Mannar Is Pretty Sweet
Silhoutte off the edge of the Mannar Pier. Not mine, in any way
I won’t go into it into too much detail, but Mannar is a paradise. It’s the point of Sri Lanka closest to India, a little spit off the edge of the island. It’s a bit trouble to get to. We hammered my poor Toyota hatchback through the rape road through Wilpattu National Park (which by all accounts should be illegal) and then down an impressionistic patch of rubble and despair to Mannar. The town itself is a town, but surrounded on all sides by the sea and lagoon. Go another 40km into the island and you’re at the end of the world, as we know it. It’s stunning.
I’m in Anuradhapura now and have some exploring to do, hopefully getting to the Park today and back to Colombo by night. Was in Kandy watching dancing two days ago, was in the ocean watching the sunset last night, could be anywhere really tomorrow. Sri Lanka really is a small miracle. Will post more later. This is just to say.
yah…Sri Lanka is a small miracle
these pictures (of the water) are absolutely lovely. the pics of the local people (esp in the temporary housing – if one can call them ‘housing’) are heartbreaking. it creates such a striking contrast – stunning beauty on one side and the tough lives on the other side. anyway, just wanted to tell u that i’ve been following your pics & posts for a good while now, & i really appreciate your work.
all the best,
chami
Ar’pura?
What do you do, by the way? Just wondering if you’re involved in the travel business in some way, or are just a professional tourist? The latter seems like a fun job but with the pay flowing the wrong way…
work mostly for the Sunday Leader now. We were covering election stuff up there
Mannar District is located in northwestern Sri Lanka. It is one of five administrative districts of the Northern Province. The district covers 2,002 sq. km, approximately 3% of the total land area of Sri Lanka. Geographically the bulk of Mannar is on the mainland within the arid and dry zone. High temperatures and low rainfall characterize the climate. The monthly temperatures range between 26.5°C and 30.0°C with highs normally recorded between May and August. Mannar receives nearly 60% of its rainfall during the northeast monsoon, which lasts from October through December. The land area is relatively flat and sits at low elevations. Towards the interior the terrain is gently undulating, favoring the storage of rainwater in tanks that provide the majority of the irrigation for the district’s arable land. The primary economic activities in Mannar are crop cultivation (mainly paddy), fisheries and animal husbandry. Employment opportunities in the district are highly seasonal, and there are no institutional facilities for tertiary education. TheKurukula Karaiyars are the highest caste in Sri-Lanka living in the agriculturests villages in the Main land of Mannar called Mathoddam.