Travel, Theatre, Music, Cricket, Tennis, Writing, Life
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.
Trip out with Sunil – went to Galle and saw Dutch museum/shop and market (not much to buy).
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.
Went on to turtle hatchery and then home.
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:
Real gluttons for photo punishment can see raw scans of all 430 photos we took unedited and unlabelled here:
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.
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:
Real gluttons for photo punishment can see raw scans of all 430 photos we took unedited and unlabelled here:
River Safari – saw lagoon and mangrove life – Monkey Island, Cinnamon Island, Temple Island…
…and then picnic on remote island – very good trip.
Afternoon spent lazing by the pool and playing in the sea.
Supper club in evening – had flambé (pork Jane. I had non- flambé duck).
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:
Real gluttons for photo punishment can see raw scans of all 430 photos we took unedited and unlabelled here:
Went out to moonstone mines to search for gems…
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.
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:
Real gluttons for photo punishment can see raw scans of all 430 photos we took unedited and unlabelled here:
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.
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:
Real gluttons for photo punishment can see raw scans of all 430 photos we took unedited and unlabelled here:
Left Hill club early to drive (via Nuwara Eliya) through beautiful hill country, to Ella Pass Rest House…
and on to Tissamaharama for lunch and onto jeeps for safari round Yala National Park – very interesting – saw water buffalo and elephant at close quarters, crocodiles, ibis etc. We even saw a bear (very rare – only 20) but not a leopard (rare – only 25).
Got back to Tissamaharama dusty and late – went straight on to Hambantota – Peacock Beach Hotel – washed thoroughly and ate (good meal with limbo dancers!). Early night.
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:
Real gluttons for photo punishment can see raw scans of all 430 photos we took unedited and unlabelled here:
Left for elephant orphanage early morning. Quite enjoyable.
Back for lunch and then leave Kandy for higher hills – beautiful scenery – stopped at tea Plantation/tea factory on the way .
Arrived at Nuwara Eliya Hill Club for colonial atmosphere – jacket and tie dinner, snooker afterwards, latish night.
Hot water bottle and soft bed – slept badly.
Part One of our two-part photo album for this Sri Lanka trip can be viewed through the flickr link below – there are 69 photos therein, ending as we leave Kandy:
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:
Real gluttons for photo punishment can see raw scans of all 430 photos we took unedited and unlabelled here:
Day in Kandy – Botanical Gardens in the morning – 50-50 place…
…followed by gem factory/shop with hard sell and no sales. Then a ghastly souvenir shop place.
After pleasant lunch and relaxation by the pool, trip round Kandy market – very interesting and pleasant…
…then on to temple of the tooth for noisy ceremony…
… before returning to Hotel Suisse for dinner and early night.
Part One of our two-part photo album for this Sri lanka trip can be viewed through the flickr link below there are 69 photos therein:
Real gluttons for photo punishment can see raw scans of all 430 photos we took unedited and unlabelled here:
Very early start to Sigiriya Rock – climbed all the way to the top – via the Sigiriya damsels (5th century wall paintings) – so high has a splendid ruined castle.
Returned to Sigiriya [Village Hotel] for swim, packing and lunch (best meal at Sigiriya) before leaving for Kandy.
I wasn’t going to miss that place, despite them saving the best till last food-wise.
On the way we stopped at a wonderful spice garden where all the edible and medicinal herbs were explained to us.
We then stopped at a daft batik factory before going on to Kandy.
Before dinner we went to a performance of Kandyan dance including firewalkers.
Dinner at Hotel Suisse – better than Sigiriya. Early night.
Part One of our two-part photo album for this Sri lanka trip can be viewed through the flickr link below there are 69 photos therein:
Real gluttons for photo punishment can see raw scans of all 430 photos we took unedited and unlabelled here: