Sri Lanka Journal- Andew and Annette Dey: 3/6/2005

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Links from Andrew and Annette:

Pro Photographer Dixie's web site

Mondo Challenge set up Andrew and Annette's trip.

Unawatuna is the village where they're staying and working

In the north, Andrew and Annette are working with Norwegian People's Aid. NPAID is partnered with the German organization called Arbeiter Samariter Bund.

Bensonwood.com

Andrew

I dream that Annette and I are fleeing a war. We ride on bicycles along well-worn paths near a battle. A ragged line of refugees—most on foot, but some on bicycles—stretches before and behind us. The path leads past a handful of soldiers who are shooting at a distant enemy from behind a berm. I figure one of the soldiers to be a Truth Tiger, because he is videotaping the others using an oversize black camera. A western photographer crouches nearby, taking pictures of the Truth Tiger.

During the past two months, Annette and I have made the drive down the coast from Colombo to Galle every few weeks. The intervals have been short enough for us to recall what the coast had looked like during the previous trip, but long enough for us to notice encouraging changes.

Just over two weeks have passed since we were last driving along the coast. More debris appears to have been cleared from the coastal towns. We see more fishing boats rigged for the sea, more nets spread neatly on the beach, and more fish for sale. There are still large tent villages, although it is difficult to determine how many of the tents are actually occupied. We are pleased to see that progress is being made on temporary housing, but the shelters we see are still far outnumbered by the tents. The shelter design that is apparently preferred is a wood-frame structure roughly 10’ x 14’. Some are shed-roofed and others have gables. They are typically clad with sawn board siding, and roofed with sheets of corrugated tin or asbestos board. I have to chide myself for thinking that the shelters appear to be thrown haphazardly together: it’s not about looks, and they will probably be fine for a year or two.

Our driver is forced to slow to a crawl near the location of the train wreck in Ambalangoda. Tourist buses and vans line the road across from the gaping carriages. Disaster tourism is better than no tourism.

We see new or refurbished sawmills in operation, and more hardware stores open in the villages. In Hikkadewa, some of the tourists are working “hands on” with the locals, while others seem to be supporting the rebuilding primarily with their tourist dollars. All forms of contribution are welcome. In Galle, a large sign next to a tight cluster of tents reads “Thank you Monaco and Mrs. Green for housing project.”

The drive along the coast leaves me with the sense not of a land on its knees, but rather of one slowly getting back on its feet.