The
Oak Champs- MeghanaMulpuri, Std X and VarunAravapalli of Std VI from the
Einstein Campus and SanjanaGoel of Std IX and Dvij Sharma of Std. VI of
VizagCampus went on a trip to Colombo as
part of their award, for the academic year 2012-13.
The
trip was scheduled from 13-15 June 2013.
Colombo
is the largest city and the commercial, industrial and cultural capital of Sri
Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island. It was a 50 minute flight
from Madurai after the students went through their immigration formalities.
After
landing at the Colombo airport, the students were very excited to exchange
their currency to the local Sri Lankan rupee which was
very colorful. The representative of Reva Journeys took us all to the Global
Towers Hotel on the Marine Drive. The city is as colorful as its currency,
bright and vibrant. The influence of Buddhism was evident throughout the city.
Colombia
is a busy city with a mixture of modern life and colonial buildings and ruins.
The students were especially excited about the varied colors of local transport
called the “tuktuk” and screamed in excitement every time they spotted a new color
of it.
The
students witnessed the varied culture, tasted the local cuisine, learned few
terms in the local language and witnessed the local architecture during their
visit. The tour guide Mr. Rupasinghe, a pleasant personality, took us all
through the city on a tour and showed us the famous Cinnamon Gardens, the
replica of Avukana Buddha, the Independence Square, The World Trade Centre, the
Dawatagaha Mosque and the Dutch Church of Wolfendhal (1949). The students also
visited the National Museum where they learned about the history, tradition and
culture of Sri Lanka.
The
next day, students visited a Turtle Hatchery and saw some rare species of
Turtles. After which they had fun at Club Bentota, the first National holiday
resort developed by the Ceylon Tourist Board.
The
tour culminated with shopping for souvenirs and handicrafts for the friends and
families at the State owned shop, Laksala.
It
was a wonderful, learning and enjoyable experience for all the four students.
