Tangerine Beach Kalutara

... bus, I paid 15 Rupees when it was 10 earlier but I just could not be bothered explaining this time. However half way through the journey, the guy ask me to pay another 15 Rupees so I obviously refused and he told me that I would have to leave the bus but I also refused so he just walked away - It's absolutely incredible because every day, they will try to get more money out of you and if you don't stand your ground they will take advantage ...

... to vacation elsewhere. We can choose to purchase the goods and services of other nations which celebrate diversity, rather than murder, rape, and eradicate diversity from their midst as the Sri Lankan people have chosen to do. Boycott Sri Lanka.

... I really felt I was going to fall off. Our leader ran ahead to videotape Miles, leaving us alone with Laksmi's mahout, who spoke no English. When I tried to get the mahout to understand the problem, he just laughed, with orange saliva coming out of his mouth (from chewing on the beetlenut, which is a mild narcotic). Then he led us up onto the busy road. I now had an unpleasant choice about which way to fall off the elephant, to the left where ...

... that includes a parade with 100 elaboratly decorated elephants. Sri Lanka is a predominantly Buddhist country but it's a form of Buddhism that mixes in elements of Hinduism as well. I arranged for Sarath to take me on a full day tour starting at 6 AM to some of the Cultural Triangle sites.Sarath is Catholic and our first stop was at his church so he could say a prayer before we left.Along the way we talked about religion, politics and Sri Lankan history.He was a good guide and had ...

... us......they must have had the roads cordoned off further back. Most shops were closed but we stumbled upon a shopping mall which, though it looked closed, had an open food-court (with loads of different types of food from Malaysian to Korean).......Andy had a Pizza Hut pizza slice and Chris and I tried some local ice-cream. We bought a load of stuff in the supermarket (including wonderful pea crisps) - even the supermarket was friendly. When I ...

... and friendly despite suffering the devastating and debilitating effects of the long-standing civil war and recent tsunami. Every Sri Lankan person continues to be affected by these events, the many stories of tragedy and loss remind you not to take family and friends for granted. Feeling happy, relaxed, and enriched, I contentedly boarded the plane grateful in the knowledge that I would soon be enjoying my own reunions with loved ones at home in the UK.

... the last time she was standing there alone a tuk tuk driver had asked her if she wanted to go to the airport, she has said no as she was waiting for some one whilst the tuk tuk driver kept impressing on her that he was a taxi and she must want to go the airport and he would take her! As we had arrived a bit early we had some time to kill whilst waiting for our friend to collect us, I decided to indulge in a bit of people watching ...

... 70's/80's. They had a medical clinic where Tharthi Jaysuria was a doctor, and Ammie an assistant. She told us some gore-lust pregnancy stories...much to Kaushi's horror. One about a hard-core bush-woman who had a baby in her village but who had not been able to deliver the placenta as well...which was rotting by the time she made it to the clinic. And then one about a man with a hernia the size of 3 basketballs ...

... the service people voluntarily gave him money. Because of this and Smile's widow sponsorship scheme, the little boy can now have the care he needs. His fight still isn't over. Although the money is now available for the operation, he isn't strong enough so has to take a course of vitamins and energy powder drink. Per month, this only costs 7.50 - absolutely nothing to us, but the mother simply couldn't afford it. It showed me first hand how sponsorship can save a child's life.

... was facing East. The bells kept ringing, as if to announce the coming of his holiness the Sun (learned later that everyone who arrives is supposed to ring a bell, once for pilgrimage he or she has made to the shrine. It was one time I felt like a sunworshipper among sunworshippers. Unfortunately, as is usual with sunrises at 7,200 ft., there were clouds to hide much of the sun's progress. The more awesome sight was watching the darkness and ...