3 across at times. Herds of cows stray wherever they like, and so do dogs. The cattle are usually the unproductive beasts, just left to roam. I didn’t see packs of dogs, just lots of them. There’s likely to be an occasional ox-cart, with wheels up to about 5ft diameter flopping about 1ft at the tops, and likewise an occasional working elephant with its mahouts (one riding, one leading) and hauling-chains around its neck. Farmers’ land-tractors are frequent: when not used for paddy-fields, they remove the tines from their rotary cultivator, hitch a trailer to it, and use it like a tractor. If they want to turn across the road, they just do it – no looking behind, just turn! Two years ago, bull-bars were outlawed, so you’ve just got to stop and let them go, a minute or so to get across (or so it seems). Road rules? What road rules? The tuk-tuks are smaller than in Thailand, most of them Bajaj. They look like modified Vespa motor-scooters, and I wouldn’t mind a Rupee (about 35/$NZ) for each on the road – there are thousands of them, and their philosophy is: if there’s a gap, take it! With all this slower traffic, and its intrusiveness, country driving averages about 20km/hr. Utes, cars, vans, buses and trucks try to go faster, many of them belching fumes, but the only ones to really succeed are the Police in their 4WD utes, and tour-buses. These have to be the most powerful vehicles on the road: I would not be surprised to see them wheel-spin! Public-transport buses can be very decrepit – it’s not uncommon to see them with collapsed springs (usually the Left ones, and often both front and rear), leaning like the Tower of Pisa and creeping along at 20km/hr maximum. They are often crammed 3 people to each 2-seat side, double-row standing in the aisles, and people hanging out the door! To let off passengers, many just stop, not even bothering to pull over for other traffic (and sometimes unable to do so anyway!). Sometimes they don’t even do that, only slowing so someone can drop off and another run and leap on!
Housing is somewhat different here, too. The suburban street will be one-lane, with occasional room for two cars to pass, and lined by walls 6-8ft high with broken glass on top. The houses behind will be largely brick or block, and in varying stages of decay. Floors here are likely to be tile, and this is very pleasant to walk on in these tropical temperatures. The living/dining-room is likely to be quite large, particularly in the more affluent home, which is likely to be two-storey. Squatters’ huts are quite common, particularly out in the country but also on any unused space in the cities and towns. These will be dirt-floor, sawmill-slab walls, and palm-frond thatch roof, and optional brick fireplace/chimney. Not all such squatters are really poor – city squatters are likely to have land in the country, and use their city squats as stopovers while in the city on business (frequently timber/logging/sawmilling, or produce sales). There are piles of refuse all over the place, no matter whether in City, Town or Country! I suspect the local authorities leave them there so they reach ‘critical mass’ and accumulate no further, figuring that if they clean them up it will only encourage further random dumping.
We did not go further south, though if we had there would have been the Fort at Galle (pronounced "gall" as in bladder), which seems fairly major and spectacular by the postcards I saw.
The first weekend: Kandy.
The first weekend (Merv’s only: he returned to New Zealand during the next), we went to Kandy, accompanied by Lal (our regular driver), Nalinda (electrical/electronics technician), and Jayasiri, one of the project managers. We had worked the Saturday morning (as was usual for them), and started about 2pm after lunch back at the Hotel. As mentioned before, factor about 20km/hr: 6 hours from Colombo for 120km, most of it in intense fume from other vehicles. We followed one ute up a hill, barely able to see it in broad daylight! It backed off at the top, which gave us opportunity to pass, and as we did it accelerated again, and two-foot flames issued from the tailpipe as it burned out the accumulated soot!
An amusing feature of the journey was several towns selling almost exclusively one product! There was Cadjugama. Cadju = Cashew, and there was 1km or more of stalls by the roadside, with pretty girls waving down motorists saying "Buy from me!" There was Radawadunna, with again 1km or more of cane furniture, Belumahara for pineapples, and Molagoda and Nittambuwa for clay pots.
In the evening, and nearing Kandy, our guides needed a comfort-stop, so they pulled up just past a hotel at Kadugannawa. While stopped there, before they reversed back, I saw a music-shop across the road, so went to investigate. It was a repair-shop, with old instruments and new in various stages of repair (or even possibly manufacture!). When the others returned, they called me back to the van, and as I turned to go I stepped down off the steps I had been standing on, and dropped straight down a deep drain! It was hip-deep, as I still have the bruise on my right hip three weeks later, but that was not the worst. My left foot had remained up on the step, about 2ft above drain-top, and I had severely wrenched my left knee. I knew it was fairly major, as I took a few minutes to get some mobility back, but hadn’t reckoned on delayed shock. I got into the van, and made some comment about "the adventure continues", then apparently hyperventilated and went unconscious. I recall in the rush of sounds assaulting me hearing a familiar voice saying "Dexter, are you alright?" over several times: it was Merv, and his voice was a lifeline! After another few minutes’ calming down again, I discovered I’d wet my pants. I let the rest out on the roadside (not an uncommon sight to see a man doing so, even with young ladies passing nearby!), and then took a walk to exercise the knee again.
On arrival in Kandy, we stopped at the travellers’ wall and made a donation. I went inside for a small peek. We had to ask directions to the hotel we’d booked, and had to engage the 4WD to get up the hill (though a tour bus managed the feat!). I had not packed fresh trousers, so washed mine in the shower. In the morning, and with my trousers still a bit damp, it was off to the sights – well, some of them: some required more climbing and walking than my knee would allow, so we were a little curtailed. First was the large Buddha-Rupa overlooking the City. There was a bit of a climb there, but I managed OK, and it was well worth the effort. It's massive! The knees alone must be about 15-20ft high, and there is a small shrine (a bit tatty) at the back. I managed the climb OK, though, and was thoroughly inspired! The view over the City is really good, too. We noticed the electrical system on the floodlight-poles: exposed wires and perished insulation all over the show, it's a wonder there aren't (or perhaps there are - we didn't ask) some monkeys killed from this, or even tourists!
Buddha-Rupa on hilltop overlooking Kandy. Hilltop Hotel is
large building at 10 o'clock from His head.
Coming down from this, we visited the Temple of the Tooth. The security here was incredible! It seems there was a big suicide-truck-bombing here recently, with a fair amount of damage and a number of deaths. The Army has blocked the road for about 200 metres each side of the Temple, which means that access form one part of the City to the other is re-routed around the other side of Kandy Lake (quite picturesque, and about the size of Hamilton Lake). We managed to find a park in Temple Lane, just outside the barricades. Access to the Temple is only gained after passing through three checkpoints: a metal-scanning arch, a wand-scan, and a frisk. It's worth it, though. Once inside, there's a winding climb through the building to the vault. It's currently housed in a circular pavilion at the front of the main building, but there is a new pavilion being built further inside the complex and this is passed on the way to the present one. This new pavilion has a solid 24-carat gold roof (I did not enquire the thickness of the gilding on the tiles). There are horns and drums playing in front of the vault. It seems they play for three minutes, then take one minute off, and the rhythm changes. Despite the (to Western ears) cacophony, there is a sense of reverence here that can almost be felt. There is a small square of floor set aside for those who wish to sit a few moments in contemplation, and I took this opportunity (despite pain from my knee), marvelling that I was sitting only a few metres away from a tooth taken from the funeral pyre of the Buddha of this era some 2,500 years ago.
Temple of the Tooth, Kandy. Presently in circular pavilion in front, new
pavilion behind with golden roof. Security measures would be just outside this
frame.
On emerging from the Temple, we took a walk along the shore of Kandy Lake, and then a drive around it to its head, where there is a small green where some locals were playing a short-form of cricket: one set of stumps and a bat, with a tennis ball (just like the beach in NZ!). The lake is almost like the Avon River in Christchurch - there is no real beach, just the grass sloping steeply to the water. It has its share of modern visual pollution, plastic bottles and paper scraps amongst the tree-leaves and limbs, but this did not seem excessive given proximity to the City. There are boats for hire, and probably guided trips as well. There were a few cormorants swimming and drying themselves around the banks.
Beside Kandy Lake: (L to R) Nalinda, Myself, Merv, Jayasiri.
Another beside Kandy Lake: (L to R) Nalinda, Myself, Merv, Lal.
We returned to the Hotel (Hilltop) for lunch, and I had an Ayurvedic massage for my knee. It seemed to help a little, some of the stiffness went but it was still painful to walk.
On the long drive back to Colombo, we spotted some old steamrollers and road-making gear alongside the road at ? (sorry, can't recall the name of the place), and Merv took some photos. We also detoured to an Elephant Orphanage where solitary elephants are brought in from the jungle and either trained for work (this takes about 2 years) or used in a breeding programme, then returned to the jungle when large enough to cope for themselves. We stopped for a meal at a roadhouse just after the junction of the road from Anuradhapura (we'd stopped there on the way up, too). It seems there are a few well-known and trusted eating-houses for Westerners maintained by the Ceylon Hotels Board. This one consisted of two establishments: on one side the Rest Home (Private Hotel), and on the other the restaurant/take-aways. As we neared Colombo, and with evening approaching, we spotted flocks of bats! We had noted some around the Hotel in Wadduwa, but not flocks like this. They are fruit bats, about the size of seagulls, and feed morning and evening around 6am/pm. The sight of these reminded me that I'd not seen sea-birds: it might be the wrong season for the migrations.
The second weekend: Anuradhapura.
The next weekend, Mr. Cooray asked what I’d like to do or see, and I
remarked that I’d heard
The
Stupa at
We returned to the hotel for lunch, then began the journey back to
And now, the saga of the return journey:
I had spent Friday (27th) as a full day of work, running a dummy board
through the Plant to ensure all processes were in place. This actually took
through to nearly
On arrival at
While the Porter watched over my suitcase, I investigated the Bookshop for
something to read while travelling. There was the usual Fiction and Non-Fiction
(which I'm not particularly interested in), and only Isaac Asimov's
Science-Fiction works, most of which I've read already. There was NO
Science-Fantasy, or indeed any Fantasy at all, and this is what I prefer for
travelling. Well, this was probably to be expected - I had not seen any such in
any of the few bookshops I'd looked at in
I needed to go to the toilet, so went up in the lift to the Restaurant floor. The toilets were Western-style, which was good, and probably to be expected for an International facility. There were three cubicles. One was occupied, the second had someone else's leavings still in it and would not flush. The attendant somehow managed to flush this at about the same time I sat on the third, and found it had no toilet-paper. When I pointed this out to him, he produced a damp handful of sheets of paper that looked like they had been used for wiping down the sink-tops, with an expression on his face as if to say "You can have some of these, but I've got to pay for them myself". I was highly annoyed, and went to the counter (downstairs again) and complained to the Manager. He was quite gracious about it, promising to deal with it promptly, but the Airport's reputation had already been destroyed in my experience.
Once through the initial check-in, I joined a queue for passport-check. There were two families ahead of me, and the one being attended to seemed to be having difficulties. My knee, by this time, was getting very sore, so I sat on the floor to wait. The difficulties resolved eventually, the clerk behind the counter departed, leaving the rest of the queue to find other queues. I was livid, and slapped my papers down on the counter saying "Deal to this, I've had enough!" Another clerk came over and dealt with it - once again quite graciously and efficiently. I managed to calm down a little.
That formality completed, I looked around. There was a Duty-Free shop to one side, with cigarettes, perfumes, drinks, etcetera, so I went over and asked for two packs of Benson and Hedges. "Oh no", said the young lady behind the counter, "you have to go upstairs." This put me well on the way to anger again - a Westerner expects that a booth with goods for sale and an attendant will actually SELL you something! I went upstairs...
Mr. Cooray had said the Gift Shop upstairs would sell me postcards - I'd forgotten to buy some at the Hotel in Wadduwa - so I went there first. I'd also forgotten to buy a Buddha-figure, so I looked for them. All I found were very small, none in Ebony. Somewhat disappointed, I looked for the postcards. The selection was considerably less than at Wadduwa: there wasn't one of Avkhana (which was obscured by scaffolding when we visited). I decided to wait a little while and consider whether to buy. A little later, I returned to buy, picked the ones I wanted, and looked for the attendant. No-one there. I went to the stall next-door, and the attendant there could not find anyone to take the purchase, so I sat down (against a pillar) to wait. Ten minutes later there was still no attendant, so I pocketed the cards and left. I dislike dishonesty in any form, and am not proud of this, but I was NOT going to leave without SOME reminder of my travels!
When the flight was called and I got through to the Gate lounge, I sat down.
The next person to sit down, very obligingly, rocked the seat and in the
process jolted me! This was, I suppose, only to be expected - after all, one of
the lasting impressions of
I was in the last bus to leave for the aircraft out on the tarmac, but I was the first one on it, and got a seat!
The flight to
By the time I got to
Back at Bangkok Airport, I went through check-in and Customs, and looked
around the Duty-free, and suddenly remembered the cigarettes I'd bought in
Colombo... they were back in the Hotel! The airport staff tried their best to
recover them for me, and this was much appreciated, but it would have cost more
than buying a new lot, so I changed some of my $NZ and bought again. I then
looked around for a Buddha-figure. There were NONE! There were a few of the
"jolly fat China-man" which people insist on calling a Buddha, but
none of the delightful figures with the "spire of consciousness" that
are available in the City. I wonder - is there a Law in
The remainder of the journey home was uneventful, with the efficiency of
Thai Airways and Air New
On return home, all was as I had left it, though I could not get into the
garage to get to my car. The friend I had left in charge had put a padlock on the
door, and had taken all three keys home with him (20km or so out in the
country). A phone call, and he drove in and we got that all sorted, then it was
a welcome blessing to slip into my own bed, and resume routine in the
morning...
Retrospect:
It is now three weeks since I returned to
My knee is largely healed, though an occasional twinge lets me know it's not yet at full strength. I can manage a small jog, and can take stairs two-at-a-time, but I still take care getting in and out of cars.
I have sent a number of emails, and some materials, to I-E Technics, but have had little response. I begin to wonder how often they check, but then recall that Internet-connected computers are not always to hand and work pressure might be precluding time to get there and send replies. Still, I live in hope.
Christmas is less than a week away, so perhaps I'd better close and get this printed - there are quite a few people interested in reading, and some have seen fragments.
Merry Christmas, all, and a prosperous New Year in 1999!
Appendices follow: one page from RSSL website, and two from Telecom in
Information for
foreign Radio Amateurs who wish to operate from
Your application
together with the following support documents should be
forwarded to the
Director General of Telecommunications, Telecom Regulatory
Commission of Sri
Lanka, 276, Elvitigala Mawatha,
94-1-689341) at least
two months before your arrival in
* A letter
requesting permission to operate in
local address from
where you hope to operate and the duration of your
stay.
* A copy of your local
license ( Please note no Novice class licenses
are ....... only
General class and Advanced class)
* A Police report from
your local Police Office failing which any
document to certify
your good character etc.
* Two guaranters from
Sri Lanka (not necessary to be hams)
* Technical
specifications of the equipment you hope to operate.
* Two passport size
photographs.
Note:
The application
received by the Director General of Telecommunications is
checked and forwarded
to Ministry of Defence whose permission is required
to issue a license.
This process takes time and hence earlier the better
one could foward the
application. Once the Defence clearance is received by
the DGT, the applicant
is informed.
If everything is
OK, the license is issued on your arrival and after the
applicant submit the
general license form in duplicate with the license fee
of Rupees 500.
The callsign
allocated to foreigners have a three letter suffix with the
last letter 'G' to
indicate a guest operator.
File No : ..................
OFFICE OF THE
DIRECTOR GENERAL OF TELECOMMUICATION -
Application for issue/Renewal of Guest Radio Licence
(Period of validity
............ to ..........)
(1) Name of Applicant in full (BLOCK LETTERS) :
(2) Postal Address in Home Country. :
(3) Nationality :
(4) Passport No. and country of issue :
(5) Profession :
(6) (a) Date of birth ................. (b) Age :
(7) Whether you possess visitor's permit or Residence permit :
(8) Previous Amateur Radio Licence in Sri Lanka :
(9) The resident Address in Sri Lanka with telephone number :
(10) Period of stay in Sri Lanka : From ........... To .................
(11) Whether you possess
an amateur radio licence issued by the Radio Regulatory
Division of the
Telecommunication Administration of your home country; ifsso,
(a) Class of licence :
(b) Bands of Operation :
(c) The call sign allocated :
(d) Country of issue :
(e) Date of Issue :
(f) Date of Expiry :
(12)
|
Type of Station |
Location of Station or Registration |
Number of |
|
Base/Fixed |
|
|
|
Mobiles |
|
|
|
Portables/Handhelds |
|
|
|
Additional |
|
|
(13) TECHNICAL DETALLS
OF EOUIPMENT (photocopies of technical specifications
of equipment should be
furnished)
|
Equipment |
Make & Model |
Serial No. |
Tx Power |
Additional |
Class of |
|
Base/Fixd |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mobiles |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Portable/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Additional |
|
|
|
|
|
(14) Supplementary Information :
Ido hereby declare
that the infromation funished above is complete,true
and correct to the best
of my knowledge and agree to observe Sri Lanka rules and
regulations concerning
Amateur Radio Service.
Signature of Applicant .............
Date :.............. Name of Applicant :.................
____________________________________________________________________________________
(INSTRUCTIONS)
Plese submit following
with your application
1. Photocopy of the
Amateur Radio Licence of the home country.
2. Photocopies of
Technical specifications of equipment.
3. Two (02) passport size
photographs.
4. Polic clearance
certificate from the country of origin.
5. Letters from two
local referees.
____________________________________________________________________________________
(FOR OFFICE USE ONLY)
(1) Amount Paid
(2) General Receipt No .................. dated ..........................
(3) Licence No : ...................
(4) Date of Issue/Renewal of licence : ...........................
(5) Observations/Remarks
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21 September 1999.
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