Observations

The people are Indian looking, nearly all the women with gorgeous very long black hair. Lots of saris, but many in skirts and tops. As we've gotten more rural, most of the men wear skirts. They are unfailingly polite, friendly and curious. The country is predominately Buddhist in the areas where we've been, but today we arrived near Kirinda, on the south coast. After settling in, we walked the 2k into 'town' - really tiny, and it seemed mostly Muslim. There was a very big mosque and school and not a beer to be found. But we saw our first goats - no doubt meant for Muslim feasts, since the Buddhists are non meat eaters. There are the sacred cows everywhere, and way too many very sad, scrawny dogs and cats but more dogs than cats. None of them are fixed, ałl of them are sick. But there seems to be an agreement that they won't be hurt, just neglected. They lie in the middle of the road, and cars and tuktuks honk and go around or wait for them to move. There are fewer motorbikes here than SE Asia, thank gawd, so much less noisy and fumes. There are lots of bicycles, and more cars than Asia also.. Coming further along the south coast, we finally passed through agriculture areas, mostly rice paddies. In a few days, we'll head to the mountains where there are lots of tea plantations. After all, this used to be called Ceylon. Tomorrow, we're headed to a safari ride to Yala National Park. We'll see elephants for sure. We have occasionally seen these giant lizard looking creatures. I have no idea what they are.

Food wise, lots of curries. Fish is everywhere. The Indian Ocean must be very rich indeed. Last night I opted for the buffet and selected all the strangest looking and sounding foods. For salads there was a bitter melon, which was cut into thin rings and fried with onions and some spicy pepper and lettuce - my favorite. There was also a very good roasted eggplant salad with onions and lettuce, and a fried banana flower salad, I liked them all, and turned down the tourist choices of cooked veg, tomatoes and cucumbers, curried egg salad. Dinner entrees I chose were various vegetable and fish and cuttlefish curries, fried onion rice and several condiments - browned grated coconut with salt and hot pepper, plain grated coconut, and spicy red pepper sauce. I was a happy camper.

Tonight here at Elephant Reach, there is a special valentine dinner, but the two main choices are lamb or filet mignon - I think not.. They said I could substitute fish, which I will do. I don't think the slaughter facilities in this Buddhist country are adequate. That's what I've heard in any case. We have finally gotten away from the Russians and now we appear to be in Japan. I'm already not fond of the giggling Japanese couples.

Safari to Yala

From our lodge near Tissamahara, it was possible to arrange for a jeep tour of the Yala park. We had heard there were herds of elephants, leopards and other wildlife. We had a great and butt killing tour of the many rutted dirt tracks in said park and our guide said we were lucky - we saw an elephant. It was a gorgeous wilderness area, but very poor organization. We left our
lodge at 5:30 am, traveled a short distance to the entrance to the park, they'd waited with 30 or 40 other safari trucks toay our admission fees. Mark went with our driver and he said there was one man selling tickets. It was a mad house. Then we all followed each other all over the place. Oh well, it was something to do.

Tangalle

From Galle, we had thought to spend a day or so in Mirissa, but literally, the entire town of lodgings seemed to be booked. We kept trying down the coast, striking out in Tangalle also. we did find a place that sounded great east of Tangalle and booked through Agoda, on online booking service. We hired a car and driver, turning down the first vehicle - no A\C and lousy seats. We drove through beach towns along the south coast, beginning to see the first of many cows. Our resort, Ranna212 is about 10 k beyond Tangalle. We turned down a road towards the ocean and drove another 2 k or so - leave it to us to find the most remote place. We arrived at a fancy gated resort and were met by a young woman and handed flowers and escorted to an outside lobby where we were given a coconut milk refreshing drink and cold towels. Heaven after 3 hours in the car. But did I say, it was pouring rain? It continued for the rest of the afternoon. Just before dark we could finally get out to the beach for a long walk. We met a young SL man on the beach who told us that the turtles had come in the night before to lay their eggs, and might that night and urged us to walk to the lagoon, which was only 5 minutes away. After walking for 10 minutes in that direction, we opted for dinner. Still, we had a good hour's walk.

The food is excellent and includes many local specialities. I had a fish curry. The side dishes weren't like any I had had before. One was a very spicy beet root dish with root and leaves and hot but also strongly flavored with cinnamon. There was also a very good spicy grilled eggplant curry. For starters, I had a grilled eggplant salad, and Mark had grilled tuna - oddly it was served over a cupped lettuce leaf with potato salad. Mmmmm. The other odd thing about this resort is that it must be heavily marketed in Russia. 80% of the other guests are Russian, though this place is by no means full. Several different vodkas are on the menu, which I've not seen before.

One more night here. Today was more beach walking (yay), some of it in the rain, followed by swimming. The pool is lovely, but nearly deserted. In fact, there are just not many people here. How is that bad? Next stop is Tissamahara and the Elephant Reach hotel. We'll visit Bundala National Park, renowned for birding.

The bus trip to Galle

What a trip we had.  We left our lovely guesthouse in Negombo at 11, took a bus to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, which took an hour, but was at least A/C with decent seats.  We were told by the proprietor that we could get an express bus to Galle, south of Colombo, which would travel the new highway and would only take an hour.   Hahahahaha.  We first tried at the regular bus depot and were assured that the no Air bus was the only express to Galle, adamantly told, I might add.  It would be 4 hours.  Ha, we said, and got off the bus and asked around and found there was a private bus we could take and eventually were directed to another bus depot.  We found an A/C bus, were told it was an express and took the new highway, but would take 3 hours.  We gave up.  The seats were uncomfortable, it did not take the highway, stopped frequently soliciting new passengers, and took 3 excruciating hours.  The lesson, we think is that you can't ask the bus driver, who will always tell you it is the bus you want.  Live and learn.  We have checked into our new digs (no pool), no kitchen, small room, and it is even hotter here.  But we walked a bit around the ramparts of the old Fort Galle, and found a beer and wifi.  We'll go back soon to our room and to the rooftop restaurant that has a view over the sea, and hopefully some seafood.  Tomorrow we shall see some sights.  I will lose weight.  It's a little like sitting in a sauna.  The good news about Galle is that the overweight aged tour groups are not so in evidence.  More young backpackers and middle aged. 

The first thing did was take a walk around the rampart of the old fort here.  Our lodging, Fort Dew is just across from a small cricket field on the side of the rampart.  There was a nice breeze and it was good to get out of the cramped bus.  And the room has air conditioning.

Araliya in Negombo

It's too bad we were so tired and couldn't fully appreciate the gorgeous place where stayed, but other guests certainly did.

Sri Lanka!

We are here.  The last leg, from London to Colombo, was painful. Ya get to know what sardines feel like.  But safely settled in villa Araliya in Negombo near the beach, we stretched out, read a bit, and slept.  We had dinner at an interesting restaurant, Lords, where you ocean sit on the side of their seawater canal and let the fish nibble the dry skin off your feet.  That was after a rather nice Sri Lankan crab chili, with a Chilean merlot that was not half bad.  Back to our room and the sleep of babes.  Lovely breakfast, especially the papayas, by the pool.
We arrived about 2:30 yesterday, which was Friday.  We're staying near the beach, in villa Araliya in Negombo.  After 12 hours packed like sardines, all we wanted was to stretch out on the bed.  We read, slept, and woke in time for dinner at Lords - very upscale for our first night in town.   Afterwards, we sat by their saltwater canal systems within the restaurant and let the little fishes nibble on our feet.  Very tickled.  Then back to our room to sleep like babes.  Breakfast by the pool brought us back to real human beings.  Now to find the beach and plan the next destination in this beautiful country, where the natives are so polite and friendly and beautiful.
Now to find the beach and make further travel arrangements now that we feel human again.

Rosie

She was the best little dog and such a loyal and faithful companion.  I miss her so much.  They are just always there, paying attention to you, wanting to know where you are, what you're doing, where you're going next.  If she saw me getting my purse and coat, she wanted me to open the door so she could go outside and 'chase' my car - behind the fence of course, and do her funny little spins as she raced beside the driveway.  She was one of a kind and brought such joy to everyone who knew her.  Some animals just seem to have such a gentle spirit.  She was my soulmate dog, for sure.  When my aging Mother lived with us, she adored Rosie and was her 'doorman', opening and closing the kitchen door at every little bark of command from Rosie.  I buried her next to a miniature rose bush that Mom gave me years ago.  Rest in peace, you sweet Rosebud.