Golden Beach Hotel Negombo

One final utterly serious note to end on. While we were in Sri Lanka, the Civil War raged in the far North, although we would never have known it. There were no journalists witnessing or reporting on the alleged atrocities being perpetrated by both side and ordinary people didn't want to talk to us about it. They are so frightened of harming tourism - their livelihood. It was like nothing was happening. At some point during our stay, the Editor of the ...

... us three days and we had time to wander the resort at Negombo. The Silver Sands may be the best of the transit hotels but they don't employ a chef, their dead strength is rice and curry. We were ripped off to the tune of 100% by the local roti stall, presented with a pizza too bizarre to describe - it was topped with a cheese slice, blackmailed by the agent handling our refund and generally fed the most disgusting excuse for food we have encountered in the past six months ...

... happening (well 5 at a time) and stood on the sidelines and had a look. God must have known there was a heathen in the building because a bird shat on me.! I cleaned myself up and made my way down to the dutch fort and the fish market again. There were thousands of fish, barramundi, mackerel, shark all drying on the beach. I found a cool veggie market nearby and walked through then got lost again - a tuk tuk ...

... of a Hospitality Club member who had told us he had a beach bungalow there we could use for a couple of days and then come to an arrangement if we liked it. He didn't mention that it was part of his travel business and he'd be using the driver's quarters. Neither did he mention that he would be arranging our whole trip for us. Ah well, one lives and learns - over and over and over again. We also had a night in Colombo at his home before we managed to shake him, sounds awful but that's how it felt.

... out of the hotel with no camera or money, I promised I would return early the next day with a small donation to help uniform her boy. Obviously grateful, she offered to take me to the tailors to watch them make the uniform (and to prove the genuine nature of her story) but having been afforded a small view of her life, you really couldn't make it up. With it being the weekend, the beach was busy, with groups of boys playing either rounders or cricket, young ...

... colour coded boxes and listing the contents so I got a gold star and a winning smile from the auditor ( thank god he nev** turned up a few days earli** or I would still be in th**e now looking for items ) in the evening Del left for a weeks break in Thailand and although I will miss h** I now have the whole room to spread my clothes ov** ( the vet cupboard really was a fluke as I am normally v**y messy ) This morning I was up v**y early for ...

... the "Hokey Pokey". As it's all actions it's easy for them to pick up and they seemed to enjoy it. At times I don't know who enjoys it more - the kids or myself and the teachers! There were a lot of afterschoolers in my class today. I found out afterwards it was actually 2 classes together which explains a lot! It was their turn to learn about animals. How ironic that while I was teaching, monkeys were swinging from the trees onto the roof. Again it's a common ...

... is in the construction industry and is overseeing the building of 2 new classrooms, which will take around 10weeks. This is his 6th time in Sri Lanka with Smile, his first visit was delivering aid days after the Tsunami. It's been great having him around and our weekends are going to be planned around safaris, rainforest etc. My day is divided into 2 parts - preschool (3-5yrs) and an afterschool club (6 upwards). Smile relies on the children being sponsored so they ...

... in water flowing from the overhead pipes jutting from the mountainside. The women bathed in the stream, using their sarongs or longjis or saris, whatever they call them, to cover themselves. Our Buddhist guide washed his face and hands.  Lourdes, the young Tamil sister from Myanmar, did the same and wanted me to share the experience. Though I was ready to climb to the peak and wanted the pilgrimage to be as authentic a Buddhist experience as ...

... grated coconut flavoured heavily with lemon. I think we're going to like the food here, and I also think we're going to quickly lose our carefully cultivated beach bodies.... :-) After lunch we started to go for a walk but instead found a shop hiring out bikes so took those instead, on a whim, and went riding round a virtually deserted (because New Year's Day is a national holiday) Negombo for a couple of ...