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Archive for October, 2004

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The Turtle Beach

Sunday, October 24th, 2004

It was dusk before we reached Kalpitya itself, ostensibly the last settlement on the peninsula, but rows of palm-thatch huts lined the sandy track almost all the way to the sea at Dutch Bay. Here, a new sand bank had formed and Maria’s department had been charged with developing it. She had wanted to take a look at it. I had suspected there was an ulterior motive behind our excursion. Like Rob, Maria finds it hard to simply take time off and relax.
[read on]

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Yellow Oleander

Saturday, October 23rd, 2004

The next day promised to be boring. I could not quite decide what to do with myself, when Maria phoned. She had a rare afternoon off from work and suggested we go on a drive along the coast. “We can go to a beach”, she said: “to swim and snorkle!”
[read on]

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Ectoparasites

Friday, October 22nd, 2004

As I approached the gate of the house in Negombo, a black-and-brown furry blur rushed at me, accompanied by fierce flashing teeth and the sound of mad barking. Evidently the neighbours’ dog, the one I had shouted at during the ill-fated Night of the Lost Pocket Knife, had joined our growing menagerie. As soon as John emerged to unlock the gate (the lazy buggers had not been out of the house all day), the dog calmed down and started wagging his tail. But it was not until later in the evening that he felt entirely at ease in my presence.
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Apple Nobby Cake

Friday, October 22nd, 2004

We have a glut of apples at the moment. Before the birds and squirrels make short work of them, I sent John into the garden to pick a few for a quick autum treat.

I know some mean German cake recipes, but when it comes to apples, nobody can beat the Americans. This site is full of wonderful ideas: from soups and salads to cakes and desserts.

One of the easiest, and using a lot of apples in proportion to the other ingredients is ‘Apple Nobby Cake’. I made it this morning and it is really as easy as it looks. Use an electric whisk to mix the butter and sugar, then add the egg, whisking until pale. I cut the sugar to two thirds of a cup and it was quite sweet. Also, 2½ cups of apples (ca. 1.5 cm chunks) is plenty.
Enjoy!

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The Eco Tour (2)

Thursday, October 21st, 2004

Of the world’s seven species of marine turtles, five come ashore to nest in Sri Lanka. They are the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), hawksbill (Eritmochilys imbricata) and leatherback (Dermochylys coriacea). The 2.5 km long stretch of beach across the Rekawa lagoon on which we now stood provides the nesting ground for over 70% of Sri Lanka’s green turtles. Despite the protection of marine turtles under government legislation since 1972, they are still being exploited for their meat, eggs and carapaces. Pollution (especially by polythene bags) and habitat deterioration pose further threats. Although they can live for over 100 years, female turtles do not reach sexual maturity until they are about 13 years old.
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Curry Night (1)

Thursday, October 21st, 2004

Always a treat, if not quick to prepare, we aim to have a curry every week. As the chill of autum draws in, the chilli heat drives the cold away and earthy spices warm the body. During the drizzly Scottish summer, the flavours help to evoke memories of sultry tropical holidays — really, there is no excuse not to indulge. Once the ingredients are assembled, curries are easy to prepare and it is a wonderful way of cooking cheaper meat and veg.
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The Eco Tour (1)

Wednesday, October 20th, 2004

The area around Tangalla promised some spectacular beaches, but I was attracted to this town because of its proximity to Rekawa. It was there that one of the more active field-stations of NARA was based, carrying out extensive research on crustacean aquaculture and the local lagoon fishery. A former lecturer of mine had visited the station in the late ’90s and published a paper on the release of hatchery-reared tiger prawns (Paeneus monodon) into the lagoon to boost the prawn fishery. I knew the man to be a turtle specialist so I expected that these had been the primary reason for his visit. Sure enough, the guidebook claimed the Tangalle area was famous for turtles.
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No money, no way

Wednesday, October 20th, 2004

I am out of money and out of words.

I am stuck with my writing. There are still three deadlines outstanding:
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Raja’s Oasis

Tuesday, October 19th, 2004

Weligama was the opposite of Mirissa. The bay was crowded not with tourists, but with fishermen. There were so many boats that it must have been overfished. The main catch appeared to be tiny sardinellas.
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South

Monday, October 18th, 2004

I never met the people at NARA again because I could not make myself understood on the phone. My accent is bad, but even A seemed to have difficulties. The main problem was that I did not know the name of the senior scientist I had talked to and I did not want to ask for young Dr. J because he shared the same surname as the founder-chairman. As luck would have it, one of my print-outs listed the name of the Research Coordinator. Maybe that was the person I had met. I mentioned the name on the phone, which took several attempts due to my hopeless pronounciation.
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