Thanks to other members who did not go on the trip, who sacrificed their sleep to help with transporting the boxes of donations and requisites at 5:00am to Changi Airport, everything went smoothly and we left at 7:30am. After an hour's transit in Kuala Lumpur, we arrived in Colombo at 10:50am (local time).

          The customs check was quite stringent and we had to pay a US$50 tax for the things that we brought over. The group boarded two buses and had lunch at the Sapphire Hotel.

          We checked into Tangerine Beach Hotel, Kalutara at about 5:00 pm. Some of us took a walk on the beach, others had a swim in the hotel's pool.  The sea was very rough, waves pounding and the water quite murky. We fed biscuits to the cute little squirrels scurrying up and down the trees in the garden beside the pool. After dinner, we packed requisites and hampers. There were so many willing and enthusiastic helping hands; the job was done in about an hour!  

Day 2 - 11 June

          We left at 6:30am for Ratnapura, known as the "City of Gems".  Along the way, we stopped at Kuruvita where an unveiling ceremony was held at the foundation for a Buddha statue.

          Back on a long journey to Galle. After traveling hours on hilly roads, we continued along the coastal road where the destruction caused by the tsunami in December was still evident, ruins of houses, tombstones and tents dotted the coastline. We supposed to visit two Parasol Weavers sites, Sunandharamay, Hegalla, Kosgoda and Sumanaramaya Madampe Venamulla Ambalangoda, but due to time factor, we only managed to meet up with Ven Ven. Kosgoda Siriwimala, Chief Incumbent of the Sunandharamay Monastery, Hegalla, Kosgoda. We had a short but fruitful discussion on the latest development of the temple reconstruction, and had agreed to consider the revised proposal.

          We arrived in Galle at about 9:30pm, and made a short visit to the Vijayandanda Temple.  It was the last day of the seven days' chanting for tsunami victims, sponsored by the government.  The temple was all lighted up and crowded with devotees. Checked into Koggala Beach Hotel at about 10:30pm, before we adjourned to the dining hall for a dinner cum supper at 11:00pm.

Day 3 - 12 June  

          Banthe Udita gave a tour of the Vijayandanda Temple which was built in 1896 and completed in 1913.  The pagoda was decorated with broken porcelain pieces some of which had Chinese and English words on them. The temple also had a Dhamma School established in 1895, the oldest in Galle and probably Sri Lanka.

          Visited Velliwatta Dhamma School which had about 800 children and 30 volunteer teachers. Distributed stationery, etc and made donations.

          Went over to Banthe Udita's Vijayananda Vihara Temple to perform ceremony to hand over the Boys' Home / Community Hall which was built with donations from the FFM. We were greeted by drummers and dancers. The Mayor of Galle City, Mr Mohamed Ariff also graced the occasion. We also helped to make preparations for a Maha Sangha Dana for 71 monks.  More donations were collected for the rebuilding of the shrine hall which has been submerged in water as a result of flooding during the tsunami.

          After lunch, we visited the Yashodara Girls' home. All had an enjoyable time interacting with the girls and teaching them to sing some songs. FFM had donated rice, lentils, biscuits and a refurbished PC to the home.

          Next was a visit to the Sambodi Home for the Disabled which FFM visited in 2003. It housed about 97 mentally and physically handicapped children (48 inmates of the home died in the tsunami). It was sad to see some parts of the building destroyed by the tsunami but at the same time glad to see repair works going on, sponsored by a German company. Donations of foodstuff, wheelchairs, crutches and cash were made. They were very happy and entertained us with some songs.

          Up on a breezy hill top was our next destination, the Bouna Vista Home for the Elders (Rumaswella Home Unanawatuna), managed by the Young Men Buddhist Association (YMBA) of Galle. It was a two story building housing 98 grannies (men and women) and 12 mentally retarded girls. It was established in 1960. We distributed biscuits to the cheery old folks and presented crutches, walking aids, wheelchairs and cash donations both to the home and for the building of a big Buddha statue on its premises which would be ready at the end of the year. Some of us went further up the hill to see the Peace Pagoda built by the Japanese.

          On the way to Galle, we visited another possible Parasol Weaver site, the International Buddhist Centre, Kaluwella, Galle, which was situated by the ocean, and destroyed by the Tsunami. We had a good discussion with the Chief Incumbent, Ven. Chandawimala on the reconstruction work, and hope to come back with some good news soon. Some of us enjoyed the balmy sea breeze and beautiful landscape and talked to the locals. Some of them related their close shave with death when the tsunami struck.

          Returned to Koggala Beach Hotel and had dinner. Celebrated Chin Chin's and Meng Seng's birthdays. After dinner, packed requisites and hampers for offerings for the rest of the trip.

Day 4 - 13 June

          As we had a long journey today, we set off very early at 5.45 am for Weligama Tsunami Camp.  It was a series of wooden structures, housing victims of the tsunami built by a local company. The residents were awakened by our visit and some of us spoke to them. They told of how they lost family members, friends, their homes and shops. We donated some food and requisites.

          As there was no time to stop for lunch, we had packed sandwiches, cakes and bananas on the bus. Stopped for tea along the way and arrived at NurwaraEliya town for some shopping of warm jackets, pants and windbreakers before checking into the Grand Hotel. It was really grand and beautiful with spacious, well furnished rooms.

          NurwaraEliya is 1,900 metres above sea level and the temperature is about 17 degrees. After dinner, a group of us took a walk to the nearby Hill Club Hotel and were shown around the building by the manager. Its colonial origins was very evident in the drawing room with its fireplace, billiard room and walls decorated with hunting trophies of stuffed heads of cheetah, lion, water buffaloes, stags and wild boars. 

Day 5 - 14 June

          Left at 6:30am for Kandy.  The second bus had some problems and the rest of the group packed into the first bus for the trip down to Sri Dalada Maligawa (The Kandy Tooth Relic Temple). Bro Chow Wah met us at the temple. We went straight to the inner temple where the caskets containing the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha was placed and made offerings. After that, we proceeded to a hall where FFM made a ceremonial presentation of the public address and sound alarm system to the Chief Venerables and Custodian of the temple. This was followed by Maha Sangha Dana for 81 Venerable Monks. We had lunch at the temple, after which, there was a press and TV briefing on the donation of the public address and sound alarm system and how it would be installed by a local company (Arc International). Bro Poh Cheng was asked to make a speech and he spoke very well about FFM, its mission and members. We took a group photograph with the Custodian and Committee Members of the temple.

Day 6 -15 June

          Set off for Dambulla at 6:30am. Visited the Dambulla Cave Temple.

After lunch, on the way, stopped by to view Sigiriya, said to be the eighth wonder of the world. Visited the Rienzie Alagiyawanna Deaf and Blind School, Anuradhapura Bandaranayak. There were about 84 children some dumb, others blind or partially blind and 4 blind teachers and 15 others. The children were given vocational training such as carpentry, handicrafts and whatever items they made and sold, the proceeds went into their personal bank accounts to finance their studies or to buy tools for their business when they grew up in the future. 

          We distributed balloons, biscuits and stationery and one of the blind teachers sang a song for us. Volunteers played and interacted with the children using simple but universal sign language. FFM and volunteers made cash donations to the school, to supplement the subsidies they received from the authority. In addition, we also donated Rs100 each of the students accounts.

          Next was a visit to the Saliyapura Home for the Elders, not too far away. There were about 157 female and 100 male residents. The more mobile ones gathered in a hall where we distributed biscuits and the younger members of our group gave a musical performance. The grannies joined in the action and clapped enthusiastically, two of them even contributed by singing and one happily danced around. Again we donated cash to supplement the food allowance.

          We checked into Galway Miridiya Hotel. In the evening, we visited the Sri Maha Bodhi Temple, where the sacred Maha Bodhi Tree was planted; sapling from the original Bodhi tree where Prince Siddhartha gained enlightenment was brought to Sri Lanka in around B.C. 300 by Arahant Venerable Sanghamitra, daughter of the Emperor Ashoka of India. It was the oldest historically authenticated descendant of the original Bodhi tree from Buddhagaya (Bodhgaya), India. We were not able to go up to the platform surrounding the tree as renovations were being done. We said our prayers and wishes, placing lighted candles on the steps leading to the platform. Our coins tied in white cloth were left with the temple keepers to tie them on the surrounding railings for us. We then made our way to the Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba, a huge white bubble shaped structure with a wall frieze of hundreds of elephants. We walked around the dagoba with chanting led by Banthe Udita and meditated for a short while. Returned to hotel for dinner at 9:00pm.

Day 7 - 16 June

          We had a breakfast dana at the Sri Maha Bodhi Temple for a seven Venerable Monks, followed by alms giving (pindabata) to about 100 Venerable Monks at the Sri Sarananda Pirivena Temple nearby. Offerings of rice, food, bananas, apples etc. had been pre-arranged. There was a newly built big white Buddha statue (Asooatariyan Buddha Statute and Len Viharaya). Took a group photograph with Chief Incumbent, Venerable Ananda.

           Returned to hotel and had about an hour's sharing session in the garden. There were frank comments - too many temple visits, need for punctuality and some suggestions for improvement.  

           Left at about 10:30am for Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. It was set up by the government to save abandoned or orphaned wild elephants. There are now more than 60 elephants roaming freely in the sanctuary. We arrived during bathing time and were able to watch a herd of about 30-40 in the river, whilst having our lunch at the cafe on the river bank.

           We visited the International Dhamaduta Centre Kegalla (Refuge Children's Home), sponsored by Bro Steven Tay, a core member of the FFM. There were about 20 children, some disabled. Three teachers taught handicrafts such making greeting cards for sale. We made a donation of about S$2,000 to build 2 toilets for the disabled. 

           Arrived in Colombo in the evening and checked into Ceylon Continental Hotel. A big birthday cake was ordered after dinner to celebrate the birthdays of 5 members whose birthdays fell in the later half of June - Yong Xin, Ju Lee, Wei Chuan, Soon Ann and Siew Kheng.  It was indeed a pleasant surprise for all.

Day 8 - 17 June

After the first leisurely breakfast in a week, we set out for Gangarama Temple.  We were greeted by the Chief Incumbent, Ven GalbodaGnanissara Nayaka Thero, who blessed us and gave each of us an Arahan Sivali pendant made of 5 metals which would give us luck and success in business and career. He also conducted a tour of the temple and showed us an impressive collection of gold Buddha statues, rare statues of Kwan Yin Boddhisatta, vintage cars, antique printing presses, copper tooled pictures some of which were made by students from the temple's vocational institute, paintings, carvings, stone Buddha statues and stupas, etc, etc. The Venerable had set up 50 vocational training institutes all over the country to train youths to repair cars, computers and other skills.

           Visited the Polwatta Royal Temple, the Nenasarana Community Learning Centre and Sanhinda Childrens' Home. The children were observing 8 precepts at a nearby government school, so we left the donations of sweets and stationery for them to distribute.

           The afternoon was free and easy for shopping. We reassembled again at 6:30pm and left for the airport at 7:00pm. On the way, we had dinner at the airport hotel. We presented souvenirs and tips to our tour coordinators, bus drivers and assistants. Mr Kite, the tour manager had pledge to be a member of the FFM, and to assist us in our future missions to Sri Lanka. We arrived in very good time at the airport.

Day 9 -18 June