One Final Day At Triton, Ahungalla, Sri Lanka, Then Home, 30 to 31 March 1995

30 March 1995

Lazy day round pool and in sea. Went to Ramona’s for lunch for the last time. Swam sunned and read.

Went to flambé restaurant for the last time (seafood platter/king prawns in pernod)

31 March 1995

Spent day round pool after packing.

Snacked on cashews and coffee shop grub before leaving at 5:30 pm long journey to Columbo and then home.

Arrived home 1 April at 4 pm – five hours late.

A Touring Day With Sunil, Including A Near Death Experience Off The Shore Of Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka, 29 March 1995

Trip out with Sunil – went to Galle and saw Dutch museum/shop and market (not much to buy).

Galle lace
Galle Market

Then on to Hikkaduwa for ill-fated very choppy coral trip for snorkeling. I felt sick on boat and Jane felt sick in the sea.

That ghastly snorkeling trip really does need to be explained. There were two problems with it. Firstly, it really was too choppy for snorkeling – even very experienced swimmers, who might have been up for the swimming challenge if mad enough, would have agreed that it was simply too choppy to see anything worthwhile with the snorkel.

The second problem was our mad boatman, who seemed especially keen to surf the waves and make the boat trip as “exciting” as possible. I suppose Hikkaduwa is surf territory, but I thought he was truly mad and dangerous. I was so unnerved by him, not least him seeming to turn back for more when we asked him to take us back to the shore, I abandoned the boat and swam for it, to ensure that he followed me back. Probably not the safest idea I have ever had.

This tale reminds me a little of our (rather differently unpleasant) boating experience in Nicaragua more than twenty years later – you might even recognise a similar expression of disgust on my face in the photo:

Washed and dried off – then on to New Moonbeam restaurant for deviled crab – then look round shops.

Sunil & Daisy, who looks pretty-much revived by the Hikkaduwa crab
Yes, Ged revives quickly too when there’s Hikkaduwa crab to be had

Went on to turtle hatchery and then home.

Truly out of my comfort zone with a big turtle, although i look surprisingly comfy
Janie looks less sure with her albino turtle
Daisy gives the baby turtles some sage advice afore they go

Practised snorkeling some more in the pool.

Then went to seafood barbecue in evening – excellent meal .

Part Two of our two-part photo album for this Sri Lanka trip can be viewed through the flickr link below – there are 75 photos therein:

01 Tea pickers in hill country, near Nuwara Eliya SRI_J4 (18)

Real gluttons for photo punishment can see raw scans of all 430 photos we took unedited and unlabelled here:

SRI_J4 (10)

Lazy Day At The Triton, Ahungalla, Sri Lanka, 28 March 1995

Lazy day round pool and sea. Went into village – bank/water.

Had a lobster lunch at Ramona’s.

Played in sea and played volleyball in the afternoon.

Lobster lunch, with Zillah by the looks of it

Cocktail party in evening.

Part Two of our two-part photo album for this Sri Lanka trip can be viewed through the flickr link below – there are 75 photos therein:

01 Tea pickers in hill country, near Nuwara Eliya SRI_J4 (18)

Real gluttons for photo punishment can see raw scans of all 430 photos we took unedited and unlabelled here:

SRI_J4 (10)

River Safari Around Ahungalla, Sri Lanka, 27 March 1995

We’re going boating on THAT!

River Safari – saw lagoon and mangrove life – Monkey Island, Cinnamon Island, Temple Island…

Monitor lizard
Shrimp fishermen
Thieving monkey nicks one of our bananas
Beauty spots on all these islands
Locals feed the monks on Temple Island

and then picnic on remote island – very good trip.

Sunil serving up lashings of seafood…
…perhaps a little too much, even for a growing boy

Afternoon spent lazing by the pool and playing in the sea.

Supper club in evening – had flambé (pork Jane. I had non- flambé duck).

Flaming supper!
Janie looks very relaxed considering the place is on fire

Part Two of our two-part photo album for this Sri Lanka trip can be viewed through the flickr link below – there are 75 photos therein:

01 Tea pickers in hill country, near Nuwara Eliya SRI_J4 (18)

Real gluttons for photo punishment can see raw scans of all 430 photos we took unedited and unlabelled here:

SRI_J4 (10)

A Gem Of A Day In Ahungalla, Sri Lanka, 26 March 1995

Went out to moonstone mines to search for gems…

Moonstones! Moonstones!!

Each pair bought something. I got rubies for mum and dad’s ruby wedding. Saw mines and crude manufacture

I think the merchants were pretty honest ones. Of course the gems were not rubies – not in that part of the world, but they were pink sapphires, which are still precious and I didn’t pay all that much for them. They made a very nice gift when made up into an anniversary ring for mum later that year.

Lunch at Ramonas – gambas and tuna. Lazed around pool and in sea for rest of day.

The Triton looked lovely at twilight

Light supper in coffee shop in evening.

Part Two of our two-part photo album for this Sri Lanka trip can be viewed through the flickr link below – there are 75 photos therein:

01 Tea pickers in hill country, near Nuwara Eliya SRI_J4 (18)

Real gluttons for photo punishment can see raw scans of all 430 photos we took unedited and unlabelled here:

SRI_J4 (10)

Lazy Day At Triton Hotel, Ahungalla, Sri Lanka, 25 March 1995

Lazy day by the pool and sea.

Swam, ping-pong, Cashews.

We did more sea swimming that holiday than usual, for some reason. I think it was a very gentle sea at that beach…or perhaps I was a bit more crazy back then. Janie will have won consistently at ping-pong – she usually does. I remember the cashews around the pool being/seeming especially yummy.

Planned outings with Don and Zila…

Janie might remember this aspect better than me. They were a couple from our trip and the only other couple who went on to the Triton. I think in the end we only did the one trip with them – the next day to see gems etc. I don’t think they were as keen on doing stuff through Sunil/Ramonas as we were – but more on that as the next few days unfold.

went into village for water and watched cricket…

I can only apologise to my cricket mates but there are no photos of the cricket. I suspect that we went into the village on our errands without cameras – otherwise there’d be photos.

went to barbecue and fashion show in evening.

I don’t think the fashion show floated my boat much, but Janie took a few snaps

Part Two of our two-part photo album for this Sri Lanka trip can be viewed through the flickr link below – there are 75 photos therein:

01 Tea pickers in hill country, near Nuwara Eliya SRI_J4 (18)

Real gluttons for photo punishment can see raw scans of all 430 photos we took unedited and unlabelled here:

SRI_J4 (10)

Hambantota To Ahungalla Via Galle, 24 March 1995

Serendipitous South Coast scene

Rose early for a drive round the coast to our hotel. Beautiful sea views plus coconut shell rope makers…

She looks relaxed…

and stilt fisherman.

…whereas he looks less comfy

Farewell lunch just outside Galle, then into Galle for a look round Church & fort etc.

Galle

Then on to gem, lace etc. factory and goodbye to tour.

Gem making…
…lace making…I SO was not going to miss this type of touring

Then on to Triton hotel (very tired) – unpacked, swam, changed, hot drink and flambé supper at supper club (very good) and to bed.

Free at last! Yes, Janie was especially taken with that flambé supper option at the Triton (now renamed the Heritance Ahungalla), I think we did it several times while we were there.

Part Two of our two-part photo album for this Sri Lanka trip can be viewed through the flickr link below – there are 75 photos therein:

01 Tea pickers in hill country, near Nuwara Eliya SRI_J4 (18)

Real gluttons for photo punishment can see raw scans of all 430 photos we took unedited and unlabelled here:

SRI_J4 (10)