wonderful time in sri lanka - what a paradise! people, beaches, mountains... all more beautiful than your wildest dreams.
michael and i arrived in the airport north of colombo and were met by our driver and guide who brought us by road right round the south-west coast to the old fortified dutch town of Galle where we stayed the night in a huge colonial house with a grand balcony from which we could view the ramparts and the vast ocean.
apparently, because of these old walls, Galle was not harmed by the tsunami of 2004 - almost every other coastal area was, unfortunately... even the west coast, which should have been shielded from the easterly tsunami, was devastated... perhaps even more so than the east coast.
the next morning we hired scooters in the old town and headed off along the coast road east.
bitter sweet experience - the most beautiful beaches in the world alongside ruined houses and waterfront plots of land where homes once stood... the gravestones of entire families marking the spot where daily life had been lived and snuffed out
after a day riding along - stopping occasionally to take it all in, marvel at the scenery, and shed a tear - we backtracked to unawatuna and looked for a good place to stay
our first choice [Sun and Sea] was booked out so we went around the point to Sri Gemunu, situated on its own gorgeous little lagoon, where we took their best room and a balcony with various spectacular sea views.
although the wave had reached the second floor, the employees assured us nobody was hurt somehow
once settled in there we just hung out, swam in hot ocean water, over-ate, biked a little and enjoyed eachother's company.
we were extremely touched by the dignity and grace of the locals
most 'victims' of the tsunami, have now received the assistance and rehousing they required.
however, those families who were in the direst of poverty before the wave hit are still in the same if not worse situation.
michael has decided to help one such family who are the poorest of the poor - and have watched as their better-off neighbours got new houses and money
the father of this family was murdered leaving them without any male figure in the picture to look after them... they quickly became destitute and could not be helped significantly by those living around them
if you would like to know more or contribute to our fundraising for them, please email me
bruno1965@gmail.com
after the beach we took a wonderful train journey around the coast and up the tea-covered mountains inland to Kandy where we stayed in the very elegant Queen's Hotel for a few days.
this stay included a gruelling climb up the famous Adam's Peak - a steep cone of a mountain stretching high into the clouded night sky
steps lit by flourescent tube lighting disappear into the darkness above... you have no idea whatsoever really how far it will be and around every corner is another difficult climb
8km of steps! yes... 8km [5 miles!]
steps all the way
the darkness [2am start]
rain started almost immediately we set foot on the mountain and it ran down the steps towards us like a torrent and enveloped us from every angle drenching every stitch of clothes and every soggy inch of skin and bone
5 hours to go up!
3 hours to come down!
but ahhh... the view from the top!
the sunrise, and the mythic shadow cast by the peak over the jungle hills and valleys far below...
oh please!! it was so grey and cloudy nothing could be seen at all [cotton wool!]
the footprints of the Buddha on the summit....oh no!! ...inside a temple, you're not allowed to see them!
however, apparently there is great spiritual merit in climbing up there [not to mention the slapstick humiliation of being passed out enroute by sri lankan grannies practically running up those f***ing steps in flip-flops!]
but hey, it was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience allround in sri lanka
so happy to have gone there and to have gone together
an all-too-brief weekend in paris on the way home to ireland... all the old favourites and usual haunts - even one or two new experiences for us old hands
it really is the most wonderful city in the world and i intend to continue to stay there a few times a year
home to great weather in ireland, two doggies thrilled to see us, and our home sweet home
still recovering though and having flash-backs every time i have to go up stairs!
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