Arts
A ride like no other
Nick Sutcliffe’s 50th birthday was a few years ago, but the party still continues. “I put the first thing together,” he says of Pimp My Tuk -Tuk’s (PMTT) maiden trip to India in 2013.
At a charity auction at the Lantern boutique hotel in Matara: Legendary cricketer, Muttiah Muralitharan, a trustee of the Foundation of Goodness with Giles Allcard who won the bidding for a signed cricket ball at USD 3,000
For the team of 20 expats stationed in Singapore chugging from Chennai to Goa in the region’s beloved three wheeler, was the start of the adventure.
Two years later, the collective has doubled in size, bringing 40 drivers to Sri Lanka for the second edition of their tuk-tuk adventure.
Braving torrents of Lankan traffic, the army of 20 tuk-tuks made its way from Jaffna to Seenigama, ending their journey last week.
“It was sort of like a holiday,” said Martin Tacchi, who spoke to us before the team left for Jaffna. The stops scheduled along the 1200 km journey which stretched out before them, in his book was what made it worthwhile.
The Foundation of Goodness (FOG) were the beneficiaries of the awareness and funds raised by PMTT’s unique road trip, and had arranged for five meaningful pit-stops.
Kushil Gunasekera of FOG admits “I was a little concerned,” at the thought of 40 foreigners zooming off in tuk-tuks with just a few hours of practice.
Dereke
He said he was afraid that the long established road-rivalry between buses and tuk-tuks could pose some challenges for the novice tuk-tuk drivers but his initial apprehension soon wore off.
“I heard that they drove faster than guys who have been in the profession for a while.”
Perhaps the most significant stop, according to Kushil, was the opening of a reverse osmosis water purification plant in Mihintale to combat the large number of Chronic Kidney Disease cases is the area.
For Dereke Seeto, watching the plant being set-up and villagers lining up for their turn to collect clean water “was sobering. Stunned at endlessly changing landscapes within the country, its natural diversity has made an impression he says.
Rob
Bright smiles and warm receptions with tables laden with goodies were what greeted them everywhere. Even if a situation doesn’t look promising, “everyone is happy.”
“It’s always been a dream” said Giridaran Candiah of his desire to visit Jaffna. “It’s my fatherland,” he shares. Feeling fortunate enough to go down the paths less travelled throughout the country, the warm personality of its people are what he will carry back.
“Betel leaves are offered only to respected elders in my country, (Singapore) ” he says, never expecting to receive the honoured offering during his short stay in the island.
Rob Ioannou is no stranger to the island, having had a holiday home in Weligama for a while.
“I’ve come to Sri Lanka for the past six years,” he said, adding however that travelling around by tuk-tuk is a first. Experiencing the land through tuk-tuk he feels is better because “you feel more connected to it.”
“We got a few looks,” Alex Longman recalls of pedestrians and motorists confused by “white men driving around in tuk-tuks.” It didn’t take long for the confused frowns to melt into smiles and even a wave “from across the street” he shares.
Kushil
Raising 250,000 USD for the FOG he feels their work in Seenigama is an encouraging testament that these funds will be put to great use.
Welcoming the team back, Rohantha Athukorala, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau said that this was the start of possibly a new type of tourism Sri Lanka should welcome.
“Community service” tourism is a trend which he’s keen on researching, modelled after PMTT’s work here.
Michel
Giridaran
Ready to hit the road