Dec. 26 - Reflections on the tsunami

We are awakened at dawn by the sound of chanting monks. It is the 2nd anniversary of the tsunami. The monks are praying for the souls of those who died; the monks chant non-stop for 24 hours.

Some tsunami destruction is still evident in Unawatuna, but many of the beach-front guest houses and restaurants have been refurbished or reconstructed. However, Sugith tells us a substantial portion of the money donated for the recovery efforts was handled by corrupt politicians (I guess organizations like FEMA are not a unique American phenomenon), and that many locals are still living in containers etc. because they do not have the monetary means to rebuild their homes.


Tsunami wreckage still on the beach.

Unawatuna has far fewer tourists than I expected. I ask Roger at the villa if this is normal. He tells me Christmas & New Year is supposed to be the busiest season. Though following an Oct. bombing in Galle, apparently 80% of people cancelled their reservations at the villa. So not only was the local economy damaged by the tsunami, it’s now being further decimated by civil unrest in the country. I think of New Orleans, and am immediately glad we came to Sri Lanka.