Category Archives: travelogue

Alongside Turtles at Unawatuna Beach in Southern Lanka

Michael Roberts

The Thuppahi item on the turtle nursey at Rekawa along the southern coast of Sri Lanka …… https://thuppahis.com/2024/10/24/the-turtle-nursery-at-rekawa-in-southern-sri-lanka/#more-85722 …… has revived two inspiring ‘moments’ when I had ‘brushes’ with a turtle. Both indelible experiences which are etched in my mind’s pictorial eye took place at the Unawatuna beach about four miles east of Galle town – a popular tourist beach on the other side of the Buona Vista peninsula that constitutes the eastern ‘front’ of Galle harbour.

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The Question Mark — It’s Intriguing History

Wikipedia

The question mark ? (also known as interrogation pointquery, or eroteme in journalism[1]) is a punctuation mark that indicates a question or interrogative clause or phrase in many languages.

History =  In the fifth century, Syriac Bible manuscripts used question markers, according to a 2011 theory by manuscript specialist Chip Coakley: he believes the zagwa elaya (“upper pair”), a vertical double dot over a word at the start of a sentence, indicates that the sentence is a question.[2][3]

8th century punctus interrogativus from the Godescalc Evangelistary. (BnF NAL 1203, f. 6v.)

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A “City of Dreams” in the Centre of Colombo

A = Item in Booking.com

Set in Colombo, 700 metres from Galle Face Beach, Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams offers accommodation with a restaurant, free private parking and a bar. The property is around 2.5 km from Bambalapitiya Beach, 2.3 km from Khan Clock Tower and 4.7 km from Bambalapitiya Railway Station. The accommodation provides a 24-hour front desk, airport transfers, room service and free WiFi throughout the property. All guest rooms at the hotel feature air conditioning and a safety deposit box. A buffet, continental or Italian breakfast is available every morning at the property. Popular points of interest near Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams include Kollupitiya Beach, One Galle Face and Colombo City Centre Shopping Mall.

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Sigiriya: A Stupendous Citadel …..

Mahil Wijesinghe in the Sunday Observer, 13 October 2024 where the title runs “The Stupendous Citadel of Sigiriya”

After visiting the Dambulla rock cave temple, our next destination was Sigiriya, the 5th Century rock citadel, containing ruins of palace complex built by King Kasyapa (4774-4795 CE), has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The sight is stupendous even today: a massive monolith of red stone rises 600 feet from the green scrub jungle to accentuate the lucid blue of the sky. How overpowering, then, this rock fortress of Sigiriya must have been. When it was crowned as a palace 15 centuries ago!

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Nilaveli Beach Hotel celebrated Its 50th Anniversary …. With Bernard

Bernard Van Cuylenburg, whose essay is entitled 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS of the Nilaveli Beach Hotel, Sri Lanka”  AT https://www.elanka.com.au/nilaveli-beach-hotel-celebrated-its-50th-anniversary-with-bernard-by-michael-roberts-2/

Bernard VanCuylenburg arrived in Colombo on the 1st October and have been at the Nilaveli Beach Hotel, his former employer for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Hotel which took place from the 4th – 6th October.

 

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Engaging India …. With Love …. Dalrymple

Q and A with William Dalrymple, Historian …. in Q and A in The Weekend Australian Magazine, 21/22 September 2024

William Dalrymple was born in Scotland in 1965, and brought up on the shores of the Firth of Forth. He was educated at Ampleforth and Trinity College, Cambridge where he was first History Exhibitioner then Senior History Scholar.

He is the author of nine books about India and the Islamic world, including City of Djinns , White Mughals, The Last Mughal and Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India.

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Meirsheimer’s Forecast in 2009 — Seeking to ”Save Israel From Itself”

John Meirsheimer, in The American Conservative, 18 May 2009….. article entitled “Saving Israel From Itself” …. with highlighting emphasis imposed by Tthe editor, Thuppahi

The two-state solution is the only way to guarantee the Jewish state’s long-term security—and our own.

Israel and Palestine in Middle East on contour map. Palestinian territories of Gaza and West Bank. Jerusalem and Jordan River on outline map. Theme of Israel, war, conflict.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The United States and Israel fundamentally disagree about the need to establish a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel. President Obama is committed to a two-state solution, while Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu is opposed and has been for many years. To avoid a direct confrontation with Washington, Netanyahu will probably change his rhetoric and talk favorably about two states. But that will not affect Israel’s actions. The never-ending peace process will go on, Israel will continue building settlements, and the Palestinians will remain locked up in a handful of impoverished enclaves in the West Bank and Gaza. Anticipating this outcome, Obama has told Congress to expect a clash with Israel.

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Vale — Rex Clements, A Sri Lankan Virtuoso in Many Arts

Bedgar Perera

DR. REX CLEMENTS ..… Sept. 8, 2023 was a very sad day for the 1964-68 batch of the Faculty of Agriculture of the then University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, as that was the day on which Dr. Rex Clements, our batchmate and friend passed away in Australia owing to a lung infection he was suffering from, for some time.

 

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Kumar Sangakkara for Tourist Trips to Sri Lanka

Kumar central to Sri Lankan Airlines Video-Advertisement …………

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In search of Nihal Fernando …. A Documentary Film by Martin Pieris

Your chance to support a 2024 a film on a great Sri Lankan artist, conservationist and visionary, Nihal Fernando (1927-2015).

In search of Nihal Fernando …. A documentary film by Martin Pieris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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