Serendib - October 2014

I dette nummeret

The craft of sesath remained a closely guarded secret of an artisan clan for millennia, until a small revolution occurred in the quiet village of Unaveruwa.
Sri Lanka is world renowned for its natural gemstones, and is gaining momentum as the Sapphire capital of the world. That’s because, among the variety of Sapphires unearthed here, Blue Sapphires are of the finest quality found anywhere in the world.
The orchid family is so well connected it has over 23,000 relatives and can lay claim to being the largest family of flowering plants. In Sri Lanka, as elsewhere, the wild orchid grows on trees (Epiphytes) and on rocks (Lithophytes).
Famed as the largest bird research centre in Asia, the Birds Research Centre and Resort is home to over 200 species of birds.
As the city of Colombo ends, the stunning suburban wetlands of the Diyawanna Oya begin. Beyond, over the blue-arched bridge that crosses the lake, is the Diyatha Uyana, the market and restaurant hub of the Diyawanna Oya in its function as an increasingly important recreational site in the greater Colombo area.