While googling the term ‘Bandaragama’ I found these interesting remarks by Muhibuddin Bin Usamah, a travelling Indonesian, at his blog ‘The RealMuhy’s wandering for wonders’. In addition to commenting, he has taken few wonderful photographs which I have taken the liberty of reproducing. I feel so grateful that he made these pleasant remarks about my birth place and obliged to reproduce it below, verbatim. Thank you, Mr. Muhy for these beautiful thoughts.
“As written on my previous posts, it is generally known that Sri Lankan people are very friendly and welcoming, and generally see things in positive way. Well, that doesn’t seem the truth in the conflict areas on the north west of the island, where people/ tourists do not go there though the beach is famous as white sandy, clayey sand, clean thus making it very beautiful.
The ‘business’ center of Bandaragama is just a road and two blocks behind the main road. There, banks, shops, offices as well as market can be found there.
Walking on the main road or on the ‘business center’ area, I could shoot some of the life there. I was amazed when I went to post office to post some postcards to some friends as I saw TELEGRAM service right there. Does it still exist? Hmmm.. I forgot though to ask the post officer there, but I did not forget to take the evidence as you may see.
Driving on the main road is actually refreshing as you see green life there: from rice field to green lake with growing hyacinth on it. Trees are growing well there and they are home for some animals, as I could shoot a snake on a plant. With limited nature survival knowledge I learned during my undergraduate Geology life, I knew that the snake was not poisonous thus I approached and documented it.
Forget about scary snakes as funny squirrels are abundant there, easily seen playing on the branches or trunks of trees.
People are so much welcoming. I stopped by at one house-building ceremony when they usually ask monks praying for blessing, very typical practices in religious-countries like Indonesia and one I had seen in Bangladesh. I could shoot too men praying asking for blessing for the house they are starting to build, hoping to have strong house and may the house give them peace and bring more luck. I spent some seconds to pray for the house and for all the friendly men I met.
Ah ya, women usually stay at home or taking care the kiosk they have, so could hardly see women on the street.”
