One Month To Go

Here I am. July 31. Feeling down.

I think I've just been realizing that there are lots of things I still want to do here, but I only have a short while to do it! Luckily I have been able to talk to Bandula about these things and he is helping me to arrange and accomplish them. So far.

1. On August 6 I will be joining the Child Development Unit in Galle for project evaluation and discussing with another village what may happen if they are selected to join in a Shramadana Project. I have already made the spreadsheets to compile the data from the surveys they are conducting. Despite them being 'basic' I am satisfied. I did it all off the top of my head with no programming.

2. August 7 I will leave for a 5-day home stay in a village called Damunupola, which is about 12km from Kegalle. Apparently I can take a train to Rambukkana, where I will be picked up by the district coordinator. Later I will be taken to Kegalle on the 12th to take a bus back to Colombo. I am going there with an open mind and open slate. They suggested I teach English, but I am not sure how to do that when I have no knowledge of Sinhalese to translate. "Hello, how are you?" is the same as ???? in Sinhalese. I thought it would be nice to work at a home garden and just learn about the functions of village life. I'm here to learn, after all!

3. A few days after I get back, I will be going to Matara for a field visit with the Child Development Unit. Same process as #1. This is on August 15.

4. Around the 17-20 I want to plan a trip to Kandy for 1 night to see the Esala Perahera Festival; one of the best in Asia! I am able to stay at the Kandy District Centre and can maybe arrange for a bus or train there. But apparently it is very crazy and crowded and that tickets and hotel rooms are booked months in advance!

5. Remaining sights to see: Sigiriya/Dambulla/Polonaruwa as well as Jaffna and the North. However, Bandula doesn't seem to like the idea of me going alone to the North. I would just want the company but am not really afraid to go alone. I know security is still high there, but maybe that's a protective thing, not because there is danger? I got the same vibe in Israel. It's not like I haven't been exposed, but I would need to be properly prepared with documents of my accommodations. I can take a night bus there or a plane, but the night bus sounds cheaper. I hope to stay 2-3 days. Sigiriya is a 'must-see' and is accessible by bus. Apparently it is expensive at $40 a person, but I will look into that! The trip to Sigiriya/Dambulla/Polonaruwa would be 2-3 days. I'm worried about cutting into my 'work hours' but I think these sights are very important to see for the recent (and not so recent) history of Sri Lanka.

I've finally got my invoice for June and July housing and food plus my one-time admin fee. It's a lot of money all at once, but it's still much less than I expected. I came in to this experience anticipating about $20/day but it has turned out to be about half of that! Sweet!

The girls in the trades school are leaving on August 8 and that makes me very sad! I am going to go out and buy a little cake and see if I can find some cheap nail polish. We painted our nails together one day (I think I mentioned it) but they only have two colors. These girls have no money and I'd love to throw them a mini-graduation party as they complete their program. Everything here is cheap so I'm not worried about cost. Plus, they've brought me so much joy and friendship. They asked for my address and gave me their addresses and I hope to mail them some goodies in the future. They are also sewing me a dress and my mom a skirt. I would love to pay them back in some way.

I am really missing home and feeling in a slump lately. It's almost the same feeling as when I first arrived... a bit empty, slow-moving, and lacking energy. It's also hard because I've felt kind of ignored by Bandula in regards to my requests and just in life. Everyone who is new gets noticed and more privileges and opportunities. Despite asking many times, I am often ignored or put on the back burner. Apparently being sensitive and having feelings has kept me from 'getting out there'. Sorry I cried in the open and sought help rather than curl up and die in my room. It's left me bitter and a bit resentful towards some people but at least I'm loaded with opportunities for August (making the time fly faster?) and have had a good time overall.

There are new girls at the orphanage who are annoying me so bad. When asked if they should undress the kids prior to their bath, I suggested they leave the bottoms on until it is their turn because many children will pee and sometimes poop on the floor. So obviously the girls take off the bottoms and the tops and I was left cleaning two pee puddles after one girl said "Oh, she peed." WHAT DID I TELL YOU? Also they have been telling me things about the kids as if I was new there, and half of what they're saying isn't true. "So and so is the youngest" --no they're not. "This baby is breathing fast, her nose is clogged" --babies breathe faster (small lungs maybe?) and her nose was running because she was crying, and I cleaned it. "Her head is so big" --yes, it is. She was also very premature, and that's apparently a 'thing' with premature babies. Then they'll repeat those things... "Oh she's so small but her head is big" --Oh my gosh, we've been through this. I've been at the orphanage longer than you, I'm trying to help you and make things easier for you! Please listen to me!

One of the children had blood in her mouth today and I was trying to figure it out. Sometimes she is treated roughly by staff because she doesn't do well at feeding. I personally think it's the approach of hand-feeding the staff take, but when I suggest spoon feeding or smaller portions, I get told "She doesn't like food." So that's already bugging me. And they've got her pinned between a sofa and a high chair so she can stand while she is sobbing and coughing. It was wrong! She can't balance all that well and she ended up on the ground (not sure how). When I changed her I noticed blood on her hand and cheek. I opened her mouth and saw the blood from around her gums on top/where that piece of skin connects to your upper lip. I told the nurse so maybe she could make sure that's all it was and she said "It doesn't matter. Cream is poison. It is her teeth." Yeah, ok... I wasn't suggesting putting cream on, but what if she fell and really did get a good cut in her mouth that maybe needed stitches? Her teeth are already almost all the way in so I don't thing it was teething. But I was very disturbed by the lack of empathy anyone had for her and the unwillingness by all the staff to exhaust different feeding options. Maybe that's why today I have felt 'down'. This incident really bothered me and I did not return to work for the afternoon.

I also did not return because I had a terrible headache. I think I'm very dehydrated and today was 29.. feels like 42 with 70% humidity. I was very hot on the inside but cool on the outside because my fan was on. I laid down for about an hour after a few hours of skyping with Max. I really needed it, although I feel about the same. Trying to be sure to drink lots of water, although I'm not sure how much to drink in a day.

Jayaca said she would teach me how to make pancakes, or 'fancakes' as they are pronounced here! they're basically like crepes and so delicious. There are chocolate pancakes and coconut pancakes... Mmm! I'm excited to learn. I asked her to tell me how to make daal like they do here because it is very delicious (and has been my staple for 8 weeks... I don't know how to live without it!).

Fast points... sorry if these are repeats:

-I saw the Trevon Martin case on TV

-People do not always turn off their vehicles while fueling up. It freaks me out big time!

-Uniforms are required for school and different colors represent different age groups. All white is older students and blue and white are for younger students.

-There are short eat tuk tuks and bakery tuk tuks that drive around blasting "Fur Elise" as if it's the ice cream truck. They don't have ice cream, but they do have jam buns for about 25Rs (30 cents!)

-I saw a man walking his dog. This is significant because there are many strays, and while some have string, ribbon, or collars around their necks, this doesn't mean they are walked, let in the house, etc. I have not seen anyone even touch a dog here because many are sick. It gave me hope to see at least one person love and care like that.

-"Prisoners are Human Beings" sign outside of two Colombo Jails. Kind of a stating the obvious thing, but still a friendly reminder that those who are incarcerated still have people who love them, whom they love and do have feelings, despite what we may try to think.

-The four major rivers in Sri Lanka all originate from Adam's Peak!

-I saw a sign at a restaurant that said "Today's Special: Rice and Curry!". That's funny, because that's been the special for me for 2 months!

That's all I got for right now. Thanks for reading about my venting! ;)

The Longest Post Ever!

These past few weeks have been nuts… and now I’m realising that it actually has been two weeks since I wrote last. Sorry for dropping the ball!

After the wedding I got quite sick. The next day I was working as per usual at the orphanage and all of a sudden I just felt terrible. Despite it being evening and having the fans on, I was quite hot and felt very nauseous. The nurse there, Indika, said she was also sick earlier and that I should go home and rest. One of the ladies in charge, Damayanthi, walked me back to the hostel and made it known to the matrons that I was under the weather. I decided to lay down and see what happened. Yamuna came to check on me and said I had a fever after touching my forehead and neck. She said if in one hour I still felt worse then we could go to the doctor. After an hour I was very hot, waiting to vomit, and had a very sore stomach and headache. I was also feeling very weak and ready to pass out. We quickly got a tuk tuk to the same clinic I went to for my ant bites. It is very close to the hostel. The doctor remembered me and said it was good that my ant bites were healed but I was “sensitive, nay?”. He gave me some pills for fever, antibiotics, heartburn (caused by the antibiotics) and ordered a blood test. Maia was with me and Yamuna and made sure we knew what all of the pills were for. About 3 other people/groups let me go in front of them (I must have looked that bad) and I thanked them and we drove to the pharmacy. I got more pills and returned home. I began to get sick again and rushed to the washroom. I had a restless sleep and at 7am got up to go get my blood test. The results were ready about 5 hours later and they all came back negative. Whenever you have a fever here you cannot take it likely. There are many diseases like malaria and dengue fever and you have to make sure you don’t have either of them… they can do serious damage. I was so thankful to have Maia there and the support from everyone at the hostel. I spent the next day in bed.

Sunday, Maia, Chelsea and I went to the Mt. Lavinia Hotel to use the beach. Turned out that there was an insane brunch buffet and the cost included the use of the pool and beach. The buffet included caviar, smoked salmon, sushi, salads, curries, western food, waffles, mousse, cake, and it was all presented beautifully. The Mt. Lavinia Hotel is after all one of the nicest in Sri Lanka I believe. I still had a very upset stomach and did not eat. I did order iced tea, but it was like the sweet tea prepared in the USA. So when the waiter noticed I didn’t like it he offered me something else. I got lime juice (straight up) and it came with a sweet syrup to add to taste. I spent the afternoon reading by the pool while Maia and Chelsea swam. I then had a sandwich (after reminding the server I ordered 45 minutes previous) and we headed back home to headquarters. I spent my day in the shade but I was still exhausted by the evening.

The next day I got up very early to leave on a trip with Shanthi Sena, the Peace Brigade. We were going on a couple day trip to Anuradhapura to do some leadership training for peace skill building and peace groups in the surrounding villages. Unfortunately no one translated from Sinhala or Tamil for me so I was quite bored and I was still feeling pretty sick. The car ride was about 6 hours in an air-conditioned van (luxury!) so leaving for a grungy hostel room with an oscillating fan was not great. The room, although ‘cleaned’, was very dusty and I found what looked like a mouse poop (just one poop haha) on the next bed. There were also cobwebs everywhere, geckos, and several big cockroaches. The electrical outlet was very finicky and I had to tilt the plug and cord to the fan a certain way and rest a pillow on it to keep it in place. Any other position would cut the power. It was sketchy! I’m glad the pillow didn’t catch fire and that the fan stayed on. I was roasting. I went to the doctor later in the day to get more pills because I was still feeling bad and almost out of the other pills I had. That night I went to bed early and was woken up by some guys showering and hanging out outside of my room. They then blasted some Sri Lankan music and were making tons of noise. I figured it was probably 10:00pm and I was just a party pooper, but my clock read 5:30am! It lasted about 5-10 minutes until someone told them to stop. That was just ridiculous. It left me a little grumpy but more dumbfounded by the whole thing. I spent the next day touring the old city of Anuradhapura.

Anuradhapura was the capital city back in like, the 8^th century and has been a very important city for many years, but fell apart and has since been restored… and is still being restored! I began my day at the Sri Maha Bodhi Tree. This tree is super important to Sri Lankan Buddhists… and Buddhists in general because it is a cutting from the tree in India under which Buddha found Enlightenment at some time around 236BC. It is interesting because guards have kept uninterrupted watch over the tree ever since, making it the oldest historically authenticated tree in the world! Next I walked to the Ruvanwelisiya Dagoba. A dagoba is a dome-shaped shrine that contains relics of the Buddha or a Buddhist saint. The whole temple was surrounded by a wall with an elephant wall and had smaller stupas (domes) at the cardinal points. From there I went to Thuparama, the oldest dagoba that is said to house the right collar-bone of the Buddha. I caught a tuk tuk to the next site, Jetavanarama Dagoba, which is said to be the highest brick dagoba of its kind in the world. My last stop for the day was Issurumumiyagala Monastery (say that 5x fast!). It was a very peaceful place with a reflection pool and a temple built into the massive rock that sits there. I got to climb up to the top of the rock and say the countryside and Jetavanarama Dagoba in the distance. The also have a small museum there with some sculptures, notably ‘the lovers’. It is believed to represent Dutthagemunu’s son Saliya and his girlfriend Asokamala, for whom he forsook the throne. (I’m copying all of this from my Footprint Sri Lanka book!) Anuradhapura is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of the “Cultural Triangle” of Sri Lanka.

Later in the same day we took a van back to headquarters, where I arrived around 9:00-9:30 at night. I was ready to come back because I did not want to spend more time reading and sleeping in my hot room and feeling sick away from the comforts of home/the hostel. It was a shorter drive home (more like 5 hours) because we made less stops and took a more direct route. I was totally ok with that. The rest of the week I focussed on feeling better and did some more reading for my practicum.

On Friday, Chelsea, Maia and I went out for dinner at K-Zone, the local mall. I got an amazing smoothie and some thai food, but I couldn’t eat it. It was pretty much rice and green onion. It was hard to eat so much onion! My stomach was doing flip-flops. We got some popcorn and came back to watch Anchorman, which Maia had never seen before. I have seen it a couple times before, but it never gets old! Afterwards we made a sign for my friend Karen who was coming to visit from Nepal. It was a beautiful sign and we had a blast colouring all sorts of things that represent Sri Lanka. Some images included a beautiful elephant (Maia), Buddha, the tooth relic, tea, rice, palm trees, and a stupa. I left around 11 for the airport and got there an hour early for Karen’s 1am arrival. I paid the 300Rs to enter the arrival area with my sign. I had a jam bun and another gravol for my wonky stomach. I was waiting among other people with signs for over half an hour before Karen came through the gate at around 1:45am. Everyone, including my new guest, loved the sign and I caught a lot of people staring at it. No one else had a sign like it, only names written in black sharpie on white paper. So lame! I called the driver and he picked us up. We talked a lot on the ride home, but by 3:30 when we got settled in the room, we were dead tired.

Our day started at about 7:30 when we got ready for breakfast. I gave Karen a tour of headquarters and where I work in Suwasetha. She got to meet the girls in the sewing, needlepoint and typing units. At that time, Jayaca invited us to the homecoming ceremony of one of the girls who also worked in the sewing unit. After the wedding and honeymoon, the homecoming ceremony occurs. Basically it is when the bride and groom return to the groom’s house and have another party with food, tea, and gifts. There is also a time when the family gets to say their send off message and then they leave. From this time on, the bride may see her parents a few times a year but her obligation is to run the new house. What a hard transition! Both the bride and groom seemed emotional to say goodbye to their family… it felt like it was the last time they’d see each other! She came over and gave me a hug and I signed that I was very happy for her and Jayaca signed to her for a minute or two before we all left. We were only there for 1.5-2 hours. It was quite hot and it was all outside. I think we were ready to go home. On the way, Jayaca and the driver dropped Karen and I off at the store I got my sarees at, Mafaza. Karen picked out a beauty and from there we headed to K-Zone via bus. We got some groceries for the adventure ahead of us and also got smoothies and did some browsing. K-Zone is very small with about 10-12 stores and 4 food stalls. It did not take long at all. From there we came back to headquarters and lounged around before and after dinner. We also spent time planning our trip with Bandula and I stayed up a little too late working on the logistics of the routes ahead.

The next day we got up and finished packing and after a breakfast of string hoppers with coconut sambal we headed off to catch a bus to Colombo Fort Railway Station. It was warm already, despite a brief downpour. The ride took about 45 minutes or more and was kind of nauseating. I did not feel good and until I got to sit and look out the open window, I thought I would throw up. Once we got to the railway station we got some short eats (snacks) and bought our tickets to Kandy. We waited in the “Ladies Waiting Room” for our train and began our journey.

Our first stop along the way was in Rambukkana. It is a small town known for the Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage, but the tuk tuk driver we hired to take us there suggested we go to the Millennium Elephant Foundation for the same price but a better experience. On a whim we went for it! For 2000Rs we had the opportunity to bathe one of the elephants that was lying in the river. I think it really enjoyed it and also sprayed water at Karen! We used the rough coconut shells to scrub the sand and dirt off of the skin and rinse off with water. It was so fun! Then we got to ride one of the elephants named Pooja, the first elephant born into captivity by another domesticated elephant. She is 25 years old! Her mother is Lakshmi, a very famous elephant who has been in over 25 international films including Tarzan the Ape Man! It felt like I was among celebrities! Anyways, we rode her for about 10 minutes and then got to feed her some fruit for 200Rs extra. She was very friendly and it was apparent that she loves to eat! We also got a tour of the museum there that houses skeletons and teeth of elephants and gave a great explanation of Asian and African elephants. There are very clear differences such as ear and trunk size, body weight, and temperament. Only 5% of male Asian elephants can grow tusks! There was also a gift shop and a place we left our bags for the tour. Afterwards we got a tuk tuk ride back to Rambukkana Railway Station to grab a quick snack and then we continued to Kandy using our same train ticket.

The train to Kandy was not full (there were no seats available but there was tons of standing room). Karen and I talked to some Slovenian ladies who were touring the country as well. The train ride took way longer than expected due to many random stops along the way and just having a slow train in the hills. We eventually got there and began walking from the railway station to the center of town. We met some other Canadian girls from Calgary who are doing an 8 month tour of Asia. They guided us to the lake area, which is very close to the Temple of the Tooth. Karen and I decided to find a hotel to drop off our heavy bags. After seeing a few places we stumbled upon Olde Empire Hotel, which was also in my book. It was cheap at 1500Rs but had a shared bath. This was not a big deal for us anyways, and the room was gorgeous with lots of character. It was also right beside the Temple of the Tooth. We headed over and went through security. There was a female only line, as is the custom in Asia. There was a long walkway with banners along the way to the ticket booth where we paid for entry. It was packed with people, as we went at ‘the best time’… 6:30-7:30pm. It was quickly apparent why it was such a good time to go… there were drummers and horn players and the casket holding the relic was on display. We got to walk by the shimmering gold casket and saw many people offering money, flowers, and also pay their respects. The casket is said to house one of Buddha’s teeth. It is one of the most important temples/dagobas in Sri Lanka, if not the world. It has a long history and is home to various festivals throughout the year… One being the Esala Perahera, which I hope to attend later in August. After touring the building and seeing old books and statues we headed over to Pizza Hut and ate garlic shrimp pizza and a meat lovers pizza before going to bed early in our historic hotel room.

The next morning we walked up to Udawattekele Sanctuary for a morning hike. It took about 3.5 hours because we took an unexpected detour and stopped to see a couple deer, turtles on a log, and look at some interesting plants. I was happy to only spend 650Rs for entrance because we did not see much in terms of wildlife, except as we were leaving there was a huge group of monkeys that ran across the street with their babies clinging to their undersides. There must have been 40 or more monkeys! They were very cute. Along the way to the sanctuary Karen and I had an interesting encounter with a young man who asked, “Can I say something to you?” I said sure, and he proceeded to offer us a full body massage for 1500Rs. We told him that we were leaving in a few hours (not a lie) but we would think about it. Deep inside we were screaming “NO WAY!” and when he asked if he could give us his mobile number Karen piped in and said she did not have a phone. I followed suit and apologized. He then continued walking. We laughed about it for a bit. Why would I accept a full body massage from a stranger I met on a winding treed road? Maybe that’s the norm here, but we were a little blown away. We would have never accepted, but I think we politely turned him down in a roundabout way.

From there we did a bit of browsing on our way back to the hotel, about a 20-minute walk away. I got some gifts and a new shirt. We stopped at KFC for lunch. I think we both desperately needed to jump at the chance to have something other than rice and lentils. I’ve had the same thing 2x a day for 8 weeks. I needed a chicken burger, fries, and Pepsi! Then we collected our bags from the Olde Empire Hotel, bussed to the Goods Shed bus stand and found an air-conditioned direct bus to Nuwara Eliya! I felt like we struck gold. It was a nice ride with few stops and I even had a seat. However, the road was very windy. Having the cool air and a view out the window helped me to not feel motion sick, as I usually do. Nuwara Eliya is very high up in the mountains and it took a couple of hours to get there.

Once we arrived in Nuwara Eliya I had to take a minute to sit and relax. My head was spinning a bit. Right after we got a tuk tuk to Labookellie Tea Factory, which we passed on our way into Nuwara Eliya. I was told it would be cold in the hill country. Being a Canadian, and more specifically a Winnipegger, I laughed at the thought of cold. But soon after I was not laughing. It was misting all the time and there was a cold breeze. I think the real feel ended up being around 10-15C, but I swear a cold breeze with the mist just made it feel worse. Sometimes Nuwara Eliya gets frost! I was waiting for that to come! Anyways, we went to the tea factory and learned all about how tea is produced. Basically you pick a piece from the plant with young, green leaves, a bud, and 2 or more leaves. The tea is then dried and chopped up to fine pieces. Then it is ground to become even finer! The leaves are left out to ferment for 3 hours and are heated to remove the last bit of moisture. The stems are shaken off and the rest is taken to be graded. The small and dark leaves make stronger tea than the bigger and lighter pieces. It takes about 5kg of leaves to create 1kg of the finished product. I believe the tea factory produces over 3000kgs a day and houses 1000 workers over 1200 acres. Tea plants can live for 60 years until they are replaced. Every year the plants are cut to be no more than about 2-3ft off the ground, but can grow up to 10ft! In addition, one of the most expensive teas, white tea, is made using only the bud. Green tea does not get chopped up or fermented. There’s some quick facts for you! After the tour we got a free pot of tea and bought a piece of cake. Then we browsed the (overpriced) gift shop and left back for Nuwara Eliya where we began the long hunt for a guesthouse. We stumbled upon a market where I bought a sweater and we jammed to some dance music/mix of top songs from my high school years. We also sampled and bought some fruit, including passion fruit and a tree tomato that tastes like a blueberry! Eventually this man came up to us and asked if we needed a place to stay. He showed us a nice guest house and when we asked for advice to go to Horton Plains the next day, gave us his business card, as he works with tourism in the area. He arranged an early pick up for us (at a price) and cost us a cozy hotel room for 2000Rs. Once at the guesthouse we had dinner and got ready for bed. Our next day was supposed to begin at 5:00am!

The next morning was a little rough as it was totally freezing! I slept in my clothes and my sweater. We got our breakfast to go and by 5:30 were packed in the van and leaving to Horton Plains. The drive took about an hour and we got there just after the park opened. The cost to enter the park was ridiculous. There were numerous charges for the car park and taxes and all these other things. With the van and the entry it cost over 10,000Rs, or $80 total. The morning was very cold with mist and drizzle accompanied by a low fog/cloud. On our way into the park we saw some deer but nothing else. We began our cold walk to Mini World’s End and the next point was Greater World’s End. At this point the mountains just stop. It is like a lush cliff face that drops over 850 meters! It was really freaky, especially since there was no railing! The clouds were low so we didn’t have a super view looking straight out but looking down you could see the houses far below. It was freaky! We continued on the 9km trek to see Baker’s Falls. We took a path down to the base of the falls. It was about a 20-minute descent sliding down vertical rocks and roots. I’m not sure how I made it down, but I definitely was muddy by the end of it! The view of the falls was just awesome but it was less awesome to come to the realisation that we had to go back up the steep path. Going up proved to be much easier, and since I was already dirty, I wasn’t afraid to get even dirtier. We returned to the van after a total of 3.5 hours in the drizzling rain and wind. While the walk was nice, it was cold at times, and I got an annoying earache, perhaps from the cold, wet, wind. It has since gone away. The driver dropped us off at a tiny train station in Pattipola…

We made it to the train station with about 15 minutes to spare before our departure time. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, our train was late… By about an hour! Karen and I were freezing in a lounge area right beside two bathroom stalls. It was nice to be somewhat out of the cold wind, but it felt like an extra long wait. Finally the train came and we rode it to Haputale, a town that was at a major junction. From there we got to have some lunch of rice and curry (surprise surprise) and after a lot of searching in the bus station found a bus that would take us to Pelmadulla, the next junction along our journey. Along the way the whole bus got off and had tea, a bathroom break, and snacks. It was so funny to have a tea break on the bus. It is really clear how important teatime is in this culture! Our next stop after changing in Pelmadulla would be Deniyaya, the city closest to the Sinharaja Rainforest. Unfortunately no busses would take us there at that time so we took a bus to Rakwana which was along the way at least. It began to rain again and we found a rest house that was also listed in my travel book. It took a while for someone to notice that we were actually there but soon after we got a room for 2000Rs and had dinner. The room and food were nice but the bill was expensive, totalling 3080Rs. We left in the morning for the bus station, but it turned out the bus would have gone right past the guesthouse. Oh well. We got a nice walk in and bought some fruit along the way! From Rakwana we caught a bus to Deniyaya.

In Deniyaya we found a tuk tuk driver to take us to the Mederipitiya Entrance of the Sinharaja Rainforest for 800Rs. The road was really bad near the end so we had to get up and walk to the entrance from maybe .5km away. Once there it began pouring. It is the rainforest; I’m not really sure what I was expecting. A guide was mandatory since there have been deaths in the past in the forest because of many poisonous creatures and angry elephants. Over all it was a little more than 1000Rs each, which I didn’t think was outrageous, given the fact we paid so much at Horton Plains. There were many routes to choose from, but we chose the 8.5km trek of 3 hours. Along the way we saw many big, colourful spiders, geckos, snails, giant millipedes, and a green pit viper. A few days prior an elephant went on a rampage and we saw the damaged tree it knocked down as well as elephant dung. I was surprised to see it looked like big balls of like… string or fibres or grass of sorts. It was weird! We also saw a waterfall. There were many leeches in the rainforest and I had about 6 during our entire journey. The guide rubbed salt on our shoes and legs and picked the leeches off for us. I still have a mark from one sucker, but it’s not bad. The leeches here are like black/grey inchworms, not the nasty ones we have in Canada. It made them a lot less gross. Afterwards we walked an additional 1km to catch another tuk tuk. Our guide took us to his house on the way, where we sat and waited for the tuk tuk he called for us. For another 800Rs we got back to the Deniyaya bus station where we caught the next bus heading south!

We got on a bus headed to Akuressa. This bus ride was not super long once we hit Pitabeddera. It was very hilly and the road was windy so it took longer to get places. When we hit Pitabeddera I had a very urgent bathroom situation and they stopped the bus for me to run to a public toilet. And run I did. People on the street and the bus were apparently laughing as I was running and darting through traffic (though sparse) to go to the bathroom. I was running not only because it was an emergency, but also because I didn’t want to keep a bus full of people waiting! I was so grateful that they pulled over… I was reaching crisis mode. They have waited for men who just ‘go’ by the bus but this seemed different. We carried on and despite having a ‘scare’ of having to go again, I made it to Akuressa. There I ran to the next public toilet while Karen scouted out the next bus. Luckily there was one headed to Matara that we caught just in time. It was one of the shortest rides so far (yay!) but once we got there it was night.

Once in the busy beachside city we realised we quickly needed to find a rest house and set our things down. It was only 1500Rs and very nice. We even had the company of a cockroach in the bathroom. It doesn’t even bother me anymore. Well, I’m bothered by the fact that they can FLY but I know they won’t hurt me. Karen and I then wandered off in search of food and stumbled upon a Perera and Sons (bakery and restaurant) where we shared a giant plate of mixed fried rice. There was seafood and vegetables as well as egg in it. It was great. We were still wet from the rainforest where we were drenched as well as from all the rain along the way. Getting back to the hotel and showering was amazing. Unfortunately my blue Nepal pants dyed my legs blue because the rain made the colors bleed! It took a couple days to come off but it’s fine. Not the first time it’s happened! I went to bed and we woke up at our leisure… For me that was about 8:30am! Woohoo!

We left the hotel and caught a bus to Mirissa Beach, the beautiful secret getaway I visited earlier in my stay. Karen and I had short eats along the way so we had a late lunch after wading around in the water. Before that, we had some amazing pineapple juice. Fresh juice. Amazing. So we had a seafood platter for lunch with lobster, fish, prawns, and calamari. It was delicious, but very filling. That’s all I could eat! After lunch we decided to get a cabana to store our things in. The same guys I met at the restaurant last trip had their beachfront cabana available. The waves literally came up just below our balcony! It was a little house on stilts! We got this beautiful little space for 2000Rs. I paid $8 for one night in a beachfront cabana. I went to sleep with the sound of the ocean waves! So nice! Before sleeping, however, we played in the very, very strong waves. There were red flags out and lifeguards on duty. I’m glad for that! Despite putting lots of sunscreen on I burned my shoulders, chest, and face again. This equatorial sun is unbelievable! We relaxed on the balcony and Karen and I had some great conversations about all sorts of things! We showered and went to walk the town, which actually takes like 10 minutes, and then returned to the cabana to write some postcards that we purchased on our walk. A few hours later we decided to stroll along the beach and check out some menus along the beachfront restaurants. It was amazing to see tables and chairs in the sand and tables set up with the catch of the day. You could choose your own fish, crab, or calamari for dinner. There were a few different types but I was not feeling like more fish. Karen and I had a cocktail and dinner and then returned home to sleep. Did I mention I went to sleep with the sound of the ocean waves? ;)

Again, we woke up at our leisure. We paid for our room and went to buy a tea bun for breakfast. Our bus came soon after and took us to Ambalangoda. I had a bad experience on the bus with a creepy man but it was still a nice ride once he got off in Galle. Once in Ambalangoda we caught a tuk tuk to take us to the turtle sanctuary. Despite having a translator, the tuk tuk driver took us to a hotel. He seemed confused when we said it was not the place, and tried to charge us more! Finally we got there with some help from the people at the hotel. It was a different sanctuary than the one I visited last time. It was smaller but free. I made a donation anyways. We got to see and hold lots of turtles. They even let us release some baby turtles into the ocean! I became very emotional because I was thinking about the bad tuk tuk driver and experience on the bus, but also because I was thinking I was leading the babies to their deaths. They are adorable and I felt like I was letting them down. They already have a better shot at being rescued because they were protected for a couple of days already. It was still a phenomenal experience! One of the men there showed us to the bus stand. On the way I stubbed my toe really bad. I looked down right away and I was gushing blood. I lost it. My whole day had been very emotional and this was the last straw! The man ran to get bandaids and he cleaned up my toe and put them on. He was so nice and said everyone here is like family and if we are in the area and need food or a hotel he could help us. He also waited for us to get on the right bus. The bus dropped us off at K-Zone and we stopped to get another smoothy and did a bit of shopping. We stocked up on some tea (gifts) and got a tuk tuk back to headquarters with our heavy bags. The rest of the day we just relaxed. It was great to upload pictures, send some emails and finally talk to Max.

The next day we left the hostel after breakfast for Colombo Fort Railway Station again. There we were directed to take a bus to our requested destination: Negombo. Along our search for the proper bus stand, a man came up to us and offered us a free ride in his vehicle since he was ‘going to Negombo’. We politely declined but he was very persistent. He asked our names and ages, and also if we had Facebook or mobile numbers. I said I didn’t have either Facebook or a phone. Karen and I were pretty annoyed. People do take interest in us and talk to us but not like this. He walked with us and wanted us in his car. We saw a post office and told him we had to mail something and we said goodbye. He stopped us and showed me his phone. On it he had typed “I wud like f-cking with u”. I loudly said “No! I’m married! She (pointing to Karen) is married!” He replied with “No problem, 10,000Rs.” Disgusted, I said “No!” again and walked away. Karen followed and I told her what was on the phone. He disappeared. We mailed our postcards and went to the bus station. At this time it started pouring. We got very wet even though we used our umbrellas. It is easy to tell when it will rain here because it gets very dark, very windy, very fast. The rain falls very heavily too! But we got on our bus to Negombo and after we got there we had some lunch. We bought a lunch packet for less than a dollar that had enough food for 3 people. We also got drinks and a dessert at a restaurant so we could sit and eat lunch. Another woman joined us and we asked her for directions to the fish market. She was going there anyways and she said she could show us. It was just a mini market but it still had crazy fish! Afterwards we went to the beach fish market, which is much bigger and right on the ocean. We saw shark meat, seer fish, cuttlefish, calamari, yellow fin, grouper, red snapper, giant tuna, salmon, crabs and prawns of all sizes. Get this, 1kg of both shrimp and tuna costs $3.12 and 1kg of salmon is $2.34. It is so cheap! I wish I could bring some back home. The fish was not kept on ice, but water was poured over them often. There were lots of flies and blood everywhere. Cleavers were flying and fish parts littered some of the tables. It was a different experience. I was worried about my toe (which had a giant chunk of skin torn off from when I stubbed it) as there were lots of puddles. These puddles probably had pee (cows close by), spit, blood, salt, and other germs in it. I was so ready to be home and clean it! Karen and I bought a pineapple for about 50cents and carried it all the way to Colombo via train, through a shopping mall called Majestic City (dad!) and on the bus home. Majestic City had many of the same stores. At least 10 watch stores, 10 jewellery stores, 10 video game stores… They all had the same things! I have no idea how people make money. It was super confusing and 5 levels. It wasn’t great. I didn’t buy anything and I won’t go back.

That evening I took Karen to the airport and said goodbye. Since then I have slept in and cleaned my room. Today Chelsea also left so I said goodbye to her. We had a little part with cake and we went out for lunch. Chelsea and I went to K-Zone for one last smoothy but I had ice cream since it was so dang hot and I was in long black leggings! That was a mistake. I’ve been off and on writing this post for 6 hours. I think I’m really done with writing now and have a sore hand because it’s resting funny on my laptop. I will update more often than this! That is a lesson I have surely learned! I’m not sure what’s up for this week… maybe I’ll fill you in tomorrow? Or at least when I have a plan! One month left!

Sri Lankan Wedding

The past few days have been up and down. Let me start from one important story...

On Thursday I had woken up very early because I was excited for the wedding of a coworker here in Sri Lanka. My iPod was at 20% battery power and I was pretty nervous that it would die before the morning, thus not waking me up in time. I woke up slightly before my alarm went off, so I just got up and got ready for my day. Yamuna said she would help me pleat my saree, but I couldn't find her. One of the other matrons suggested to look upstairs. She was not there, but a group of women was. They offered to help me and dressed me appropriately. They all commented on how beautiful my saree was. I returned to my room and did my hair and got some earrings before heading over to the canteen for breakfast. The usual.

I headed straight over to Suwasetha, where the event was being held. Everyone was moving at a speed I'd never seen before... fast! There was a lot to do in order to get ready such as cook food, set up tables and put out decorations. By the time I got there (8:30) it was mostly done. I just sat down and waited for things to begin. It wasn't until I sat down was I told that the bride wasn't actually arriving until closer to 10:00. Dang. So I just sat around and visited with the girls there before the bride arrived.

She came in a white car and was wearing a beautiful white dress. She was covered in gold.. necklaces, headpieces, earrings, bracelets, you name it! Her name is Palika. She was raised in Suwasetha as an orphan. Today was the last day she would be in the center after 30 years! She looked stunning. She had threaded her whole body (like tweezing) and had beautiful hair and makeup. I hardly recognized her. She was smiling, yet you could see she was a little nervous. Everyone was telling her how beautiful she looked (myself included). She was dabbing her eyes and smiling.

Soon after, the groom arrived in a white car with 2 bridesmaids and 2 groomsmen. It looked packed in the car! He looked nice in just a regular black suit. They met up outside of the wedding hall and had a group of 4 young girls sing a song for them. Next, they proceeded inside the hall to sign the registry. Based on their astrological signs they find the best time to be married. This was it! They each had a witness to sign the documents. After saying some vows, they exchanged rings and he put a necklace on her. They lit a beautifully decorated oil lamp (standing about 4-5ft tall) and shared a small piece of cake among themselves and their wedding party. Next, they worship their elders... This basically means that they bow down to them to show respect. Kind of like you would with a monk. The ceremony was over.

Afterwards, tea and snacks were shared. There were a variety of oil cakes as well as some rice/coconut patties. This gave everyone a chance to eat, drink and mingle while the newly married couple got to have photos taken around Suwasetha. I followed around outside to take some pictures of my own, and I even got one with Palika and her groom. This took a bit over an hour. Afterwards, they came back inside and we were all welcomed to lunch which included rice and many curries as well as fruit cups and ice cream. I ate with my hands (as is the custom here) and cleaned up. I gave Palika a gift that I had bought. A pair of sparkling earrings for her and an iron for their household. She seemed flattered to receive it. I also spent time with the deaf girls taking pictures and hanging out. But I was hot and tired, so I returned to my room to change and have a nap. The rest of the day was nothing spectacular.

Yesterday I went to the library to look for books on the war to read for school. There was only one about the Tamil Tigers and their 'terrorist activities'. It was a very short book, including extremely graphic photos that made my stomach turn and one liners explaining the incidents that occurred. It was very disturbing and I'm not sure what to make of it yet. I can only assume it is very slanted, as not all Tamil people are bad. There were probably many Sinhalese people who committed the same brutal acts. I wish I could see both sides.

This prompted a discussion with Bandula about opportunities to work in the North... I believe this area was most affected by the war. Bandula said he would not send me with Sarvodaya because no one has good experiences. Security personnel become very suspicious and don't like to have outsiders in, apparently fearing what they may relay to the media or international realm. Bandula did say that I could go as a tourist with little problems, although I would not be able to go to villages or stay in a home stay. Purely holiday. While this wasn't the answer I wanted, I appreciated that Bandula isn't just sending me out there because I want to. He describes the risks to me and I respect that. I don't want to take chances or upset the security forces. At least I can go for a 'holiday', but secretly I will be looking for any signs of the war and the effect it has had on the people. I'm not encouraged to talk to people about it, but maybe if the opportunity arises...?

Yesterday I left Suwasetha early because I wasn't feeling so good. Very suddenly I was feeling exhausted, hot, nauseous and I had a headache. The nurse, Indika, suggested I go and rest. She also mentioned that she had a headache and vomited earlier in the day. Indika said it could be a change in weather. I don't know what that's supposed to mean because it's been the same weather every day, except yesterday there was no rain. Every day is high 30s or around 40. No surprises... Ever. So I went back to the hostel to rest. Indika walked me back and mentioned to the matrons that I was sick. Yamuna checked on me as did Maia and Chelsea. I was terrible. I was super hot, sweaty, tired, my headache was worse and now I was feeling ready to vomit. Yamuna said she'd come back at 7:00 and if I was still bad or worse we would go to the doctor. By 7:00 I knew things were getting worse so we went to the same doctor I went to see about my ant bites. He gave me amoxicillan, pills for heartburn (amox can cause heartburn), pills to help with the fever, and vitamins since I was so weak. He also gave me a referral to have a full blood count done and a dengue fever test done. Maia came with me which was super nice. She was like a mother, making sure everything was in order. I appreciated it. Yamuna was also there. The individuals who were waiting for the doctor let me cut in front of them. I think they saw how bad I was. I thanked them as we were leaving.

Before I went to the doctor, Maia and Chelsea went to the grocery store and picked me up some easy-to-eat snacks, including a baguette, crackers, apples, and ginger cookies. When I got home I ate part of an apple and took copious amounts of pills. Now my bum was very unhappy and my stomach was upset and couldn't decide if it needed to throw up or not. Still I managed ok. I was not feeling well enough to take a shower, despite the girls putting a plastic chair in there for me to sit on. I just was worried I'd pass out. I was so out of it. I went to bed shortly after.

My stomach was doing so many flip flops and felt so gross I could hardly sleep. I had the light on and the fan on full blast. In case I had to make an emergency trip to the bathroom I also left my door unlocked. I slept naked and was still warm. I was in and out of short sleeps until about 3:00 when I got on the computer and tried to tire out my eyes. I also took a gravol, hoping maybe I could be so tired that I'll forget about the pain and discomfort and fall asleep anyways. It worked, but I was exhausted when I was woken up at 6:45am. Time to go to get the blood test. Clinic opens at 7am.

I showered and got ready and just that alone was enough to totally drain me. It was quarter after 7 when we arrived. I was the only one in the clinic and got served right away. I do not like needles and it was so gross but I did it. I was to return at 12:00 noon to get my results. We went home, paid the driver, and I went to bed.

11:45 I was woken up again. Time to head back to the clinic and pick up my results. The same tuk tuk driver came back to get me. I picked up my little sheet with wacky numbers and codes on it from the clinic and went to the doctor I saw to get them interpreted and to also get his recommendation.  He said it was not dengue fever and that my blood count was ok. He advised that I continue with the pills he gave me and I should feel better. I already was.

I have eaten an apple, part of the baguette and some ginger cookies in the last 26 hours. I know it's not a lot. But it's all I can handle. I am also trying to drink a lot of water... I know my body needs fuel. As of right now I am hot and weak... But still I am feeling better. The nausea is gone, which has allowed me to eat. This is good. I hope things improve exponentially from here.

I have an opportunity to travel with Shanti Sena (Peace Brigade) to Anuradhapura for training. They leave early on Monday morning and return around midnight on Wednesday. I really want to go, but I'm just worried about my health. The drive is long and would give me an opportunity to sleep but at the same time traveling is so exhausting... Do I want to risk it if I'm not 100%? Does anyone have any thoughts?

I forgot to mention that when I was in Hikkaduwa I learned more about the tsunami in 2004. Can you believe that the wave reached over 10meters high and went inland about 4kms! That is a ton of destruction. Along the coast, towns are littered with gravestones.

I think that's all for now!

Hikkaduwa

So apparently I haven't posted in one week! How crazy is that!? I guess because most days are pretty much the same I don't bother. I'm hoping to change that! Bandula said he'd find more/different work for me, which should lead to some adventures and most posts!

The past week was basically working at the orphanage. Two of the children have moved to the 'big kids' side and now there are 6 children. However today one child was transferred to another home so we are down to 5 children. I guess this is a good thing.

There was another girl from the USA here on a vacation with her family and she spent the mornings volunteering. She is going to be a senior in high school. We talked a bit. It was cool that she is also Sri Lankan (like Erandi) and can communicate with the workers at Suwasetha. However, she was only here for a week and a bit and left today.

The only real 'news' I have is that this weekend Mason/Masano, Maia (a new girl here from NY), Ben and I went to Hikkaduwa Beach, which is along the south west coast, but before Galle. We took the train on Saturday morning for a mere 70Rs and rode for about 1.5-2 hours.

Once we got there we walked from the train station down a long (hot) road looking for accommodations. Since Hikkaduwa is very much a tourist destination, there are lots of hotels and restaurants. Finding them wasn't the problem. Finding one for cheap was. We looked at about 4 hotels before settling on Whispering Palms Tourist Rest. It is a 4-room hotel at a family's home. They were a young family (and mother-in-law?) and were extremely helpful. They gave us a deal of 3000Rs for 2 double rooms. It was a very fair price, mainly because it is 'low season' in Hikkaduwa right now.

It is low season because it is monsoon season on the west coast. Basically that means it rains every day for a bit. We have not had storms and only one incident of very bad weather when I first arrived. Many fisherman lost their lives. In addition, the beach is much smaller and the current is stronger. Without proper guidance from locals, you could be swept in the undertow or get caught in a tough place to swim. I did not experience that problem.

Hikkaduwa is very popular for surfing and also the coral sanctuaries and fancy fish that are found only feet from the shore. We saw one man learning to surf but the waves were not big enough for real surfing.

After checking in and getting settled we went to rent some snorkeling gear and go to the beach. For the whole day I got fins, mask, and snorkel for 500Rs. We walked to the area of beach known to have coral. It was only about 7 minutes away. We were directed by friendly locals and were also told about the glass-bottomed boats you could rent to go out to the reef or just view it without getting wet. Mason swam out to the post in the water that marked the location of the reef. The waves were more rough here and he said that the sand was being kicked up by the current... no view.

Maia and I then snorkeled in a neighboring area to test that section out. There was a lot of coral... huge chunks the size of big rocks. However, they were very close to the surface. With the waves and current I was slowly pulled around the coral while in the 'starfish position' - floating on the water. There was one hunk of pink tube-like coral but the rest was brown and looked dead. What made it better was to see the variety of fish that existed despite their destroyed habitat. Dark fish with yellow stripes, brown, white with yellow fins, all sorts. It was nice! There was a school of about 50 that ate tea buns out of our hands under water. They were very friendly. Ben cut his knee on the coral. We decided to maybe take a break... or just hang out with the fish. No sense in getting hurt.

We swam for a long time after this and then shared some food at a restaurant called Mama's. I had mixed seafood noodles. It was good. There was a variety of seafood in it, like squid, fish, prawns, etc. It was also very affordable. We spent some more time on the beach and then freshened up for dinner after returning our snorkeling gear. We had a huge seafood platter at a place called Moon Light. There was lobster, crab, fish, squid, giant prawns, and shrimp. I really enjoyed the crab.

Maia and I crashed pretty early while I think Ben and Mason had a 2-hour long discussion about Buddhism. We were well rested by the morning and ready to go by 8:00. The boys however..... late. Eventually we headed down the road to Barista, a nice coffee shop with light meals. I had an Americano (thinking of you, Max!) and waffles with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. I decided to indulge as I was on a vacation and I am so glad I did. The breakfast was to die for! It didn't keep me going as long as bacon and eggs, but that kind of thing doesn't exactly exist in many restaurants.

We returned to the beach for a majority of the day. Maia and I spent over and hour just in the waves talking. It was so fun! However, the water was dirty with plastic and other garbage. But that was only 'here and there'. It was scary because there were crabs that would latch on to our bathing suits and skin. It didn't hurt or leave marks, but was just a little spooky! I think the crabs were getting revenge on me for all the crab I ate the night before! ;)

I didn't notice the horrible burn I got until we returned to the hostel. I was beat red in the face, chest, shoulders, and back, despite putting sunscreen on well before swimming. I was also nauseous and my legs felt weak. I ate some leftovers from dinner the night before after laying down for a bit. I drank a lot of water. No dice. We caught a bus to the bus station and then walked from there to the train station. The train was on time (woo!) and we got some nice standing room. I was not okay on the train. My head was bobbing and I couldn't tell if I was just exhausted or going to pass out. Luckily a woman saw I was having a rough time and gave me a small section of her booth to sit on. This helped enormously and I felt much better by the time we arrived at Moratuwa Station. From there we took a bus to our stop and walked back to headquarters for about 5:30.

 Sunscreen and 'after sun' do not exist here. Aloe vera gel does not exist here. Sri Lankans don't burn... they just get darker! Luckily there is an actual aloe plant outside the hostel so Chandima cut some branches/leaves off and we put the fresh gel on my burned areas. Maia was also burned so she took advantage of the aloe too. It hurt so bad I could hardly wear clothes. I'm feeling a lot better on day 3, and hoping this turns into a rockin' tan. No sense being in this much pain for nothin'.

This week has not been special. There is a mother-daughter pair that is volunteering at the orphanage. It doesn't leave a lot of things to do so I find myself sitting a lot. I sorted clothes, but who knows how long that will last. I told Bandula about my concern and he said he will make some calls and get me more work. I'm jealous of my peers as they have many meetings and plans. I feel neglected, and I think Bandula acknowledged that. He said that we haven't really talked about how things are going in a couple weeks. True. Let's fix that.

I raised my concerns about the orphanage to the director, Bianca. The children have no proper discipline or respect. It makes me not want to go. Boys pull up my skirt and look under it, take out toys from the bin as others are putting them away. I got a hunk of my hair pulled out. And get this: when on the potty before showering, the kids would empty the contents of the potty on the ground, play in it and then wipe their hands on me. It's super gross. It's frustrating because I get no support from the other workers and can't communicate to anyone how disgusting, unsanitary and rude it is. Bianca seemed appalled by this and suggested I lead a work shop about how to correct the child's behavior in a positive way. Some workers spank or twist ears and that is not ok. I hope I can come up with a good workshop. I'm worried that it won't stick or be successful but at least I can try. And maybe I won't be here to see it fail in a few weeks.

Dr. DeSilva emailed me back about helping in July. He said that there is no work right now as data is still being gathered but maybe I could join on some field visits soon. I really hope he keeps to his word. I really want to do something meaningful and learn more. I feel useless right now.

Women's Movement will be going on some field visits soon... Hopefully I can tag along with them. They already said I could... but will they remember?

Karen is coming in 10 days and while she has sent me a list of things she'd like to see while she is here, I'm having a hard time planning. I'm hoping to get some guidance from the people in the office. They know a lot more about 'how to see the country' than I do. I've still got some time but want to get it done sooner rather than later.

Little points:

-I'm really enjoying tea time. Once in the morning and again in the afternoon. I don't take sugar and I think they use powdered milk, but the Ceylon tea is awesome.

-Bandula was talking about how the number of elephants post-war are much fewer than pre-war because not only was the conflict between Tamils and Sri Lankans, but between the people and elephants. I'd like to learn more about this conflict. There are some elephant orphanages in the country.

-There is a wedding on Thursday that I am attending. I am very excited to wear my fancy saree and see a real Sri Lankan wedding. They look beautiful!

-I saw a parrot on my way to work the other day. It was amazing! I wish I had my camera!

-Last week the other volunteers and I had a celebration for World Day. It was a holiday we made up  to celebrate Canada Day and 4th of July but also include those from Japan and Switzerland. We just sat in the common area and had ice cream, cake, crackers, and more. It was relaxing, but the party didn't go late.

-I am desperately in need of new clothes. I definitely did not pack enough. Originally I had the idea that I'd buy more clothes here. But they are not made for people my size because everyone here is quite short. Boo. My clothes are stained and discolored and I'm not sure if they will make it 6 more weeks! Donations are accepted!

-I will talk to Bandula about going to the north to learn more about the conflict there. He said he would speak to some people here about finding more work as well.

-There is a train strike here so I'm not sure how to get places as apparently now the buses are packed. In addition there is apparently some voting happening in the North in September. I wonder what that's about!

Hopefully my week is more exciting and I can update more!

Weekend Trip to the South Coast!

The past several days have actually been outrageous! I'm not sure where to start, so I'll just jump right in!

On Friday there was an impromptu goodbye party for two of our volunteers who had been here for around a month. Almost all the volunteers were there and the three individuals working in the International Unit, Bandula, Chandima, and Mangala. We had Kik (Coke), baby bananas, and chocolate cake... Sri Lankan style! It was super delicious and a bit grainy, but I liked it! It reminded me of when you eat the cake batter right out of the bowl pre-bake!

I was supposed to meet with Bianca, who is in charge of Ma Sevana (the teenage mother home) but things didn't work out as she was busy with other things. Maybe this week?

Saturday I was supposed to pick up my sarees but they weren't quite done. I ended up going to buy fabric in the morning for a skirt and dress the sewing unit said they could make for me. I hung out with the girls who are deaf and they painted my nails a fun pastel pink color. I really enjoy my time there but sometimes it feels weird. I can't always communicate what I want and sometimes they all just stare at me and wait. I'm not sure what they're waiting for but I just want them to go about their day and talk among themselves. Oh well.

I left around 5:00 to come back to the hostel to grab a snack and also to drop off a lot of heavy things in my bag. I walked down to the main road went to Queen of Angels Catholic Church for 5:30 mass. It was in English and I was surprised not only at the size of the church but also how many people attended the English service. The church is pretty much open-air but also has fans. Despite the wooden pews I was comfortable. The mass was almost word for word. It was the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time. I'm not sure if that's what it is in Canada right now. It doesn't seem quite right. Maybe someone could let me know? Everything was pretty much the same as mass in Canada. Although they are very 'old fashioned/traditional' by mom said because we had to walk up to the front of the church and kneel to receive the Eucharist. I was fine with it and seemed to 'rock it' and didn't stick out (besides being the only foreigner there!) The church announced a fundraiser it was having to pave the front drive and car park because right now it's just mud. With rainy season it's pretty messy. There were puddles everywhere. So for 100Rs (less than $1.00) you can 'buy a brick' for the future driveway/parking lot. So I bought one and felt pretty special. Years down the road I can reflect back and remember that one of those stones is from me!

The next morning, Chelsea (USA) and Masano (Japan) and I left for the Moratuwa Railway Station. We took a bus there and arrived around 8:25am. Our train was scheduled to leave around 9, but was late. We bought our tickets to Galle and then walked around outside the station, which is home to many shops selling fruit, snacks, and other cheap goods. I bought an orange crush to take with me and we browsed a fish stand that was there. We saw ray fish, tuna, bonito, yellowfin, and many prawns. There were other types of fish of all sizes (some HUGE!) but I can't remember those breeds!

I had butterflies as the trains passed but once we got on our train I was ok. We were 3rd class and it was pretty packed. A man said we could go up to 2nd class at the next stop so we did. The only difference seemed to be that 2nd class had bathrooms and seats instead of booths. Some transit officers came by and checked our tickets. Seeing that we were 3rd class they said we were on the wrong car. After talking to one officer he said we could stay in 2nd. Then another officer came and sent us back to 3rd. It was a series of back and forths through the train cars. There were fans in the cars and the windows rolled up and down. Luckily we were standing by the doorway (no actual door) and had a good breeze there. A friendly Sri Lankan man who was studying in Germany chatted us up and when we said we were going to Galle he said it was no good. A little concerning! But he suggested we first stop in Ambalangoda, a small town with a moonstone mine, blue lagoon, and a sea turtle hatchery. It was two or three stops before Galle and we could use our tickets to get back on the train. We decided to do that. In the meantime, we passed beautiful views of the ocean mixed with sights of slums and rich communities. Many men passed on the bus selling spicy prawns, nuts, gum, and various other snacks. They held their baskets on their head sometimes. It was neat. I didn't buy anything though... You never know...!

So we stopped in Ambalangoda with this Sri Lankan man who was there to transfer on a bus. He talked to a tuk tuk driver who also spoke English. He told him to take us to the aforementioned places at 110Rs/km (about 35Rs/km a person... and they charge per person!) and to let us pay no more than 2500Rs at the lagoon. The tuk tuk driver also waited for us at every stop and took us to get short eats.

Anyways, first stop was the moonstone mine. It is actually the only one in the world and houses the rare blue moonstone. We got to see down into the mine and watch the process of sifting out sand for the precious gems, which Sri Lanka is very rich in. We also saw other men polish and shape stones while fitting them into jewelry pieces. We got to view the gift shop and I may or may not have bought something. Ok, I bought something! I got a nice pendant (I have a chain at home) with a blue moonstone (not actually blue, but clear and in different light it looks blue-ish) and a white sapphire. It is government certified (I've got the document) and since it is from a government shop there was no tax. I got the cheapest one. That's good enough for me! It will be a nice memory and it will match with lots of outfits and is fancy too!

Next we went to get some short eats. I had some rolls that look like big egg rolls. They had minced meat and vegetables and a half boiled egg inside. It was super good and usual quite spicy. But the egg brought it down a notch. I really liked it. I also had a vegetable bun but there was fish in it. It was ok, but I enjoyed the roll much more. I also had a little piece of Sri Lankan cake (addicted!). I think the whole thing cost me around $1.00 It was a great deal.

Next we went to the blue lagoon. It is not home to the famous cocktail and wasn't really blue either. For 2500Rs each the three of us got to share a boat and get a private tour of the lagoon. We saw many different types of mangroves and lots of water monitors. I had no idea that those were a type of lizard until I actually saw one! They are quite big! We also saw many people checking their nets for prawns and many bamboo 'walls' and 'chambers' that allows prawns in but not out. The men were out on tiny little canoe thing and pulling up the nets. During our tour we saw an island with a house on it. The homeowners harvest cinnamon and we got to see the man peel, polish, and cut the cinnamon. Turns out it's a tree and the leaves are used for oil, bark for the cinnamon sticks/powder and I think the stick itself it used for cooking. Apparently cinnamon oil is like a cure-all! In addition, we saw him make a very strong rope from the fibers found on the inside of a coconut. This is the material they use to secure fences and furniture... It's strong stuff! He was selling his products but they were outrageously expensive. I didn't buy. Next we saw an island with a temple and a single monk. It was very beautiful and gave us a tour of all the old relics it had. Some scrolls (on palm leaves) were over 500 years old! To write, you scratch letters into the leaf and rub charcoal powder over top and then seal with oil. It obviously works because it is still legible! On the boat ride we saw many lizards, birds, eagles, and monkeys jumping around in trees! It was about 1.5-2 hours... Very fun and relaxing!

I'm tired just reliving this!

Ok, so next we got our tuk tuk to take us to the sea turtle hatchery. It was 500Rs to enter, but all the money goes to the turtles. Five of the seven breeds of sea turtles can be found in Sri Lanka. These include Loggerhead, Hawkbeak, Green Turtle.... and some others but I forget their names. Turtle eggs are often dug up by poachers who can sell them quite easily, as they are eaten here. The nests fall victim to natural predators too, such as lizards. The momma turtle comes to shore to lay the eggs and return to sea. That's it. This organization saves the eggs and protects them as they hatch. Once they are older they are let back into the sea. Each nest can have over 120 eggs and they had dozens of nests ready to hatch. They are all labeled by breed and number of days until hatching. Luckily, the day before a nest had hatched, so we got to see barely 1 day old turtles in the sand. They reburied them after we had a glance. Next we got to see the 1-3 day old turtles in the tank. There were probably 300 of them! I even got to hold two of them and their little legs/fins wrapped around my fingers. It was super cute! We then saw turtles who were being raised in the hatchery. Some were blind or had a disability. A few had been rescued from fisherman's nets and no longer have legs. They also keep the females for 5 years before release so they have a better chance at survival. Only about 2% of a nest is female. That's like 4-6 females per nest... and only about 95% of the nest survives. So there aren't a lot of ladies to repopulate the turtle world. That is a pretty big design flaw, God! We saw a rare albino turtle... only about 1/2,000,000 are born albino! I don't think he will be released since he will quickly be spotted and hunted. Turtles can live up to 300 years... He's got a long time in the hatchery! They also names him Michael Jackson! Just awesome! I had a blast at this stop!

Finally our driver took us back to the train station. We gave him a generous tip (he was like a tour guide on the way and didn't charge for the waiting.. most people do.. and he waited a few hours!). Our train didn't leave for a while so Masano got some bananas and we had tea and short eats while we waited. The train ride to Galle was also busy but it was short so it didn't really matter. Although, it was very hot. It started spitting and the people closed the windows. With just an oscillating fan, I was having trouble! One family watched us talking and when we'd point out the window at the ocean they'd all turn and look. It was kind of cute! About 30 minutes later we arrived and due to the pouring rain we took a tuk tuk to the hotel, Thenu Rest. We got a room with 2 twins and a mattress on the ground for 3000Rs. It was $8.00 each. The three of us shared that room. I was not weirded out by sharing a room with Masano (man). They are all very nice and we were only in the room to sleep and shower. We wandered around the old town of Galle which was an old port and has a large fort surrounding it. The Portuguese were here, followed by the Dutch and the British. It has a lengthy history and you can certainly feel it in the area! The streets have old cobblestone and the buildings have a Portuguese flair to them. Nothing about it is Sri Lankan. It feels like you are in an old colonized area of Mexico. It was a little weird! We walked the ramparts a bit and then had some dinner. We had a wicked awesome pineapple and cashew dish as well as a Thai seafood one. There was tandoori chicken and naan. It was kind of a mishmash of Chinese and Indian but it was good. Chelsea and I each had a chocolate milkshake (thick chocolate milk). It was what I needed. But I think my stomach was a bit upset later because of the dairy. I haven't had that much dairy in over 5 weeks. Luckily I wasn't sick, but my tummy was definitely like 'woah, settle down girl!'

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel. It came with pineapple juice... I think they actually put the fruit in a blender. It had hunks of fruit and juice and also a nice froth. It was just awesome and only in Sri Lanka! I went to an ATM to get more money (didn't bring enough since I wasn't anticipated the pricey/fun stop in Ambalangoda) and paid our bill at the hotel and left. They were nice enough to let us leave our backpacks there and we took a purse of our things needed for our day. We toured more of the ramparts and saw the old clock tower. In addition, there was a very old tomb that houses a Muslim saint (I didn't know such a thing existed) and is said to cover an old fresh water spring. We moved on to the bus station and caught a bus to Mirissa, a little town that boasts amazing ocean fronts. We wandered around for a long time along a shore with a harbor... we figured eventually the beach would turn up! After asking for directions we realised our long detour was headed no where near the beach. Ooops! So we followed our new path and stumbled upon many guest houses and restaurants. We decided to eat at one called SuduWeli (I believe). It was like a beach hut and the waves were lapping up almost to the platform the place was raised on! I had vegetable fried noodles and a coke and enjoyed the breeze from the Indian Ocean. We decided to skip taking the train home as it would only give us about 40 minutes to enjoy the area. So with the help of the men there they told us that buses go to Colombo (and therefore Moratuwa) very often and run very late. We all agreed to enjoy Mirissa for the day. We all went swimming and loved the waves. The water was not warm or cold, but just perfect! It was sparkling blue/green. Further down the beach were more tourists (who I am not even excited to see anymore) and some man surfing. There were little crabs digging holes on the beach and ran back inside with any movement I made. It was an amazing day. We had tea at the restaurant, paid our bill, and walked up the beach to the bus stop.

The bus took us to Galle. We walked back to Thenu Rest to get our bags and then returned to the bus depot. We picked up some more short eats to take with us on the bus and got some great seats on the bus. It was less than a dollar to take us to Moratuwa. By the time we left it was very dark (6:45pm) and quickly became black. The bus ride was nauseating and a gravol didn't quite do it. I didn't get sick but a couple times I wasn't sure. The bus ride took 2.5 hours. We got off by K-Zone and walked back to headquarters. It didn't take long. Once I got home I had a shower and crashed. I was sunburned and just tired. Longgggg day!

Today I did my usual work at the orphanage and picked up my sarees from the tailor. I tried them on there. I'm still not used to how tight the blouse piece is but I managed to hand wash laundry in it... so it can't be that bad! Tomorrow I think is a regular day but I need to talk to Bandula about finally getting out there and trying some new things!

Little tid bits:

-I got a mystery cut that I noticed on the train on the top of my foot. It was bleeding quite a bit. It is like a giant chunk was skinned off. It has been oozing since. Gross. Why does my body always have one point of oozing on it?!
-Karen booked her flight here from Nepal! She will be arriving July 19 and leaving July 27. I am very excited for her to come and get to go on some adventures. I hope to be a good host like she was to me!
-I am definitely getting more tan! Yay!
-Banana trees produce big flowers at the end of the branch with the bananas on it. This is sold and eaten as is like a fruit!
-People seem impressed to see me in my saree. Sometimes I feel like everyone is watching... probably because they are. But everyone says 'beautiful!' and 'wow!' so I guess it's good! :)
-Some restaurants have an automatic 10% service charge. I don't know if this is the tip or like tax. So I still tip a bit anyways. I should probably figure it out!
-Amara from the Women's Movement keeps sending me pineapples! It's nice but I don't need them all the time!
-I really hope I can try some new things and explore some more Sarvodaya divisions.
 -Happy belated Canada Day!

I think that's about it for now. This week seems pretty chill (phew!) but I'm excited to plan the adventure for this coming weekend...