6 days agoNews TopicsComments Off on Приліт у житловий будинок у Харкові: кадри наслідків із висоти пташиного польоту (ВІДЕО)
Харківська обласна прокуратура опублікувала відео наслідків нічного обстрілу Харкова 7 червня. Унаслідок нічної атаки 7 червня 3 людини загинули, 22 особи постраждали, серед них — двоє дітей. У Київському та Основ’янському районах руйнувань зазнали 56 будинків. За словами мера Харкова Ігоря Терехова, це був найпотужніший обстріл міста з початку війни. Відео — Харківська обласна прокуратура. […]
Per 100g: calories, 308 fat, 10.2g sugar, 4g salt 1.09g
Aldi’s pizza cooked in 12 minutes
It cooked nicely in 12 minutes and was big enough to feed four people.
The base was deliciously crispy and the cheese and tomato topping tasted authentically Italian.
I haven’t tried this flavour from Aldi before, but absolutely will in the future – my winner – and less than half the price of Pizza Express, that’s dinner sorted.
Taste: 10/10 Value: 10/10 Overall rating: 10/10 Out of 30: 30
Per 100g: calories, 238 fat, 7.7g sugar, 3.9g salt 1.09g
Asda’a pizza offered good value for money
It cooked well in just over 12 minutes and the generous size means it would satisfy four people, especially if you add a couple of sides.
The topping was plentiful and the fact that you’re getting a lot of pizza for your money means that this is a good staple for a family if you’re unsure what to serve up for dinner.
Taste: 9/10 Value: 7/10 Overall rating: 8/10 Out of 30: 24
They are: Scottish Power, EDF, E.ON, Octopus, Utility Warehouse, Good Energy, Tru Energy and Ecotricity.
There is no need to take action – you will be contacted directly by your supplier if you are affected.
The amount you could get will vary depending on which rules were broken in your case, ranging from £40 for failures like poor record keeping, to £1,000 if you were forcibly switched.
But you should make a complaint now if you think you were treated badly.
ENERGY BILLS CLAIM £215
It’s normal for customers to build up energy credit during the warmer months, but ask for a refund if you’ve accrued too much.
Consider claiming your money back if you have built up more than two months’ worth of bill payments, said comparison site Uswitch.
The formula for working out how much to ask back is to look at your credit balance, and minus two months’ payments.
Energy suppliers are sitting on £3.3 billion of customer’s money, while the average customer racked up £215 in surplus credit last year, according to watchdog Ofgem.
Each company has its own refund process, so ask yours how to claim.
Get an up-to-date meter reading ready, as this will be needed in order for your supplier to process the refund.
Claiming credit back is a good idea, otherwise you are losing out on any interest you could make on your cash.
Put your refund in a high interest easy access savings account, so you can easily dip back into it when bills go up in the colder months.
Atom Bank offers the best rate at 4.75 per cent, according to comparison site Moneyfacts.
CAR FINANCE CLAIM £1,100
If you bought a car, van or motorbike on finance between 2008-January 28, 2021, you could be in line for a payout worth £1,100.
The Financial Conduct Authority is investigating hidden commissions earned by car dealers who negotiated deals with high interest rates for customers.
This week it issued an update on compensation. It said it could be an opt-in or opt-out redress scheme.
Opt-in means that you will need to sign up for compensation, so you could miss out if you don’t register.
Opt-out means you are automatically included, but the downside is that you could have to wait longer for your money.
The watchdog has estimated that on average, people paid £1,100 more in interest on a typical £10,000 four-year car finance.
The scandal could cost lenders as much as £16 billion, according to the consumer site Which?.
You can make a claim now by contacting the lender who you signed the finance agreement with, not the car dealer. Check your paperwork if you don’t know how your lender is.
You will have to wait for any potential payout. The Supreme Court should decide by next month what the final bill for compensation will be.
Then, the FCA will respond in six weeks with a plan of action as to how people can get their payout.
“Consumers should expect compensation early next year,” said Alex Neill from the consumer group Consumer Voice.
TAX OVERPAYMENT CLAIM £1,562
IF you are taxed through PAYE, make some important checks to see if you have overpaid.
The average tax refund was £1,562 in 2023, according to Rift Refunds.
You might be on the wrong tax code if you changed jobs, signed up to employee benefits like a company car, or your HR department has made a mistake.
You should have recently received an important slip of paperwork, a P60, from your employer.
Check your “final tax code” on the form. If it’s wrong, then you could end up underpaying, or overpaying, tax.
The most common tax code is 1257L, which is used for most people with one job.
If this code also has W1, M1 or X on the end, you are on an emergency tax code and paying more than you should.
If you think you are on the wrong tax code, phone HMRC on 0300 200 3300 for a quick response.
If you have overpaid, you will be reimbursed and paid 3.25% interest on top.
Depending on your situation, you will either be able to claim a refund online, get a cheque in the post, or the tax will be refunded back to you through your wages.
MASTERCARD CLAIM £70
Around 47 million Mastercard customers are in line for a compensation payout of up to £70.
Make a claim if you bought anything from a shop or supermarket that accepted Mastercard between 1992 and 2008.
The Competition Appeal Tribunal has approved a settlement for Mastercard to pay £200 million to affected customers.
It was accused of wrongly slapping fees onto transactions made over a 15-year period.
Although retailers paid the fees, shoppers lost out because retailers passed the cost on by hiking prices.
You are eligible to make a claim if you bought anything from a shop or supermarket that accepted Mastercard between 1992 and 2008 – even if you didn’t use a Mastercard.
You can’t file a claim yet. An online portal is expected to launch in the next few weeks on the mastercardconsumerclaim.co.uk website. Register for updates so you’ll be notified when this is live.
Payments are expected to be made by the end of this year. The amount you could get will depend on how many people register, although it’s estimated each person could get £45 to £70.
Find out how you could get extra cash in your pocket
6 days agoNews TopicsComments Off on Evil Richard Satchwell lands ‘trusted’ prison job & enjoys extra privileges after sicko left ‘shocked’ by murder verdict
KILLER Richard Satchwell has already landed himself a cushy job in prison — as a cleaner.
The 58-year-old, who was handed a life sentence on Wednesday for the murder of his wife Tina, is due to today be transferred out of Dublin’s Wheatfield Prison, where he stayed during the trial.
Satchwell will serve the remainder of his life sentence at Limerick PrisonBrian Lawless/PA WireTina Satchwell in Rochdale in the UK in 1992Handout
He will be sent back to the B-division of Limerick Prison, where he has been assigned the job of tidying up the staff area.
Evil Satchwell, who murdered his wife in March 2017 at their home in Youghal, Co Cork, has been given the trusted position as he is deemed a model prisoner.
He is also on an enhanced regime, which means he gets extra phone calls and privileges.
A source said the killer is a recluse in lock-up, telling us: “Satchwell is as quiet as they come. He doesn’t talk to anybody.
“He’s due to be moved back to Limerick Prison today.
“He has been given a very trusted job, cleaning the staff mess, emptying bins and sweeping.
“After he was found guilty and brought back to Wheatfield Prison he appeared very shocked.
“There is a strong belief that he felt he was going to get off with murder and get found guilty of manslaughter.”
Monster Satchwell will serve the remainder of his life sentence alongside a number of notorious violent lags at Limerick.
Our source explained: “Satchwell is in the company of other well-known inmates at the prison, including Barbie Kardashian and killers Daniel Whelan and Kenneth Collopy.”
Last month, a jury of seven women and five men found English truck driver Satchwell guilty of murdering Tina, whom her heartbroken family described as a “precious sister, cousin, aunty and daughter”.
During the five-week trial, the court heard how Satchwell had told lies for years to create the false impression that his wife was violent towards him and had left him, taking €25,000 in savings.
He then dug a makeshift grave under the stairs and dumped her body there, wrapped in a dressing gown and plastic sheet, and sealed it with a layer of concrete.
Satchwell waited for four days before informing the Gardai that she had gone missing.
He did not make an official missing person’s report until May 11, 2017.
Officers carried out a search of their Youghal pad in June 2017 but failed to find any evidence of what had happened to Tina.
HOUSE OF HORROR
By Ann Mooney
THE first time I met Richard Satchwell was about eight months after his wife Tina disappeared.
I believe I was the first journalist he brought into the murder house on Grattan Street in Youghal where he used the interview to appeal for Tina to come home.
I took about two steps into the hall and was hit by the most awful smell I’ve ever experienced.
In fact it was so bad that I stepped back out into the fresh air and told a photographer, John Delea, I didn’t know if I would be able to conduct the interview in the house because of the disgusting stench.
But I had gotten the interview with him, one he had refused to many other journalists, so I pulled myself together and went in.
The living room was an absolute mess. The smell pervaded through everything.
The two Jack Russell dogs — Heidi and Ruby — were allowed to run free everywhere, often peeing and pooing in the room without it having any effect on, or reprimand from,Richard.
The sights, sounds and smells still stay with me to this day.
The more contact I had with Richard, the more I was convinced he had killed Tina.
After leaving I got into my car and rang one of my Garda contacts who was working on the case.
I asked them if gardai had searched the house and was told they had, from top to bottom.
I remember clearly saying: “I never smelt anything like the smell in the house. I know the dogs are allowed to run around free doing whatever they want to do everywhere, but that still doesn’t account for the vile smell permeating throughout the ground floor area that I was in.”
I actually said: “Honestly there has to be a body there as nothing else could smell that bad.”
But even then I would not have even considered that there was a body buried in a grave underneath the stairs.
Did I think Richard killed his wife back in November 2017 when I met him for the first time face to face? Yes, I did.
His declarations of love for her, his obsession with her and her appearance, and his absolute belief that she was his and his alone are all the hallmarks of a man who is prepared to kill so that no one else could have the love of his life.
In August 2021 a new senior officer in charge, Supt Ann Marie Twomey, reviewed the case.
By the following year she found there were grounds to arrest Satchwell.
After he was lifted in October 2023 on suspicion of murder, Satchwell maintained his made-up story even when told a search team would be going through the walls and digging up his house.
But once Tina’s remains were found, Satchwell changed his story, claiming she died as he defended himself from being stabbed.
Satchwell married his wife Tina in 1990 in Manchester before moving to Ireland in the mid-1990s.
Although he was welcomed into Tina’s family and circle of friends, he kept his distance from those close to her.
He also spent months away from Cork when he returned to England.
Gardai also suspected he was jealous of wife’s friendships and popularity.
An investigator previously told us: “Tina always saw the good in people but Satchwell was just selfish and only cared about himself.
Richard and Tina Satchwell in 1991, one year after they were marriedHandoutTina Satchwell in 2016 with her favourite dog Ruby and amazon parrotHandoutTina Satchwell’s half-sister Lorraine Howard speaks with Tina’s mum Mary Collins and cousin Sarah HowardBrian Lawless/PA Wire
“It’s probable that he killed her because he knew she could have a life without him.
“He had nothing and no friends because he was very odd. The only person he really loved was himself.”
We last week revealed how cops believe the monster hatched hisplan to kill Tina when he realised she was planning to leave him.
Detectives also suspect his decision to tellGardaion March 24, 2017, that she had left him was also part of his plan to hide her brutal murder.
‘FLEW INTO ALIBI MODE’
Once he had murdered her and placed her body in a freezer, he drove a 50km round trip to Dungarvan as part of his efforts to have an alibi and cover his tracks.
He then sent an email to a company selling monkeys claiming his wife was going to leave him. He also collected his dole. The maniac was even looking for employment at the time of the murder.
He then buried Tina under the stairs of their home.
One senior investigator told The Irish Sun on Sunday: “The speed with which he flew into alibi mode would suggest a certain degree of planning in this horrific crime.
“He did a number of things very quickly and he put a lot of things into action after killing his wife.
“Once he had completed the murder, he then had a story in place about the disappearance and was portraying himself as a victim.
“He was also a great actor and had everything planned for the sole purpose of avoiding being arrested for the murder of a completely innocent woman.
“He had to have a strategy and that was playing the victim. He was a master of manipulation.”
They added: “He showed elements where he lacked empathy with her family, in the cynical way he offered the freezer unit to Tina’s cousin in which he had stored Tina’s lifeless body for a number of days.”
Sicko Satchwell gets extra phone calls and privileges in prisonTina Satchwell on Christmas Day in 2016HandoutSatchwell will serve his life sentence alongside a number of notorious violent lags at Limerick PrisonGarrett White - The Sun
6 days agoNews TopicsComments Off on Our elders deserve dignity and the Government has a duty to protect its citizens – shock RTE programme showed failing
NURSING home group Emeis Ireland is under the spotlight following shocking revelations this week on an RTE Prime Time Investigates programme.
It exposed multiple failings at Residence Portlaoise and Beneavin Manor.
A new RTE investigation uncovered how residents were being treated in the nursing homeGetty Images - GettyNatasha Newsome Drennan has urged the government to take action to protect its citizensWikipedia
The Health and Information Quality Authority (HIQA) is now reviewing all EMEIS homes, but it is a terrible indictment of the industry and not the first time abuse has been uncovered in centres for elderly people.
EMEIS has apologised and said the findings were “deeply distressing, wholly unjustifiable, and entirely unacceptable”. It has also launched a review.
The HIQA investigation will hopefully unvcover the extent of the abuse but it is clear a lot needs to change.
Older people should be treated with dignity and respect in their later years and their families ought to be satisfied that their loved ones are being well looked after.
Here Sinn Fein’s spokesperson for older people and carers, NATASHA NEWSOME DRENNAN, explains why a lack of safeguarding protection for adults is to blame for failures within our care system…
IRELAND’S older people deserve dignity – and the highest-quality care.
But sadly, this is not the first time we have seen scandals in the care sector. We have had the Emily Case, Brandan Case, Grace Case, Áras Attracta and many more.
For over a decade, professional bodies, experts and advocates have pointed to weak regulation, failures in standards and an absence of safeguarding, all on the watch of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
This programme points to the need for better regulation of nursing homes and the need for adult safeguarding legislation. The Irish Association of Social Workers has demanded this for years, as has Sinn Fein.
We need mandatory reporting of abuse and neglect, and a legal right of entry for social care teams to investigate individual complaints.
BROKEN PROMISE
Sinn Fein is committed to empowering older people to live independently, building a health service that cares for us as we age.
We have advocated for a comprehensive social care policy to support independent living for people and groups with identified additional needs, including targeted funding to tackle loneliness and isolation, particularly among older people and people living alone.
People deserve to live in their own homes for as long as they can. We have long advocated for a “home first” approach to care.
But waiting lists for home support are growing and the promised statutory home-care scheme never materialised.
Another broken promise by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
The State should support older people to “age in place”, through home support and adaptation grants. Long-term residential care should be available for those who want or need it, but it should not be the default option.
Long-term residential care will, however, always be the appropriate care setting for some. Our ambition must be to provide assessable, afford-able, safe and quality care.
REALISTIC PROPOSALS
Sinn Fein has set out realistic, deliverable proposals to improve access to care for all our citizens.
We proposed to mandate the Commission on Care to future-proof the model of care for aging. We would support family carers, as outlined in our Charter for Carers, and invest in day services for older people.
We would also support specific programmes for those with dementia, Parkinson’s, MS, motor neurone disease, and other progressive disorders, which recognise the complexity of care and dignity of the individual.
We also point to weaknesses in regulation which have led to a failure in standards in some care settings, and instances of neglect and abuse. This is intolerable — and it is a scandal that this Government has failed to act on professional advice.
Sinn Fein would urgently enact adult safeguarding legislation.
This would provide a legal framework to support safeguarding, additional power for social workers and relevant social care professionals — and an agency, separate from the HSE, which is empowered to oversee safeguarding policy and practice across the public and private sector and in the home.
We would legislate to provide a legal right of entry to any designated care centre for relevant social workers and social care professionals. We would also legislate for a care partner scheme similar to that which operates in the north of Ireland.
WAKE-UP CALL
This scheme was highly successful at reducing isolation and improving health outcomes during the pandemic.
It gives a right to a family or friends acting as care partners to combat isolation and, during public health emergencies, assist in care-giving in residential facilities.
HIQA regulation is not enough. We cannot dismiss abuse or neglect or adopt an out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach. Our elderly citizens deserve to receive the highest quality of care and to be kept safe from harm.
We also need to invest in public nursing home capacity.
Over 70 per cent of nursing home capacity is now private. But privatisation of nursing home care is wrong.
We need to tip the balance back in favour of public capacity, with robust regulations and appropriate safeguarding.
It is the duty of any Government to keep all citizens safe and protected from harm.
The Prime Time program is another wake-up call.
We can no longer accept or tolerate sub-standard care or abuse and neglect of our elderly citizens.
They deserve so much better.
It points to the need for better regulation of nursing homes and the need for adult safeguarding legislationGetty Images - Getty
6 days agoNews TopicsComments Off on Kinahan cartel stooge enjoys seaside trip & 4 nights at home on release from Mountjoy as hood’s next location revealed
KINAHAN cartel stooge Michael Crotty enjoyed trips to the seaside just a year after he was caged for his role in the killing of grandad Noel Kirwan.
And we can reveal the former gym owner, 42, has also received permission to visit Co Leitrim later this month.
Michael Crotty enjoyed trips to the north west just a year after receiving his sentenceCollins Photo AgencyInnocent grandad Noel KirwanJournalist Collect
His visit to Leitrim was granted after he enjoyed day release trips to Rossnowlagh, Co Donegal, from Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison.
During his trips to Donegal, he was escorted before being brought back to Mountjoy.
He spent his days relaxing at the beach and enjoying ice creams.
Crotty’s treatment by the Irish Prison Service has angered Mr Kirwan’s family.
A relative told us: “How can an individual who supplied a phone used in the death of a completely innocent man be allowed to enjoy such freedoms.
“This isn’t a punishment or justice — it’s a disgrace.
“He has never shown any remorse for his involvement — and yet here he is enjoying nice trips to the seaside.”
As part of our revelations on the cartel facilitator, we can also reveal that he spent four nights away from prison in his home town of Cashel, Co Tipperary, last month.
His nights away from Mountjoy were between May 1 and 5, before he was out again from May 10 to 14.
Mr Kirwan’s relative added: “Crotty isn’t just getting trips to the seaside — he’s getting to stay out of prison for four nights at a time.
“It’s like they’re allowing him to go on holiday when he’s meant to be serving a prison sentence.
“He received a two-year sentence so he should be staying those two years in prison.”
WHO IS BEHIND KINAHAN CARTEL?
Christy Kinahan Sr began preying on Dublin’s vulnerable drug users at the height of the city’s heroin epidemic in the 1980s.
His early efforts came to a sudden halt when he was arrested in September 1986, and was slapped with a relatively-lean six-year jail sentence in 1987.
But prison wouldn’t stop him from working to expand his now-€1billion empire.
He was one of the first Irish prisoners to get his own computer — and used it to brush up on the skills that would make him one of the world’s deadliest narco-terrorists.
Now, his son Daniel has stepped into his shoes as the top dog of the cartel, while also attempting to forge a legitimate career in boxing.
Today, his sons and their cronies continue to evade the US’ DEA, An Garda Siochana, Interpol and a number of other police services globally.
The ruthless Kinahan family has dominated gangland crime in Ireland and across Europe for years.
But the shocking attack at Dublin’s Regency Hotel in 2016 and a murderous feud that resulted in 18 killings thrust them into the global spotlight.
And the sheer scale of their criminal empire was laid bare in April 2022 when the US government announced a $5million bounty for information leading to the arrests of the heads of the Kinahan cartel — Christy and his sons Daniel and Christy Jr.
Gardai believe Crotty — who was under the Garda radar — was targeted by the Kinahan gang because members used his gym in 2016.
The cartel figures he aided were travelling to Co Tipperary in the middle of the Kinahan and Hutch feud.
Cops suspect Crotty was offered cash to support them in their criminal enterprises.
One source added: “Crotty was nothing more than a gopher used by the cartel.
“He was one of many who were simply expendable to Daniel Kinahan.”
Others convicted for the roles they played included Declan ‘Mr Nobody’ Brady, Jason Keating and Martin Aylmer.
He enjoyed day release trips to Rossnowlagh, Co DonegalAlamy
6 days agoNews TopicsComments Off on Dermot McCabe hails Westmeath after getting Tailteann Cup back on track with win over Laois in prelim quarter-final
DERMOT McCABE was delighted after Westmeath outclassed Laois in their Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-final.
The Lake County missed out on a place in the last eight a week ago when they fell to a late defeat against Limerick.
But the Leinster outfit rallied to swat aside Laois in Mullingar.
And boss McCabe said: “We were disappointed with last week’s performance and we had two very good training sessions this week.
“We felt the lads were up for it as well as gaining a few lads back from injuries, which was a big help.”
Despite Matthew Whittaker’s shot hitting the bar in the sixth minute, Westmeath led by a point after 13 minutes.
The outstanding Sam McCartan took centre stage midway through the first half with a brace of two-pointers to put the hosts in control.
McCabe’s men finished the first half strongly with Luke Loughlin slotting home a penalty two minutes before the break.
And after the hooter sounded, Westmeath increased their lead when skipper Ronan Wallace finished off a great move by finding the net from point-blank range.
Westmeath extended their advantage to 14 points when Whittaker raised a green flag in the 42nd minute.
The O’Moore County had a purple patch when they scored five points without reply.
Two points from McCartan, either side of a neat score by Kevin O’Sullivan, then killed Laois off.
But Westmeath played on after the full-time hooter and when Loughlin’s effort was blocked, Jonah Kelly got a consolation goal for Laois.
WESTMEATH: C McCormack; J Geoghegan, S Smyth, J Gonoud; J Moran 0-1, R Wallace 1-5, 1tp, S McCartan 0-8, 2tp; B Guerin, S Allen 0-1; M Whittaker 1-1, K O’Sullivan 0-2, N Harte 0-1; L Loughlin 1-2, 1-0pen, 2tpf, S Smith 0-2, 1f, R Forde 0-2, 1f. Subs: D Scahill for Gonoud 44 mins; T Baker for Guerin 46; D McCartan 0-1 for Smith 46; E McCabe for Whittaker 53; S Ormsby for Wallace 60.
LAOIS: K Roche 0-2tpf; B Dempsey, T Collins, L Knowles; P Kirwan 0-2, P O’Sullivan, A McEvoy; S Lacey, D Larkin 0-1; M Barry 0-3f, R Coffey 0-3, 2f, C Heffernan; N Corbet 0-1, K Swayne 0-1, B Byrne 0-1. Subs: M Doran for McEvoy h-t; J Darcy for Knowles 43 mins; C Lee 0-1 for Corbet 45; J Kelly 1-0 for Coffey 55; J Brennan for Heffernan 63.
REFEREE: M McNally (Monaghan
Dermot McCabe’s Westmeath beat Laois in the Tailteann CupPiaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
6 days agoNews TopicsComments Off on The incredible island with amazing temples, 60ft statues, exotic safari wildlife and mouth-watering spicy food
ALMOST an hour into our dawn safari in Sri Lanka, we spot the leopard. Except, sadly, I don’t.
The driver points into the bush after screeching our Jeep to a halt along a dusty, pot-holed track deep in Wilpattu National Park.
Journalist CollectOne of our reporters recently visited the breathtaking country of Sri Lanka[/caption]
This beauty spot is one of Asia’s most underrated travel destinationsGetty Images - GettyIt is home to some of the world’s most lush landscapesGetty Images - Getty
But, still half asleep in the rush to leave our hotel at 5am, I’ve forgotten my specs.
And the notoriously elusive big cat is so well camouflaged in the undergrowth 20 yards away that I can’t make out a thing.
Still, my disappointment vanishes a few minutes later. For there, grubbing around in the grass almost within touching distance, is a large sloth bear.
Our guide Dhanushka (or Danny, as we call him) warned us these rare creatures are almost impossible to spot in the wild.
Yet for several minutes this one happily feasts on a termite mound then, with a satisfied belch, ambles off into the woods.
A moment of pure magic. But then virtually everything we see and experience in Sri Lanka is rather magical.
Looking back, it’s hard to decide the best part about my visit to this teardrop-shaped island in the Indian Ocean.
There are so many highlights.
The stunning scenery, ranging from majestic mountains to sun-kissed palm-tree-fringed sandy beaches, is hard to beat.
Then there are the amazing Buddhist and Hindu temples dotted throughout the landscape, with giant colourful statues of deities.
One outside Koneswaram Temple, by the sea in Trincomalee, looks a dead ringer for the late rocker Freddie Mercury.
The delicious spicy food must be a close contender.
Some vegetarian dishes, with exotic fruit and veg you don’t see back home, are so mouth-wateringly good I could happily give up meat for life.
And, of course, there are the eight Unesco World Heritage sites, like the cave complex in a forest at Dambulla where Buddhists have worshipped for 5,000 years.
And there’s even exotic animals roaming free throughout its parksGetty Images - GettyJournalist CollectThis island nation will surpass all of your expectations[/caption]
We cram into one cave to hear a monk in orange robes explain how humans “have monkey minds which are always distracting”.
Then he tries to teach us meditation techniques so we can relax and concentrate.
Apparently, this will enhance our intellectual abilities while conquering negative emotions like stress and anger.
Equally stunning is the ancient city of Sigiriya, which can only be reached by climbing 1,202 steps zig-zagging up the 200ft high granite peak, Lion’s Rock.
It’s a wonderful view from the top, but sadly it starts to rain and we get drenched climbing down.
Deer scamper nervously away as you drive through the 27 National Parks, while red slender lorises hang upside down in trees.
Crocodiles bask in the mud by the rivers, and huge blue whales cavort in the sea beside dolphins.
Nearly 5,000 elephants roam the country, and not just in the National Parks.
One morning we run into a jumbo traffic jam after a bunch of them decide to hold a pow-wow on the highway.
No one can pass until the biggest elephant trumpets and, slowly, they all trudge back into the bush.
But in the end, the thing that really makes Sri Lanka special for me is the people. A friendlier, kinder, more welcoming nation would be difficult to find.
Everybody greets you with a smile and the respectful Namaste sign — hands pressed together as if in prayer followed by a slight bow.
Little wonder, then, some people believe Sri Lanka is the original Garden of Eden and that Adam and Eve were banished from here to India, just 30 miles away across the Gulf of Mannar.
Danny, a font of wisdom about Sri Lanka, explains: “Ours is a living culture. We still do the same things we did 2,000 years ago.”
Paddy fields
Which is why one day I find myself bouncing around on a rickety old cart being pulled by two bullocks down a dirt track.
We trundle past paddy fields and tea plantations to Hiriwadunna Lake before being rowed to a village where local women prepare a traditional curry lunch.
And as we leave our catamaran, the boatman grabs a lotus leaf and fashions it into a makeshift hat to keep the sun off my head.
There is nothing old-fashioned, though, about the hotels we stay in — apart from, perhaps, the hospitality.
They are ultra-modern and superb, especially the Jetwing chain, which prides itself on pioneering sustainable tourism.
Two years ago the Irish cricket team stayed at its Lighthouse Hotel near Galle and a bat signed by the players has pride of place in the cocktail bar.
Galle, a picturesque little town in the south of the island, is certainly worth a visit.
It’s surrounded by the remains of a 17th century fort built by the Dutch after they kicked out the original Portuguese colonisers.
Not that the fortifications did them much good. Some 100 years later the Brits arrived and, in turn, sent the Dutch packing.
A few miles up the road there is a moving memorial to the tsunami which devastated the country on St Stephen’s Day in 2004.
Lots of historical sites
A 60ft statue of the Buddha has been built to the same height as the huge wave that swept a crowded train off the tracks here, killing all 1,500 on board.
Altogether more than 40,000 Sri Lankans perished in the disaster, with another 15,000 injured.
As we leave a museum, Danny tosses his half-eaten sandwich to a hungry dog scavenging nearby.
He explains: “As Buddhists we believe in karma. If you don’t do good deeds, your next life may not be a good one.”
See what I mean about the wonderful Sri Lankan people?
One morning in a small bay near Galle I spot some fisherman unloading their catch.
Painted along the hull of their boat are the words: “Love the Life”. Says it all about Sri Lanka.
Journalist CollectThere are tours to ancient cities high up in the mountains[/caption]
You will see some of the most stunning monuments and templesGetty Images - GettyJournalist CollectWild-life spotting is must-do when in Sri Lanka[/caption]
