the travel junkies
  • Home
    • About us
    • Our journey so far!
    • Interviews on the road
    • Contact us
  • Blogs
    • Australia 2015-17 >
      • Free-camping - travel tips
    • Misc ramblings
    • Nepal 2014 >
      • Accommodation list
    • India 2014 >
      • Accommodation list
    • Sri Lanka 2014 >
      • Accommodation list
    • Taiwan 2011-2013
    • Australia, Borneo & the Philippines 2011
    • Asia 2008-2012
    • Baby in a backpack
  • Travel tips
    • Practical travel tips per country >
      • Australia - Tasmania
      • Bangladesh
      • Hong Kong
      • Indonesia - Bali, Java & Sumatra
      • Laos
      • Malaysia - Borneo
      • Malaysia - mainland
      • Myanmar
      • Thailand
    • Driving around Australia
    • Money matters
    • Our budget per country
    • What we carry with us
    • Tour guides we recommend

War scars..

3/4/2014

0 Comments

 
There is a big difference between hearing about and reading about a war, and actually coming to the area and seeing the scars firsthand. It's so humbling to think that every person here in Jaffna over the age of 5 has seen and lived through the nearly 30 years of fighting that took place here...
Picture
Yet the people are so happy and peaceful. Some of the friendliest SriLankans we have met so far actually.
If it wasn't for all of the bullet holes and destroyed buildings, you wouldn't even know.
Picture
Even in Jaffna city and the surrounding suburbs there is a bombed out/shot out/ destroyed house or building for every 10 or so inhabited ones. 
Picture
But the damage is really visible when you leave the city and head more into the countryside. Especially the islands. For about every 2 destroyed houses, you find 1 rebuilt. There's an overwhelmingly more number of destroyed buildings than inhabited.
Picture
And just when the people were starting to rebuild their lives, they were struck down by the boxing day Tsunami! It's not very well known that the north of SriLanka was also devastated but many many people lost their lives and what little they had managed to keep a hold of during the war. 
The ruins around Port Pedro that don't have bullet holes are from Tsunami damage.. 
Picture
It's just so sad to see all the damage here. Yet so inspiring to see how full of life the people are. Jaffna is not only a very beautiful place, it's also very humbling.
I truly hope that peace can prevail here for a long time to come.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    The Bajaj Family!

    Follow us as we drive around Sri Lanka in our bajaj (tuktuk) named Kevin, with a baby seat strapped in the back!

    Picture
    Link to Sri Lankan Accommodation list.

    Categories

    All
    Accommodation
    Anuradhapura
    Arugam Bay
    Batticaloa
    Beaches
    Budget
    Checkposts
    Costs
    Dambulla
    Elephants
    Friends
    Galle
    Hikkaduwa
    Hill Country
    Historical Srilanka
    Indian Visa
    Jaffna
    Kalpitya
    Kandy
    Kevin The Tukutk
    Mannar
    Negombo
    Point Pedro
    Polhena / Matara
    Random
    Sigiriya
    South Coast
    Srilankan English
    Surfing
    Temples
    Tissa
    Trincomalee
    Vavuniya
    War Reminders
    Wetlands
    Wildlife
    Yala N.P.

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.