We had a whistle-stop tour of the southwest coast of Sri
Lanka, although we returned later in the trip to explore Galle. Galle gets its name from the Portuguese for
‘cockerel’, as it was colonised by the Portuguese in 16th Century. Today,
the town is characterised by a Dutch fortress, which holds the main cultural
centre of the town, filled with cafes and shops. Even though Galle was one of the places worst
hit by the Boxing Day Tsunami, the sturdy fortress remained standing. Driving
along the coast we saw constant reminders of the devastation caused by the
Tsunami, including an impressive Buddha statue built by Japan, to commemorate
those whose train got swept away in the disaster. Along the coast we also saw a
happier, more iconic sight of Sri Lanka: stilt fishermen. These fishermen sit
on a tiny ledge sticking out of a single pole, which is rooted in the sediment
of the sea. They wait like herons for hours, relying on the fish becoming accustomed to their presence.
To our slight exasperation, we arrived at another ‘factory’.
This time it was a moonstone mine, in an area known as Mitiyagoda, which is the
only place moonstones are found. Unlike the other factories, the gift shop
consisted of very expensive jewellery, which we looked at out of politeness
whilst being followed by the overly keen moonstone factory guide. Unfortunately
for Mr Keen, we didn’t have the same blasé attitude to buying a hundred-pound
necklace as to buying some cinnamon sticks.
In Ahungalla we explored the mangroves by boat safari. We
finally caught a glimpse of purple-faced langurs, the third and final monkey
species in Sri Lanka, some of which are kept as pets. The other creatures
lurking in the trees were local children, who had made a game of jumping into
the river. Other local residents were just as innovative, creating platforms in
the water from which they sold king coconuts for thirsty boat-goers. We stopped
off on an island to see cinnamon beating – the process of turning tree bark
into the cinnamon sticks we recognise. Two rings are cut around either end of
the branch, then a line is cute between them. The bark is then peeled off in
fragments and several fragments are rolled inside each other before being
dried.
Given my work with turtles in Costa Rica (http://asilverplane.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/turtles-piro-days-and-peje-nights.html), I was delighted
that our driver took us to a turtle hatchery. We were taken for a tour of the
hatchery, starting with man-made turtle nests, onto a tank full of baby turtles
then we saw some older turtles. The tour guide explained that the market price
for turtle eggs is 20 rupees, so they buy the eggs for 20 rupees. Whilst this
reduces the number of eggs sold for food, I was left wondering whether it
encourages the taking of eggs in the first place. Once hatched, the turtles are
moved to a concrete pool for three days until their egg sac is completely
absorbed. Male turtles are then released into the ocean. The gender of reptiles
is determined by the temperate at which they develop in the egg. Due to this
issue, less females have been developing than males, making them a highly
valuable resource for modern turtle populations. For this reason, female
turtles are kept at the hatchery for five years, to increase their chances of
survival once released.
The hatchery also acts as a sanctuary, caring for injured
and disabled turtles that would not survive in the wild. We met some
characters, including a turtle who refused to be released into the sea (perhaps
a risk of keeping females so long). There was also an albino turtle, which we
were told was the only turtle in the hatchery to survive the tsunami. Whilst it
was fascinating to see a fully grown albino turtle, something almost impossible
in the wild, I couldn’t help questioning the quality of life in a small
concrete pool with a couple of foot of water. Despite my reservations, I
appreciate the aims of the hatchery and their desire to enhance the populations
of these beautiful species.
Until the next adventure…
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