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	<title>Travel Asia Online - Best Places to Visit in Asia</title>
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	<link>http://www.exinkai.com</link>
	<description>News and information from all around the Asia specially about Best places to visit in Asia, Air line tickets, Domestic transportation, visa and accommodation</description>
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		<title>the</title>
		<link>http://www.exinkai.com/the/2179/</link>
		<comments>http://www.exinkai.com/the/2179/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:20:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Yan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Air Lines & transportation]]></category>

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		<item>
		<title>Danxia Mountain</title>
		<link>http://www.exinkai.com/danxia-mountain/2157/</link>
		<comments>http://www.exinkai.com/danxia-mountain/2157/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:22:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Yan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Places to Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Danxia Mountain]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.exinkai.com/?p=2157</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If talking about Shaoguan city, people won’t forget Danxia mountain and Nanhua monastery temple. If you are from Dongguan or Shenzhen, you just need to take a bullet train (CRH) to GZ east station. There you can buy a ticket to Shao&#8217;guan train station, which the trip takes 2.5 hours. After exiting the train station, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If talking about Shaoguan city, people won’t forget Danxia mountain and Nanhua monastery temple. If you are from Dongguan or Shenzhen, you just need to take a bullet train (CRH) to GZ east station. There you can buy a ticket to Shao&#8217;guan train station, which the trip takes 2.5 hours. After exiting the train station, you will easily find the special tourist bus to Dan&#8217;xia mountain, the price is around RMB 15 and taking about 1 hour. Please note that the prices of bus tickets can be changed with time. <span id="more-2157"></span></p>
<p>It is sometimes really a trouble to reserve a hotel there, especially when you are travelling from another city. Once I tried with the hotel booking hot line 118114. But were told all the hotels are full. Then we decided to look for hotels after arrival and found out that, there are lot of hotels nearby the railway station. There is a road in front of the station, which is heading right to Danxia mountain and left to Nanhua monastery temple. In this direction you can find lot of hotels. There is a river called Zhenjiang river, it is also the name of this area. Zhenjiang river is flowing in parallel to the road, a bridge spans across it. You can go to the centre part of the city by crossing it.</p>
<p><a title="male stone" href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/male-stone.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2159" title="male stone" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/male-stone.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p><a title="male stone like" href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/male.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2161" title="male " src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/male.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>Danxia mountain is located in Shaoguan city, in the north part of Guangdong province. People come here mostly for viewing the sun rise at Zhanglao peak and admiring the fantastic sexual organs resembled terrain. It is said that many people come to worship the male organ stone with the hope of bringing offspring. The sunlight couldn’t reach the female organ stone for the full year, so the Yin is very strong there.</p>
<p>The whole hike trip is around 2.5 hours. There are some very steep steps from Biechuan temple to Zhanglao peak. And on the way, you can admire the lush forest flushed with negative ions. Go under a big rock nearby, view the distant landscape which looks like animals such as elephants, fairy and so on. There are also monastery temples, pavilions and ancient villages and carvings which you can’t miss. There are free shuttle buses to take you to all the scenic spots. And there are lot of special food shops and restaurants under the mountain. You can enjoy a nice meal after a tiring hike but the food is expensive and not very tasty in most places here.</p>
<p><a title="female organ" href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/female-organ.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2163" title="female organ" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/female-organ.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p><a title="danxia mountain view" href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/stones.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2164" title="stones" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/stones.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>It was said that there are a lot of undiscovered treasures hidden in this mountain area. Because this mountain area was a perfect hiding place for the rich people in the war times many years back. They left a lot of treasures here while running away. It is also said that the mountain was a camp for Mafias. They robbed the by passers and stocked the treasures somewhere in the mountain</p>
<p>Many backpackers and campers usually go to the deep of untraced areas of the mountain with the hope of finding some miracle every day. The mountain also attracts lot of scientists and archaeologists, because many things found here with high archaeological value. It was said that the people in the ancient times put the coffins of their late family members on the rock to avoid animal attack. There are a lot of mysterious things related to Dan&#8217;xia mountain. If you wish to find and learn something more, you must pay a visit to it.</p>
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		<title>Rambutan Fruit</title>
		<link>http://www.exinkai.com/rambutan-fruit/2137/</link>
		<comments>http://www.exinkai.com/rambutan-fruit/2137/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jan 2012 07:32:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Yan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rambutan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rambutan Fruit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.exinkai.com/?p=2137</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Rambutan is some kind of an Asian tropical fruit which belongs to the family Sapindaceae. It is native to Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and elsewhere in south east Asia. Today from Exinkai, I’m going to tell you about the rambutan fruit in Sri Lanka. At the present, where I live in Sri [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Rambutan is some kind of an Asian tropical fruit which belongs to the family Sapindaceae. It is native to Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and elsewhere in south east Asia. Today from Exinkai, I’m going to tell you about the rambutan fruit in Sri Lanka. At the present, where I live in Sri Lanka also has a big rambutan tree and that tree is the reason for me to write this article. <span id="more-2137"></span></p>
<p>Normally speaking, there are two types of rambutan in Sri Lanka. One is very sweet and the other one is sour taste. If you buy this fruit from shops, sweet rambutan is expensive than the sour taste one. This is because sweet taste rambutan is rare and the other one is common. The word rambutan is derived from the Malay word “rambutan” which means hairy. It is really hairy as you can see below.</p>
<p><a title="rambutan Sri Lanka" href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/rambutan-Sri-Lanka.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2138" title="rambutan Sri Lanka" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/rambutan-Sri-Lanka.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>Nearby Colombo several months back, me and several of my friends had a car ride together and there we bought some rambutan. Price was 10 rupees per one. Long time before in Sri Lanka, I remember that I bought rambutan for 2 rupees per one. This fruit is now very expensive even in Sri Lanka where lots of rambutan available. In some places, people give rambutan free for their neighbours and friends if they have rambutan trees in their gardens. We also did that few times because our tree gives hundreds of rambutan every year.</p>
<p>Rambutan is not available every time of the year. Usually in Sri Lanka, every year April to June, you can see lot of rambutan. This is the New Year season of Sri Lanka. At this time, not only rambutan, but there are lot of fruits available everywhere in the country. However if you just want to eat lot of rambutan, you should not forget to go to a place called Malwana, where the best rambutan available in Sri Lanka. It is possible that the price can be little bit expensive there, but the quality and the freshness of the fruit is maximum in Malwana.</p>
<p>According to the farmers, a normal rambutan trees grown from seeds can fruit after about 5 years and budded trees may fruit after 2 years with optimum production occurring after 8 years approximately. The tree we have in our garden is more than 15 years old as I know and it produces the best rambutan that I have eaten in my life. Its rambutan is really better than the rambutan from Malwana. I think you got some information that you didn’t know about rambutan before from this post. There’s nothing much to talk about this fruit further more. I will meet you with my next post soon on Exinkai.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Exinkai Facebook Page</title>
		<link>http://www.exinkai.com/exinkai-facebook-page/2123/</link>
		<comments>http://www.exinkai.com/exinkai-facebook-page/2123/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:14:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Yan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Exinkai News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Exinkai Facebook Page]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.exinkai.com/?p=2123</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today from the Exinkai news, I have something very good to let you know. Now we have a facebook fan page for our blog. This is something that we hadn’t over the last several months after we started Exinkai travel blog for the first time in February 2011. At the present, majority of online websites, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today from the Exinkai news, I have something very good to let you know. Now we have a facebook fan page for our blog. This is something that we hadn’t over the last several months after we started Exinkai travel blog for the first time in February 2011. At the present, majority of online websites, blogs and forums have their own facebook fan pages. So we also thought that we can give more travel news updates for you through facebook, if we also have a fan page and we successfully achieved that target yesterday. Go to “Exinkai Networks” on our home page and there you can see the link to our new facebook fan page. <span id="more-2123"></span></p>
<p>If you are a regular Exinkai reader, maybe you have seen another facebook fan page that we had before called “visa”. We have about 700 likes there, but we thought to create a new one because the topic “visa” is not a very close topic to Exinkai travel blog’s main purpose. By the way, if you have any problem with getting visa to Asian countries, you can post your questions there. We will be happy to assist you always.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Exinkai-Facebook-page.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2124" title="Exinkai Facebook page" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Exinkai-Facebook-page.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>From our new facebook fan page, we hope to share all our past and upcoming blog posts with you. So you can get Exinkai travel updates through facebook immediately. Other than this, we have a special idea to promote some free travel offers for you from our facebook page in the near future. We also have a facebook like box in the right side 2nd column as you can see, without going to Exinkai Networks page, you can access to our fan page directly from there.</p>
<p>If we talk a little about our fan page, it is designed by our editor “Rain”. He did all the work and promotion for it. Well done Rain, you have done a great job for our travel blog and you deserve all credits for it. I think all our readers will like the design as I do. If you also need to design a custom facebook page, you can contact “Rain” through Exinkai contact us form. I think he won’t be much busy to ignore your work or if he is busy, you can ask a tutorial from him about custom facebook page designing and you can do it by yourself.</p>
<p>I think I almost gave you enough of information about our new facebook fan page. If you have something special related to the travel topic, you may send it to us, we’ll be happy to share your story on our fan page as soon as we get it. Finally, we appreciate if you can give us a like there. This is something you can do to make us strong. We invite all of you to join with us to explore Asia.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Wildlife in Sri Lanka</title>
		<link>http://www.exinkai.com/wildlife-in-sri-lanka/2110/</link>
		<comments>http://www.exinkai.com/wildlife-in-sri-lanka/2110/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:17:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Yan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sri Lanka wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wildlife in Sri Lanka]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.exinkai.com/?p=2110</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There is a liveliness in the cool, salt tinged breeze, the soft rustling of leaves and the effervescence of foam upon the beach, that blends with the distant call of a wild peacock, the trumpeting of elephants or the belling of an exited sambhur. Their harmony gives character and enchantment to the national parks of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There is a liveliness in the cool, salt tinged breeze, the soft rustling of leaves and the effervescence of foam upon the beach, that blends with the distant call of a wild peacock, the trumpeting of elephants or the belling of an exited sambhur. Their harmony gives character and enchantment to the national parks of Sri Lanka, perhaps the oldest in Asia. <span id="more-2110"></span></p>
<p>These national parks are not the forbidding, dense tropical jungles usually depicted in books. Nor are they reeking with deadly venomous snakes or inhabited by fearsome animals waiting behind every tree to devour human beings. No. They are composed of vast expanses of unspoilt forests with a magnificent sea frontage and a landscape of rocky outcrops, scrub jungle and lush green plains. Through years of assiduous protection the animals have become trusting and unafraid. Staying inside his vehicle, a visitor can approach to within 20 yards of a herd of elephants, photograph leopard at 15 feet or take close ups of a variety of birds.</p>
<p><a title="Wildlife in Sri Lanka" href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Wildlife-in-Sri-Lanka.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2111" title="Wildlife in Sri Lanka" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Wildlife-in-Sri-Lanka.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>The mood in these parks or in any wild places in Sri Lanka is the same, the inebriating music of waking birds at dawn, the beckoning sea or river or jungle pool at midday, the animals themselves grazing or browsing or killing for their food before nightfall, the peace and tranquillity of evening before the crickets and nightjars take over the night’s vigil. These are the intangible things we yearn for, to obtain relief from the jangling telephones or the soulless throb of machines. We enjoy this mood, we are re created. We invite others to do the same, we must preserve them for those who come after us.</p>
<p>For a comparatively small island of some 26,000 sq miles, Sri Lanka is blessed with 109 different kinds of mammals, nearly 400 varieties of birds, a good selection of reptiles and a spectacular aquatic fauna in the rivers and coral reefs. For over 2000 years, around the time Buddhism was introduced to this country, some form of protection has been afforded to wild animals until today and it is achieved in two principal ways – by setting apart specified areas for fauna and flora, by the enforcement of laws through legislative enactments.</p>
<p>Into the first category fall the national parks and sanctuaries which to the layman are the most interesting. A sanctuary is a place where human activity is permitted without animals being shot, frightened, killed, injured or disturbed. Today, many sanctuaries have been declared for specific purposes, such as the protection of birds or of elephants or as buffers to a park or as places having religious significance. To know more about these sanctuaries and wildlife parks in Sri Lanka, you can go to Exinkai archives and search for them. This article is just to give you a rough idea about wildlife in the island nation.</p>
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		<title>Snow in Nuwara Eliya</title>
		<link>http://www.exinkai.com/snow-in-nuwara-eliya/2092/</link>
		<comments>http://www.exinkai.com/snow-in-nuwara-eliya/2092/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:01:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Yan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snow falling in nuwara eliya]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Snow in Nuwara Eliya]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snow nuwara eliya]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.exinkai.com/?p=2092</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Nuwara Eliya – the city of light is one of the most beautiful cities in Sri Lanka which is located in the central part of the country. This place is famous for tea estates, mountains, vegetable and fruit farms and for its climate. Today with this post, I’m going to tell you something rare for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Nuwara Eliya – the city of light is one of the most beautiful cities in Sri Lanka which is located in the central part of the country. This place is famous for tea estates, mountains, vegetable and fruit farms and for its climate. Today with this post, I’m going to tell you something rare for Nuwara Eliya which is related to its climate. It was snowing in Nuwara Eliya before few days. Isn’t it a good news for you? I think it’s a very good news for all Sri Lankans because snow is something very rare in Sri Lanka. <span id="more-2092"></span></p>
<p>If we talk about the normal weather in this region, we cannot expect snow falls through out the year. Because January to December in Nuwara Eliya, highest temperature can be 20 C and minimum is about 5 C. If you go to mountain tops, there temperature can be less than 5 C in the evenings and at nights. However as I said above, we cannot expect snow falls in this city because at any time of the year, its minimum temperature is only about 5 C which is also not common.</p>
<p><a title="Snow in Nuwara Eliya" href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Snow-in-Nuwara-Eliya.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2095" title="Snow in Nuwara Eliya" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Snow-in-Nuwara-Eliya.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p><a title="snow in nuwara eliya city" href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/snow-in-nuwara-eliya-city.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2097" title="snow in nuwara eliya city" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/snow-in-nuwara-eliya-city.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>But something rare happened in Nuwara Eliya before several days. The temperature of the city decreased suddenly to 2 C and there was a sudden snow fall in Nuwara Eliya. Within few hours, this news spread everywhere in the country and I saw many people were asking about the photos or videos of snow fall in Nuwara Eliya in many different online forums. At the moment, I don’t have any video of the scenery, but I have some photos of it which one of my friends live there sent me. I thought to share them with you on Exinkai. So I had to write this post especially for it because I don’t like to share just photos without having any content.</p>
<p>Because of this cool weather in Nuwara Eliya, lot of Sri Lankans from different other cities go there to have vacations with their families more often. Several times, I also went there and those were the best picnics I had in Sri Lanka. Weather, food, environment and everything is superb there. However hotel accommodation is little bit expensive in this hill country city. But there are plenty of bungalows available in Nuwara Eliya for affordable prices. When I travelled there many years back, I had accommodation at a government bungalow which is reserved for bankers. It was several times cheaper than the other places and had all the facilities.</p>
<p>I think you will like the photos you see above. That is all I have. It’s really something very rare in Sri Lanka, isn’t it? However, if you have some more photos or videos of snow falling in Nuwara Eliya, send them to us. I can post your photos here and upload your videos to the Exinkai YouTube channel as soon as I get them from you. Please note that, we don’t accept any photos with watermarks on them.</p>
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		<title>Kumana National Park</title>
		<link>http://www.exinkai.com/kumana-national-park/2074/</link>
		<comments>http://www.exinkai.com/kumana-national-park/2074/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 15 Jan 2012 03:10:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Yan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Places to Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kumana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kumana bird sanctuary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kumana National Park]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.exinkai.com/?p=2074</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Kumana, a magical name to all Sri Lankans, was alive again. The month of May heralds the breeding season and the tranquillity of this 600 acre mangrove swamp is shattered by the grating voices of the stork family, easily the most unmelodious of bird noises. Worse is the fact that it is augmented only by [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Kumana, a magical name to all Sri Lankans, was alive again. The month of May heralds the breeding season and the tranquillity of this 600 acre mangrove swamp is shattered by the grating voices of the stork family, easily the most unmelodious of bird noises. Worse is the fact that it is augmented only by the clapping of beaks which, pathetically is their idea of a love song.</p>
<p><span id="more-2074"></span>Weeks later the sounds rise to a crescendo as the eggs hatch and the young emerge, the Oliver twists of the bird world. Frantic mothers fortunately fortified by increased secretions of mother care hormones, fly to distant lagoons to bring back food to keep the mob as quiet as possible. But even the sight of a returning neighbour sends the youngster into new frenzies, shoving their beaks up the empty gullets of their parents. If disturbed and the parent birds take off, the unsteady babies, in trying to hide among the leaves invariably fall into the water only to be devoured by lurking crocodiles.</p>
<p><a title="Kumana" href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Kumana.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2081" title="Kumana" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Kumana.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>The painted storks which headed for the heavens are slowly lowering themselves, the pelicans are hopping back on to low branches. Even the pheasant tailed jacana, blue coot and water hen venture out on to the floating platform of dead reeds, water grass and lily pads. We wend our way under a canopy of Sonneratia and achieve our goal. A hide from where we can see the “archipelago”, a dozen islets of mangrove vegetation dotting the villu or lake.</p>
<p>Suddenly the very tree we have chosen rocks and sways. A thousand fruit bats sally forth and we look at each other mournfully. Mercifully the birds are not impressed. Bats are not their kind. And apart from the expectant crocodile which glides away in anticipation of a windfall, nothing stirs. In the morning, everything is quiet on this eastern front. One hears only the ocean’s waves 400 yards away. A white breasted kingfisher tries to penetrate the silence with its strident notes but is in turn quickly silenced.</p>
<p>All heads bowed, the young take shelter under parental winds. There is an awesome hush. Something is a miss. Only when two white breasted sea eagles came into view do we know why. They wheel overhead briefly and then drive with a power and accuracy only such acrobats can combine. First one and then the other, swoop on the water and rise again with a sizable fish impaled in their talons. They disappear with triumphant screams and life returns to normal.</p>
<p>Painted storks stand on their nests, wings spread out to make a parasol for their young. Thermoregulation is a real problem for parent, chick and egg alike. The parents keep their beaks open and make characteristic movements. The eggs are not sat upon during the hottest periods. Fortunately for Kumana, an avian paradise which though not as large as India’s Bharatpur, can match its ecological complexity, is situated well within the Yala east national park, an arid zone coastal strip, windswept, inaccessible and remote. Recently we held civilization at arm’s length, wrapping the park with a half mile wide ribbon of buffer forest.</p>
<p><a title="Kumana" href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Kumana-bird-sanctuary.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2082" title="Kumana bird sanctuary" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Kumana-bird-sanctuary.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>Yala east is lashed by strong north east monsoon rains and the desiccating intermonsoonal winds which threaten to tear it apart and may very well do so, but for the amazing tangle of dune vegetation, xerophytes and dry zone trees which guard the coast like a mammoth fortress. High forest clad rock outcrops catch the heavy rains in deep troughs whose overflow gives rise to the streams which water the plains and eventually form picturesque lagoons. Aquatic life abounds in these lagoons and streams that support a fascinating cross section of waders and shore birds.</p>
<p>And on this far off corner converge a multitude of migrants. Flock upon flock of godwit, sandpiper, golden plover and turnstone etch the darkening September skies as they arrive from Siberia and west Asia. These welcome visitors swell the indigenous population of lapwings, pratincoles, Kentish plover, tern and stilts. Then the bird banding teams get into gear with mist nets, pliers, numbered rings and record sheets. Close liaison is established with their Indian counterparts to contribute valuable data for scientific work.</p>
<p>Returning at dusk we are lucky to see at the first lagoon, a pair of black necked stork, very rare in Sri Lanka. They breed here but their nests have yet to be discovered. And as we wind our way through a tunnel of trees, we catch glimpses of forest birds as they flit across our path reminding us that tomorrow we would be sharing their little world of sound and colour. And we must surely follow that Malabar pied hornbill, with berries in his beak, to the nest we know so well in the huge Syzygium tree on the Kumbukkan river bank.</p>
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		<title>Animal Life in Wilpattu National Park</title>
		<link>http://www.exinkai.com/animal-life-in-wilpattu-national-park/1953/</link>
		<comments>http://www.exinkai.com/animal-life-in-wilpattu-national-park/1953/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Jan 2012 08:07:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Yan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Places to Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Animal Life in Wilpattu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Animal Life in Wilpattu National Park]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.exinkai.com/?p=1953</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If elephants are the pride of Yala, then leopards weave a magical spell in Wilpattu. If in Yala they were furtive or distant, here their composure borders on suavity and visitors have not felt the pulse of this big park who were not lucky enough to see at least one leopard. For they walk long [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If elephants are the pride of Yala, then leopards weave a magical spell in Wilpattu. If in Yala they were furtive or distant, here their composure borders on suavity and visitors have not felt the pulse of this big park who were not lucky enough to see at least one leopard. For they walk long distances in front of your vehicle, relax contentedly at the edge of a villu or sprawl limply across a branch as though they confided in you. <span id="more-1953"></span></p>
<p>At an average, there are two or three leopards to each area circumscribing a villu or water hole, which puts the figure around 60 for the park proper. Unfortunately a lot of them still do not put in an appearance during daylight hours. But the situation improves each year as they get accustomed to vehicular traffic.</p>
<p>Leopards go courting in little groups. Several males are attracted by the one female who has a time of it choosing her partner. After mating, the pair keep together until the cubs are grown. The gestation period is roughly 90 days. Two or three cubs are born but at least one of these is a runt.</p>
<p><a title="leopards in Wilpattu" href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/leopards-in-Wilpattu.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-1956" title="leopards in Wilpattu" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/leopards-in-Wilpattu.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>Bears are Wilpattu’s second best attraction. Although the dry season affords better chances of seeing them as they shuffle along in search of water. Bears are also active during wet weather particularly in the morning after a heavy downpour. Then they rummage among termite hills breaking up the softened clay and sucking up the frenzied insects with a loud slurp. They are not handsome animals nor do they have a tolerant attitude towards us. If met with while on foot, they seldom act with restraint, rearing up on hind feet, yelping and charging like demons. Unless you are armed the encounter is brief and singularly one sided. But in the wild parks, they are different animals altogether. There is no animus, only a long anxious stare through cheerless eyes.</p>
<p>There are favoured spots for bears. Some months ago an enormous she bear with two little cubs at heel used to patrol the Nelun Kumbuk Kokkari triangle. At the slightest disturbance the two cubs virtually leapt on to the mother’s back and sat one behind the other. Then one day she came out with only one cub which eventually stayed with her until full grown. This couple became tremendous favourites in the park for they used to even stroll up to vehicles as though they wished to shake hands with the driver.</p>
<p><a title="Wilpattu national park" href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Wilpattu-national-park.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-1958" title="Wilpattu national park" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Wilpattu-national-park.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>Like leopards, bears too are not given to community living except when their hormones permit it at the breeding season. Then also it is a noisy gathering for males quarrel with each other over matters of procedure and eligibility. Once at Kokkari, a car got mixed up in such a contest and the defeated candidate galloped up to it, leapt on to the bonnet over the other side and into the bushes. The road to Kokmottai traverses good bear country. Unfortunately, they are a little shy because the appearance of vehicles in this part of the park is a recent phenomenon, but as more visitors use it, all that will change.</p>
<p>Regretfully, the wild buffalo population is not as attractive as it should be because domestic hordes stray in from the surrounding villages. However scrimpy the village cows may be the wild bulls are attracted to them and promiscuous associations follow. Very hardly a single wild herd is not so adulterated, which is rather a pity.</p>
<p>All other herbivorous animals are amply represented for Wilpattu can provide sufficient food and water. Practically all the villus have a substantial collection of deer and sambhur. At certain times of the year, you might find them in short supply that is when the berries are in season and the deer keep to the forested areas.</p>
<p><a title="deer in Wilpattu" href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/deer-in-Wilpattu.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-1959" title="deer in Wilpattu" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/deer-in-Wilpattu.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>The occurrence of white deer in Wilpattu is something of a tradition. Some wildlife researchers recorded a species of white deer in an area 6 miles north of Puttalam and said – there of that kind were caught, the last one in 1822. But all efforts to keep them alive have proved abortive. From 1950 onwards, four such animals have graced Wilpattu and even at the time of writing an adult white doe with a fawn at heel adorns the herd at Kudapatessa. The fawn however is normal.</p>
<p>The barking deer, muntjac or rib faced deer, commonly called the red deer comes into its own in this part of the country. As they do not graze they have practically no occasion to be seen outside their forest and scrub habitat except when driven out of it in search of water. For a barking deer to be seen at one of the more open villus is an indication that all available water inside the jungle has run out. This deer is a pathetically timid creature and to watch it come to drink is a nerve wracking experience even to the observer. Its body appears to quiver with fear as though every falling leaf or swaying branch is going to consume it. It is indeed a wonder that when real danger threatens it does not drop dead, but barks like a dog and plunges headlong into the thicket. Barking deer lead solitary lives.</p>
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		<title>Gal Oya National Park &#8211; Sri Lanka</title>
		<link>http://www.exinkai.com/gal-oya-national-park-sri-lanka/1941/</link>
		<comments>http://www.exinkai.com/gal-oya-national-park-sri-lanka/1941/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:42:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Yan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Places to Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gal Oya national park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gal Oya national park Sri Lanka]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.exinkai.com/?p=1941</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The topography of this comparatively new park bears little resemblance to the other two parks in Sri Lanka. It lies deep in the interior of the country in the lower foothills of the Uva province. It is 99 sq. miles in extent. Of course it has not sea frontage, lagoons or large waterholes but is [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The topography of this comparatively new park bears little resemblance to the other two parks in Sri Lanka. It lies deep in the interior of the country in the lower foothills of the Uva province. It is 99 sq. miles in extent. Of course it has not sea frontage, lagoons or large waterholes but is still made beautiful by the low hills and shallow valleys, streams, rivers and the placid waters of the Senanayake Samudra which traces its arc like southern boundary. It is ideal country for a foot safari.  <span id="more-1941"></span></p>
<p>In the slopes of the hills are vast undulating parklands whose vegetation is predominantly tall, willowy grass of two species, Illuk and Mana. Emerging from this rather inhospitable tangle is a community of stocky trees, broadly spaced out. The dominant species here are Aralu, Bulu and Nelli, a famous trio in Ayurveda medicine. Then there are also Gammalu, Kahata and Ehela which are again of therapeutic value. This unique concentration of valuable trees and shrubs has given rise to the belief that this was king Dutugamunu’s gigantic arboretum cultivated to supply his army hospital. It contains specifics for anything from high blood pressure to gall stones and snake bites.</p>
<p><a title="Gal Oya national park" href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Gal-Oya-national-park.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-1942" title="Gal Oya national park" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Gal-Oya-national-park.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>The three principal rivers whose waters have been impounded to form the Senanayake Samudra, a magnificent reservoir of 37 sq. miles traverse the park. The balabedda Oya meanders through the north, the boulder strawn Gal Oya empties itself in the west, while the Sellaka Oya comes in unobtrusively from the south west. During the north eastern monsoon or for that matter whenever it rains, baffling networks of little streams come to life, conveying the water from the hills into the rivers closest to them. These rivulets are deep but narrow and are in many places almost hidden in the grass. This drainage system is of biological importance. It is obvious that without the grass cover there will be uncontrollable erosion, the silt will be carried to the rivers and thence to the reservoir with disastrous results. In short, the Gal Oya national park is the catchment area for the Senanayake Samudra and for this reason alone it should be perpetuated. A practice now prevails among certain villagers of burning the tall grass of the damanas during the dry season to collect Aralu, Bulu and Nelli fruits and also to graze their domestic buffaloes on the short grasses that sprout with the first rains. This is a dangerous habit which has been curbed since the area became a park. After burning, the damana is called talawa.</p>
<p><a title="Gal Oya national park " href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/crocodile.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-1943" title="crocodile" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/crocodile.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>Dominating the landscape, however are the very beautiful rock massifs, the important ones being Danigala, Nilgala and Ul hela. The Danigala range as it is called, is of historical interest as well for in its caves and on its plateau lived the Henebedda Veddas. Although this is part of the dry zone the climate is much cooler and so it came to be known as the Sithala Wanniya.</p>
<p>Even as I write, the topography of the Gal Oya valley keeps changing. For instance a highway now connects Mullegama with Bulupitiya and Bibile where earlier only ox drawn carts could negotiate the difficult terrain. Squatters keep burning the forest to cultivate cash crops although the soil is the poorest known. Still we are not without hope that this park will continue to afford sanctuary to retreating animals.</p>
<p>The Gal Oya park has always attracted elephants and fairly large herds. The perennial source of water, the availability of fodder and the ruggedness of the terrain are ideal conditions for their continued survival. They are quite easily seen during an evening’s boat ride on the Samudra. So are the buffaloes and sambhur. But spotted deer are fewer. Leopards and bears occur in fair abundance but are not usually seen unless one is prepared to track them on foot. All the other animals live in the other parks of Sri Lanka occur in Gal Oya as well. The birdlife too has its parallel here. But in addition, this is the home of the Painted Partridge, a rather rare species at the moment. It occurs in the foothill patanas. The Orange minivet, Layard’s parakeet and the Hillmyna also adorn the canopy of the wooded areas.</p>
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		<title>Konark Sun Temple &#8211; One of India&#8217;s seven wonders</title>
		<link>http://www.exinkai.com/konark-sun-temple-one-of-indias-seven-wonders/1932/</link>
		<comments>http://www.exinkai.com/konark-sun-temple-one-of-indias-seven-wonders/1932/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:53:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Yan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Places to Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Black Pagoda]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Konark Sun Temple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sun Temple]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.exinkai.com/?p=1932</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Konark sun temple situated in the north eastern corner of Puri (Orissa) is a prime spot for the tourists and pilgrims in India. The Konark sun temple has derived its name from two Sanskrit words, Kona means corner and Arka means sun. It is dedicated to the God of Sun. At the present, even after [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Konark sun temple situated in the north eastern corner of Puri (Orissa) is a prime spot for the tourists and pilgrims in India. The Konark sun temple has derived its name from two Sanskrit words, Kona means corner and Arka means sun. It is dedicated to the God of Sun. At the present, even after so many years, it still reflects the explicit talent and the genius of the ancient artisans. The temple is one of the most renowned temples in Hindustan and is a world heritage site. It is also one of the seven wonders in India.</p>
<p><span id="more-1932"></span>Konark sun temple was built in the 13th century by the Ganga king Narasimha Deva. It displays a golden chariot with twelve pairs of wheels on either side which is dragged by flaunting horses. A pair of lion crushing the elephants can also be found at the entrance of the temple. The construction of this temple was properly envisioned and skilfully executed. A very interesting story (as described by the local legends) was the cause for the construction of this temple.</p>
<p><a title="Konark sun temple" href="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Konark-Sun-temple.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-1933" title="Konark Sun Temple" src="http://www.exinkai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Konark-Sun-temple.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="200" /></a></p>
<p>Samba, a royal king of that time was cursed by lord Krishna to leprosy for entering into the bathing chamber of his wife. He was supposed to worship the god of sun if he wants to recover from his leprosy, in the north east part of Puri. Samba, then reached the Koniditya district where Konark temple is originally situated and worshipped the sun god and ultimately he was freed from the curse. Samba, in order to show his gratitude to the god of sun laid the foundation of the Konark temple.</p>
<p>The paintings on the wall of the Konark temple are what will lure you. The intricate drawings of the animals, foliage, men, and warriors on horses are so implicit that you can’t take your eyes away from them. Not many temples you will find in the world with such a grand architectural excellence. Konark temple is also accompanied by the Jagmohan temple. The Jagmohan temple has been embroidered with precious jewels. You will also find the characters giving a highly erotic expression. The stone work of the Konark Temple is unique on its own. Most of tourists appreciate the three images of the sun god which has been carved in such a manner so as to receive the sunrays at dawn, noon and sunset. It will be a sensational experience for you to see that moment and it can’t be explained in words.</p>
<p>Great Konark Sun temple along with Puri and Bhubaneshwar constitute the “travelling triangle” in Orissa. Millions of local and international tourists visit this place every year. Mayadevi temple and Vaishnav temple situated on the Konark Campus will also display the rich historical heritage of India. There are many more interesting facts about the Konark which can only be discovered if you pay a personal visit and I won’t be surprised if you don’t feel like retreating back from Konark. You should also remember that the entrance fee for this place is cheaper for citizens from SAARC nations than the citizens from the other countries.</p>
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