Galle/ Dutch Fort.

I thought my last weekend in Sri Lanka would be a total washout, as it started to raining non-stop from Thursday.

 We planned to go to Galle,  in southwest Sri Lanka, about 71 miles from Colombo.

We left Colombo in the pouring rain early Friday morning and it rained all the way to our destination.

Then ta-da, as we arrived, it stopped raining and has been great ever since.😊.

Latsane, Joan, Sharlene, Damith 

My hosts Damith/Sharlene and I all stayed in nice little hotel in town called Blue Heaven. Later we had a grand time hanging out at Galle Fort with their friend Latsane.

This Fort, built by the Portuguese in 1588, is on the Indian Ocean.

In 1649 it was fortified by the Dutch and is today an important architectural heritage site controlled by UNESCO.

The entire town and surroundings are growing rapidly, partly due to the influx of tourists.

However 21 years ago, much of the town was flattened by the tsunami which devasted much of south east Asia.

Thousands of people were swept away and killed, 500 just in the transport center in town alone! 

Naturally the ruins were also damaged but you
wouldn't believe it looking at the surroundings today.

A replica of the original small town.

Most of the archeological site remains in pretty good condition, despite having been badly damaged in 2004.

Miniature, showing the original design of the city.

A huge Mosque near the ruins. As it was Friday, many Muslims were busy in the area.

The very angry Indian Ocean.

Like much of Sri Lanka, this city is home to religious adherents from all the major religions, but the dominance of Buddhism which is so obvious in other areas, was not visible.

A Buddhist temple on the hill quite a distance away. I could also see a huge, old Christian church in town, from the fort.

The roof of the solid ammunition storage building.

A Muslim on her way to the Mosque ahead.

A coconut tree grows out of the large granite rock heap offshore.

These ladies in beautiful saris are teachers at the International School. The saris are their uniform.

A small cafe has been set up in the midst of the ruins.

Tourism is now Sri Lanka's second most important industry, so both local people and visitors flock this area. 

This is a recognized UNESCO world heritage site and every time I visit a place like this, I wonder why we are joking around with our sunken city, Port Royal?

 Such a damn shame.😡

Pic of the very angry Indian Ocean below!

This lovely house on the Ocean was badly damaged by the tsunami, but they fixed it up nicely.
That's where we stayed overnight before heading back to Colombo.

Young people challenging the rough surf on their boards.

There is a statue of Buddha on the hill overlooking the town of Galle.

The Indian Ocean is so rough and sounds so fierce, it's kinda scary.

The sand looks nice though.

Among Damith's friends that we had drinks with on Friday night was Dr Ruwan who served as coroner in Jamaica for 3 years.

Then to my surprise, on returning to Colombo I discovered that my wonderful hosts Sharlene and Damith, had organized a goodbye dinner for me with some of their young friends.

L-r. Charaka, his wife Tara, Dr. Damith, and Ganga.

It's been an overwhelming three weeks as there is so much to see and do in that very big island. And the Sri Lankan people are so warm and generous.

It's really true that time flies when you having fun.

And boy, did I ever have fun😊.

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Update. The rains that started on Thursday night turned into quite a storm with high winds later in the night. It damaged the roof of 
Latsans parents home in Galle. 

He is a contractor though so had already repaired it by midday Saturday when we saw him again. 👏

That same storm however killed a family of seven in another area close by. Their home  collapsed on them.🥺

It's the beginning of the monsoon season in Sri Lanka and the weather seems to be intensifying now.

Tarquinia and the Etruscans

I have been traveling for at least the past six  decades, but cannot recall a more enjoyable, educational and impactful visit to anywhere, than that spent in Tarquinia, Italy yesterday.

At the entrance of a 2000 year old cave

I can't say specifically whether it was because the majority of visitors headed to the more popular destination of Rome, so we never had to deal with crowds or if it was the natural beauty, lushness, intriguing history, the warmth of our tour guides, the people, food or what exactly left me feeling so fascinated and happy, but it just all came together in Tarquinia.

Our guide Andrea.

                       He is from Tarquinia.

His wife Erna posing with us.

We later met their son Giovanni and dog Zorro.

Warm family.❤️.

Giovanni and Zorro 

Everything came together for me here. after disembarking at the port of Civitavecchia (aka Port of Rome). 

I am super happy that I opted to go to little known Tarquinia to learn about the Etruscans, who ruled that region from the to 3rd to 8 centuries BC, and did not follow the crowd to Rome.

 Been there a few times before anyway .

Everywhere is beautiful art. This painting is at the entrance of the port.

You know MSC, is not a particularly good cruise line as far as I am concerned but their choice of ports of call so far has been unique and enjoyable. (Check out my blogs on Tenerife, Marrakech and Valencia. Fantastic pictorial memories.)

Everywhere in Tarquinia is lush and green

Behind the green patch at the top overlooking the Mediterranean sea is where the Etruscans originally built their city.

Relaxing at lunch. L-r: Beatrice, Federica, Sonja, Giovanni, Erna, Joan.

But I am getting beyond myself😊.

We spent an educational morning learning the fascinating history of the Etruscans who as you know, ruled the area before they were wiped out and their culture virtually destroyed by the Romans.

However, much of that history is preserved in a 2000 year old cave which was only discovered in the 60's.

Above are replicas of the city found in the cave!

The Nazis adopted the second symbol above but to the Etruscans, it depicted the four seasons of the year.

Rich Etruscans had paintings outside their tomb area, depicting their likes and dislikes.

The bodies of deceased rich people were drained of all blood and some mummified.

Paintings from that era also imply that women had a an equal or dominant role in some sectors.
These drawings in the cave tell many stories.

 For example, the one below shows that the deceased/artist disliked homosexuality, as the bull in the picture advances menacingly towards a homosexual couple.😲.

The bull is not aggressive to this form of erotica though😁.

It's a threesome so, he just walks away.

As there are no leopards in Italy, this painting implies they had some association with Africa.

This painting indicates that the deceased was involved in sporting activities.

All types of everyday activities and religious practices are displayed in the cave underground.

UNESCO has however declared the original burial site of the Etruscans a cultural heritage site.

Above ground at the UNESCO site

Above ground is just as fascinating, as it highlights both Etruscans and Roman cultures.

Above is inside and outside of 14th century Catholic Church.

Rich Etcrustans displayed their wealth by the height of their homes resembling towers!

This cathedral was built in the 12th century. It burned down and was rebuilt in the 15th century.

You can see the Mediterranean Sea from some points in town.

People used to wash their clothes here 

The Vatican owns lots of property here. You know them by the Pope's emblem above the main door .

Things are so laid back in Tarquinia that products are just left out in the open unattended.

At this art studio above, we could see the artist sleeping inside while everything was left open. 

Michelle and Sonja could only pay for the things they liked when his wife drove in sometime later.

Even at the Mayor's office which was closed because it was Saturday, Eran was able to show us around as the keys were left hanging for whoever wished to enter!

Do you know the Umbrella Pine, so named because of the shape? I am not familiar with it but they say it common to the Mediterranean.

Random memories through pics.