tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64341936123975539072024-03-19T18:25:22.053-04:00Slinking around Sri LankaLorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-50462444615156742732013-12-09T11:57:00.005-05:002013-12-11T13:32:15.993-05:00home againWe always go into our trips filled with excitement and hope. Often, the places we go are places we've dreamed about for one reason or another; with India, for example, we both had a deep love of Indian food, I'd longed to see it my whole life, and my favorite writers were Desi. I felt such a deep affinity for the place before we left, and could hardly have been more excited. That was the only trip we've taken where our expectations were smashed and we were so disappointed. All our other trips have at a minimum met our expectations, and some (like Vietnam and Bali) far far exceeded them.<br />
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I think Sri Lanka exceeded both our expectations. We went into the trip hoping we'd love it, of course, and we had some specific thoughts about what it would be like (primarily focused on the food, which we were somewhat familiar with after watching a lot of youtube videos and eating at the Sri Lankan restaurant in New York), but otherwise not a lot of specifics. We thought it would be similar to India (but better, we hoped).<br />
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Sri Lanka is its own thing, its own place, even though curry is a common food with India, and saris are frequently worn by women there, too. But the curries are more varied (and sometimes much spicier), and the saris have a little peplum of sorts. The wonderfully evocative head waggle is everywhere, and I never got tired of watching the full range of variations -- a single dip, a rapid waggle, a dip and waggle -- a kind of morse code, it seemed to me.<br />
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The trip was probably our best eating trip together, characterized by wonderful breakfasts (Marc will learn how to make egg hoppers for me, and that delicious onion sambol and the various chili condiments). Of all the egg hoppers we had, the very best was made by Ravi's mother at Pedlar 162, the guesthouse we stayed at in Galle:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DANG it, so so so so good. Onion chili sambol, and a perfectly cooked egg in a crisp little<br />
hopper, topped with dal curry that was so warm with spices</td></tr>
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We ate a lot of curry. A LOT of curry, including 17 at one meal, which topped the earlier record of 10 at one meal. The best curries we had were at a little shack-type place in the corner of the bus station parking lot in Tangalle. I'm still daydreaming about the okra curry we had there, at Prem. Surprisingly, we had very little kotthu roti, and it was much harder to find than we thought it would be!<br />
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We saw such beautiful scenery; Rekawa beach is the most wonderful beach either of us had ever seen, and Marc spent a lot of time there.<br />
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The wall of Galle Fort was a nice place to sit and watch Indian Ocean sunsets. The incredible tea hill estates up around Hatton were otherworldly in their rich green beauty. And then Kandy, which surprised me more than Marc because he'd been looking at pictures of it during his planning. And then the whale trip, and the elephant trip, both experiences I'll remember the rest of my life.<br />
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Some random impressions and notes I made throughout the trip:<br />
<ul>
<li>Sri Lanka is thronged with crows! They're the most common bird, thick flocks of them everywhere. Sometimes the sound of them in the trees was kind of eerie, there were so many. They weren't glossy black crows, they were kind of dull with a paler gray collar around their necks (and sometimes their necks were strangely scrawny), but they had that giant crow beak, that crow caw, the whole crow thing. I didn't know to expect that, but it was a distinctive thing about Sri Lanka.</li>
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<ul>
<li>A common side-of-the-road food was roasted/steamed corn in the husk. Driving along the highway we'd see stand after stand of a smoking pot (or, on occasion, a kind of wheelbarrow) with corn on the cob for sale. One cab driver asked if we wanted to stop for some corn. It always looked and smelled very good.</li>
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<li>The randomness of signs in English kind of surprised us. We couldn't figure out why some things would be in English, in small towns where every other thing around it was not in English. "Artyfishell Flowers" made me laugh. "Cargill's Food City: On Your Way Home" made me curious.</li>
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<li>Bob Marley (and reggae stuff) and Che Guevara are ubiquitous. </li>
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<li>Sayings printed on tuk-tuks were sometimes funny, like "Too much ego will kill your talent."</li>
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<ul>
<li>There were scarecrows, or <i>something</i>, hanging from the fronts of buildings. I'd think it was a man hanging off the building's front, and it would startle me to death -- a grown man's pants and shirt, stuffed, with a cloth head attached at the top, just kind of affixed to the front of some buildings. It was invariably jarring, and I wonder what it was about.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Although 70% of the country is Buddhist, 13% Hindu, and 10% Muslims, Christians were represented. There was even a Jehovah's Witness place we passed, and a giant Catholic church with a huge sign that read "Lazarus Come Forth!"</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>As always, we ate a lot of very sweet little bananas. When we were on our way to Negombo, we passed a stand that prompted Marc to say the bananas were all the colors of M&Ms (in the pre-blue M&M years), and it was so true. Vivid reds, oranges, yellows, green, and browns. Love those sweet little bananas and wish we could get them here.</li>
</ul>
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<li>In a place so dense and lush with the most gorgeous flowers, we'd occasionally see a little plant nursery -- never large, but with some hanging baskets and potted plants. It always struck us as funny. </li>
</ul>
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It was just a wonderful, close, loving trip, another in a long series of such trips, and we had such fun together. We'll remember Sri Lanka with happy tummies and warm memories, and I think we'd both be glad to return some day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we loved the tea estates</td></tr>
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Here's <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/loridstone/sets/72157638102033143/" target="_blank">a link to the whole huge Flickr set</a>, if you're interested (or really bored!).Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-70498031270974275782013-12-07T10:13:00.002-05:002013-12-07T11:02:16.065-05:00the elephantsOur last day in Kandy was a little sad. Kandy is truly an amazing city, and I hope we get to return some day. It's a UNESCO World Heritage City, and it's so easy to understand that. It's the cultural capital of Sri Lanka, an ancient capital of kings. And just so physically beautiful on top of all that. Plus, it threatened to be sunny today, unlike our previous days which were cloudy at best, and drizzly/rainy more often. But Kandy is beautiful even in that weather. I was so sorry not to have more time there. The night before we ate in the hotel restaurant for their dazzling specialty of 17 curries. SEVENTEEN CURRIES. My word that was a lot of curry, but they were all (but one) incredible. Neither of us was too nutty about the manioc, which was mostly like eating a tasteless bit of compacted bread or something. After all that food, we had a substantially lighter breakfast this morning and hit the road around 10:30.<br />
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Along the way to Negombo, we stopped at the elephant orphanage. It's a huge tourist destination, the kind with a parking lot full of giant buses and lots of shops selling elephant doodads, calendars, magnets, shirts, etc. But it's the real thing, too. They rescue orphaned babies and elephants that have been badly hurt, and take care of them the rest of their lives if they can't be rehabilitated, and those that can are cared for until they can be released. The highlight is when they take the elephants to the river to bathe.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--wybvuK1qnw/UqM34bh0zFI/AAAAAAAAQ8s/xccyrlCFEzo/s1600/us+elephants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--wybvuK1qnw/UqM34bh0zFI/AAAAAAAAQ8s/xccyrlCFEzo/s640/us+elephants.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we really loved seeing the elephants</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C6OinsXjzk0/UqM3VIrKM-I/AAAAAAAAQ8M/xKe_sIsdftM/s1600/mahout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C6OinsXjzk0/UqM3VIrKM-I/AAAAAAAAQ8M/xKe_sIsdftM/s640/mahout.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't notice it when I took the picture, but those two are in step!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lSZA0WX6hBY/UqM3bEmuhbI/AAAAAAAAQ8U/XTrvkhmihaM/s1600/marc+and+baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lSZA0WX6hBY/UqM3bEmuhbI/AAAAAAAAQ8U/XTrvkhmihaM/s640/marc+and+baby.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have a much cuter picture of Marc with this little elephant -- will upload in NYC.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rgv-Ic1h2Yc/UqM32MHI3FI/AAAAAAAAQ8k/Vt9IvfIWY3M/s1600/me+and+baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="587" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rgv-Ic1h2Yc/UqM32MHI3FI/AAAAAAAAQ8k/Vt9IvfIWY3M/s640/me+and+baby.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SUPER bristly, more than I ever imagined.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AX9JXOVbJmI/UqM3P0e7RjI/AAAAAAAAQ8E/3IrLwFqhUKs/s1600/elephant+eyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AX9JXOVbJmI/UqM3P0e7RjI/AAAAAAAAQ8E/3IrLwFqhUKs/s640/elephant+eyes.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love, but I would really not like to see this charging at me.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w86k99qjDRE/UqM3H3KRUrI/AAAAAAAAQ78/TzQ1zi4n5iM/s1600/eating+my+hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="532" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w86k99qjDRE/UqM3H3KRUrI/AAAAAAAAQ78/TzQ1zi4n5iM/s640/eating+my+hand.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">he really gripped me HARD, and tried to put me in his mouth. it was great and also a tiny bit creepy feeling.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1DtdiT2QUM8/UqM2YW5j7oI/AAAAAAAAQ7k/1TtaxmzdwaM/s1600/crosslegged+baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1DtdiT2QUM8/UqM2YW5j7oI/AAAAAAAAQ7k/1TtaxmzdwaM/s640/crosslegged+baby.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the cross-legged baby has a deep and sorrowful-looking wound on that crossed leg.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lXajGEFM2hg/UqM2_rL0eOI/AAAAAAAAQ70/k3Fta7WTLH8/s1600/due+in+two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="530" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lXajGEFM2hg/UqM2_rL0eOI/AAAAAAAAQ70/k3Fta7WTLH8/s640/due+in+two.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was hoping to feel that baby elephant kick, but no dice. Elephants gestate for almost two years,<br />and she was due in two months. That water probably felt very good to her.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bYRwlGEWW3Q/UqM3xsGgFJI/AAAAAAAAQ8c/kJPD3TZzU1U/s1600/bathing+mama2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bYRwlGEWW3Q/UqM3xsGgFJI/AAAAAAAAQ8c/kJPD3TZzU1U/s640/bathing+mama2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">splash water! splash water! splash water! (the mahout kept shouting at me)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F1lUdK62izs/UqM2b8BCOLI/AAAAAAAAQ7s/-5kzOi727TM/s1600/bathing+mama1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="415" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F1lUdK62izs/UqM2b8BCOLI/AAAAAAAAQ7s/-5kzOi727TM/s640/bathing+mama1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and so I did. she kept lolling her trunk around, and then piping it up out of the water for some air.</td></tr>
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Being in the river with that mama elephant was one of the special moments in my life. She stood there for several minutes, unwilling to come when the mahout was calling her. He called, she ignored. He called, she ignored. He reached out to tug her ear toward him, she jerked her head away. And then, slowly and as elegantly as a pregnant elephant can, she lowered her rear end and then her front end, and then rolled onto her side with her back to us. Nope, she was not going to move, we were going to have to come to her. I loved her for that. If you are pregnant for as long as elephants are pregnant, you get to decide what you will do, as far as I'm concerned.<br />
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The trip to Negombo was rough, due to roads that were sometimes so bumpy I felt like I was in the back of a military transport vehicle with no shocks or padding. We finally arrived in Negombo, where we'll stay until a cab picks us up at 2am for the trip to the airport. It was a genius idea of Marc's, to get this little room. It isn't fancy, it's just a small guesthouse, but we have a place to leave our stuff, a place to rest, a spot to hang out for the long last hours. We took a tuk-tuk to a restaurant for dinner and now we're just hanging out. Marc went back into town on his own to get some snacks, and the tuk-tuk driver kept trying to convince Marc to go get a sex massage. "Very pretty girls," he pressed. Marc laughed.<br />
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The airport is actually on the outskirts of Negombo, a town north of Colombo, so staying here for the evening puts us closer to the airport than if we'd returned to Colombo. Our flight will leave at 4:30am for Dubai, and then we'll connect a couple of hours later for our flight back home to New York.<br />
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When we're back there, and before I leave for Austin on Tuesday, I'll do a wrapping-up post with my last impressions, things I've been noting here and there that never quite fit in a post, but that I do not want to forget. I don't need any help remembering that I love Sri Lanka, the warm people, the sheer beauty of the place. I'll miss it very much, and I feel forever grateful to have had the chance to come see the bit we saw. Lucky me, lucky mud.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com2Negombo, Sri Lanka7.209337 79.834061000000026.9572765 79.511337500000025 7.4613974999999995 80.156784500000015tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-69172340866348190612013-12-06T07:19:00.002-05:002013-12-06T07:27:18.330-05:00speaking English in KandyDespite the heavy skies, complete absence of sun, and rain, we decided to go into Kandy anyway. So what -- we have umbrellas, we're here, and who knows if it will be better tomorrow? Our destinations were the botanical gardens, the Temple of the Tooth, and the market. We'd passed the botanical gardens on our way into the city and they looked absolutely beautiful, but they were even better than we'd expected:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BXxgUtueGIA/UqG1c7yXFGI/AAAAAAAAQ4o/J1kULqoBnds/s1600/botanical+garden3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BXxgUtueGIA/UqG1c7yXFGI/AAAAAAAAQ4o/J1kULqoBnds/s640/botanical+garden3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beautiful botanical garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fYXoZT3h1hQ/UqG1BJF8pjI/AAAAAAAAQ3w/pi58mbGwq9U/s1600/botanical+garden+bougainvillea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="492" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fYXoZT3h1hQ/UqG1BJF8pjI/AAAAAAAAQ3w/pi58mbGwq9U/s640/botanical+garden+bougainvillea.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this giant tree is a BOUGAINVILLEA, y'all!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6k6SFloM0IY/UqG1CXbFSZI/AAAAAAAAQ34/XJiTHUYVVYg/s1600/botanical+garden+exotic+petunias.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="550" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6k6SFloM0IY/UqG1CXbFSZI/AAAAAAAAQ34/XJiTHUYVVYg/s640/botanical+garden+exotic+petunias.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the exotic PETUNIA.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NpYYxQfFVJE/UqG0-gyFnKI/AAAAAAAAQ3o/KjUITm9Ddy8/s1600/botanical+garden+giant+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NpYYxQfFVJE/UqG0-gyFnKI/AAAAAAAAQ3o/KjUITm9Ddy8/s640/botanical+garden+giant+tree.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">that tree looks like it belongs on a movie set!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMt6ui6dTho/UqG1KfbWX-I/AAAAAAAAQ4A/hozvo9euHk4/s1600/botanical+garden+leaning+trees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMt6ui6dTho/UqG1KfbWX-I/AAAAAAAAQ4A/hozvo9euHk4/s640/botanical+garden+leaning+trees.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the walk of leaning trees</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xz9id37-n30/UqG1SQb1vPI/AAAAAAAAQ4Q/5U0lE5aw5EU/s1600/botanical+garden+orange+blossom1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="584" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xz9id37-n30/UqG1SQb1vPI/AAAAAAAAQ4Q/5U0lE5aw5EU/s640/botanical+garden+orange+blossom1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a blossom from one of those orange-covered trees</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2bg7RDA6YbE/UqG1NkgrR2I/AAAAAAAAQ4I/5ovDnZKaHpw/s1600/botanical+garden+red+trailing+bauhinia2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2bg7RDA6YbE/UqG1NkgrR2I/AAAAAAAAQ4I/5ovDnZKaHpw/s640/botanical+garden+red+trailing+bauhinia2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beautiful flowers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-syx5isToLxw/UqG1Z5iWpkI/AAAAAAAAQ4Y/eK4bsgC6rO8/s1600/botanical+garden+two+pronged+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-syx5isToLxw/UqG1Z5iWpkI/AAAAAAAAQ4Y/eK4bsgC6rO8/s640/botanical+garden+two+pronged+tree.jpg" width="472" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">crazy tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YI95XGP3fGk/UqG1Z5kl6uI/AAAAAAAAQ4c/5u3fcdsGHrE/s1600/botanical+garden+weird+curly+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YI95XGP3fGk/UqG1Z5kl6uI/AAAAAAAAQ4c/5u3fcdsGHrE/s640/botanical+garden+weird+curly+tree.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">crazier tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When we were walking through the botanical garden, we came upon a group of 8 to 10 girls, very young teenagers. We passed them once and they seemed to want to talk to us, and we paused, but they kind of giggled shyly and we kept going. They came back and approached us, and the girl who spoke was shaking with nervousness. They were taking an English language class and wanted to know if they could speak to us -- "can you help us?" they asked. We were glad to talk to them, but it turned out that they really wanted us to sign their papers with our name, nationality, email address, and signature. But for each one of them. And they wanted it from Marc and from me. If they just wanted to speak English that would've made sense, but they wanted us to fill out these forms. So we did, we stood there and filled it out for each of them, and then they tried to speak a little more English, explain more about what they were doing, what they'd do after they completed the course. We thought it was a little strange, but it was also kind of sweet because they seemed sweet.<br />
<br />
But it turned out the park was full of these big groups of kids, all of whom wanted the same thing. Their English wasn't good enough to understand our answer -- "we've already done this with one big group of kids, sorry we don't want to do it again," so finally it hit me: We pretend we don't speak English. I speak a bit of French, and to ANYONE else in the world it would be obvious, once you heard me speak, that I am not a native French speaker. But people here can't tell whether we are from London or America or Germany or France when we speak English, so I felt pretty good about the experiment. When we were approached by the third group, I launched into my French: "Nous ne parlons pas Anglais. Je suis desolee." They asked where we were from and I said, "France, Paris." (The Coneheads were in my mind: France. We come from France.) They kept trying, do you speak English, we kept responding, "Parlez-vous Francais?" and Marc would say Hola, Adios, Habla Espanol? It was so funny, but it worked. If only they wanted to speak English, we'd have been glad to do that, but all that writing, all that information, we had stuff to do and places to see and only one day in Kandy. It made me laugh, every single time I played a French-speaking non-English-speaking person.<br />
<br />
After the park, we went to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_the_Tooth" target="_blank">Temple of the Tooth</a>, which apparently contains one of Buddha's actual teeth. The rain had stopped and we enjoyed walking through the place:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cyDwmxxqk8s/UqG709IG-OI/AAAAAAAAQ5E/nMEYWenGBrI/s1600/child+martyr+temple+tooth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cyDwmxxqk8s/UqG709IG-OI/AAAAAAAAQ5E/nMEYWenGBrI/s640/child+martyr+temple+tooth.jpg" width="414" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was on the base of a statue in front of the Temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DxJazW_47Uk/UqG8Ds-Mt4I/AAAAAAAAQ5c/3jksw1wPMGM/s1600/mural+tooth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DxJazW_47Uk/UqG8Ds-Mt4I/AAAAAAAAQ5c/3jksw1wPMGM/s640/mural+tooth.jpg" width="384" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">murals above</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhDTPPTdqebxkQtv0lYI4OoNRJK-WqM501FEax2f_jPIfRdaJcMxLA-DMJ0piiGDXjqL91UwdT5cUeeG6jKZIHvm2VwK9G00bkTF4yqZcDlBr_Qhra7Xsuqu2X61NBBG0jv5pBFkmpZiL/s1600/temple+of+the+tooth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhDTPPTdqebxkQtv0lYI4OoNRJK-WqM501FEax2f_jPIfRdaJcMxLA-DMJ0piiGDXjqL91UwdT5cUeeG6jKZIHvm2VwK9G00bkTF4yqZcDlBr_Qhra7Xsuqu2X61NBBG0jv5pBFkmpZiL/s640/temple+of+the+tooth.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">big giant tusks welcome you to the Temple of the Tooth</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTqEWbmBM9XwzfY1uCy1u5e0aGhSPPipJguae15bZmcttJPR40C23KfHDMTv2gueOu37UnXC8acDfvoP3fgFr4nBNSKY17gjtUs6UkyleMgoAK9cvJ-ClMFw067smLoO3XkELj2oSDgZj/s1600/temple+tooth+architectural+detail1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTqEWbmBM9XwzfY1uCy1u5e0aGhSPPipJguae15bZmcttJPR40C23KfHDMTv2gueOu37UnXC8acDfvoP3fgFr4nBNSKY17gjtUs6UkyleMgoAK9cvJ-ClMFw067smLoO3XkELj2oSDgZj/s640/temple+tooth+architectural+detail1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">exterior architectural detail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Soilm_BGomTOHv5WfELBZ3sbZ5eryYjDB3vVRTj5JE3CQkSZHdXctKaNmfqhRlJt72GYtTDAMd9b8xF-vJZAgcs3OHzXIpLvkaaMsd3Yw00kRy-oOQptEgI6G20ZEU_Urhyphenhyphenz5Qjx40NA/s1600/temple+tooth+architectural+detail2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Soilm_BGomTOHv5WfELBZ3sbZ5eryYjDB3vVRTj5JE3CQkSZHdXctKaNmfqhRlJt72GYtTDAMd9b8xF-vJZAgcs3OHzXIpLvkaaMsd3Yw00kRy-oOQptEgI6G20ZEU_Urhyphenhyphenz5Qjx40NA/s640/temple+tooth+architectural+detail2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">every temple needs a moat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5Rca8ky2IVSnt1BjCXegBSGvHn3Ue8i8jMHHb0kbFTBmKCYtZ99uT5ncNwmb6o8Sx9PzrQmNntiR_J5RQna3ZZQHdxDoubcGTBGeFmgQOqEYmZnFkmro86zXFLatZUtQeaNqAxPaKkX_/s1600/temple+tooth+plus+rooster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5Rca8ky2IVSnt1BjCXegBSGvHn3Ue8i8jMHHb0kbFTBmKCYtZ99uT5ncNwmb6o8Sx9PzrQmNntiR_J5RQna3ZZQHdxDoubcGTBGeFmgQOqEYmZnFkmro86zXFLatZUtQeaNqAxPaKkX_/s640/temple+tooth+plus+rooster.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple of the Tooth. Plus rooster.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6BtMneaO0M0/UqG8opNS7dI/AAAAAAAAQ6k/NxlCHdQVvi0/s1600/tooth+mural1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6BtMneaO0M0/UqG8opNS7dI/AAAAAAAAQ6k/NxlCHdQVvi0/s640/tooth+mural1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more murals inside, really beautiful</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywbCAs4yIWxCsB6Z7Nwjg1yGdjHxpZrV2k9Qp1RBx5-4KMhBZWDH7t8v_oQT_KXe1l-ZKH5JOAd2G3GOESHrzrcfithnq3RtlWG2EBSbE_BD-zuLDxK-TJI-zVr2d-58lsmIz4tPy9nlK/s1600/temple+tooth+architectural+detail3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywbCAs4yIWxCsB6Z7Nwjg1yGdjHxpZrV2k9Qp1RBx5-4KMhBZWDH7t8v_oQT_KXe1l-ZKH5JOAd2G3GOESHrzrcfithnq3RtlWG2EBSbE_BD-zuLDxK-TJI-zVr2d-58lsmIz4tPy9nlK/s640/temple+tooth+architectural+detail3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more architectural detail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TvaziLbPaL4/UqG8j-4eOTI/AAAAAAAAQ6Y/LPoYppcOD34/s1600/temple+tooth+doorway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TvaziLbPaL4/UqG8j-4eOTI/AAAAAAAAQ6Y/LPoYppcOD34/s640/temple+tooth+doorway.jpg" width="610" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">interior detail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QAU-P2WHqSI/UqG7-9NbuRI/AAAAAAAAQ5U/ecs-NkZMFfc/s1600/girls+temple+tooth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QAU-P2WHqSI/UqG7-9NbuRI/AAAAAAAAQ5U/ecs-NkZMFfc/s640/girls+temple+tooth.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">schoolgirls with their flower offerings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VskNe3WffBU/UqHAWQlJBcI/AAAAAAAAQ7U/vu-2ScFzhTI/s1600/tooth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VskNe3WffBU/UqHAWQlJBcI/AAAAAAAAQ7U/vu-2ScFzhTI/s640/tooth.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">to the far left is a tiny little inset with a box or some kind of container that we assume holds the relic itself.<br />
here are all the Kandyians placing their flower offerings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tWi9RCX3800/UqG8L4EI-_I/AAAAAAAAQ5s/XNvZAOOyeng/s1600/temple+incense.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tWi9RCX3800/UqG8L4EI-_I/AAAAAAAAQ5s/XNvZAOOyeng/s640/temple+incense.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lots of incense outdoors, plus candles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kdaDIvalmz8/UqG8E8J0Z7I/AAAAAAAAQ5k/FoAyxPDjed0/s1600/temple+buddha2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="604" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kdaDIvalmz8/UqG8E8J0Z7I/AAAAAAAAQ5k/FoAyxPDjed0/s640/temple+buddha2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">so serene -- inside the temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JssK2bW3LRw/UqG71bceHoI/AAAAAAAAQ5M/81zH0qo5NkA/s1600/buddha+at+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JssK2bW3LRw/UqG71bceHoI/AAAAAAAAQ5M/81zH0qo5NkA/s640/buddha+at+temple.jpg" width="466" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">so serene, outside the temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We decided against going to the market because my head was killing me, and the camera battery was completely dead. Heading back to the hotel led us to consider the tuk-tuk, which is our very favorite form of transportion, ever. As Marc said, it's half taxi and half amusement park ride, which was the perfect way to say it. The tuk-tuks generally have things written on them; ours somewhat ominously said "Better You Don't Come My Way." I didn't like to think about what that might exactly mean. We saw one that said CHEGUEVARA across the back, and a couple with skull-and-crossbones across the bottom.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J4ZPXjh1nrU/UqG_vJKhgxI/AAAAAAAAQ68/4KxjlP-E3l8/s1600/kandyians.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J4ZPXjh1nrU/UqG_vJKhgxI/AAAAAAAAQ68/4KxjlP-E3l8/s640/kandyians.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kandyians crossing the street</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vaD8vsXfwIw/UqG_ucTW0GI/AAAAAAAAQ60/aotCjXHOvX8/s1600/rainy+kandy+traffic+tuktuk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vaD8vsXfwIw/UqG_ucTW0GI/AAAAAAAAQ60/aotCjXHOvX8/s640/rainy+kandy+traffic+tuktuk.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rainy tuk-tuk driving day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tnyjahSytI8/UqG_z5bS8hI/AAAAAAAAQ7M/qAjzwPHd5zM/s1600/street+buddha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tnyjahSytI8/UqG_z5bS8hI/AAAAAAAAQ7M/qAjzwPHd5zM/s640/street+buddha.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">giant street-level Buddha watching over Kandy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Tonight we're eating 17 curries for dinner -- shocking, how can we possibly eat 17 curries -- and tomorrow morning we head to Negombo, where we'll hang out before we board our flight at 4:30am. I'm surprised by how much I adore Kandy; my expectations were unreasonably low for some reason, but it's really a beautiful, beautiful city. I hope we get to come back to Sri Lanka one of these days.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com0Kandy, Sri Lanka7.284459 80.6374590000000357.158458 80.476097500000037 7.41046 80.798820500000033tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-56987055675792687312013-12-06T00:54:00.002-05:002013-12-06T01:23:26.000-05:00Hatton to KandyYesterday morning, Marc snuck out of our <strike>prison</strike> hotel in Hatton to take a walk in the tea field just beyond the hotel, before breakfast. It was so glorious we decided to sneak out again after breakfast. We made the hotel staff extremely nervous, trying to do things by ourselves. If they had their way, they would just drive us here and there and never leave our sides. I guess we made each other nervous, because we just wanted to be left alone to explore.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqJJVjrqz0s/UqFdoFkKFAI/AAAAAAAAQ0A/XVElcgzZlh0/s1600/bathing+creek+hatton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqJJVjrqz0s/UqFdoFkKFAI/AAAAAAAAQ0A/XVElcgzZlh0/s640/bathing+creek+hatton.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">people bathe here</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-ASkvo9hVE/UqFdq3rg-YI/AAAAAAAAQ0I/K2p6_36siEw/s1600/hatton+bamboo+morninglories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="578" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-ASkvo9hVE/UqFdq3rg-YI/AAAAAAAAQ0I/K2p6_36siEw/s640/hatton+bamboo+morninglories.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bamboo, morning glories, and other kinds of trees we don't know</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oTtpznWaY3k/UqFdq4j5IgI/AAAAAAAAQ0M/5szjow8ktZM/s1600/hatton+plant+in+tea+field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oTtpznWaY3k/UqFdq4j5IgI/AAAAAAAAQ0M/5szjow8ktZM/s640/hatton+plant+in+tea+field.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this one grows in the tea fields -- really cool looking</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3DmQOF_Bj1k/UqFdy2RZfQI/AAAAAAAAQ0Y/gGR2mzlnZvo/s1600/hatton+tea+field+woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3DmQOF_Bj1k/UqFdy2RZfQI/AAAAAAAAQ0Y/gGR2mzlnZvo/s640/hatton+tea+field+woman.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">walking to town</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kd1S2AMG9po/UqFd5lzWmoI/AAAAAAAAQ0o/9KEzWOV1fIw/s1600/hatton+tea+field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kd1S2AMG9po/UqFd5lzWmoI/AAAAAAAAQ0o/9KEzWOV1fIw/s640/hatton+tea+field.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">unreal, it's so dazzingly beautiful</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iEwhfnRYh04/UqFd398Ld1I/AAAAAAAAQ0g/OhWiJDxVVu0/s1600/hatton+tea+trunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iEwhfnRYh04/UqFd398Ld1I/AAAAAAAAQ0g/OhWiJDxVVu0/s640/hatton+tea+trunk.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is a tea plant -- such a thick old trunk! Right around here is where the leech attached itself to my foot.<br />
BOY did it creep me out. BOY did it hurt, too. And BOY did it bleed a lot after Marc pulled it off me.<br />
Luckily I felt it the moment it attached to my foot, before it buried its head. GROSS.</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HG2_wbLguZg/UqFeA9pRPmI/AAAAAAAAQ0w/17W56SJ2lqM/s1600/hatton+tea+walk1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HG2_wbLguZg/UqFeA9pRPmI/AAAAAAAAQ0w/17W56SJ2lqM/s640/hatton+tea+walk1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">terraced tea</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sDlku45-IUg/UqFeEcsx7dI/AAAAAAAAQ04/4oNjzIcJNZ0/s1600/marc+picking+tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sDlku45-IUg/UqFeEcsx7dI/AAAAAAAAQ04/4oNjzIcJNZ0/s640/marc+picking+tea.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marc pretending to pluck tea, being silly and making me laugh so hard</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qPcqnRjVhw0/UqFeKePpI7I/AAAAAAAAQ1A/cLEmwVCc2WU/s1600/orange+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qPcqnRjVhw0/UqFeKePpI7I/AAAAAAAAQ1A/cLEmwVCc2WU/s640/orange+tree.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is our favorite kind of tree in Sri Lanka</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rBmuBiCnAXI/UqFeOMcmLwI/AAAAAAAAQ1I/C0vMflKoa3M/s1600/tea+field+hatton+orange+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rBmuBiCnAXI/UqFeOMcmLwI/AAAAAAAAQ1I/C0vMflKoa3M/s640/tea+field+hatton+orange+tree.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tea fields</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DaQbMHhYaoQ/UqFealmFeHI/AAAAAAAAQ1g/QT2wfIbXdqo/s1600/tea+workers+homes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DaQbMHhYaoQ/UqFealmFeHI/AAAAAAAAQ1g/QT2wfIbXdqo/s640/tea+workers+homes.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tea workers' village in the hills</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mNjEj-vtBAs/UqFebtqvG5I/AAAAAAAAQ1k/toub8Hrpg0k/s1600/teahills+panorama2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mNjEj-vtBAs/UqFebtqvG5I/AAAAAAAAQ1k/toub8Hrpg0k/s640/teahills+panorama2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a panorama shot combining three photos</td></tr>
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Our breakfast was once again delicious -- we got a new traditional Sri Lankan food, milk rice. It's cooked in fresh coconut milk and it's <i>wonderful</i>:<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3rsLIvuNqqg/UqFgRM-J4CI/AAAAAAAAQ2M/qDTJ6bOoqck/s1600/marc+lori+hatton+breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3rsLIvuNqqg/UqFgRM-J4CI/AAAAAAAAQ2M/qDTJ6bOoqck/s640/marc+lori+hatton+breakfast.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">breakfast on the terrace</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gKcT41XNTY8/UqFgEo0YS_I/AAAAAAAAQ18/23hP5khdveU/s1600/hatton+breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gKcT41XNTY8/UqFgEo0YS_I/AAAAAAAAQ18/23hP5khdveU/s640/hatton+breakfast.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">local organic bananas (love the tiny ones, sweet as honey), homemade bread, and homemade yogurt<br />
that was the best yogurt I have <i style="font-weight: bold;">ever</i> had anywhere</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tS1U0yQPZXc/UqFgJNjig4I/AAAAAAAAQ2E/8dietMmol7w/s1600/milk+rice+onion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tS1U0yQPZXc/UqFgJNjig4I/AAAAAAAAQ2E/8dietMmol7w/s640/milk+rice+onion.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">milk rice topped with onion sambol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We were extremely glad to check out of the prison hotel, but sorry to leave Hatton, which is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Despite our telling the driver and the hotel staff over and over that we would let them know when we wanted to leave for Kandy, the staff decided that the car would take us at 10. That was just typical of our stay there -- we were to do what they wanted us to do when they wanted us to do it. So goodbye and good riddance to the hotel, but a sad farewell to the tea hills. I waved goodbye to the southern coast with a sad farewell, and I did the same to the tea hills.<br />
<br />
The drive to Kandy took a couple of hours, and while it was winding and stop-start as the other trips, it didn't make me so sick -- maybe because it was just a couple of hours, instead of 4+. When we pulled into Kandy I was so surprised by it; it's surrounded by hills and mountains and lush with the tallest trees of all kinds, and a big lake in the middle. It's utterly cosmopolitan in a way the other places weren't, and it feels bigger and more dynamic than Colombo, which was also a big city. But Kandy feels like it has it all: the pleasures of a big city, but also the incredible physical beauty of the best of Sri Lanka. It's also quite busy with monkeys, which we haven't seen elsewhere beyond an occasional one here or there. Here, they're running along the ground, climbing the trees, and climbing all over our hotel.<br />
<br />
The hotel is way up above Kandy, and it's just gorgeous. It's so nice to be back among traditional Sri Lankan hospitality -- unlike what we experienced in Hatton. The people smile at us with great warmth and talk, but also help us graciously to do whatever it is we want to do.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WiSBfgczwlk/UqFjSTkpffI/AAAAAAAAQ2g/lwT6un8tivo/s1600/kandy+from+our+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WiSBfgczwlk/UqFjSTkpffI/AAAAAAAAQ2g/lwT6un8tivo/s640/kandy+from+our+room.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the foggy view from our hotel room -- that's Kandy down below</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VOG_piHFveU/UqFjYQsSYPI/AAAAAAAAQ2o/_LbklXyosZ4/s1600/kandy+from+our+room2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VOG_piHFveU/UqFjYQsSYPI/AAAAAAAAQ2o/_LbklXyosZ4/s640/kandy+from+our+room2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">also our view; we SO love the trees here</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2T41DOn-gt0/UqFjgulDIRI/AAAAAAAAQ2w/EomlHHK7YYg/s1600/kandy+monkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="452" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2T41DOn-gt0/UqFjgulDIRI/AAAAAAAAQ2w/EomlHHK7YYg/s640/kandy+monkey.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a bit of movement caught my eye, just one of the naughty monkeys</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2EM4Nu6tNhg/UqFjQrk-pnI/AAAAAAAAQ2Y/Ri0G64S8nWA/s1600/kandy+lake1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="434" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2EM4Nu6tNhg/UqFjQrk-pnI/AAAAAAAAQ2Y/Ri0G64S8nWA/s640/kandy+lake1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a corner of the lake in the middle of town</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HvVpKY4mOo4/UqFjjWzjsbI/AAAAAAAAQ3A/vSW77ABWuQ0/s1600/kandy+weather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HvVpKY4mOo4/UqFjjWzjsbI/AAAAAAAAQ3A/vSW77ABWuQ0/s640/kandy+weather.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it's been this kind of weather since we got to Kandy: cloudy, rainy, foggy, overcast. little to no visible sun</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bS-AOeMzmNU/UqFjgq26HfI/AAAAAAAAQ20/lK76rK71WAY/s1600/kandy+store.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="514" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bS-AOeMzmNU/UqFjgq26HfI/AAAAAAAAQ20/lK76rK71WAY/s640/kandy+store.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we stopped at this little shop to buy ginger biscuits. you can buy all sorts of things here,<br />
they're just kind of tossed in as one-offs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X8cxC5GSh48/UqFjz39u7zI/AAAAAAAAQ3c/DU2l_02cplY/s1600/m%2526ms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X8cxC5GSh48/UqFjz39u7zI/AAAAAAAAQ3c/DU2l_02cplY/s640/m%2526ms.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we saw this, a blister pack of M&M-type candy. strange, right?</td></tr>
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We took a tuk-tuk down into town for a light lunch of kotthu roti, but they didn't start serving it until 4pm so we instead got three little roti bundles -- veg (which was dal curry), chicken, and fish. They were kind of little very small burritos using a roti instead of a flour tortilla. Really good. Later in the evening we took another tuk-tuk ride down the mountain for dinner, at a place called Devon Restaurant, which was a kind of nondescript restaurant, OK food, not more. According to our research on TripAdvisor, Kandy is strangely without decent restaurants, so we weren't expecting much and are happy just to get OK food here.<br />
<br />
Breakfast at the hotel was yet another wonderful Sri Lankan feast -- the components are familiar by now:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1uhag6GbE6c/UqFjs_AeePI/AAAAAAAAQ3I/WMOEi8Kz1JU/s1600/theva+bkfst+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1uhag6GbE6c/UqFjs_AeePI/AAAAAAAAQ3I/WMOEi8Kz1JU/s640/theva+bkfst+table.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">salt and pepper, flowers, and a bell grace our breakfast table</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJteyP5diZM/UqFjtyrEgJI/AAAAAAAAQ3Q/7DzZtLzKMD8/s1600/theva+breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJteyP5diZM/UqFjtyrEgJI/AAAAAAAAQ3Q/7DzZtLzKMD8/s640/theva+breakfast.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">clockwise from L: string hoppers topped with dal curry and onion & tomato sambol, milk rice wound around<br />
honey and sultanas, a mound of plain milk rice, an egg hopper topped with dal curry<br />
and onion and tomato sambol, and a small coconut roti. We also got beef curry which was great.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We have a full day here in Kandy, but it's been raining and so overcast so far, and it's only going to get worse as the day progresses. We may just stay in and read and relax, watch movies, organize our pictures, etc. If we have to have a day like this on vacation, we're SO glad to be at this hotel instead of the one in Hatton. This room has big windows and a view, even if the view is of clouds and rain. We hope tomorrow is sunnier or at least not rainy, because we'd like to go see the gorgeous botanical gardens, the huge market, and the Temple of the Tooth. Tomorrow we leave for Negombo, our last stop in Sri Lanka, and then to home.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com0Kandy, Sri Lanka7.284459 80.6374590000000357.158458 80.476097500000037 7.41046 80.798820500000033tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-68918919889361303012013-12-04T10:17:00.002-05:002013-12-04T10:17:48.154-05:00really gorgeous and also really weirdAfter a breakfast of the <b>very best egg hoppers </b><u style="font-weight: bold;">ever</u>, we hit the road for Hatton, up in the center of the country in the tea hills. I didn't think the trip could be as carsick-inducing as the trip along the southern coast. Boy was I wrong. After we left the expressway to Colombo, it was nothing but short and tight little hairpin curves the rest of the way -- a couple of hours. But also now going up as well as fast and slow. Very carsick, no fun. Being a driver here takes nerves of steel (well, being a <i>passenger</i> here takes nerves of steel too) because the roads are not very wide and there are big trucks and huge buses and tuk-tuks and cars and people on bicycles and people on foot. On hairpin curves. So the car gets behind a tuk-tuk and decides to pass . . . CAN'T SEE!! CAN'T SEE!! . . . but we pass anyway. And oncoming is a bus or a truck, or a couple of tuk-tuks, but do we stop? No. We do not. We keep going, they keep coming, and at the last minute we jerk back into our lane right in front of the vehicle we were passing, and the walkers barely look up and the bicyclists just keep cycling. We often do a three-across and sometimes a four-across, taking up the shoulders on both sides. Nerves of steel, a gut of steel, and me in the backseat, carsick. It was a very long trip.<br />
<br />
As always, the driver calls our hotel to get directions, only today our very good driver just stopped on the busy road and parked to make the call. I kept thinking <i>oncoming traffic! Traffic behind, they won't see us until they hit us!</i> and yet no one hit us, and we rounded the roundabout and turned onto what was surely the wrong road. Right? Surely this isn't right, it's a broken down alley, behind some industrial building. Wait, call again -- no, ask those people walking. We turned down another broken road and that was it. Our guesthouse. It didn't look like a place people would stay, it was very bizarre. Sanjay was waiting for us and escorted us upstairs to the big living area, where he handed me a big cellophane-wrapped bouquet of flowers, the kind you get at any western grocery store (what am I supposed to do with them?! I don't have a vase....). We got our welcome drink, watermelon juice, and hot towels for our hands and faces, followed by a tour of the guesthouse. The three bedrooms upstairs are saved for Emirates (people from the UAE), and the lone bedroom downstairs was for us. The whole place just has an empty feeling but also a very strange, <i>where the hell are we</i> kind of feeling, too. There are orange and black bad paintings of stylized African women on the walls, odd chandelier-type light fixtures, and uncomfortable out-of-place furniture throughout. But Sanjay is very nice, very very nice, eager to help us whether we like it or not. We wanted to walk into town and that made him a nervous wreck. He wanted to send someone with us, and Marc had to press hard, push back, and insist that we were going to walk into town by ourselves. We were locked in and he had to let us out; as we were leaving, Sanjay said something about coming to town and we couldn't quite make sense of it. As we got into town, Marc said he had a feeling Sanjay was going to be there to stalk us -- and sure enough, there he was. He had a van and a driver and he came running across the street to hurry us into the van so the driver could drive us around.<br />
<br />
I finally just whispered to Marc that we had to surrender, we had to just let Sanjay have his way. And the driver was a nice guy, very friendly and with good English. He drove us to the main section of Hatton and let us just walk around as long as we wanted. That was fun -- we felt more unusual there than anywhere else, people were staring at us more than in the other places we've been. We didn't see any other tourists of any kind as we walked around, and it was very interesting.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i88Mb8wz2lg/Up85DSculpI/AAAAAAAAQx8/TU_m7CE2_bs/s1600/chivas+chickens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="468" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i88Mb8wz2lg/Up85DSculpI/AAAAAAAAQx8/TU_m7CE2_bs/s640/chivas+chickens.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chivas chicken, surely not with whiskey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5SZsSOHkjQs/Up84m4cbXqI/AAAAAAAAQxw/yP54hWYvfnY/s1600/crazy+bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5SZsSOHkjQs/Up84m4cbXqI/AAAAAAAAQxw/yP54hWYvfnY/s640/crazy+bus.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">funky bus coming through town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HCD2fNUFngI/Up83xQaBu3I/AAAAAAAAQxo/F0yy1h32sGI/s1600/fantasy+bakers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="558" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HCD2fNUFngI/Up83xQaBu3I/AAAAAAAAQxo/F0yy1h32sGI/s640/fantasy+bakers.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">so colorful</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-APL--mNHAwg/Up85lRCWmxI/AAAAAAAAQyE/4Sv7w5hw5Xc/s1600/fast+food+hatton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-APL--mNHAwg/Up85lRCWmxI/AAAAAAAAQyE/4Sv7w5hw5Xc/s640/fast+food+hatton.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fast food, Sri Lankan style</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XsNcaMcs3gw/Up866069FNI/AAAAAAAAQyQ/cpRSiBfsRN4/s1600/man+hatton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XsNcaMcs3gw/Up866069FNI/AAAAAAAAQyQ/cpRSiBfsRN4/s640/man+hatton.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">selling lots of leaves and stuff</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GoyVw-GCRfc/Up87P6kLEYI/AAAAAAAAQyY/xth3n6ahgF0/s1600/marc+hatton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="490" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GoyVw-GCRfc/Up87P6kLEYI/AAAAAAAAQyY/xth3n6ahgF0/s640/marc+hatton.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marc in Hatton</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qOBmeG1wRbU/Up87VtBaIiI/AAAAAAAAQyg/bfYBDsRo1n8/s1600/new+vegetable+center+hatton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qOBmeG1wRbU/Up87VtBaIiI/AAAAAAAAQyg/bfYBDsRo1n8/s640/new+vegetable+center+hatton.jpg" width="314" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Vegetable Center and<br />Adworld Video Vision??</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MPQgoeoLieE/Up87wUyJ8aI/AAAAAAAAQyo/HsG-bZ_i-X4/s1600/xmas+tree+hatton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MPQgoeoLieE/Up87wUyJ8aI/AAAAAAAAQyo/HsG-bZ_i-X4/s640/xmas+tree+hatton.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">oh yeah! Christmas trees everywhere. Which is pretty weird for a predominately<br />Buddhist country. There are Muslims and Hindus too, but that's mostly it.</td></tr>
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Our driver then took us through the tea hills -- giant incredibly beautiful tea estates -- to show us a well-known waterfall. The pictures just do not do the place justice, and I knew they wouldn't when we were taking them. We stopped and plucked a leaf off a tea bush and they're thick and tough, like any leaf on a bush. They reminded me of grape vines in some way, tough old long-established plants. The driver said that they'd been farming those tea plants for more than 100 years; every few years they prune the plants down to nubs and in a year to 18 months they're back at full bloom. Women do the picking, and men do the heavier work -- pruning and fertilizing. The hills are terraced with beautiful rows of emerald green plants, and the whole area is just stunning -- high peaks with clouds on top, deep valleys, waterfalls popping up everywhere, rivers running down in the bottom of the valleys, just absolutely beautiful. Some huge trees had brilliant red-orange flowers on the ends of the branches, amazing color. There were trees that looked like Dr. Seuss trees, with little bloops up the whole long trunk. But mainly it was just green and lush and amazing.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NvUvSrFe5mY/Up9AtuTHgcI/AAAAAAAAQzA/lepu_b5yLCs/s1600/forest2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NvUvSrFe5mY/Up9AtuTHgcI/AAAAAAAAQzA/lepu_b5yLCs/s640/forest2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">gorgeous</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ij-WGG8LXV4/Up9A4DTTa4I/AAAAAAAAQzI/1FcjGlLIJ-0/s1600/hills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ij-WGG8LXV4/Up9A4DTTa4I/AAAAAAAAQzI/1FcjGlLIJ-0/s640/hills.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">unbelievably green</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WC0O9n4iEyg/Up9ApkFGF-I/AAAAAAAAQy4/2bBp33ALJGk/s1600/marc+lori3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WC0O9n4iEyg/Up9ApkFGF-I/AAAAAAAAQy4/2bBp33ALJGk/s640/marc+lori3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">right before we walked down to see the waterfall<br />(and then we had to walk back up, of course)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-baEH5nCXvBQ/Up9BvPvgFaI/AAAAAAAAQzQ/mXnBwecJlYc/s1600/tea4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="338" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-baEH5nCXvBQ/Up9BvPvgFaI/AAAAAAAAQzQ/mXnBwecJlYc/s640/tea4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">such a beautiful world</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bMKMuh2APMk/Up9CK_zev-I/AAAAAAAAQzY/zUHKT51F8AM/s1600/tea7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bMKMuh2APMk/Up9CK_zev-I/AAAAAAAAQzY/zUHKT51F8AM/s640/tea7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1F8yauOxMQ4/Up9C3fJXqYI/AAAAAAAAQzo/JmqmTaksXWg/s1600/valley2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1F8yauOxMQ4/Up9C3fJXqYI/AAAAAAAAQzo/JmqmTaksXWg/s640/valley2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a valley</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SYf0zd5vtl8/Up9DQkwYJbI/AAAAAAAAQzw/CUDyOpscmEU/s1600/waterfall2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SYf0zd5vtl8/Up9DQkwYJbI/AAAAAAAAQzw/CUDyOpscmEU/s640/waterfall2.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">just one of the waterfalls</td></tr>
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It was unbelievably beautiful. When we were down in one of the valleys we noticed that it had started misting; our driver said that every afternoon the clouds on top of the mountains come down into the valley for the evening -- in the morning we won't even be able to see the valley until the sun gets up and the mists start climbing back to the top of the mountain. Really gorgeous.<br />
<br />
We stopped at a tea castle to buy some tea and toured the little tea museum. IT WAS STRANGE. All the lights were off, we thought maybe the place was closed, but it was just empty and so they kept the lights off. There was the manager and three or four women employees, and they turned on the lights and walked us around. When we left, I assume they turned the lights off until another potential customer came by.<br />
<br />
Back at our very strange hotel, we got ready for dinner. Sanjay had asked us what we wanted and we'd said chicken and wild boar (local specialties). We are the only guests in the place, and when it was time to eat we left our room with some trepidation. We walked up the stairs into the dining room - one huge, long table, formally set - and took our seats. Sanjay and the two old men who cooked the dinner brought it out: stewed boar (in little chunks), chicken curry, dahl, some kind of potato, chapatis, and puri. The food was just amazing, and we were so glad because the experience of eating it was so strange and bizarre. Whenever we were alone, Marc and I looked at each other with wide eyes, whispered <i>isn't this weird??</i>, and tried to eat. Sanjay would come and hover, and boss the old men around. When a dish was getting empty -- just a third left -- they'd whisk it away on a little tray with a doily and eventually bring it back full again. Usually, if we'd just been allowed to finish what was in the dish that's all we'd have wanted. Once they took the food away and didn't bring it back, and we wanted it. The hovering was so weird, and in the big empty place, with the strange art and the weird decor, Marc kept saying he was having a hard time understanding the food because none of the rest of the experience was Sri Lankan, at all. One or the other of the old men would be lurking in a corner, watching us. It was peculiar and weird. After breakfast in the morning and one last renegade walk, we're heading on to Kandy.<br />
<br />
See what I mean? Really gorgeous and really weird.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com0Hatton, Sri Lanka6.887295 80.5985570000000286.8242405 80.51787600000003 6.9503495 80.679238000000026tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-4084467088348818282013-12-03T04:10:00.003-05:002013-12-03T04:14:56.220-05:00it felt sacred to meA few years ago, someone spotted a whale off the coast of southern Sri Lanka, and people held their breath. Yes, more whales, lots of whales. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperm_whale" target="_blank">Sperm whales</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_whale" target="_blank">blue whales</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_whale" target="_blank">right whales</a>. And so a tourist industry was born to go alongside the surfing and general beach vacation opportunities here. When I learned about this, I got almost sick and dizzy, I <i>so </i>wanted to go. I <i>so </i>wanted to see whales, living whales. I've seen sperm whale skeletons several weeks ago at the Museum of Natural History in New York (<a href="http://www.pillbugqueen.com/blog/leviathan/" target="_blank">and I wrote about it here</a>); I've watched documentaries and television shows about whales; of course I've read <i>Moby Dick </i>a few times, and remain so thoroughly moved by that book as only a bookish person can be. I've wondered what <u style="font-weight: bold;">is</u> it about whales? What is it? Their size. Their intelligence. Their singing. Their mystery. Their elusiveness -- you can't see a blue whale at Sea World. And they're mammals, like us.<br />
<br />
And so last night we arranged for a tuk-tuk driver to pick us up at 6am and drive us to nearby Mirissa, where the whale boats depart. I didn't sleep last night, couldn't sleep, hoping I would get to see a whale. Hoping and dreaming and trying to be still even though I felt so carbonated about it all. We got on board and pulled away from the harbor around 7am and my cheeks ached from grinning.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--2OzApYeLe0/Up2aVnMaiQI/AAAAAAAAQwk/_GaQGzMdy_A/s1600/harbor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--2OzApYeLe0/Up2aVnMaiQI/AAAAAAAAQwk/_GaQGzMdy_A/s640/harbor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the harbor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-NKczPWWgM/Up2aVPySRVI/AAAAAAAAQwg/gN2V0YdiZqw/s1600/excited+lori.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="558" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-NKczPWWgM/Up2aVPySRVI/AAAAAAAAQwg/gN2V0YdiZqw/s640/excited+lori.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">you have NO IDEA how excited I was</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MtGYg0ouqas/Up2aapD0EYI/AAAAAAAAQww/vo15rLnu9bE/s1600/marc+on+boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="546" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MtGYg0ouqas/Up2aapD0EYI/AAAAAAAAQww/vo15rLnu9bE/s640/marc+on+boat.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marc, happy to go with me</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Kx-qOFHER4/Up2amqsbfkI/AAAAAAAAQxM/TcpSN3yePx4/s1600/whale+morning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Kx-qOFHER4/Up2amqsbfkI/AAAAAAAAQxM/TcpSN3yePx4/s640/whale+morning.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and off we went, out to the deep sea</td></tr>
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Pretty quickly we came upon a sea turtle plugging away, heading for shore. Even though it was surprisingly large, and even though I tried to get several shots of it, I wasn't successful -- the waves seemed to block it just as I'd snap the picture. Then we crossed paths with a pod of dolphins:<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FdriiCx4vxg/Up2aIfIvEMI/AAAAAAAAQwM/-ACBmiSOXP8/s1600/dolphins1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FdriiCx4vxg/Up2aIfIvEMI/AAAAAAAAQwM/-ACBmiSOXP8/s640/dolphins1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to keep reminding myself not to be jaded -- "JUST" dolphins -- how ridiculous of me!<br />
I was on a boat in the Indian Ocean and I saw dolphins leaping past me, and that's amazing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Of course there's no guarantee that we'd see whales, and after we passed the dolphins we went for quite a long time seeing nothing but the horizon and the other whale boats full of people hoping for a sighting. Marc and I thought that surely we'd have seen one by that point, maybe we wouldn't get to see one, and then the eagle-eyed crew got excited and started pointing:<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VT378j40iNU/Up2aKa_UQYI/AAAAAAAAQwU/v1xh9MaudN4/s1600/crew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VT378j40iNU/Up2aKa_UQYI/AAAAAAAAQwU/v1xh9MaudN4/s640/crew.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">they were really good -- the captain would say to me, "he's getting ready to come now," and I'd look<br />
where he was pointing and see nothing. and then there he would be.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a__0QWZxeAM/Up2abFzNBaI/AAAAAAAAQw8/ZHsB0cy8O3k/s1600/right1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a__0QWZxeAM/Up2abFzNBaI/AAAAAAAAQw8/ZHsB0cy8O3k/s640/right1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">right whales -- we didn't see any breach or tail-slap, unfortunately</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fg5TOl2pipU/Up2anCI3fEI/AAAAAAAAQxc/-LK6NSDUfE0/s1600/waiting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fg5TOl2pipU/Up2anCI3fEI/AAAAAAAAQxc/-LK6NSDUfE0/s640/waiting.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">all the boats cut their engines and we sat there in silence, watching. there were whales underneath.<br />
it felt like church to me, all of us gathered in silence, waiting.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gXOQ7_4zpJw/Up2abiP3vcI/AAAAAAAAQxE/0SaJSl91cso/s1600/right2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gXOQ7_4zpJw/Up2abiP3vcI/AAAAAAAAQxE/0SaJSl91cso/s640/right2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">there's another one. we saw several, including a mother and baby.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
By the time we'd been out for 3 hours, more or less, we'd seen only right whales -- no blues, no sperm whales. But suddenly the captain cut the engine and we all sat, floating in silence. He told me there was a sperm whale in the area, it dove down about 40 minutes earlier so it should be up again in five minutes or so. A sperm whale -- Moby Dick -- I got so excited I felt like throwing up. We waited and the crew watched, both sides, straight ahead, watching and watching. Suddenly one of them pointed at the horizon straight ahead -- there it was! We could see the spout, and it was so far ahead of us, on the horizon, so I can only imagine how enormous that spout must have been. He turned on our engines and we went in pursuit, but the whale stayed that far ahead of us, blowing his spout over and over. One of the crew said, "He's running!" Finally he went tails-up, we could even see that from so far away -- he must have been tremendous -- and when he dove down, our trip was done. I didn't even try to take pictures, I just wanted to watch it with my own real-time eyes. A sperm whale.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v4n0n7R_1Po/Up2alxrx6qI/AAAAAAAAQxQ/WpXVplTMExs/s1600/sleeping+russians.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v4n0n7R_1Po/Up2alxrx6qI/AAAAAAAAQxQ/WpXVplTMExs/s640/sleeping+russians.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">everyone crashed after the intense hours watching for whales. it made me laugh.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When we were near the harbor, we came upon a little fishing boat with a great big catch -- no idea what kind of fish it was, but check this out:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oxaiYcoAzec/Up2aOYxhG0I/AAAAAAAAQwc/m6VG2KhvUbU/s1600/a+great+catch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="354" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oxaiYcoAzec/Up2aOYxhG0I/AAAAAAAAQwc/m6VG2KhvUbU/s640/a+great+catch.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a good day of fishing, for sure!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I am so happy, and feel immense gratitude for having the chance to be on this trip, for having the opportunity to go out on a boat looking for whales, and for having the experience of being as close to them as I was today. Marc and I plan to go to Alaska in the near future, where the chances of seeing whales breaching and tail-slapping is even greater. Lucky mud, lucky me.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com2Mirissa, Sri Lanka5.948262 80.4715866000000235.916676 80.431246100000024 5.979848 80.511927100000023tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-60670632065366458602013-12-02T06:48:00.001-05:002013-12-02T06:48:46.077-05:00so here's our Sri Lanka storyThis afternoon we went to the wall overlooking the sea to sit for a while and enjoy the view. It was breezy and a beautiful time of day; the heat had passed and the place wasn't crowded yet. I had a cappuccino to try to kick the tail end of a headache. We were just talking and watching the clouds when suddenly there was a small crowd of people standing over us, surrounding us -- a family:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YU2AUzbjCk0/Upxx-Swgl6I/AAAAAAAAQv0/b8Oe5hacty0/s1600/family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YU2AUzbjCk0/Upxx-Swgl6I/AAAAAAAAQv0/b8Oe5hacty0/s640/family.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">that's the dad in the middle, and the mom in the red and yellow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We were sitting and looking up at them, and the dad asked where we are from then told us he and his family are from here, from Galle. He told us a little bit of the history with the Dutch, and asked where else we were going. When we mentioned Kandy, he said <i>ah, the terrorism, it's safe to go there now. We are Muslims.</i> We talked a little more, and then they stepped away slightly....and then the young girl in green ran back to me and asked to see my black ring. Then she asked if she could have it -- and immediately I knew that of course she could have it. She giggled and ran away, and the whole family was laughing. She asked if she could really have it, and then we all took pictures together.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bo8tB7hVogk/Upxx9vUlV9I/AAAAAAAAQv4/2uX1ockMJEo/s1600/girls2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="374" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bo8tB7hVogk/Upxx9vUlV9I/AAAAAAAAQv4/2uX1ockMJEo/s640/girls2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the girl in green is now the owner of my black ring. the little girl on the far left held my hand the whole time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was the strangest thing, so funny and surprising. There were all kinds of photo groupings, and they were taking pictures of us too. We're not exactly sure what was going on, I don't think it was as simple as this story I'm telling but I don't know exactly how to fully understand it. But I'm glad for that young girl to have my black ring, and I'm glad for her to have a story to tell, too.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com0Fort, Galle 80000, Sri Lanka6.0286241 80.2167941999999816.0207286 80.206709199999977 6.0365196 80.226879199999985tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-64474517851277694142013-12-02T03:50:00.001-05:002013-12-02T08:30:36.197-05:00food glorious food, spicy mangoes and veggiesThis morning we did what we most love to do when we travel: we found our way to the markets. People usually ask me what kinds of things we do -- do we visit museums, for instance -- but this is what we do. We check out the markets and we try to eat all the local food we can find.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mv2MyvHC03M/UpxGK-1YkfI/AAAAAAAAQtk/DMiTCjtDtsg/s1600/art+produce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mv2MyvHC03M/UpxGK-1YkfI/AAAAAAAAQtk/DMiTCjtDtsg/s640/art+produce.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of Marc's art shots -- eggplants and a beautiful wedge of pumpkin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r_KUCWxz6mE/UpxGMLGM5aI/AAAAAAAAQto/jeDjf74jPP0/s1600/bananas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r_KUCWxz6mE/UpxGMLGM5aI/AAAAAAAAQto/jeDjf74jPP0/s640/bananas.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">banana market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zkCc8l5W7yc/UpxGM__qQuI/AAAAAAAAQtw/3JNo1ubKnB4/s1600/buddha+watches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zkCc8l5W7yc/UpxGM__qQuI/AAAAAAAAQtw/3JNo1ubKnB4/s640/buddha+watches.jpg" width="379" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buddha watches over all</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4W5Lhc575gw/UpxGVyjUXbI/AAAAAAAAQuA/OYBjj2b0dfQ/s1600/fish+market3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4W5Lhc575gw/UpxGVyjUXbI/AAAAAAAAQuA/OYBjj2b0dfQ/s640/fish+market3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fish market stall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wJ--NLX4cwQ/UpxGVvqL14I/AAAAAAAAQt8/vVmiz1KbeGc/s1600/fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="499" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wJ--NLX4cwQ/UpxGVvqL14I/AAAAAAAAQt8/vVmiz1KbeGc/s640/fish.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">smaller fish market stall, right on the water</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qj1f0_I8Q_g/UpxGbuYOyRI/AAAAAAAAQuM/3b5FblbmPyE/s1600/galle+road1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qj1f0_I8Q_g/UpxGbuYOyRI/AAAAAAAAQuM/3b5FblbmPyE/s640/galle+road1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A big street along the water front. It feels like this to be in Galle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XpaLRbJ_Et4/UpxGhTXdRXI/AAAAAAAAQuU/7-aUSXoSUbE/s1600/market2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XpaLRbJ_Et4/UpxGhTXdRXI/AAAAAAAAQuU/7-aUSXoSUbE/s640/market2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">vegetables</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eK6mDBw9R80/UpxGh1NTBoI/AAAAAAAAQuY/ZtVdgr9stLU/s1600/market3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eK6mDBw9R80/UpxGh1NTBoI/AAAAAAAAQuY/ZtVdgr9stLU/s640/market3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more vegetables</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TCRba9BWLks/UpxGlgbqz3I/AAAAAAAAQuk/JRMWjXxNzeM/s1600/pineapples.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="465" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TCRba9BWLks/UpxGlgbqz3I/AAAAAAAAQuk/JRMWjXxNzeM/s640/pineapples.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the pineapple lady</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B8pMSSLr9UM/UpxGsJ0UdqI/AAAAAAAAQuw/agK7XbQ2RtA/s1600/punkins2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B8pMSSLr9UM/UpxGsJ0UdqI/AAAAAAAAQuw/agK7XbQ2RtA/s640/punkins2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">punkins</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n8dlHF4DMnM/UpxGr_4lWcI/AAAAAAAAQus/Yy4zeNQB3xk/s1600/salted+mango+with+chili.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="569" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n8dlHF4DMnM/UpxGr_4lWcI/AAAAAAAAQus/Yy4zeNQB3xk/s640/salted+mango+with+chili.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mango slices, salted and sprinkled with chili -- SO good!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LbF3wqxqpXU/UpxGvLpNDcI/AAAAAAAAQu8/3ROCnDDTKLs/s1600/spice+shack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LbF3wqxqpXU/UpxGvLpNDcI/AAAAAAAAQu8/3ROCnDDTKLs/s640/spice+shack.jpg" width="516" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">spice shack -- lots of turmeric there in front</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8cULxoq8LMQ/UpxG1TyrjvI/AAAAAAAAQvE/Uw-Pqy1ptTA/s1600/spices.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8cULxoq8LMQ/UpxG1TyrjvI/AAAAAAAAQvE/Uw-Pqy1ptTA/s640/spices.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">or just buy spices already ground</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1Zu2XNt4E1I/UpxG3wKol0I/AAAAAAAAQvM/jRD21VXUWj8/s1600/tailor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="548" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1Zu2XNt4E1I/UpxG3wKol0I/AAAAAAAAQvM/jRD21VXUWj8/s640/tailor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a tailor's shop -- I just loved the turquoise color and the falling-apartness of it</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VbL-05ysLXg/UpxG4eYtP-I/AAAAAAAAQvQ/fRpFYowNE3Y/s1600/tuktuk+ox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VbL-05ysLXg/UpxG4eYtP-I/AAAAAAAAQvQ/fRpFYowNE3Y/s640/tuktuk+ox.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tuk-tuk and an ox cart</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's hot and steamy here this morning, so we're walking and resting, walking and stopping, eating and resting, repeat. We went to a tiny little cafe along the rampart in Galle Fort for lunch today and shared a wonderful kotthu roti with chicken and egg and veg:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z3nMKJyx-bA/UpxITI6q5wI/AAAAAAAAQvg/3uwEZJHDyPI/s1600/cafe+hula+hula+kotthu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z3nMKJyx-bA/UpxITI6q5wI/AAAAAAAAQvg/3uwEZJHDyPI/s640/cafe+hula+hula+kotthu.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is so so good. I can't wait for Marc to learn how to make it for me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Galle is a really great city; I can understand how the place works, I have a sense of what it is to live here. Galle Fort is a good bit touristy, like a smaller and quieter French Quarter, somehow, though not nearly as trashy. There are a lot of museums here if that's your thing!Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com0Fort, Galle 80000, Sri Lanka6.0286241 80.2167941999999816.0207286 80.206709199999977 6.0365196 80.226879199999985tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-5616868388634112282013-12-01T22:48:00.002-05:002013-12-02T08:31:46.875-05:00they only have indoor voicesOne thing we have noticed, everywhere we've gone in Sri Lanka so far, is that the people are extraordinarily soft-spoken. Their quiet voices go along with their drawn-inward presences; the people we have met have been uniformly warm and friendly, smiling and connecting, it's just that there is something self-contained about them in the loveliest way. Perhaps it's because they are Buddhists, I have no idea. But it's a pleasure to need to lean in a little bit to interact with them, a pleasure to listen for their words.<br />
<br />
We arrived in Galle yesterday afternoon after another long, winding trip along the coast. The road is a series of S and C curves, tight ones, and a lot of stopping and starting, slowing and passing. It's been a great many years since I've been carsick, but that trip did it to me in both directions. It is a beautiful drive otherwise, through a series of small villages and urban cities, like Matara. As you drive along the ocean, it's quite common to see this:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pDzUqQD6k14/Upv97PJIaSI/AAAAAAAAQsI/TWto97P7eGw/s1600/stilt+fishermen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="459" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pDzUqQD6k14/Upv97PJIaSI/AAAAAAAAQsI/TWto97P7eGw/s640/stilt+fishermen.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it's an ingenious way to fish in the surf -- stilts as far as you can see<br />
in both directions (this one isn't my picture -- we were driving too fast!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Galle is quite a beautiful city, and one in which the Dutch colonial period is visible everywhere. The fort was built by the Dutch, beginning in 1663, and it occupies most of the promontory that forms the older part of Galle. The fort a World Heritage Site and it's really quite beautiful and lived in and on. After we checked into our room -- SO different from our hotel in Tangalle, this is just a room in a guesthouse -- we headed to the wall to watch the sunset, and to watch the people.<br />
<br />
While we did see some western tourists, the place seemed full of people who live here, playing cricket and walking along the wall to do what we were doing, to enjoy the sunset. As we sat on the wall, several pairs of young people sat down next to us, and they seemed to be enjoying being there together. The young man and woman right next to me kept taking photos of each other, and then they'd each form half a heart with their hands and put them together, and take a photo of the sunset through the heart of their hands. They were just so beautiful, so sweet with each other. There were women wearing gorgeous and bright colored saris, a group of elderly women walking together, families out for the late afternoon, and what was notable to us was that the tourists were unfriendly, unsmiling, but the Sri Lankan people smiled at us. Really strange.<br />
<br />
But the setting was so beautiful.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--XVKPRUpj9s/Upv_-Qj24tI/AAAAAAAAQsU/I2ks-lFLfIE/s1600/galle+cricket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--XVKPRUpj9s/Upv_-Qj24tI/AAAAAAAAQsU/I2ks-lFLfIE/s640/galle+cricket.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the sound of the cricket bat is so specific</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9YkRPEESYlQ/UpwAAnap6gI/AAAAAAAAQsc/n3Ox6b0Hu-0/s1600/galle+fort.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="395" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9YkRPEESYlQ/UpwAAnap6gI/AAAAAAAAQsc/n3Ox6b0Hu-0/s640/galle+fort.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">part of the wall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T93NVCO-JM8/UpwABdmL9LI/AAAAAAAAQsg/r8WVAngLjD4/s1600/galle+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="465" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T93NVCO-JM8/UpwABdmL9LI/AAAAAAAAQsg/r8WVAngLjD4/s640/galle+house.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a crumbling old building</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4SGEPFqMcCo/UpwAKCEOR4I/AAAAAAAAQsw/xqt9BUX8l2E/s1600/galle+lighthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4SGEPFqMcCo/UpwAKCEOR4I/AAAAAAAAQsw/xqt9BUX8l2E/s640/galle+lighthouse.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the white Galle lighthouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WBcXy3GqoME/UpwAJ-QkB4I/AAAAAAAAQss/-Mtvxi-cxUk/s1600/galle+sunset1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WBcXy3GqoME/UpwAJ-QkB4I/AAAAAAAAQss/-Mtvxi-cxUk/s640/galle+sunset1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sunset, so beautiful</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XOvDwYuQfn0/UpwAK7_kNdI/AAAAAAAAQs4/qvOwDIvDv2A/s1600/galle+sunset2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XOvDwYuQfn0/UpwAK7_kNdI/AAAAAAAAQs4/qvOwDIvDv2A/s640/galle+sunset2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sunset, so very beautiful</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QVTaGaAdDsQ/UpwAVYLdNpI/AAAAAAAAQtI/mlu2xv4J6II/s1600/galle+tuktuks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QVTaGaAdDsQ/UpwAVYLdNpI/AAAAAAAAQtI/mlu2xv4J6II/s640/galle+tuktuks.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">gorgeously colored tuk-tuks</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H3HiS4ZFYUE/UpwAVTKQdyI/AAAAAAAAQtE/o1sUwmgil2c/s1600/sunset1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H3HiS4ZFYUE/UpwAVTKQdyI/AAAAAAAAQtE/o1sUwmgil2c/s640/sunset1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">incredibly beautiful, this place</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zTg0bjtp1tg/UpwAWRKDnnI/AAAAAAAAQtQ/35-2ZRQ2tgU/s1600/temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="352" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zTg0bjtp1tg/UpwAWRKDnnI/AAAAAAAAQtQ/35-2ZRQ2tgU/s640/temple.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">an orange-robed Buddhist monk at the temple</td></tr>
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After the sun set, we found a little restaurant we'd read about, Lucky Fort, and enjoyed the next in a string of wonderful Sri Lankan dinners, this one with TEN curries: pineapple, dhal, eggplant, jackfruit, sweet potato, pumpkin, kankun leaves, green bean, radish, fried fish, and of course papadam. The restaurant was a few little tables in front of someone's home, and the mother made the food while her son served it. When we told him to tell his mother how much we enjoyed her food, he lit up and ran into the house to bring her to us. It was quite adorable.<br />
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Today we'll poke around Galle, wind our way through the streets, see what there is to see, and have a low-key day here. Tomorrow we're taking a tuk-tuk back along the winding road to nearby Mirissa, where we'll go out on a boat to see blue whales and sperm whales....if we're lucky. I think if I were to see either or both, I might just die of happiness right on the spot. Fingers crossed.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com0Galle, Sri Lanka6.0334008999999993 80.2183840000000155.9702403999999989 80.137703000000016 6.0965614 80.299065000000013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-36524660022739995762013-12-01T00:34:00.004-05:002013-12-02T08:32:44.145-05:00leaving Rekawa beachIt's tricky yet to say that we LOVE Sri Lanka, because we've been to Colombo and here at this gorgeous secluded hotel on the beach. How much of Sri Lanka have we really seen yet? How much interaction have we had with Sri Lankan people, beyond those who work here at this incredible hotel, those who are trained to take very good care of us? We have had <i>some </i>brief interactions with people we pass on the road, and they have been without exception warm and lovely people, smiling giant smiles and greeting us in English, "Hello! Good morning!" We are smiling giant smiles too, so very happy to be in their beautiful country, so very happy to make this place ours, a little bit, in our hearts, a place we now care about in a more personal way -- this is what travel does, it makes the world personal for you.<br />
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We've been on a lot of beaches around the world, but this beach, Rekawa Beach, is probably the most beautiful, and it's also entirely empty of people. There is no trashy evidence of people either; the only litter on the beach is ocean litter -- shells, plants, weeds. After breakfast this morning we took a final walk along the beach and tried very hard to record it in our hearts, to take an experience Polaroid of it, to bookmark it in our memories in a way photographs themselves can't quite capture: the power of the surf pounding the sand and felt in our chests and feet, the sweet smells in the air, the feeling of the air on our skin.</div>
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After the beach, we went out once again on the old bicycles, bouncing on rocky patches of dirt road and trying to avoid the big red muddy rain puddles left from last night's storms. Again we pass people, some we are beginning to recognize -- <i>ah, we saw him yesterday! There she is again! -- </i>and all smile and speak to us.</div>
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We'll be leaving at 2pm for Galle, a two-hour taxi ride more or less. Galle is a historic old city with a big fort, and it'll be as different from Rekawa Beach and Tangalle as we can imagine anything being. We're trying to adjust our minds so we encounter it with anticipation rather than just being "not Tangalle," and I'm looking forward to finding Galle's charms, to enjoying more delicious Sri Lankan food. We still have Hatton, in the tea hills, and Kandy ahead of us after Galle, so much more of Sri Lanka to see.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bdv6niut9h0/UprH8V_3mEI/AAAAAAAAQq0/Rota1ClknRc/s1600/beach2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bdv6niut9h0/UprH8V_3mEI/AAAAAAAAQq0/Rota1ClknRc/s640/beach2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">morning beach, elementally quiet but symphonic</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L5xKKuxer_M/UprH8HajClI/AAAAAAAAQqw/wbWAD5ANx4c/s1600/beach+plants2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L5xKKuxer_M/UprH8HajClI/AAAAAAAAQqw/wbWAD5ANx4c/s640/beach+plants2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beach vegetation</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m4TtAGxkvaA/UprH7xfUryI/AAAAAAAAQqs/GjgHcvYE59U/s1600/beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m4TtAGxkvaA/UprH7xfUryI/AAAAAAAAQqs/GjgHcvYE59U/s640/beach.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beach vegetation</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UQcr2fhn6M4/UprIBNsFJOI/AAAAAAAAQrQ/q1lPmwZ0vh0/s1600/hazy+morning+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UQcr2fhn6M4/UprIBNsFJOI/AAAAAAAAQrQ/q1lPmwZ0vh0/s640/hazy+morning+beach.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the morning sun cutting through the clouds</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-olfqzuX2SNY/UprIB6ftcgI/AAAAAAAAQrU/k-2-gP09rfk/s1600/marc+telling+me+about+waves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-olfqzuX2SNY/UprIB6ftcgI/AAAAAAAAQrU/k-2-gP09rfk/s640/marc+telling+me+about+waves.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marc explaining something to me</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-huTGQmd5BPc/UprIFToVVuI/AAAAAAAAQrk/W5VkNDadaTA/s1600/ocean+green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-huTGQmd5BPc/UprIFToVVuI/AAAAAAAAQrk/W5VkNDadaTA/s640/ocean+green.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cold green ocean waves</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rO0Z7US5X3Q/UprIAysu_KI/AAAAAAAAQrM/ScZd-YmAczk/s1600/morning+waves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rO0Z7US5X3Q/UprIAysu_KI/AAAAAAAAQrM/ScZd-YmAczk/s640/morning+waves.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">crashing power</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrznTQ9evlo/UprIGGYDmZI/AAAAAAAAQr4/Yja4bgRej64/s1600/shell+hunting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrznTQ9evlo/UprIGGYDmZI/AAAAAAAAQr4/Yja4bgRej64/s640/shell+hunting.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hunting for shells...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1FxceUpy1I/UprIFrOmcqI/AAAAAAAAQr0/iBqPd4rZrDk/s1600/shells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1FxceUpy1I/UprIFrOmcqI/AAAAAAAAQr0/iBqPd4rZrDk/s640/shells.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">....and finding them, orange like Sri Lanka</td></tr>
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December 1 already, what a strange thing. Last December 1 my life was little but wreckage, and here, one turn around the sun, I am in this beautiful place with Marc, having a wonderful time, and awaiting the birth of my grandson. Life is long and strange and wonderful.</div>
Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-73044642135110252112013-11-30T00:52:00.000-05:002013-12-02T08:44:47.445-05:00biking, snarling dogs, and food at the bus stationYesterday morning we borrowed two bikes from the hotel -- big old-fashioned bikes with a basket and a bell, and one speed -- and took off in search of the lagoon. Which is RIGHT THERE, visible from our room. We'd had no luck the day before, but yesterday we went straight to it. The map we'd been given bore absolutely no spatial relationship to the route, but we found it and that was enough. It was a glorious morning, sunny blue skies, few people around, birds and insects singing. We passed beautiful little homes, an occasional Sri Lankan man or woman walking somewhere, and for me it was one of those experiences that are sharp and defined, a signal experience, one I'll return to when I think about our vacation in Sri Lanka. We decided to go out in a kayak the next day, which requires a bit of coordination with the hotel, who hires a tuk-tuk driver to load the kayak on top of the little vehicle and drive us there, and then wait for us.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S6wWDfmCLnY/Uplyu0ef2pI/AAAAAAAAQow/JOZAp29e96Q/s1600/tangalle+bike+route.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S6wWDfmCLnY/Uplyu0ef2pI/AAAAAAAAQow/JOZAp29e96Q/s640/tangalle+bike+route.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">quiet and beautiful and so remote</td></tr>
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In the late afternoon, we took a tuk-tuk into town to eat at a little restaurant called Prem. In the wake of the last big tsunami, an American man named Prem gave the family enough money to open the restaurant. It's a little covered patio attached to a home tucked away in the corner of the bus station parking lot, next to a cricket field. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i0lbzorRCiQ/Upl2kooVZKI/AAAAAAAAQpA/dPRH1-lEqVI/s1600/prem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="473" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i0lbzorRCiQ/Upl2kooVZKI/AAAAAAAAQpA/dPRH1-lEqVI/s640/prem.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">come on in!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aNPyMicOSfo/Upl2kLsMHDI/AAAAAAAAQo8/I7KaHK4y_KA/s1600/marc+in+prem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aNPyMicOSfo/Upl2kLsMHDI/AAAAAAAAQo8/I7KaHK4y_KA/s640/marc+in+prem.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the brightly decorated interior, and Marc trying to find someone who works here</td></tr>
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We arrived around 4:30pm -- very early, though the sign said 'Open' (it probably always says open) -- and found no one in the restaurant. Finally someone told Marc to wait five minutes, and suddenly the owner, Jeeva, walked in with her washing, kind of surprised to see us. Oh! She smiled, we smiled, we told her we wanted to eat and she waited for us to tell her what we wanted. We kind of fumbled a little then she said, "Rice? Curry?" We nodded, yes yes, rice and curry, and kind of waved our hands around indicating <i>more, other things too</i>. Marc asked for a tomato salad, and she nodded and said an hour and a half. We'd read on TripAdvisor that this is how the restaurant worked, so we were prepared but asked for an hour. She was hesitant but agreed, and we headed out to walk around the nearby market. Our darling tuk-tuk driver waited there.</div>
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The market is at the bus station and no sooner had we stepped away from the restaurant than a pack of wild(ish) dogs surrounded us, fell in step with us, and wouldn't leave. They snarled and barked at each other, wound themselves around my feet and tripped me once, and just wouldn't leave. We were right in the middle of the honking buses, the honking cars, the crowds of people, and the hot end of the day, and the frightening dogs were just too much for me. We walked into the market hoping the dogs would leave but they didn't; as we passed a stall, one woman asked me if the dogs were mine, and I said no -- she warned me that they bite, a warning I really didn't need. We decided to leave the market and as we did, an older man walking past me said, "Beautiful flowers!" pointing to my tattoo. I smiled back, yes, beautiful flowers. We walked away from the market, always trying unsuccessfully to lose the dogs, and we turned on a quiet side road. A couple of young boys chased the dogs with big sticks and threw rocks at them, so Marc picked up some rocks for his pockets too. We'd been too afraid to lash out at the dogs, afraid they'd bite us, but seeing how they responded to the boys made us a little less worried about that.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kGoEgioBrjI/Upl3TY3bIhI/AAAAAAAAQpM/EWO0b14iZfw/s1600/che.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kGoEgioBrjI/Upl3TY3bIhI/AAAAAAAAQpM/EWO0b14iZfw/s640/che.jpg" width="548" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the eternal ubiquity of Che graffiti. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T4Xq2MoZenY/Upl3Tj-VruI/AAAAAAAAQpQ/82zF1r_fQfY/s1600/cows+tangalle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="364" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T4Xq2MoZenY/Upl3Tj-VruI/AAAAAAAAQpQ/82zF1r_fQfY/s640/cows+tangalle.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">trucks, motorcycles, and cows.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yFTVm1Axx4Q/Upl3UC7Z4nI/AAAAAAAAQpc/ZoKCacFxb4E/s1600/fish+two+ways.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="387" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yFTVm1Axx4Q/Upl3UC7Z4nI/AAAAAAAAQpc/ZoKCacFxb4E/s640/fish+two+ways.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fish two ways: filets for dinner, or live for your tropical fishtank needs.<br />
I wonder if the live ones see the fish next door as a cautionary tale.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4o2a0lo6CxY/Upl3Wmsyc7I/AAAAAAAAQpk/MFaIZyXB9pQ/s1600/orange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="361" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4o2a0lo6CxY/Upl3Wmsyc7I/AAAAAAAAQpk/MFaIZyXB9pQ/s640/orange.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">so much orange here -- the cinema, the cabs, so much of the clothing.<br />
and check out that magnificent tree.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lRZ6520X4fY/Upl3XBaJSbI/AAAAAAAAQpo/Hb9tmUWrcZE/s1600/tangalle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lRZ6520X4fY/Upl3XBaJSbI/AAAAAAAAQpo/Hb9tmUWrcZE/s640/tangalle.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">downtown Tangalle</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-62HVARSkiVc/Upl36Mo_aDI/AAAAAAAAQp4/V1omo5gLG3E/s1600/tree+president.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-62HVARSkiVc/Upl36Mo_aDI/AAAAAAAAQp4/V1omo5gLG3E/s640/tree+president.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">that's a poster of the president on the left (the mustaches are the giveaway).<br />
local boy done good.</td></tr>
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We wandered around, 35 minutes still to wait for our dinner, and then a tuk-tuk pulled up alongside us. It was our darling tuk-tuk driver -- no idea if he'd come out looking for us, or if he was just killing time too and came across us, but he asked if we'd like to see the harbor. We jumped in and he took us to another part of the beach where the swimming is much easier, a part that's lined with inexpensive little homestays where young backpacker-type kids stay. We walked along the beach, sat in chairs, talked a little to the tuk-tuk driver who told us that the president of Sri Lanka, a man with an enormous, glorious, 1970s-style mustache, is from Tangalle. We'd apparently passed his giant private home without realizing it. The president's eldest son, age 24, is a minister of something, and is building a large hotel on the beach too.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GFAv8zN6NIw/Upl6MfHnVcI/AAAAAAAAQqM/UjlLWkCzvF8/s1600/beach+rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GFAv8zN6NIw/Upl6MfHnVcI/AAAAAAAAQqM/UjlLWkCzvF8/s640/beach+rocks.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">never tire of the ocean, ever</td></tr>
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Finally it was time to go back to the restaurant. We took our seats and a couple of women ran in through the front door -- helpers, we later learned, because the owner's daughters weren't there to help and she literally did every last thing from scratch. It was like going to someone's home and saying, "hey, how about some dinner," and she runs out to the market for the ingredients then makes it for us. We were the only guests, though perhaps others were coming later. First she brought out a big platter of the most fragrant white rice it made me feel kind of drunk, and then bowl after bowl after bowl of curries: eggplant curry, okra curry, dal, green pumpkin curry, chicken curry, some kind of amazing cold salad of an herb that was slightly bitter like parsley combined with finely chopped red onion and tomato and fresh ground coconut, sprinkled with lemon, and then a gorgeous little tomato salad we requested, delicious tomatoes and chopped onion and hot little green peppers, topped with crisp curry leaves. There was also a plate of the lightest, crispiest papadams we have ever nibbled. Every single dish was incredible -- rich and delicate, sophisticated and layered with flavors, perfectly prepared. The okra had just the right bite, the lentils were perfect, every single bite was better than the one that came before.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vtyHsn53Lc8/Upl6NL10hGI/AAAAAAAAQqI/mVAplTtnk9A/s1600/prem+come+again.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vtyHsn53Lc8/Upl6NL10hGI/AAAAAAAAQqI/mVAplTtnk9A/s640/prem+come+again.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we would dearly love to come again!</td></tr>
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So far this vacation has been our best vacation for food, of all the places we've been. It's hard to imagine, but it's simply true that the grilled seafood we had the other night, and the Indian food we had last night, are easily among the top meals we've had our whole lives. </div>
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This morning we went out early on the lagoon for about an hour, paddling our little two-person kayak along the perimeter, floating next to mangroves, peering into shadowy coves, watching bunches of little silver fish hopping out of the water and skimming along the top for a minute before re-entering the water. It was so quiet, so beautiful. We saw beautiful little homes tucked back a ways. A man in a boat, far enough away that we can only guess he was fishing -- we couldn't see well enough to be sure. An older man driving a small number of water buffalos along the road. No mosquitos, no bugs, just a few birds here and there, and a big blue sky overhead. Rings of coconut palms around the bank of the lagoon. And Marc and me, once again in a boat on the water in some place far away from home.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-67qv8ob4VEU/UpmZgQ7I7NI/AAAAAAAAQqc/VCEphdHBrvg/s1600/all+in+one+breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-67qv8ob4VEU/UpmZgQ7I7NI/AAAAAAAAQqc/VCEphdHBrvg/s640/all+in+one+breakfast.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this morning's breakfast: "all in one," which is French toast with fresh fruit,<br />
buffalo yogurt, and treacle</td></tr>
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This afternoon we'll swim and relax, and tonight we're returning to the Cactus Lounge for another round of that amazing grilled seafood we had a couple of nights ago. Tomorrow mid-afternoon we'll leave here and head to Galle, and we are both feeling sad and sorry to leave Tangalle, and <a href="http://www.buckinghamplace.lk/" target="_blank">Buckingham Place</a>. The owner, Nick Buckingham, is a Brit who not only owns and runs this hotel (ranked third in all of Asia in the 'small hotel' category, we were told), he has also donated a lot to the hospital in the wake of the tsunami. People seem to regard him highly, and we are sorry not to meet him.</div>
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And so November winds down and I see on my phone that it's very cold back home, and I know the Christmas season has begun, but here we sit in this sunny color-drenched paradise, talking to such warm and friendly people, shouting hellos back to those we pass on our bikes or walks. I'm so grateful to have the chance to learn how beautiful Sri Lanka is, and how warm the people are.</div>
Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com0Tangalle, Sri Lanka6.0166667 80.7833332999999815.9535027 80.702652299999983 6.0798307000000005 80.86401429999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-31292605959138564502013-11-28T22:34:00.001-05:002013-12-02T08:40:34.850-05:00the lying-around continuesThese posts from Tangalle must become monotonous in the way other people's quiet pleasure seems. Delicious food, swimming, lying in the sun, reading, talking walks, repeat. Our hotel is about 12 bumpy kilometers from Tangalle so we go in once a day for this and that, but otherwise we are hanging around the hotel and relaxing. From our room, we see the big lagoon and so yesterday we decided to follow the hotel's map ("very easy!") and after two tries, we just couldn't find it. It's right there!! How can we miss it! And yet we did. Marc went out once, early in the morning, and came back feeling defeated, but together we couldn't find it either. Crazy. It's right there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g7qgM9aKc1o/UpgF1fGEtwI/AAAAAAAAQoU/xvUMiSXPTv8/s1600/soft+pink+green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="564" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g7qgM9aKc1o/UpgF1fGEtwI/AAAAAAAAQoU/xvUMiSXPTv8/s640/soft+pink+green.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">i love the delicate colors, in a country that's usually characterized by deep and rich colors</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AQDuzyLzTYU/UpgF6liW1KI/AAAAAAAAQok/f3WMlCE8S3Y/s1600/tangalle+crabs+on+rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AQDuzyLzTYU/UpgF6liW1KI/AAAAAAAAQok/f3WMlCE8S3Y/s640/tangalle+crabs+on+rocks.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">crabs crawling all over the rocks at the beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-44QI2Y3I-80/UpgF6rW0d7I/AAAAAAAAQog/YviQH7_8O4g/s1600/tangalle+rock+pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-44QI2Y3I-80/UpgF6rW0d7I/AAAAAAAAQog/YviQH7_8O4g/s640/tangalle+rock+pool.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the rock pool near our hotel, on the Indian Ocean. so beautiful.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4IxeAGHBzHs/UpgFgmIJMNI/AAAAAAAAQnc/hNbsSsfIyD8/s1600/baby+lizard1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="364" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4IxeAGHBzHs/UpgFgmIJMNI/AAAAAAAAQnc/hNbsSsfIyD8/s640/baby+lizard1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this young monitor lizard lives in that shell by the hotel restaurant</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kBeFGzHRr_w/UpgFmbQ11oI/AAAAAAAAQns/_KqsayJO8AQ/s1600/baby+lizard2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kBeFGzHRr_w/UpgFmbQ11oI/AAAAAAAAQns/_KqsayJO8AQ/s640/baby+lizard2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">really cute, for a monitor lizard!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-50Fo4-NgaOg/UpgFm9xlbvI/AAAAAAAAQnw/kOWqezRl_Dc/s1600/bigger+lizard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-50Fo4-NgaOg/UpgFm9xlbvI/AAAAAAAAQnw/kOWqezRl_Dc/s640/bigger+lizard.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this one crossed the road when we were wandering through the countryside.<br />
a little less cute.</td></tr>
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And so we swam, we lay in the sun, I read a lot, we snoozed, and in the late afternoon we tuk-tuked into Tangalle to go to the bank and do some errands. The driver took us here and there and waited as long as we wanted, but that always makes me feel anxious. I know he's just sitting there in the tuk-tuk, and it's kind of hot, and I'm aware that he's just sitting there in the tuk-tuk waiting for us. We went into the bank to change some dollars and the young woman who helped us was the most beautiful woman I can ever remember seeing. By far. I couldn't take my eyes off her beautiful face, and her eyelashes were thicker and longer than any eyelashes I've ever seen, even fake ones. Hers were real and unadorned and just beautiful. Her face lit up when we said we were going to Galle next, when she asked about our visit to Sri Lanka. She is from Galle, and she stays in Tangalle while she works because it's a 2-hour drive. I hated leaving the bank because I wanted to keep looking at her. There are uniformed men holding long rifles everywhere; the guy inside the bank lobby was old and toothless, but his rifle was very long and visible.<br />
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One thing we wanted to see in Tangalle was the harbor, but it turned out to be simply a working harbor, and since we were there in the mid-afternoon all the action was over for the day.<br />
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We decided to have dinner back at our hotel and I WISH the light had been better because we finally had kotthu roti and it was amazing. They crisp-fry curry leaves to sprinkle on top, and they're so light but crunchy and add a nice peppery bite to the kotthu roti. I'm going to miss Sri Lankan food very much, and will probably want it every time I return to New York. Marc will probably learn to make it for me, too.<br />
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Today's mission is to find that damn lagoon -- we'll use the hotel bikes this time for a change of pace. We'll swim and lie in the sun. I'll keep reading (books 7 and 8 now, boy will I have a lot of book review writing to do when I'm home!). We'll tuk-tuk into town this evening to eat Indian food at this little place in the bus station, one of the top two restaurants in Tangalle. Another beautiful day in this paradise, surrounded by physical beauty and people beauty and sun and happiness.<br />
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Happy day after Thanksgiving, everyone. So much to be thankful for!Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com0Tangalle, Sri Lanka6.0166667 80.7833332999999815.9535027 80.702652299999983 6.0798307000000005 80.86401429999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-18263345467112740472013-11-27T23:21:00.001-05:002013-12-02T08:41:59.158-05:00food, horses, and tuktuksWe hung around the pool yesterday afternoon, just hanging out with our friend Ginger. I've never seen such a strange horse; she stood next to Marc and me as we sat in the lounge chairs, and when we went to the pool, she just kept standing there, as if she were waiting for us. She put her cheek next to Marc's and just kept it there, and then she rested it on top of his head for a long time. I was in the chair reading while Marc kept swimming, and she stood behind my chair and started bopping her head to the left of my head, over the top to the right, over the top to the left, over the top to the right, over and over and over in a rhythm. She'd whack me on top of my head with her bony jaw and she just wouldn't stop. Occasionally she'd rest on top of my head. She just wouldn't leave us, and finally one of the staff lured her away with a piece of bread. It was so funny. <br />
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We hired a tuk-tuk driver to take us into Tangalle for dinner, at the Cactus Lounge. It's not much more than a little shack on the beach with tables stuck in the sand, but it's the best restaurant in Tangalle and we were excited to eat there. The owner asked us how we'd heard of his place -- TripAdvisor, he asked? We asked about lobster and he said we had to order that a day in advance so he has it fresh. He said, "If you like my food, maybe you will come back," and I loved him for that. <i>His </i>food, not <i>the </i>food. I ordered grilled prawns and Marc got mixed grill, with a fish steak, baby octopus, calamari, and prawns. The meal came with a plate of baby shoestring fried potatoes, the best EVER, and a salad of cabbage, carrots, onions, and tomatoes. It was an amazing meal, all the way around.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d-PJZzMwlLU/UpbDbaftPFI/AAAAAAAAQnI/-nhTnCzMZro/s1600/cactus+lounge+fries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d-PJZzMwlLU/UpbDbaftPFI/AAAAAAAAQnI/-nhTnCzMZro/s640/cactus+lounge+fries.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">you can't imagine how great these were</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--keoMPQRuXM/UpbDGGSb4NI/AAAAAAAAQnA/Sv6jFgQtmMI/s1600/tangalle+tuktuk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--keoMPQRuXM/UpbDGGSb4NI/AAAAAAAAQnA/Sv6jFgQtmMI/s640/tangalle+tuktuk.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tuk-tuking it into town</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">always a close call with traffic!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--9_Uov7G0_Q/UpbDBAikFnI/AAAAAAAAQmw/8VFVw2idHnA/s1600/tangalle+cactus+lounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--9_Uov7G0_Q/UpbDBAikFnI/AAAAAAAAQmw/8VFVw2idHnA/s640/tangalle+cactus+lounge.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">considering the menu at Cactus Lounge -- a lovely view!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0xiSmNQ7W8E/UpbCrNiyQlI/AAAAAAAAQl4/96YdLjawEC8/s1600/mandlcactuslounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="492" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0xiSmNQ7W8E/UpbCrNiyQlI/AAAAAAAAQl4/96YdLjawEC8/s640/mandlcactuslounge.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lots of delicious food for us</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ldmx1W3G-hc/UpbCnW23WqI/AAAAAAAAQlo/1fZmqsRgFP8/s1600/cactus+lounge+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="451" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ldmx1W3G-hc/UpbCnW23WqI/AAAAAAAAQlo/1fZmqsRgFP8/s640/cactus+lounge+salad.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">perfect crunchy salad, and so fresh</td></tr>
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The road from our hotel into Tangalle is paved in short spurts, with much longer sections of dirt road pocked with holes and giant ruts, so it was a little rough in spots and slow going. Our tuk-tuk driver was a handsome young man who took the rough patches with great care and slow speed; he was constantly passed by other tuk-tuk drivers who weren't apparently worried about the road. Marc and I figured that since one of the very few complaints about our hotel is the rough road into Tangalle, the hotel owners caution the tuk-tuk drivers to take the trip slowly -- and those other speedier tuk-tuk drivers aren't carrying guests of our hotel. It was fun going so slowly, getting to watch the life going on as we passed by. Small markets with young people standing around, people walking somewhere in the dark, other people walking from Tangalle into the countryside carrying bags of chips and other food.<br />
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My already-limited affection for the peacocks is wearing thin after a night of listening to it shriek and scream. Bastard peacock. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jDPYmrXe2Fo/UpbCr1grFVI/AAAAAAAAQmE/2NGeeupuGoc/s1600/tangalle+bastard+peacock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jDPYmrXe2Fo/UpbCr1grFVI/AAAAAAAAQmE/2NGeeupuGoc/s640/tangalle+bastard+peacock.jpg" width="489" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">noisy thing, shrieking like a woman being murdered</td></tr>
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We were up by 6:15 this morning and since we'd ordered breakfast at 7:30, we decided to take a walk to the beach. It's quite a stunning beach, and so empty of people, always.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Epr9P_QZu18/UpbC0Gd13MI/AAAAAAAAQmU/xqsG_oaQ3aM/s1600/tangalle+beach+footprints.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Epr9P_QZu18/UpbC0Gd13MI/AAAAAAAAQmU/xqsG_oaQ3aM/s640/tangalle+beach+footprints.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marc's, mine, and a dog's footprints in the sand</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UEwZ3XvSy34/UpbCzjdYUfI/AAAAAAAAQmQ/OFpven2a6x0/s1600/tangalle+beach+fort.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UEwZ3XvSy34/UpbCzjdYUfI/AAAAAAAAQmQ/OFpven2a6x0/s640/tangalle+beach+fort.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">someone built this little fort</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PC1Zc7vTDIQ/UpbC52rDziI/AAAAAAAAQmg/_V-LcHOKGXA/s1600/tangalle+beach+marc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PC1Zc7vTDIQ/UpbC52rDziI/AAAAAAAAQmg/_V-LcHOKGXA/s640/tangalle+beach+marc.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marc on the morning beach</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tuy5U5AjNII/UpbC6MHcVsI/AAAAAAAAQmk/QDBRZJwHu9c/s1600/tangalle+beach+morning2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tuy5U5AjNII/UpbC6MHcVsI/AAAAAAAAQmk/QDBRZJwHu9c/s640/tangalle+beach+morning2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rock outcroppings</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pled54b54iU/UpbC_p6c_QI/AAAAAAAAQms/gHnEiqght4k/s1600/tangalle+rock+pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pled54b54iU/UpbC_p6c_QI/AAAAAAAAQms/gHnEiqght4k/s640/tangalle+rock+pool.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the rock pool, with striated rocks, and crawling with crabs</td></tr>
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<br />
For breakfast this morning, instead of ordering the traditional Sri Lankan feast we tried another specialty: chili eggs with bacon curry. It was delicious -- the egg slightly runny, on top of a thick piece of toast, with chilis poached into the egg. The bacon curry was interesting, not quite what we thought (though I don't think we had a very clear idea of what to expect). It wasn't fried, exactly; it was just like bacon with curry sauce on it. It was good, but we decided we'd go back to the traditional Sri Lankan feast breakfast tomorrow.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9GLBRUYAPXo/UpbCogiXJ2I/AAAAAAAAQl0/qnyptE7NtSg/s1600/chili+egg+breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9GLBRUYAPXo/UpbCogiXJ2I/AAAAAAAAQl0/qnyptE7NtSg/s640/chili+egg+breakfast.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chili eggs with bacon curry and coconut sambol</td></tr>
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<br />
The young men who work here are soft-spoken and sweet. This morning our waiter asked if we were from London. Usually, when we travel and people ask where we're from, all we need to say is New York City and they know that place. Here, though, they look at us with deep confusion, it doesn't register. Saying United States doesn't always register either; we have to say America. It's always funny trying to figure out how to answer the question, but this is the first time New York City hasn't meant a damn thing. Our waiter is from "up country," he said, and he asked if we'd been there -- he said he missed it. We told him where we were going and he seemed to understand us but I'm not actually sure he did.<br />
<br />
There is something very subtle my pronunciation must miss. Most of the time, for instance, if I say kotthu roti people will eventually guess what I mean. They'll say it back to me and it sounds to me like we're saying the same thing but we clearly aren't. Sometimes I'll say it and the person just looks at me blankly. My Texan mouth must be unable to make (and my ear to hear) the different diphthongs required to pronounce the words so they are intelligible.<br />
<br />
Our plan for the day is to take a tuk-tuk into town and do some poking around, a little shopping, some planning, and then have dinner. In the afternoon we'll swim, I'm sure. The weather has been outstanding, although it bears no relationship to the weather reports we see online. In fact, it's the opposite. The skies have been blue, with a few white clouds the last few days and online it'll say cloudy and overcast with rain. Today it says few clouds, but instead the skies are dark and heavy, no blue to be seen. So we'll see.<br />
<br />
A few years ago we spent Thanksgiving Day at Angkor Wat, and it was the most unusual Thanksgiving I'd ever spent at that point. But returning home in early December, after missing Thanksgiving at home, left me caught off guard by the holidays -- they seemed to just whoosh by before I realized what was going on. I wonder if it'll be the same this year, since once again we're missing Thanksgiving at home; it seems to mark the beginning of the holiday season in a way I didn't realize. But it's ok. Thanksgiving in Sri Lanka is pretty wonderful.<br />
<br />
Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends at home in America, and love to all of you.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com0Tangalle, Sri Lanka6.0166667 80.7833332999999815.9535027 80.702652299999983 6.0798307000000005 80.86401429999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-8402212308977587142013-11-26T23:38:00.001-05:002013-11-26T23:38:24.627-05:00oh my heavens, the foodOur excited anticipation of Sri Lanka was focused on the extraordinary beauty of the place and the food. OK, quite heavily on the food. We love love love spicy food, it's never spicy enough, and we knew the food here would be spicy. And also spiced, delicately and subtly. Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, this IS a spice island, you know. In my last post I wrote about our dinner last night, but I forgot to talk about the music. The restaurant is small, open air, with fish ponds around the perimeter. We ate by dim candlelight and listened to lots of Ray Charles. Old Ray Charles too, songs like I Got a Woman. Then a bit of softer jazz, then back to Ray Charles. And the trees were full of frogs singing, and birds making all kinds of sounds, and strange insects -- a whole symphony of jungle sounds. Somehow it was perfect and wonderful.<br />
<br />
This hotel is amazing; we'd read about how perfect it is, how the staff anticipate your needs but do so in the most unobtrusive way. When we were walking back to our little bungalow in the dark, after dinner last night, I saw a young man in the near distance with a pale flashlight. As we approached he started walking in the direction we were going and it took a few seconds to realize that he was there to light the way for us. He stopped just past our walkway and turned to shine the light up toward our door, and then stepped away when we had unlocked the door. It's a beautiful place, I can't recommend it highly enough. It's beautiful, absolutely, and peaceful, and everyone who works here is so friendly but not in your face, at all.<br />
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Unfortunately, the medication I'm taking for this severe itching from the bug bites gave me a second migraine in the middle of the night, so I lay awake for a long time listening to the wildlife outside, including the peacocks doing their screaming-woman sounds, and the roosters doing their thing.<br />
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This morning we were looking forward to our big traditional Sri Lankan breakfast at 8am. We were up earlier so we walked around a bit. In addition to the other wildlife here, there is a gentle little horse living on the property named Ginger. Ginger thinks she's a dog, I think. She acts like a pet -- she'll fall into step behind, walk up for a pet, she hangs out by people. She apparently has a little pet of her own, a white bird that walks next to her.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x8p1NHPOiaM/UpVylA4NFCI/AAAAAAAAQlU/9SU7PGakVd8/s1600/tree+to+the+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x8p1NHPOiaM/UpVylA4NFCI/AAAAAAAAQlU/9SU7PGakVd8/s400/tree+to+the+beach.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">funny tree on the way to the beach</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9YJymvFv8Vg/UpVyVnyJQPI/AAAAAAAAQkI/Ecg6PktdT7g/s1600/marc+and+ginger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9YJymvFv8Vg/UpVyVnyJQPI/AAAAAAAAQkI/Ecg6PktdT7g/s400/marc+and+ginger.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marc and Ginger</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wq2jqkjCBrU/UpVyWcUR32I/AAAAAAAAQkQ/tKb2fFPrUEs/s1600/ginger+and+friend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wq2jqkjCBrU/UpVyWcUR32I/AAAAAAAAQkQ/tKb2fFPrUEs/s400/ginger+and+friend.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ginger and her little pet</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XMq5-iXjD3E/UpVyWTxKABI/AAAAAAAAQkM/-U1ScCLqKEk/s1600/kerosene+pots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XMq5-iXjD3E/UpVyWTxKABI/AAAAAAAAQkM/-U1ScCLqKEk/s400/kerosene+pots.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">these kerosene pots hang on every tree; they are flaming torches at night</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ya94NnyrhNg/UpVyca5nySI/AAAAAAAAQko/Bf2LqnpfaNo/s1600/tangalle+beach2+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ya94NnyrhNg/UpVyca5nySI/AAAAAAAAQko/Bf2LqnpfaNo/s400/tangalle+beach2+(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">morning beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UympOAkCe6A/UpVyZwTyaVI/AAAAAAAAQkg/P3e5xz5hB9s/s1600/tangalle+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UympOAkCe6A/UpVyZwTyaVI/AAAAAAAAQkg/P3e5xz5hB9s/s400/tangalle+beach.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">morning beach</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JVULvhYs-q8/UpVykVZ24EI/AAAAAAAAQlM/8Qs8_G01x-A/s1600/tangalle+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JVULvhYs-q8/UpVykVZ24EI/AAAAAAAAQlM/8Qs8_G01x-A/s400/tangalle+plant.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">interesting plant with leaves like coins</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We walked over to the restaurant for breakfast after a little walk around the grounds. I was looking forward to the coffee, which helps this headache, but also the food. In Colombo we had string hoppers, but it's the egg hoppers I've been most looking forward to. We'd ordered the Sri Lankan breakfast -- you have to order it a day in advance, it's a big deal -- and we didn't know what to expect beyond egg hoppers, which would've been plenty. Instead, it was a GIANT feast. A plate piled with string hoppers, and a table filled with bowls of fish curry, dal curry, potato curry, a pea and coconut mix, coconut sambol, a plate of four egg hoppers with the spicy pepper condiment, fresh juice (watermelon for me, mixed for Marc), and a huge pot of thick, dark French press coffee. Playing in the restaurant: ABBY ROAD of all things, the whole album. It was surreal and fantastic and wonderful and incredible and there was much happiness and moaning around the table.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yV0DTgo6w0w/UpVyjyjZJHI/AAAAAAAAQlQ/cgFGQe7TvZI/s1600/tangalle+breakfast+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yV0DTgo6w0w/UpVyjyjZJHI/AAAAAAAAQlQ/cgFGQe7TvZI/s400/tangalle+breakfast+table.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OK, who could even eat ALL THIS? And the egg hoppers hadn't even arrived.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cuF0FaoHaJQ/UpVygO00JuI/AAAAAAAAQlE/vWP4iNCGgGc/s1600/tangalle+breakfast+plate1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cuF0FaoHaJQ/UpVygO00JuI/AAAAAAAAQlE/vWP4iNCGgGc/s400/tangalle+breakfast+plate1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">curries on top of string hoppers, coconut sambol atop the whole shebang</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ss6_kI7FbVY/UpVyfJvu9qI/AAAAAAAAQk8/KfVzd0EV5bk/s1600/tangalle+breakfast+juice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ss6_kI7FbVY/UpVyfJvu9qI/AAAAAAAAQk8/KfVzd0EV5bk/s400/tangalle+breakfast+juice.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">thick, fresh juices</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IhdaC5FT-gg/UpVyd1fXPBI/AAAAAAAAQk4/sUgeCwgFFQI/s1600/tangalle+breakfast+egg+hopper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IhdaC5FT-gg/UpVyd1fXPBI/AAAAAAAAQk4/sUgeCwgFFQI/s400/tangalle+breakfast+egg+hopper.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">how can I ever have breakfast without egg hoppers, ever ever again?</td></tr>
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I'm in the room for a while babying my aching head; Marc just came back from the rock pool and said it's the most perfect beach he's ever been on -- one after another peak experience moments. It's so wonderful seeing him be so happy and relaxed. Gosh we are happy. Things are good back at home, things are well with friends and family, and except for my migraines and itching, things are well with me. So very much to be thankful for.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com0Tangalle, Sri Lanka6.0166667 80.7833332999999815.9535027 80.702652299999983 6.0798307000000005 80.86401429999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-12995759833822863912013-11-26T10:47:00.003-05:002013-11-26T10:54:14.701-05:00Colombo to TangalleOur last day in Colombo was spent in search of. In search of the markets, in search of some medication for me, and an increasingly desperate search for kotthu roti. Wherever we go, one of Marc's and my favorite things to do is prowl through the markets. In Colombo, the markets are in the neighborhood called Pettah. One of the distinctive things about the market in Pettah is that most of the sellers in the stalls had microphones and seemed to doing an auctioneer's patter. It was very loud and chaotic, since the place was crowded with people and trucks and buses and tuk-tuks already.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HKGzwKVFWJk/UpS31Hd9X-I/AAAAAAAAQgo/ND7fM2BwIf0/s1600/colombo+market1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HKGzwKVFWJk/UpS31Hd9X-I/AAAAAAAAQgo/ND7fM2BwIf0/s400/colombo+market1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">just another day at the market</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f14oAwDa50w/UpS34D06u2I/AAAAAAAAQg4/gHvt02AxKiQ/s1600/colombo+market2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f14oAwDa50w/UpS34D06u2I/AAAAAAAAQg4/gHvt02AxKiQ/s400/colombo+market2.jpg" width="390" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">standing on the bridge over the busy street looking down at the market stalls</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yR4jA-IgZts/UpS33gvYk3I/AAAAAAAAQg0/A_0e1kyaEzg/s1600/colombo+market3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yR4jA-IgZts/UpS33gvYk3I/AAAAAAAAQg0/A_0e1kyaEzg/s400/colombo+market3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the same, on the other side of the road</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DSEKG5r5oGI/UpS3z_QL0xI/AAAAAAAAQgc/_v6Jw1zOa10/s1600/colombo+market+stall+microphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DSEKG5r5oGI/UpS3z_QL0xI/AAAAAAAAQgc/_v6Jw1zOa10/s400/colombo+market+stall+microphone.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of the many microphone yelling guys -- that's him in the blue shirt crouched on top of stuff</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yeT0mlJKSzQ/UpS30pvHPSI/AAAAAAAAQgg/i3DekHm1pw8/s1600/colombo+market+tuktuk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yeT0mlJKSzQ/UpS30pvHPSI/AAAAAAAAQgg/i3DekHm1pw8/s400/colombo+market+tuktuk.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tuk-tuks are our favorite way to get around on vacation.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dY8AVTrj8dE/UpS6hkc21cI/AAAAAAAAQhc/39JDXao2EWo/s1600/colombo+street1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dY8AVTrj8dE/UpS6hkc21cI/AAAAAAAAQhc/39JDXao2EWo/s400/colombo+street1.jpg" width="370" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a busy street in Pettah</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x4Zf5GTjcAU/UpS6gp6U8XI/AAAAAAAAQhQ/0NkDBkKRDU4/s1600/colombo+street3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x4Zf5GTjcAU/UpS6gp6U8XI/AAAAAAAAQhQ/0NkDBkKRDU4/s400/colombo+street3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tuk-tuks everywhere.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_PHag-ceMIk/UpS6kUudpSI/AAAAAAAAQho/KUL81mLk4tY/s1600/colombo+traffic+cop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_PHag-ceMIk/UpS6kUudpSI/AAAAAAAAQho/KUL81mLk4tY/s400/colombo+traffic+cop.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">traffic cops wear GIANT gloves with red markings, the better to see them</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DSnKmSrF-mk/UpS6myHCcFI/AAAAAAAAQh4/oq9ynK2FC6E/s1600/colombo+train+station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DSnKmSrF-mk/UpS6myHCcFI/AAAAAAAAQh4/oq9ynK2FC6E/s400/colombo+train+station.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Sri Lanka Railway station</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lGgNAEqTTFs/UpS6l-B66JI/AAAAAAAAQhw/vbagqm4hItM/s1600/colombo+vegetable+cart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lGgNAEqTTFs/UpS6l-B66JI/AAAAAAAAQhw/vbagqm4hItM/s400/colombo+vegetable+cart.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">he bore a very heavy load</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8eHSFEaym4o/UpS6nyVHqrI/AAAAAAAAQh8/oFGVvnWbulM/s1600/heavy+load+colombo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8eHSFEaym4o/UpS6nyVHqrI/AAAAAAAAQh8/oFGVvnWbulM/s400/heavy+load+colombo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and so did he, on a very busy street packed with buses and trucks</td></tr>
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When we went to Java earlier this year, I got these enormous bright red bites on my stomach and legs -- very itchy. Got them here too, and they were even itchier. It was hot and sticky and that made me itch even more, so after the chaos and noise of the market, I hung out in our room and read while Marc made a number of missions out to find some medication for me. I wish I could be a little butterfly floating above, watching him on these trips; he talks to everyone, asks for help, has all these interactions trying to get what he needs. While he was out, he found a place that had kotthu roti -- which was much more elusive than we ever dreamed it would be. We thought you could hardly turn a corner without running into a stall selling the stuff, but we could never find it. When it was time for dinner, we tried to find a few different places we'd been told about, read in the guidebooks, whatever (couldn't re-find the place Marc saw earlier, either), but we could not find any of them. It was very frustrating; it's one of the main things we were looking forward to. We finally stumbled into a little shop that was pretty seedy and filthy. Dark. One strange guy kept staring at me the whole time and made me feel very uncomfortable. They made egg hoppers and we were told they sold kotthu roti, but we aren't sure. It certainly wasn't what he were expecting; it was heavy and greasy and really kind of gross. Didn't even take a picture of it. We were so disappointed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s5Vxj70WIKU/UpS5_t5bp_I/AAAAAAAAQhI/gc1-dGBanB0/s1600/egg+hopper+stand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s5Vxj70WIKU/UpS5_t5bp_I/AAAAAAAAQhI/gc1-dGBanB0/s400/egg+hopper+stand.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we shoulda had the egg hoppers</td></tr>
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This morning we had our breakfast and checked out because the taxi was supposed to pick us up at 8am for the 4-hour drive to Tangalle. He finally arrived at 8:40 and told us it was a 5-hour drive, but we'd heard so many varied estimates of how long it should take so we weren't surprised. It was only $85 for such a long trip, and the car was a very comfortable Prius. The first part of the trip was on an expressway, straight and quick, about 75% of the way in terms of miles. But that last 25% was NOT on an expressway, and it was on a very windy road that hugged the Indian Ocean and wound through one small village and town after another. That last 25% of the trip took more than half the time. The driver kept the air conditioning on very low, and I was sitting in the back seat with Marc. So I was hot, the roads were winding, our progress was stop and start, swerving and honking....and I got severely car sick. I was already feeling bad from the medication I was taking for the severe itching, and it started my day with a migraine, so I was not having my best day. At all. I was leaning back with my eyes closed, trying to be still and quiet and not throw up, when Marc grabbed my knee as the car pulled over. Monitor lizards crossing the road. And turns out they just look like really giant creepy lizards, but kinda cool too:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_UPtfV13ITI/UpS-J82emdI/AAAAAAAAQiM/SBS11Yoj1b4/s1600/monitor+lizard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_UPtfV13ITI/UpS-J82emdI/AAAAAAAAQiM/SBS11Yoj1b4/s400/monitor+lizard.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">no frame of reference, I know -- trust me, it was really big.</td></tr>
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When a monitor lizard crosses the road, you let it. There were two or three crossing together, and by the time I got my camera and tried to capture them, I could only get this guy.<br />
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The place we're staying in Tangalle is absolutely wonderful, and extremely remote. We got to Tangalle and went through town, then turned off and wound our way down tiny little roads, turned again onto an even tinier road, passed emerald green fields with water buffalo and snowy white egrets, then turned onto an even tinier road. Then there we were. We were met with strings of frangipani placed around our necks, cold wet cloths for our hands, and we were escorted to our little bungalow:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rlq_vOoS5fk/UpS_CG5pgqI/AAAAAAAAQiU/DiNpIpuS-Sw/s1600/bungalow+name.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rlq_vOoS5fk/UpS_CG5pgqI/AAAAAAAAQiU/DiNpIpuS-Sw/s400/bungalow+name.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our room -- yeah, I don't know how to pronounce it either. "Five" works for me.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FRlzXAYuEHw/UpS_3jQiw_I/AAAAAAAAQj0/vqfRR1DWKQ8/s1600/lori+tangalle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="351" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FRlzXAYuEHw/UpS_3jQiw_I/AAAAAAAAQj0/vqfRR1DWKQ8/s400/lori+tangalle.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SO happy to be here.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NMk_yw6iIYE/UpS_FlhaQmI/AAAAAAAAQik/IJsQ_Y-1GdY/s1600/tangalle+bathtub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NMk_yw6iIYE/UpS_FlhaQmI/AAAAAAAAQik/IJsQ_Y-1GdY/s400/tangalle+bathtub.jpg" width="386" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the bathroom is bigger than our NYC apartment. This half has the tub.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3OY-PHwfUy4/UpS_NJhCgkI/AAAAAAAAQjM/KZrP4dIA2qk/s1600/tangalle+bungalow+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3OY-PHwfUy4/UpS_NJhCgkI/AAAAAAAAQjM/KZrP4dIA2qk/s400/tangalle+bungalow+(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me on the deck with a view of the lagoon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5UP628_52a0/UpS_OUB7JPI/AAAAAAAAQjQ/VDg0A0WC9oQ/s1600/tangalle+bungalow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5UP628_52a0/UpS_OUB7JPI/AAAAAAAAQjQ/VDg0A0WC9oQ/s400/tangalle+bungalow.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">that's our place. #5.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TjxUKP1SdvI/UpS_RhB6BsI/AAAAAAAAQjk/FjVi6rnr2KY/s1600/tangalle+pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TjxUKP1SdvI/UpS_RhB6BsI/AAAAAAAAQjk/FjVi6rnr2KY/s400/tangalle+pool.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a smallish pool, because the beach is just right over there. still, the pool is nice.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gueRTPNXXbo/UpS_Su9p3QI/AAAAAAAAQjs/9O-l3sodZ8Q/s1600/tangalle+shower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gueRTPNXXbo/UpS_Su9p3QI/AAAAAAAAQjs/9O-l3sodZ8Q/s400/tangalle+shower.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">oh, there's the other half of the giant bathroom. it's really giant, did i say that already?</td></tr>
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After a huge ordeal, I got the situation worked out with idiotic Blogger so I could get caught up here, and then we took a little walk over to the beautiful beach. It's empty and so lovely.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T6185z4Vrb4/UpS_OzjdVFI/AAAAAAAAQjc/NplzxzFBsjw/s1600/tangalle+monkeys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T6185z4Vrb4/UpS_OzjdVFI/AAAAAAAAQjc/NplzxzFBsjw/s400/tangalle+monkeys.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we passed a huge field full of these guys as we walked to the beach. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CjsVL2VNQVg/UpS_KBHvB5I/AAAAAAAAQjA/Pvw_De-INko/s1600/tangalle+beach2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CjsVL2VNQVg/UpS_KBHvB5I/AAAAAAAAQjA/Pvw_De-INko/s400/tangalle+beach2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it's gorgeous. That's the rock pool in the distance, where we'll swim. The current is too strong otherwise.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e4B069NbfRE/UpS_Ipqyp-I/AAAAAAAAQi4/LuAVqI0xm70/s1600/tangalle+beach1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e4B069NbfRE/UpS_Ipqyp-I/AAAAAAAAQi4/LuAVqI0xm70/s400/tangalle+beach1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a shot in the other direction. beach love.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SF_iwLj_6ec/UpS_GRQIAvI/AAAAAAAAQiw/Z3MzoEFcXrA/s1600/sea+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SF_iwLj_6ec/UpS_GRQIAvI/AAAAAAAAQiw/Z3MzoEFcXrA/s400/sea+plant.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">no idea, but i liked the way it looked.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hFJYrwXmHAo/UpS_CmrEBWI/AAAAAAAAQig/78BRDfelc5Y/s1600/mystery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hFJYrwXmHAo/UpS_CmrEBWI/AAAAAAAAQig/78BRDfelc5Y/s400/mystery.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cuttlefish bones EVERYWHERE.</td></tr>
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We ate a gorgeous meal, Sri Lankan specialties -- folded inside an enormous square banana leaf package was steamed rice, a piece of fish, some prawns, a vegetable cutlet, and a variety of spiced treats to stir in. There was a bowl of boiled egg curry to spoon over the rice and it was just exquisite. Very subtle and heavily spiced with cardamom and cloves and curry leaves and just layers and layers of delicate flavor. I loved it. We unfortunately ordered desserts, which were disappointing, but it's OK. That curry and fish and rice were so good it's easy to just let it have the last word.<br />
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And now we sleep. It's 9:15pm here and tomorrow we're going to explore Tangalle and line up some snorkeling. Do some beach walking. Swimming. Relaxing. Reading for me (I've finished 4 books already, starting on the 5th and 6th) and some beach meditation for Marc. Good food, no doubt. Maybe even some kotthu roti, we'll see about that.<br />
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Loving Sri Lanka so far. So glad to be here. xoLorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-5283763799415349752013-11-26T07:44:00.003-05:002013-11-26T07:44:30.164-05:00Colombo, day 1[preamble: Delay in posting due to problems accessing Blogger! Everything's OK now, so I should be doing my regular daily posting. This is the post I wrote on day 1, I'll do another in a couple of hours to catch up.]<br />
<br />
Although they have a very bad reputation, Etihad Airways reliably gets to Abu Dhabi from New York on time. Marc watched it over the weeks before we left, and the bad reputation must have to do with other destinations than Abu Dhabi. Night after night, the flight left New York City mostly on time, and arrived in Abu Dhabi on time. We had a 2 hour and 15 minute layover, which should've been more than enough time given Marc's investigation.<br />
<br />
Except there was some kind of unspecified "mechanical" problem on the plane and a gate full of increasingly frustrated passengers. No matter who asked, no matter how often, the response from gate agents was "5 to 10 more minutes." Occasionally it was "5 to 10 more minutes for an update." They 5-to-10-more-minuted us through a 2+ hour delay. And so, of course, we missed our connection. At Abu Dhabi International Airport, after a lot of extremely fast walking, some blind following of other people who seemed to be in the same boat, some often confusing explanations and directions from a variety of airport employees, and then arrival at a second transfer desk, we got tickets on Sri Lankan Airways, were assured our luggage would be transferred to Colombo, and we got seats together. We had enough time to send an email to the hotel in Colombo, telling them we would not be arriving on the 3:30 flight, so we canceled our airport pick-up. While we were waiting to board the plane, a Sri Lankan man sitting next to me opened his large briefcase and it was filled to the brim with candies of all kinds.<br />
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We got to Colombo around 6:30am, had the quickest and easiest entry into a new country, changed some money, and our taxi driver was still waiting for us. He had not been given the message, so he waited three hours for us. When we got in the cab, he told us that Prince of Charles was coming (another person later told us King of Charles was coming) and that the country was so proud. We passed billboards that said "We warmly welcome you to our beautiful country." And it really is beautiful -- the visual definition of lush. It's kind of dreamy in some way; Michael Ondaatje, the film director, is from here, and I can see the roots of his visual aesthetic. My primary impressions on the way from the airport is that Colombo is extraordinarily clean and thick with color. Every shop is painted a different rich color, deep oranges and reds and blues and purples, lots of purple.<br />
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Our Colombo hotel is beautiful, minimalist, but warm, with gorgeous furniture in the lobby made at a fine and small scale, from wood that's been polished to a very warm glow. The staff are friendly and warm, but the management is another story altogether. We're glad we didn't actually get in at 3:30 as we'd planned; I guess we'd have just been sitting on the street waiting because even arriving at 7 was a problem. The manager who greeted us complained of the early hour, and told us that if we wanted the room early we'd have to pay half the day's rate. Marc argued and eventually we got the room around 10:30. We were exhausted and hot and sweaty and just wanted to peel off the sticky clothes we'd put on in New York 30+ hours earlier and take a cool shower.<br />
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Our hotel is very near Small Beira Lake, so we walked around the lake's perimeter. The streets were utterly empty and all the shops were closed. Sri Lanka is primarily a Buddhist country, especially in the south where we are, so we were puzzled. Where was everyone? We saw military men in little huts with their guns, and women in orange t-shirts sweeping the remarkably clean streets, but few other people. It was steamy and muggy and overcast, so after one tour around the lake we returned to our room to rest a while and figure out what to do, especially given the fact that everything was closed.<br />
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When we were in India in September 2006, we had a uniform experience everywhere we went of being lied to and misdirected, and we were rarely able to go where we wanted to go because "Today is a holiday," or "That place is closed, I'll take you here instead." Over and over and over. I hope what happened to us our first day reflected the truth, but it seemed an awful lot like our experience of India. We were walking to the beach and a man fell in step alongside us, saying he was just walking home from work. He asked where we were from, and told us we ought to turn right up ahead, go to the downtown area. We said no, we just want to go to the beach and he said it's closed, the President is here, we're not allowed, no, just turn right up here, come, I'll go with you. Marc persisted and we crossed the street toward the beach anyway, and the guy followed us, insisting that we really should go the other way. We saw people there and he said it closes in 15 minutes, we should go with him. We finally ditched him and of course the beach was NOT closed, it was filled with Sri Lankan people enjoying the afternoon. The sky was full of kites, the steps were lined with people (and young couples hiding behind big umbrellas), the water was filled with people standing and letting the waves crash against them despite the signs saying not to swim because of dangerous currents. We walked the length of the beach and started trying to find a place to get some kotthu roti. But everything was closed, it was so bizarre.<br />
<br />
We stopped to sit in the shade for a few minutes to make a plan B, when a young guy walked up to us and asked us what we were looking for. He introduced himself and said he worked at the Hilton (showed us what seemed to be his Hilton employee card), and said we really ought to eat at Summer Garden, a restaurant specializing in Sri Lankan food, in Victoria Park. He told us to get a metered tuk-tuk and motioned for us to follow him. He hailed one and spoke to the driver at length in Sri Lankan, and then he hopped in with us. I'd gathered we were going to drop him off at his apartment along the way, and he was saying something about since it's a big holiday (ah! An explanation, we thought) -- Buddha's birthday -- everything was half price. The driver pulled over at some store and the guy tried to get us out to do some shopping . . . ah, the old switcheroo . . . and we said no, so he tried to explain to the driver where the Summer Garden restaurant was located but was getting nowhere so he just climbed back in the tuk-tuk with us and directed the driver to the restaurant.<br />
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We clearly went WAY out of the way, although the long ride was still very cheap, and in the end the guy didn't get anything he was after. We didn't do the shopping he wanted us to do (and for which I assume he'd have gotten some commission), and he didn't get dropped off at his apartment. We sat at an outdoor table under an umbrella and ordered lunch (no kotthu roti, and the waiter laughed when I asked for it); Marc ordered devilled cuttlefish and I got stir fried rice and chicken, I think, along with a giant Lion beer. The food was quite good, the Lion beer cold and bitter, and the place was filled with Sri Lankan people.<br />
<br />
After we ate, we wandered through Victoria Park for a few minutes and then hailed a tuk-tuk. The driver was a very old man with a sweet, toothless smile. We showed him the little map of the area where our hotel was located and he nodded his head. Along the way he pulled over at a Buddhist temple and turned around to grin at us, pointing at the elephant being tended behind the gate. We sat for a minute watching the elephant and then the driver pulled back into traffic and dropped us near enough to our hotel that we could easily walk the rest of the way. He kind of redeemed our earlier experiences, but now I am very wary, wondering whether we will be lied to and misdirected everywhere here, as we were in India. I really hope not.<br />
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We'd planned to head out for dinner in search of kotthu roti, the dish we've been salivating over the for last couple of months, but the heat and exhaustion caught up with us and we crashed kind of early in the cold of our room.<br />
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Day 1 is always kind of dreamy because we're exhausted and a little dingy from the trip. We have another full day here in Colombo -- very different, surely, since the streets won't be so empty -- and then we'll be off to the beach at Tangalla. More Colombo tomorrow!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4_LM_DxVjLM/UpSLjEsrnCI/AAAAAAAAQeo/5Ubl8Y3AJqg/s1600/corner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4_LM_DxVjLM/UpSLjEsrnCI/AAAAAAAAQeo/5Ubl8Y3AJqg/s400/corner.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the corner that leads to our little hotel</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bUNHgQjoLJ4/UpSLrcZab_I/AAAAAAAAQfE/L21BnsWf8Pw/s1600/lake+lodge+interior3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bUNHgQjoLJ4/UpSLrcZab_I/AAAAAAAAQfE/L21BnsWf8Pw/s400/lake+lodge+interior3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the upstairs bar at our hotel</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KAsubKkOMVU/UpSMB-XgAvI/AAAAAAAAQgA/4IXTD9Nss18/s1600/street+cleaners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KAsubKkOMVU/UpSMB-XgAvI/AAAAAAAAQgA/4IXTD9Nss18/s400/street+cleaners.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">all the street cleaners wear orange</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E3hP74NndYM/UpSMVg43ZlI/AAAAAAAAQgM/ladFbZUy9m8/s1600/altar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E3hP74NndYM/UpSMVg43ZlI/AAAAAAAAQgM/ladFbZUy9m8/s400/altar.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a tiny little Buddhist altar on a rock wall</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kv231xB2djA/UpSLaWiRLMI/AAAAAAAAQeE/3o7fZGh0OiM/s1600/beauty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kv231xB2djA/UpSLaWiRLMI/AAAAAAAAQeE/3o7fZGh0OiM/s400/beauty.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beautiful Sri Lankan girl</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iC8QYWbhT08/UpSLba1jOVI/AAAAAAAAQeI/4JSJPIJrOyw/s1600/blue+bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="353" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iC8QYWbhT08/UpSLba1jOVI/AAAAAAAAQeI/4JSJPIJrOyw/s400/blue+bird.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">brilliant bird, the only one like this we saw</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_OMI6xeEPTk/UpSLfa-s6aI/AAAAAAAAQec/QH_WJbV4o4U/s1600/bomb+disposal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="367" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_OMI6xeEPTk/UpSLfa-s6aI/AAAAAAAAQec/QH_WJbV4o4U/s400/bomb+disposal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bomb disposal squad hanging around. also, lots of military guys visible everywhere, with big guns</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LLV2MonZqjY/UpSLnb7FbbI/AAAAAAAAQe0/cVZ3RNwV8hc/s1600/egret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LLV2MonZqjY/UpSLnb7FbbI/AAAAAAAAQe0/cVZ3RNwV8hc/s400/egret.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">egrets or herons everywhere</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_MVY0eVXCUk/UpSL3MdH8JI/AAAAAAAAQfc/D3UpjgcyAA8/s1600/leaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_MVY0eVXCUk/UpSL3MdH8JI/AAAAAAAAQfc/D3UpjgcyAA8/s400/leaf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">green everywhere, like beautiful Ireland</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFRChcLqAME/UpSL4BkUF6I/AAAAAAAAQfk/VKFRUrLOUdo/s1600/leaves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vFRChcLqAME/UpSL4BkUF6I/AAAAAAAAQfk/VKFRUrLOUdo/s400/leaves.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">colored foliage, here near the equator</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rNrh6cgtdZQ/UpSL8Rc3qzI/AAAAAAAAQfw/7zgQb9uREps/s1600/plant2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rNrh6cgtdZQ/UpSL8Rc3qzI/AAAAAAAAQfw/7zgQb9uREps/s400/plant2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">these flowers are everywhere, even dying on the ground</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nn_SJ8d6S6E/UpSLwfMIJdI/AAAAAAAAQfM/aSpPOh3ombs/s1600/lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nn_SJ8d6S6E/UpSLwfMIJdI/AAAAAAAAQfM/aSpPOh3ombs/s400/lake.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the gorgeous little lake near our hotel</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-akNnChjYX-I/UpSLxVu396I/AAAAAAAAQfQ/36AN4Kk-XXw/s1600/lake1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-akNnChjYX-I/UpSLxVu396I/AAAAAAAAQfQ/36AN4Kk-XXw/s400/lake1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a smallish Buddhist temple on the lake. there's a giant one nearby too.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6LNsHT54Jxo/UpSLY8m0mmI/AAAAAAAAQd8/hdoWP96yr7I/s1600/SL+navy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6LNsHT54Jxo/UpSLY8m0mmI/AAAAAAAAQd8/hdoWP96yr7I/s400/SL+navy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sri Lankan Navy. Is this a joke, I wonder? SURELY.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I9d_G_jZjLQ/UpSMBJu4otI/AAAAAAAAQf8/Dp4tLUT0gjI/s1600/sunday+math+school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I9d_G_jZjLQ/UpSMBJu4otI/AAAAAAAAQf8/Dp4tLUT0gjI/s400/sunday+math+school.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">guys learning math on a Sunday morning. What were you doing Sunday morning?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fz0feneP7V0/UpSL8IHwgZI/AAAAAAAAQfs/bTcVJxEn5cQ/s1600/rice+peppers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fz0feneP7V0/UpSL8IHwgZI/AAAAAAAAQfs/bTcVJxEn5cQ/s400/rice+peppers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chicken and rice, with really delicious red pepper condiment</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Te9bbDwkXUY/UpSLn_lybFI/AAAAAAAAQe4/I-DQd94J9O8/s1600/devilled+cuttlefish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Te9bbDwkXUY/UpSLn_lybFI/AAAAAAAAQe4/I-DQd94J9O8/s400/devilled+cuttlefish.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">devilled cuttlefish -- much better than at the Sri Lankan restaurant in NYC. Subtle and hot</td></tr>
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<br />Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com4Colombo, Sri Lanka6.9270786 79.8612430000000596.8009751 79.69988150000006 7.0531821 80.022604500000057tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-87369900687455668362013-11-21T17:30:00.000-05:002013-11-21T20:19:35.963-05:00flying-off eve!The night before one of our trips is probably like the night before one of <i>your </i>trips: a bit of a flurry -- oh did we remember this? that? do you have one of those? no, do you, should we? A bit of excitement, after the long wait. A bit of anxiety about the weather there. A bit of a rush because it was too early to do things but then somehow it's suddenly nearly too late.<br />
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And so we breathe. We have our passports and our boarding passes, we have our paperwork for the hotels, and so whatever else we need, we'll either buy there or forget about. Without sounding too much like Doris Day, whatever it will be, it will be. Que sera.<br />
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You might want to sign up for email updates so you get our posts in your email; look in the right sidebar there, underneath the photo of us taken earlier this year at Borobodur. You'll only get an email when we post, no other time, and for no other reason. We expect to have easy Internet access the whole time and if that's the case, I try to post and upload pictures every day (as you know if you've followed our travel blogs over the years beginning with our first trip together to Vietnam in 2005, <a href="http://worldviewing.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">all collected here</a>). The blogs have improved over the years, better photographs (much nicer camera!), better storytelling (much more experience writing!), but still and always great food and places to see, and a lot of happiness to be there eating and seeing it. We love your comments and try to answer them all.<br />
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With this we say<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><a href="http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/sinhala/goodbye1_sinhala.mp3" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.03125px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">ගිහිල්ලා එන්නම්</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.03125px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.03125px;">(gihillā ennam), </span>which means we say goodbye to you. I expect the next post I'll write here will be extolling the glories of kotthu roti or breakfast egg hoppers. Pictures to come!<br />
<br />Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com2New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.3291648 -74.65142010000001 41.0995408 -73.3605261tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-81086540487216879882013-10-19T22:22:00.002-04:002013-10-19T22:24:21.529-04:00sleepin' around<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Oh we have a couple of really lovely places to stay:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>COLOMBO: <a href="http://taruvillas.com/" target="_blank">Lake Lodge</a></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6BCGZFUSwOo/UmM3AQaE0iI/AAAAAAAAQac/oeMSsX5ZQTk/s1600/lake-lodge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6BCGZFUSwOo/UmM3AQaE0iI/AAAAAAAAQac/oeMSsX5ZQTk/s400/lake-lodge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looks a bit too fancy for us but we'll be exhausted so we won't care.</td></tr>
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<b>TANGALLA: <a href="http://www.buckinghamplace.lk/" target="_blank">Buckingham Place</a></b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OIxvAzJ6FcE/UmM3hcm9fPI/AAAAAAAAQa0/eVleOh4uN28/s1600/Buckingham+Plance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OIxvAzJ6FcE/UmM3hcm9fPI/AAAAAAAAQa0/eVleOh4uN28/s400/Buckingham+Plance.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a great hotel on the beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sqhKHmEtXIU/UmM3hQ3NUMI/AAAAAAAAQbI/TsJrFL7QjOc/s1600/Rom+our+hotel+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sqhKHmEtXIU/UmM3hQ3NUMI/AAAAAAAAQbI/TsJrFL7QjOc/s400/Rom+our+hotel+beach.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">oh, and here's the beach. I KNOW.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sUk7OELnW8w/UmM3hkXmtPI/AAAAAAAAQa8/I-tJB_d9kwA/s1600/from+our+hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sUk7OELnW8w/UmM3hkXmtPI/AAAAAAAAQa8/I-tJB_d9kwA/s400/from+our+hotel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the monkeys act like they own the place. they kind of do.</td></tr>
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<b>GALLE: <a href="http://www.pedlar62.com/" target="_blank">Pedlar 162</a></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L5f0OZe069w/UmM3iVA-ZiI/AAAAAAAAQbE/IBcS4NNsZzo/s1600/pedlar62-guest-house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L5f0OZe069w/UmM3iVA-ZiI/AAAAAAAAQbE/IBcS4NNsZzo/s400/pedlar62-guest-house.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is a fantastic little guest house</td></tr>
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<b>HATTON: <a href="http://www.teahillsbungalow.com/" target="_blank">Tea Hills Bungalow</a></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N9bQCrgoZjw/UmM8JmVpfbI/AAAAAAAAQbM/Q3zrTN7NrLo/s1600/Tea+Hills+Bungalows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N9bQCrgoZjw/UmM8JmVpfbI/AAAAAAAAQbM/Q3zrTN7NrLo/s400/Tea+Hills+Bungalows.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the view from the room -- hills covered with tea, ready to be picked</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uFjasfWSaf4/UmM-UHo56TI/AAAAAAAAQbk/bgKanTE9AdA/s1600/Sri-Lanka_23217137_ImageGalleryLightbox_1375347431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uFjasfWSaf4/UmM-UHo56TI/AAAAAAAAQbk/bgKanTE9AdA/s400/Sri-Lanka_23217137_ImageGalleryLightbox_1375347431.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tea picking</td></tr>
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<b>KANDY: <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g304138-d1475982-Reviews-Theva_Residency-Kandy_Kandy_District_Central_Province.html" target="_blank">Theva Residency</a></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J2rYvBUrovU/UmM3hMABF3I/AAAAAAAAQas/m1G1BnzPGLU/s1600/Theva-Residency-Kandy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J2rYvBUrovU/UmM3hMABF3I/AAAAAAAAQas/m1G1BnzPGLU/s400/Theva-Residency-Kandy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kinda modern, kinda cool, not much Sri Lanka?</td></tr>
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<b>NEGOMBO: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CC4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tripadvisor.com%2FHotel_Review-g297897-d3400937-Reviews-Morning_Star_Guest_House-Negombo_Western_Province.html&ei=Pj1jUuqvGNa24AO86IDoAQ&usg=AFQjCNH7K89ZRPabCZSBFEGyFV2ium47-w&sig2=IR27xDDgSGRsqR4bvHDnfg&bvm=bv.54934254,d.dmg" target="_blank">Morning Star Guest House</a> </b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WoQiaMopwUs/UmM92iEvkpI/AAAAAAAAQbU/8CSp44AtJX0/s1600/Morningstar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WoQiaMopwUs/UmM92iEvkpI/AAAAAAAAQbU/8CSp44AtJX0/s400/Morningstar.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">just killing time here before going to the airport</td></tr>
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<b>ETIHAD AIRLINES:</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9k9j84jGDos/UmM-FuGZHNI/AAAAAAAAQbc/B8kTzaSp8y8/s1600/_From+Abu+Dhabi+to+the+World_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9k9j84jGDos/UmM-FuGZHNI/AAAAAAAAQbc/B8kTzaSp8y8/s400/_From+Abu+Dhabi+to+the+World_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and then we'll get back on this plane and fly home</td></tr>
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Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6434193612397553907.post-37212857628866228282013-10-19T20:57:00.000-04:002013-10-19T22:27:56.320-04:00five weeks from todayUnbelievable -- but five weeks from today we will be in Colombo. I'm excited to see the gorgeous hills in the tea district, so green and lush and laced with waterfalls; the beautiful coast at Tangalla; the fort and surrounds at Galle; Kandy, not entirely sure but we'll find our way to stuff to do, ditto Colombo. All that, very exciting. Plus just being away together again, that's my favorite part. But a very close second? THE FOOD. In particular, kothu roti, which I plan to eat as many times as possible. It began as street food, but it has become the national dish, I gather. Watch this -- it's literally a symphony at the end (if symphonies just include rhythm instruments).<br />
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And hoppers, which are in two forms, as far as I can tell. They start with a fermented batter of rice flour, coconut milk and a little bit of palm toddy, which lends a sour flavor and makes it ferment. For breakfast, the batter is poured into a small bowl-shaped pan, something like a personal wok size, and rolled around to form a thin layer like a crepe. When it's cooked, an egg is broken inside and then condiments of all kinds are added. It looks so very good. We think you kind of fold it up like a burrito and eat it out of hand.</center>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I plan to have this every morning for breakfast. A breakfast hopper,<br />
so much better than a breakfast Whopper I am sure.</td></tr>
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The other way hoppers are served involves pressing the same batter through a mesh of some kind so it forms long noodles, in a way, and then that's just the base for all the brilliant Sri Lankan condiments and additions. Sri Lankan food is <b>very</b> spicy and hot, much more than Indian, so we are really looking forward to that.</center>
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Right now Marc is in the final stages of getting all the details in place: organizing and prioritizing potential restaurants in each place, preparing our folders filled with all the paperwork and information (one for me, one for him), making plans for the lengthy taxi rides we'll take, etc. And oh yeah! The taxi rides. There are no interior flights so to get from town to town our options are the train, a bus, or a taxi. We'll have suitcases and backpacks and stuff and decided to take taxis. A long taxi from Colombo to Tangalla (maybe 6 hours but a lot of factors, and about $100 for the two of us), a taxi from Tangalla to Galle, a taxi from Galle to Hatton, in the mountains where they grow tea, a taxi from Hatton to Kandy, and then a taxi from Kandy back to Colombo. Long drives, but beautiful countryside to watch.<br />
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Counting down the weeks now....and then I'll say <a href="http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/sinhala/goodbye1_sinhala.mp3" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.03125px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">ගිහිල්ලා එන්නම්</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.03125px;"> (gihillā ennam),</span> which means goodbye (said by the person leaving, there are other phrases for all kinds of circumstances).Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05676317652927356121noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY40.7143528 -74.005973140.3291643 -74.65142010000001 41.0995413 -73.3605261