TRAVEL PHOTO GALLERY
Sri Lanka Trip September 2008
Sri Lanka Trip September 2008
The Full Moon Garden Hotel and wonderful, attentive staff. Room rate was
$40.00 per day.and the curry was excellent.
$40.00 per day.and the curry was excellent.
Wedding dancers for a traditional wedding
booked at our hotel.
Pat at an orange coconut stand
just sippin on a coconut. The lady
sitting at left is a fixture at the
coconut stand shelling and
roasting cashews for sale
just sippin on a coconut. The lady
sitting at left is a fixture at the
coconut stand shelling and
roasting cashews for sale
Tsunami Coast!
Tranquil Beaches Now, 100,000 Dead
Souls Then
Souls Then
Cashew Lady Just Waiting For Customers.
Gem center Ratnapura. Sellers
from mines walk or wait around
here for prospective buyers
from mines walk or wait around
here for prospective buyers
Fruit stands everywhere along the road
made Pat (like the fruitbat) very happy
made Pat (like the fruitbat) very happy
Grass roof covering mine shaft
Modern, high efficiency machines
stripping off the overburden and
destroying the rainforest in the process.
stripping off the overburden and
destroying the rainforest in the process.
And Jackfruit, the strange, smelly
good tasting fruit growing out of
the tree trunk!!
good tasting fruit growing out of
the tree trunk!!
Cocoa pods also grow directly from the
tree trunk!
tree trunk!
Wrecked fishing boats littered
the tsunami coast beaches.
the tsunami coast beaches.
After overburden is removed,
high efficiency pumps suck out
the gem bearing gravel from the
ancient riverbed.
high efficiency pumps suck out
the gem bearing gravel from the
ancient riverbed.
It seems that anywhere you want to stop in the jungle, gem
dealers appear from nowhere.']
dealers appear from nowhere.']
Muslim gem dealers presenting their wares at
the tsunami coast market in Beruwala. Like in
the jungle they appear out of nowhere.
the tsunami coast market in Beruwala. Like in
the jungle they appear out of nowhere.
Everyone wants to show their stones at the same time, very
confusing to the buyer. When the call to prayers was
anounced, all business ceased for 15 minutes. We were
invited to and visited the Mosque with them.
confusing to the buyer. When the call to prayers was
anounced, all business ceased for 15 minutes. We were
invited to and visited the Mosque with them.
Sapphire crystals! The most
unique sapphire crystals are
found in the gem fields of Sri
Lanka.
unique sapphire crystals are
found in the gem fields of Sri
Lanka.
While attending the September, 08 Bangkok Gem And Jewelry Faire we stopped at the Sri
Lanka pavillion. Talking to and purchasing from Sri Lankan vendors, we decided to travel to
Sri Lanka and experience it first hand.
We departed Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport on Cathay Pacific Airlines and headed out
across the Bay Of Bengal for an approximately three hour uneventful flight. Landing at
Colombo International Airport, Sri Lanka. After clearing a hassle free customs and
immigration, we hired a car for the duration of our stay.
Our driver, Mr Damith dropped us off at the Full Moon Garden Hotel which we used as a base
of operations for our six day stay in Sri Lanka. We turned over our travel plans to Mr Damith
who very capably directed most of our itinerary. We told Mr Damith of only two places we
desired to visit; the gemstone mines in the highlands of Ratnapura and the gemstone markets
at Ratnapoura and Beruwala.
The trip proved very informative about the culture of Sri Lanka. We learned about the sacred
cows that roamed freely everywhere. We learned why the coconuts are such a vivid color of
orange and that the fighter jets departing every five minutes over our hotel were bombing the
Tamil Tiger terrorists. After six intriguing days we departed for Thailand where we spent the
next three months taking care of our gem cutting and carving business in Chiangmai, a
wonderful city located eight hundred Kilometers north of Bangkok.. We will cover the
Thailand portion of our trip next month on Midland Gems.com.
Below are a few of our travel photos with captions of explanation.
.
Lanka pavillion. Talking to and purchasing from Sri Lankan vendors, we decided to travel to
Sri Lanka and experience it first hand.
We departed Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport on Cathay Pacific Airlines and headed out
across the Bay Of Bengal for an approximately three hour uneventful flight. Landing at
Colombo International Airport, Sri Lanka. After clearing a hassle free customs and
immigration, we hired a car for the duration of our stay.
Our driver, Mr Damith dropped us off at the Full Moon Garden Hotel which we used as a base
of operations for our six day stay in Sri Lanka. We turned over our travel plans to Mr Damith
who very capably directed most of our itinerary. We told Mr Damith of only two places we
desired to visit; the gemstone mines in the highlands of Ratnapura and the gemstone markets
at Ratnapoura and Beruwala.
The trip proved very informative about the culture of Sri Lanka. We learned about the sacred
cows that roamed freely everywhere. We learned why the coconuts are such a vivid color of
orange and that the fighter jets departing every five minutes over our hotel were bombing the
Tamil Tiger terrorists. After six intriguing days we departed for Thailand where we spent the
next three months taking care of our gem cutting and carving business in Chiangmai, a
wonderful city located eight hundred Kilometers north of Bangkok.. We will cover the
Thailand portion of our trip next month on Midland Gems.com.
Below are a few of our travel photos with captions of explanation.
.
Miners showing their treasures
A parcel of Sapphire crystals mixed with
a substantial portion of propaganda
a substantial portion of propaganda
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