Paradise Isle

(This is a travelogue I wrote of a trip to Sri Lanka and was published in our Rotary Newsletter)

The seed was sown in the beginning of the Rotary year, however it bore fruit only in mid November when the members of the Rotary Club of Madras Midtown, finalised the plans for the first International outstation trip to our neighbouring Sri Lanka. It was decided that the trip would be from the the 4th of December to the 7th of December.
Thus the morning of the 4th saw the group which included Rotarians, Anns and Annettes and a couple of close friends assemble at the Anna International Airport at 4.30a.m. After the customary check in and immigration formalities we proceeded to the departure lounge and it was not long before the men turned left and did a thorough study of the Duty Free Shops and came out loaded with their favourite intoxicants. The group then boarded the Air India Express flight at 7.45a.m. and within an hour landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo.
The ride to Bentota which is 111 kilometres from the airport was an experience in itself. Club Bentota, the resort has the advantage of a wonderful location. It has the river on one side and the sea on the other. After a very traditional welcome the group dispersed to their assigned rooms with the orders from the President to meet for lunch at the fixed time. Lunch was a buffet service as was all the other meals. The restaurant which faced the river provided the perfect ambience for a relaxed meal. Having eaten to our hearts content, some of the group decided to take a siesta, whereas the others went on to explore the various facilities the place provided. The annettes, I must say had the best time ever. They were seen running all over the place, playing tennis, table tennis, beach volleyball and some were even trying their hands at billiards.
Towards early evening most of us moved to the beach and the next couple of hours until sunset, it was a wonderful interaction with sun, sand and surf. The waters played the perfect host and every member had a wonderful time enveloped by it. The enthusiasm and the energy levels of the members were so high that after sunset the session with water continued in the pool where there was a heated game of water polo. With local liquor, soft drinks and some short eats being part of the deal, there was no end to its flow. A glass seemed the favourite companion of both the men and the kids. Dinner saw another wonderful spread and following this there was entertainment in the form of a live band playing. A couple of Hindi songs were sung in honour of our group. I must say that the evening was indeed a treat and could not have got more perfect. What with the balmy breeze and almost a perfect moon, the wonderful music and good company one could not have asked for more. Once the DJ came on, the youngsters of the group took to the floor and shook more than their legs.
Day two started with a bang for the main activity of the morning was the water sports. The children went crazy seeing the Banana Boats and the Water Scooters. However this activity brought out the child in every adult. No one wanted to be left behind and thus all of us took part in both or atleast one of the activities. There were some mishaps/torpedoes both accidental and intentional and this I must say just added to the fun. The rest of the morning saw the men involved in flexing their biceps trying all kinds of combinations including the local toddy. The ladies had their own fun and the kids had a spirit which was indomitable. The feeling was one of happiness all round. I am sure everyone must have wished how wonderful it would be if we had such breaks at regular intervals. There was a repeat of our tryst with the sea, however on the second day the duration was longer and the experimenting more. The entertainment that evening was a laser show and the highlight of it was the participation of Gayatri, daughter of Rtn. Karthik, as a mermaid in the finale. The dancing that evening was really vigourous and the song that literally stole the show was our very own “Manmadha Rasa”.
The next morning the bags were packed and with a heavy heart we all left the Paradise Isle. The second part of our trip was a night at Colombo and thus we checked in at Hotel Galadari. This hotel is situated on the water front and thus has a beautiful view. After lunch we went on a sightseeing cum shopping trip. With most of the members interested in the latter, the sightseeing was cut short. However we did visit a Buddhist temple and did get to see the places of interest. The highlight was the visit to the House of Fashion. Seeing the enthusiasm of the group I was reminded of the English idiom, “Bull in a China Shop”. I am glad that the same enthusiasm was not displayed at the first store we visited for then we would have had to pay heavily for the damages that would have incurred. The store in question was the beautiful Noritake showroom. The evening saw the group involved in various activities. Some of the adults trooped into the disco at the hotel, others continued with their elbow exercise however it was the children who had their agenda planned out. They got together in one room and there was no doubt that they had a whale of a time.
All good things must come to an end and thus on the 7th morning the one thing that went through everyone’s mind was the question as to why the holiday should finish this quickly. The Kingfisher flight to Chennai was at 3.30p.m. and hence around noon we left for the airport. The good byes at the Chennai Airport were never ending. The consensus was that this was a holiday to be remembered and cherished. Although most of the group have visited places more exotic, the fun and good times enjoyed during this short break stood way above.
I thank the President for entrusting me with this travelogue, for it has given me the opportunity to relive those four enchanting days. I know that I have not done justice to whatever I experienced and enjoyed during my break. But then there is only so much that one can put on paper. The rest is something personal for the participant to relish and treasure.