Cyril Ernest's sporting career

I had my early education at St. Mary's College, Negombo, where I played for the school cricket team and also played for Negombo United cricket club in the Daily News Trophy tournament as a 15 and 16 year old. In 1958, I was selected to play on the Rest team under Kingsley Fernando (St. Sebastians) in the National inter-schools cricket championship. It was a quadrangular tourney between Colombo North Schools, Colombo South Schools, Kandy Schools and the Rest of Ceylon. We beat the highly favoured Colombo North Schools in our first game and went on to meet the Colombo South Schools in the finals which I believe was captained by Michael Tissera. We lost to them in the finals. I top scored with 66 runs in the game against Colombo North in the first innings and also batted well against the Colombo South team.

After this cricket encounter my Dad took me to St. Josephs College, Colombo to enter this school to pursue my studies and sports. My Dad knew the then Rector of St. Joseph's College, Fr. Peter Pillai very well. However, when we went to meet him he was away in England. So we ended up at St. Benedict's College, and I was accepted as a student by Rev. Br. Alban Patrick.

I was boarded at the College hostel which enabled me to participate in sports as well as pursue my studies.I represented St. Benedict's in cricket, hockey, tennis, and track and field at the highest level in inter-school competition.My first encounter in school cricket at St. Benedict's was against St. Thomas' College in 1959.They were a formidable side. I went in to bat at the fall of the 7th wicket, and I put on a partnership with Anton Abeysekera of over 50 runs to take our score to some state of respectability.Anton was not out at 45 runs.We did lose this game.My first captain was Lionel Fernando, and I remember the game against St. Anne's College, Kurunegala played in Kotahena when Lionel scored 204 runs not out and took all 10 wicketsin the first innings and 7 wickets in the second innings - considered a world record at the time.I fielded at leg slip and took 3 or 4 catches off his bowling.I scored several half centuries during my career at St. Benedict's as an opening batsman, with ahighest score of 71 against St. Joseph’s. My best bowling figures was against Royal College when I grabbed 5 wicket in the first innings in the 1960 encounter.In our match against Royal College in 1959, LorenszPerera scored adashing century. I was out to two brilliant catches by Michael Dias in each innings. The Bens-Josephian encounter of 1959 is well-remembered. St. Benedict’s had not beaten St. Joseph’s for a very long time (last being in 1917), and we were on the verge of winning this encounter, but we dropped two vital catches. Josephians’, Cedric Direckze and Nihal Samarawickrema somehow survived, and not only did they save the game but went on to win it as well.

In hockey at St. Benedict’s I played right-half. We were coached by the famous Brian Assey, and we had a very good side. He was our Chemistry teacher, and he also played for Ceylon. From the 1959-60 sides, there were six/seven Benedictines who represented Ceylon in hockey. The names that come to mind are Rex Sebastian, Batcho Selvaraj, W. Charles, Anthony MacIntyre, the Fernando brothers (Stanley, Homer, and Subash), and NattarAssissi. Our main rivals were St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, as they used to give us a good fight in hockey. We were National Champs in 1959 and 1960. In tennis, I played in the public schools tournament and in doubles my partner was Shiran Pieris. We lost to the eventual champions, NavinGuneratne and Lal Senaratne, in the quarter-finals in 1959. In Track and Field, I represented college at the public schools championships, having qualified by coming second to Warna Fernando in the Western Province North Group meet. I can recall those whom I competed against as Ranjit Samarasekera (Antontian), Anton Perera (Peterite), R. U. Liyanage (St. Thomas’ Matale), Lorensz DaSilva (St. Thomas’ Mount Lavinia), and Warna Fernando (Ananda).

In cricket, Mr. Bertie Wijesinghe was our coach, and Mr. Felix Fernando was our master-in-charge. We were really fortunate to have been coached and trained by them. I remember how Mr. Wijesinghe went about his coaching, all about basics – we had to do batting drills with concentration on ball after ball. It was the same with bowling. I was trained as an off-spin bowler by him. The art of flight, accuracy, and planning before each ball was bowled, studying the batsman and how to outsmart him, were all part of the drills. We had to repeat these steps with sheer concentration and focus on what was delivered. 

In 1960, St. Benedict’s 1^st XI was captained by Elmo Rodrigopulle, and Ranjit Fernando was my opening batting partner. The team was comprised of Allen Gunesekera, Sanath Jayawardena, Winston Dissanayake, Ranjit Perumal, QuintasPerera, Gordon Dissanayake, Cecil Saverimuthu, Nihal Fernandopulle, Nihal Zoysa, Nihal Amerasinghe, Percy Perera, Fredrick Silva, and Chandra Ramanathan. Bede Puvimansinghe was our Prefect of Games, and Bertie Wijesinghe remained as our coach. In that year, we recorded on of the famous wins against St. Peter’s where Elmo got a hat trick, and I also got a few wickets. St. Peter’s were led by AdielAnghie. St. Peter’s also had a very good side. St. Anthony’s, under Charlie Joseph, also another good side. St. Joseph’s too, was another formidable side. They had Brian Perumal and I remember scoring consecutive boundaries off him on a matting wicket, that didn’t please him much. Then, St. Thomas’, under my good friend Dr. LareefIdroos, we lost once again to the Thomians that year. If not mistaken, I scored 34 runs in the first innings and 64 in the second innings. I would like to mention the support we got from the Benedictine supporters led by Kenneth Dabrera at Kotahena. 1961 was my last season at St. Benedict’s. 1961 was my last season at College as I entered the University that year.. I should mention  the great teachers who taught me at St. Benedict’s – Rev. Br. Theodoret, Mr. RH Phillips (Physics), Mr. Brian Assey {Chemistry), Mr. Peter Fernando ( Zoology) and Mr. Thillainathan ( Botany).

I entered Medical College in 1962 and my Dad Christopher Ernest died when I was in the 3^rd. MBBS class. In the University combining sports with the studies was not easy. However I pursued my sports career representing the University in cricket and hockey.In 1962/63 season we won the Sara Trophy in cricket – the one and only time the University had won this National championship. Our cricket team had an array of schoolboy stars and we blended well together under the leadership of Carlyle Perera. The team comprised of Buddy Reid, Nihal Gurusinghe,Mohanlal Fernando, LareefIdroos,HarshaSamarajiva,URPGoonetilleke,V. Sivanandan,Nanda Senanayake, KitthaWimalaratne, MerrilGunaratne, Mano Ponniah, NJS de Mel and myself. Kingsley Fernando played a few games. Our fielding was superb. We were rewarded with a tour to Singapore and Malaysia for winning the Sara Trophy and we did extremely well on this tour. Our hockey team also won the Andriesz shield in the premier hockey tournament in Ceylon during our time. I captained the University team in 1967 my final year. I also captained the Ceylon University team to India for the inter University tournament in 1966.

While in the University, I was selected to play in the Up Country XI against Pakistan in Kandy. The Pakistan team was captained by Imtiaz Ahmed and had IntikhabAlam, JavedBurki, Asif Iqbal amongst others. I was also on the Ceylon side in 1969 under the captaincy of Michael Tissera when we beat Colin Cowdrey’s MCC team. I had the privilege of getting the wickets of Colin Cowdrey and Basil D’Oliviera. I also played against Madras in the Gopalan Trophy representing Ceylon  and scored 45 not out to help Ceylon beat Madras. I also toured India with the Ceylon Govt. Services team under DH De Silva in 1969 and also played against Joe Lister’s International side. After leaving the University, I played for the NCC and subsequently joinining the Air Force on the Adastrians team. I captained the Adastrians and also the Combined Services team in the Robert Senanayake tournament. Prior to joining the Air Force I was a regular member of the Govt. Services side and we won the Robert Senanayake championships on two consecutive years. In the Air Force, I captained the side which won the Inter Services cricket tourney and also playing on the Hockey team we won the Inter Services Hockey championship. I was selected to play on the Ceylon side in cricket against the visiting Pakistan team in 1971, however the Pakistan team did not come to Ceylon when war broke out against India over the Bangladesh problem.

I left Ceylon in Feb. 1972, and landed in New York where my buddy LareefIdroos picked me up from the JFK airport. I was in New York for 5 years where I qualified in Internal Medicine and got my sub speciality degree in Cardiology. The 5 years spent in New York were very tough years and I did not have any time for cricket. After finishing my training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology, I moved to California with my family. I have since remained in California. Once in California I resumed playing cricket in the local tournament and I was a member of a Sri Lankan club – Colts. In 1979 I was selected to play on the USA team against Canada along with LareefIdroos and C. Balakrishnan. This match was in Vancouver.We lost to Canada by a bare margin. Subsequently , I was selected to play on the USA National team in 1982 in Birmingham , England for the ICC trophy. Zimbabwe won this tournament and they were able to advance to playing test cricket. Lareef, Bala and myself have had the distinction of playing International cricket for 2 countries –Ceylon and USA.

Even with a very busy private practice in Cardiology, I still pursued some of my other sports exploits – long distance running and martial arts. I have run 4 marathons -2 in Honolulu, one in Los Angeles and in Beijing, China. I am also a 2^nd. Degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I was involved on the administrative side of USA cricket and at one time I was the manager of the USA team and also chairman of selectors..

My wife Indranie is also a doctor and she still works full time. My daughters Cheryl and Melanie are also in California and they are pursuing careers in Psychiatry. We do travel quite extensively, and at the last count we have travelled to over 95 Countries and hope to make it to a hundred.

We have been living in California since 1977. Looking back, the times I spent at St. Benedict’s College have been the most wonderful years. The discipline, education and the environment we grew up in under the tutelage of the Christian Brothers has indeed helped us immensely in our lives. We are truly indebted to them for affording us this privilege.

TRAVEL IN THE TIME OF CORONA (WITH APOLOGIES TO GABRIEL GARCĪA MÁRQUEZ)

By Srianee Fernando Dias

At first it was this curious viral outbreak in China, sometime in December - I didn’t think much of it, or that it would affect me in a tangible way, so I continued with my plans to visit my family in Sri Lanka, and left Connecticut in January.  As I always do, I flew first to Hamburg, Germany, to visit my daughter and family, and proceeded after a week or so to Sri Lanka on Emirates Airlines.

               While in Colombo I heard about the Chinese tourist who was hospitalized at the IDH in Angoda.  She was sent home after successful treatment with much fanfare at the airport.  Even the Minister of Health showed up to wish her good bye.  She was returning to Wuhan!  Even then it seemed like distant thunder of a storm that was quite faraway.

           I continued with my usual activities in Colombo, calling and visiting friends and family. I met quite number of friends from Medical College at a lovely dinner in mid February and no one discussed the impending chaos because nobody knew.  Most of my family was excited about the upcoming Royal-Thomian cricket match.  There were also numerous other family matters that kept me occupied during this time.

          Sometime later in February when serious outbreaks in Italy and Iran were being reported, it dawned on me that this epidemic could seriously impact my travel plans.  The situation in Wuhan was also worsening, and Sri Lankan Airlines rescued a planeload of students from Wuhan, who were subsequently quarantined in a military hospital in Diyatalawa. Travel bans were being implemented in certain countries and I realized that I had to change my original flight which was scheduled to depart from Colombo on April 1.  One option was to postpone my trip and the other was to return to the US before airlines began cancelling their flights on certain routes.

         Many friends and some of my family members, including my two daughters, advised me to stay longer (indefinitely) in Sri Lanka, because Sri Lanka was ‘safe.’  My daughters in particular felt that I was taking an unnecessary risk sitting for hours on the long flights that I would have to take, because I was older (Ha! Ha!). My daughter in Wisconsin said that the US was totally unprepared and that things were far worse than in Italy. (She was correct!)  My instincts, however, were to get back to home base soon, because the situation was heating up and there was no way to predict when things would improve.  I felt that things would get worse before they got better.  Each day brought more nerve wracking news from abroad, while the situation in Sri Lanka was still relatively calm. 

           It was relatively easy to change my flights, although there were fees involved.  I  changed my departure date to March 17th.  My normal plan which includes a visit to my family in Hamburg was abandoned, and my daughter in Hamburg booked an airport hotel for me to stay overnight.  My Aer Lingus flight was booked for the next morning and would take me directly to the Hartford airport, transiting in Dublin.  I kept checking on line and was reassured to read that the flights were operating normally.

         As my new departure date approached, I was deluged with unsolicited advice.  The situation in Europe was worsening, and perhaps I should make new plans to avoid Germany altogether.  That would mean flying to New York, to one of the crazy crowded airports (JFK or Newark) and would also mean coughing up (pun intended!) more cash for a new ticket.  I had seen images of people standing in line for hours at JFK waiting to be ‘screened’ for COVID-19 infection before being allowed to enter the US, and I wanted to avoid that.  It would also mean finding transportation from NYC to West Hartford , Connecticut, which takes two hours on a good day.  Besides, the Aer Lingus website kept reassuring me that their flights to the US were “operating normally.” 
 

            One morning I was woken up by one of my cousins who had heard that “Trump had cancelled all flights from Europe into USA!”  I hastily jumped out of bed, turned on CNN and waited for more details.  Trump’s announcement (as usual) had been vague and ambiguous.  The newscasters explained that US citizens and Green Card holders would be exempt.  (Phew!) All other travelers from Europe would not be allowed to enter the US.

           The departure date arrived and I proceeded to BIA uneventfully.  The person ahead of me in line chatted a bit with me.  I found out that she was a mathematician from the Netherlands, who seemed perplexed about the fuss and increasing panic all around her.  When I explained to her that this virus was highly contagious and spreads rapidly she seemed a little more convinced, especially after I told her that I was a retired pathologist.   The Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft was unexpectedly crowded.  I had armed myself with disinfectant wipes and proceeded to wipe down everything!  Social distancing was not possible, but since I was in an aisle seat I felt that I had a little more space around me.  From Dubai to Hamburg it was another packed flight, this time an Airbus 380, filled to capacity with Germans returning home!

         The Immigration Officer who stamped my passport at the Hamburg airport asked me the routine question “What is your reason for visiting German?”  When I explained that I had to abandon my original plans to visit my family, on account of the virus outbreak and instead spend the night at the airport hotel, he was so sympathetic, and proceeded to have a five minute conversation with me, expressing how sorry he was that I had to change my plans.  This is quite unusual for a German immigration official, because of all the grumpy, surly immigration personnel in the world they have the reputation of being the grumpiest! When I related this exchange to my daughter in Hamburg, she was surprised and amused. 

         The Radisson Blue Hotel was thankfully just across the parking lot from the airport and I successfully made my way there in the rapidly darkening evening.  The reception area was eerily deserted.  I spotted about 3 other guests.  I was beginning to get hungry, but the hotel restaurant was closed!  The receptionist reassured me that I would be able to order room service.  I settled in, ordered my dinner and turned on my laptop to check into my Aer Lingus flight which was due to leave at about 10.00 am the next morning.  It was then that I realized, to my horror, that my connecting flight from Dublin to Hartford had been cancelled!  Damn! Why didn’t Aer Lingus send me an email or text message as they usually do? (I realized later that the airlines were simply unable to cope with the government regulations which were changing by the minute!)   I successfully confirmed my first flight from Hamburg to Dublin on line and decided to try calling the Aer Lingus customer service number.  As I expected, I heard a recording that said I would have to wait about 3 hours to speak with a customer representative! I rationalized that since I would be at the Aer Lingus counter at the airport the next morning, perhaps the person checking me in would be able to get me a seat on a flight to Boston.  Meanwhile, I had spoken with my friends who had agreed to pick me up in Hartford and had warned them that I may end up flying in to Logan Airport in Boston, and would take the shuttle bus that would bring me partway to Hartford.  They simply said “Get here somehow!”

           Next morning I got ready early and trudged downstairs to the reception desk to checkout.  I didn’t meet a soul in the long hallway on my way there.  As I was checking out, I joked with the receptionist and said that I may have to return to the hotel if I didn’t get a flight to the US.  She then informed me that they had just received a directive stating that they were only allowed to offer rooms to ‘business’ guests from that day on.  At this point I realized that I had to keep moving forward.  The option of taking the subway train to my daughter’s home was also out of the question because they were under quarantine for two weeks.  (My granddaughter and her cousin had been skiing in the Tyrol region which had now been designated a high risk area.) Staying with them would mean two weeks or more in Germany, during which time anything could happen with the transatlantic travel restrictions.

        I went across to the airport and made my way to the Aer Lingus check in counter.  Just like the hotel, the normally bustling Hamburg airport seemed deathly quiet.  Airport employees were lingering in the cafes enjoying their coffee.  While waiting for the counter to open, I struck up a conversation with two forlorn looking American students, who had been in Hamburg on a ‘study abroad’ program. They were flying back to their homes in the US because the universities in Hamburg had closed rather abruptly.  They were not sure if they would be able to get their money back.  One of them told me that he had been on the phone for hours attempting to get a flight to Newark, New Jersey, before he finally succeeded.  When the counter finally opened, I explained my problem to the young man who was checking my travel details.  It was soon apparent to me that he didn’t have the authority to book me on a flight to Boston.  He was not an Aer Lingus employee, but an airport employee, and was unable to even tell me if a flight to Boston was available that day. I was in a quandary, but there was no turning back.  I realized then that if I wanted to speak with an Aer Lingus employee I would have to get on that flight to Dublin.  Worst case, I would have to check into a hotel in Dublin.  To add to my consternation, when my luggage tag printed out the final destination said “BDL,”  which is the code for Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Connecticut.  “Where on earth would my luggage end up?” I thought, because there were no flights to Hartford that day.

       Once I boarded the flight to Dublin, the journey took a different turn.  The plane was not crowded and the flight staff was attentive and helpful.  I explained my predicament to one of the flight attendants who immediately reassured me that there was a late afternoon flight to Boston from Dublin with plenty of available seats.  The anxiety that had been enveloping me all this time evaporated instantly.  He conveyed the situation to his superior, who promised to connect me with the ground staff in Dublin, and said that they would guide me through the process of obtaining a ticket to Boston. 

     There was quite a logistical dance in Dublin.  I was able to claim my bag (which I thought had disappeared forever) on a special carousel, because all the bags which were tagged for cancelled flights were off-loaded in Dublin.  I was advised to go out through customs and upstairs to the ticketing area, to obtain a new boarding pass for the 4:00 pm flight to Boston. By this time, I was getting quite weary of pushing and pulling my big suitcase.  I was quietly cursing myself for having packed so many packets of Dimbulla tea and YWCA roasted curry powder, which are mostly for my friends and family!  (After every trip I promise myself that I will pack light the next time, but it never happens!)  After another long wait at the ticketing counter, I made my way to the US boarding area, where the American Customs and Immigration pre-clearance was done.  (This is another advantage of flying to the US through Dublin.)  I was pleasantly surprised to find only a few people in line, and security personnel who seemed more relaxed and more polite than usual.  At the boarding gate the passengers heading to Boston sat far apart from each other.  Some of them, including me, sat in the seats lining the long hallways, keeping plenty of space between us.  Finally, It was such a relief to board an aircraft that would take me across the Atlantic to Boston.

     I was thankful that I hadn’t panicked and booked myself on a different airline to get me to the US.  I heard later about other Americans who had paid exorbitant prices to purchase new transatlantic tickets. Some of them camped for days in airport lobbies in various European cities waiting for flights.  I felt really lucky, because a day or two after I left Colombo BIA shut down and Emirates Airlines cancelled many international flights!    

  

Dinner at our Battaramulla home

A few of us met at our Battaramulla home last evening and had an enjoyable time. All except Pram and myself are based abroad. Bora and Harshi (UK), Indra and Rani (Staten Island, NY), Lareef Idroos (LA, California), Srianee (CT). Lareef's wife Nabila is on a pilgrimage in Mecca.

REMINISCENCES OF A PRIZED TRIP TO EGYPT

This is a sequel to the first instalment which appeared on the 2nd of December 2019.  It is not directly related to our batch (apart from Ronald being related to Batch mate Zita!). But the time of occurrence is of interest. When Ronald took off to Egypt from Ratmalana airport in December 1964, it was in its last years as Sri Lanka's premier airport with the opening of Katunayake International Airport in 1967. I think we can all recall how we waved goodbye as people left the airport building and we stood on the balcony. We would have been in our 3rd MBBS year, getting to grips with our subjects and forming new relationships. Ronald's experience of taking parcels abroad, shortage of foreign currency, personages such as Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike and President Gamal Abdel Nasser will resonate with our own. And of course Mignone and The Jetliners! Ronald has added a lot of personal touches which brings his account to life. I have added a few pictures to his script.

Mahendra "Speedy" Gonsalkorale

Zita Perera Subasinghe

By Ronald Perera (Second Installment) December 2019

It’s December 10, 2019. Come December, we all look forward to this magical time of the year. With the dust settling down after the Presidential Elections and the Schools already on vacation, the young and the not so young, are all agog with anticipation of peace and the festive season. Sounds of Sir Cliff’s (Richards) “Christmas Time, Mistletoe and Wine …..”.

 
Start of the journey
 

Today, I go down memory lane, exactly fifty-five years ago, when I, at 21 years of age, embarked on my adventure on a “Prized Trip to Egypt”. The Flight was on or around 14^th December 1964. My prize included a Jet Flight from Bombay (now Mumbai) on United Arab Airlines (UAA). As UAA Jets were not landing in Ceylon, I had to take the connecting Flight of Air Ceylon from Ratmalana Airport, where my Uncle Noel who was at that time the Signals Officer at the Airport, was there to

welcome me and see me off. An Executive of the Travel Agency handed over to me a parcel said to be a gift of cakes from the wife of one of the executives of the travel agency to be taken in my hand luggage and to be handed over to her daughter who was an important person at the Ceylon Embassy in Cairo. Accompanying me to the airport to say ‘farewell’ were my mum, Mildred and sister Zita both dressed in white as it was three months after the death of my father.

Soon after the plane took off, a travel official handed me a note which happened to be from my uncle Noel wishing me a safe flight. The travel agency handed me a parcel from the sister of an official in the Sri Lankan embassy in Egypt. It was a sign of the difficulty in sending things freely to friends and family abroad during that era. After opening and seeing it was a piece of cake, the official proceeded to break it make sure that’s all it was!

Stops in Madras and Bombay

The first touchdown was at Madras (now Chennai) Airport. Being the first port of call on this flight, I had to go through the Madras Customs, whose courtesy left something to be improved upon. Their attention focused on the gift parcel I was carrying. The Officer said, “I want to open this”. I was not worried and said, “This is a gift of cakes I am carrying. You can open this, but wrap it back as it is wrapped”

The next stop was at Santa Cruz airport in Bombay. It was busier and pretty young girls in Western attire were ‘hanging out’. No wonder MignoneRatnam with the Jetliners, in their hit of the 1960s, sang their praises -

“Ladies are nice; gents are full of spice

BomBomBomBom, Bom, BomBombay hurray!”.

I was checked in to a nice hotel in Bombay and the next day, a Sunday, found me going to church with an employee, one Mr Pereira who, when he found I wished to go to Church, admitted he was a Catholic from Madras and accompanied me to church and back.

From Bombay to the Emirates

The next morning, I had to take the flight from Santa Cruz airport in Bombay on United Arab Airlines to the Emirates. The flight stopped at Doha, a city I had not heard of at that time, and the airport was small and nothing compared to our Ratmalana airport. Middle Eastern Cities and Countries really took off and developed after the International fuel crisis in 1973. Cairo Airport was massive and hectic. At the airport, a man was waving a placard with my name. He welcomed me and cleared me from Immigration and Customs without any checking and I was the first to be out. Then he showed me a Bank Counter and said, “You can change your money here”, I told him “I have nothing to change”.

Very surprised he asked, “You didn’t bring anything?” Of course, I had brought the Sun with me, (a Reggie Michael pun) but it was like carrying coal to Newcastle!

Arrival at Cairo

He took me to the Lobby and asked me to wait there till the others are cleared and then a bus would take us to the City. It was a long wait and I felt ‘insolitude among a multitude’. For the first time, I felt a little homesick. In the City of Cairo, I was put up at ‘Hotel Continental’ as a Guest of the Egyptian Government. A representative of the Information Department, who happened to be the Brother-in-Law of the Press Attaché of the Egyptian Embassy in Colombo, met me and apprised me of the itinerary. The next day was spent in getting money from the bank, as I had arranged it with the Press attaché’. The next port of call was the Ceylon Embassy in Cairo to meet a lady for whom I was carrying a parcel from her brother in Ceylon(then)! She was very nice, just as I expected. They say, “A Diplomat is a person who can tell you to go to ‘hell’ in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip”. Wherever I went, when the Egyptians heard that I was from Ceylon, the first thing they used to say was “Oh! Sailon, we like Sailon Tea and Mrs Ban-da-ra-na-ka”. For the first time I learnt that our own First Woman Prime Minister was so popular in this part of the world.

My time in Cairo

My itinerary and the logistics had been meticulously prepared by the Information Department. The Brother-in-Law of their Press Attaché in Colombo, let’s called him Mr Mohamed, was my chaperon on the tour. He took me to all the places of interest in Cairo and around Cairo, including the Great Pyramid, the Great Sphinx of Giza, the Museum, the Palace of King Farouk, Temple of Karnak, Nile Hilton Hotel, etc. The Pyramids considered the oldest of the Ancient Wonders of the World, were a wonder in every sense of the word. Constructed between 2,500 to 3,500 years ago, from granite stones brought from Aswan about 600km away through boats along the river Nile. They used slaves for the construction and we can guess how ‘enslaved’ they were. The Great Sphinx (like the head of a man on a lion) is said to be constructed over 4,500 years ago. The most important items in the Museum are the Mummies as old as the Pyramids. The bodies of King Ramses II, Tutankhamen, Queen Nefertiti, etc. that we have learnt in history are all there still intact. The opulence of King Farook’s Palace with all the glittering gold (even the frame-work of beds are in gold) explains the overthrow of the monarchy around 1952 by Nasser, more than any book.

My Chaperon wanted me to visit the Great Pyramid area for a popular show styled ‘Son et Lumiere’ (sound and light in French) which was on a Sunday. I declined to go as it was a Sunday and I had to go to Church. He told me, “You can go to Church any day. If you do not go for this show today, you may not see it forever”. I could not refuse the offer and glad that I took it. It was an impressive representation of ancient Egyptian history through a combination of sound and light with the narrative in the voice of Gregory Peck, the well-known Hollywood Actor of the 1950s and 60s. This spectacle was a must for the tourists.

Later, I used to think why Sri Lanka cannot have shows like this at locations with Sagas of Great historical importance such as the Sigiriya Rock Fortress (a UN Heritage Site), Ruwanweliseya Chaitya, etc. I learnt later that the three famous Chaityas in Sri Lanka namely, Ruwanweliseya, Mirisawetiya and Abeyagiri have all been constructed with exactly the same angles and gradients of the Pyramids! Our ancestors used high tech in their constructions and irrigation works.

A key item in my itinerary was a visit to the Aswan High Dam about 600km away from Cairo, the largest Dam in the world at that time and under construction. I went alone by train, which was an overnight trip. I stopped at Luxor and was told that the Director of the Tourist Bureau would me meet at the Railway Station.If I miss him, I was advised to book into the Hotel Winter Palace. As no one met me at the Railway Station, I took a cab by way of a horse carriage to the Hotel. The Receptionist at the Hotel received me warmly and said, “I am pleased to meet you. I am one of your neighbours”. When I asked him from where he was, he said, Pakistan! As I went up to my room, the telephone rang and I was informed to come down to meet a visitor, who was at the Reception. When I came down I found it was the Director of the Tourist Bureau in Luxor.

In Luxor, I was taken with a group of tourists to the valley of the Kings,Valley of the Queens and valley of the Nobles where the famous Tombs are still there. They are very deep and long and how they were constructed at that time shows their high technology.

The Mummies which were laid there and later discovered were transferred to the Cairo Museum. Space does not permit me to go into detail of what I learnt about these great historical monuments.

The National Day of Egypt came up during my stay there. It was celebrated in Port Said, with Chief Guest being, of course, the well-loved President Nasser. To enable me to get into the thick of the business, I was given a badge as a Journalist from Ceylon. I travelled with other Journalists to Port Said. When I said that I was from Ceylon, one of them asked me, “Where is Ceylon?” I explained that it was right below India. He was not satisfied. I added, “If you show me a World Map, I will show you Ceylon”. One Journalist produced a World Map and I looked and to my utter dismay found that, there was no Ceylon. I quickly recovered and said, “When I left Ceylon one week ago, it was right under India. Now it looks as if it is right under the Indian Ocean!” we all laughed.

One Journalist introduced himself as from Rumania. I asked him, “From which principality, Moldavia or Wallachia?” “From Moldavia” he replied surprised and asked, “Have you been to Rumania?” “Not yet” I answered (I still haven’t) “But I know a bit about Rumania”.

 Another Journalist was from Chili. When I asked him for his name, he quipped “There is no point telling my name because you will never remember it”. “Never mind,” I said, “I have a fairly good memory”. He replied, “Ferdinand Fernando”. I remarked “I am Perera, we have enough Ferdinands, Fernandos and Pereras in Ceylon”. “How come” he inquired? “A relic of the same Portuguese influence” I responded.

At Port Said, the National Day celebrations were done on a grand scale. Along with the Journalists  

I was introduced to President Nasser. The popularity of President Nasser had to be seen to be believed. Whenever he passes by the crowed keep chanting hysterically -“Ab-dulga-mal  Nasser,   Ab-dulga-mal  Nasser”. He was Egypt’s “cometh the hour, cometh the man”. His popularity and hero worship can be gauged by the following incident.When I asked a fellow Egyptian traveller“What would happen to Egypt when President Nasser dies?” What I really meant was who will succeed President Nasser? He gave me a stern look and remarked, “I wish that I die, you die and everyone else dies, and President Nasser lives on forever”! However, “Man proposes and God disposes”. Less than two years later Israel in the “six-day war” vanquished Egypt and its allies. President Nasser claimed responsibility for the defeat on himself and resigned or offered to resign; as they say in military parlance “a strategic withdrawal”. He knew that no one would take it up and the people asked him to stay on, which he did. But he was no longer the same power he was. He died in September 1970. Our Madam Prime Minister lost her office less than one year after my Egyptian visit but came back to power in 1970.

At the end of my visit, I thanked my Chaperon, Mr Mohamed, who was so helpful during my travels. He told me that he would like to visit Ceylon. I asked him “When are you planning?” He replied, “I want to marry an Air Hostess so that I can travel free.” As Mr Mohamed was in his early 30s, I inquired “Are you not married?” He responded, “You see, we can marry four wives!”

I must say that I was delighted to have won this wonderful trip to exotic Egypt, of which I had learnt a bit from history books, not forgetting the Bible. The near VIP treatment, they extended to me reflected the regard and respect they had for Ceylon and particularly for Mrs Bandaranaike. My heartfelt thanks to the Egyptian Government and Ceylon Daily Mirror for this prized opportunity which one may not get even once in your lifetime! Lastly, I must not forget Cricket, lover-ly Cricket, for taking me free of any cost to as far as Egypt, even before Ceylon had not even dreamt of being a Member of the International Cricket Arena. “The glorious uncertainties of cricket”.