Phespirit goes to Sri Lanka
tour     February/March 2006

GALLE STONE Whilst the tsunami of 26th December 2004 devasted the city of Galle, its old Fort area escaped serious destruction thanks to the massive stone ramparts built by the Dutch around 1663. Meeran Jumma Mosque and the Galle Fort lighthouse today stand as elegant survivors of a hideous catastrophe.
TSUNAMI TRAIN Between eight and sixteen hundred people died when the 'Queen of the Sea' train was rolled over by a series of tsunami waves on its way from Colombo and Galle. Battered carriages now stand in Hikkaduwa station. Phespirit took this picture when his train pulled alongside it. Apparently tourists are sold platform tickets to climb inside.
COLOMBO COAST Situated about 115km north of Galle on the sheltered west coast, Colombo was largely untouched by the tsunami. A sophisticated tsunami warning system is now being planned for the Indian Ocean but will take at least two years to develop. Until then, coastal monitoring remains basic.