london

tintern abbey

Tintern Abbey is a huge, ghostly cathedral. The roof had long since fallen in. The occasional sunlight cutting through the rolling Welsh clouds created an unearthly feeling.

southwest wales

Dramatic coastal weather


Worm's head (worm is Welsh for dragon)

Swansea

cardiff

Contemporary Cardiff? A young city with architecturally designed buildings, boardwalks and stadiums.
Or ancient Cardiff? A place where those in medieval times discovered Roman ruins by chance and realised they had greatly underestimated the history of the city.

We pondered these questions over some caul and Brains.

Claire


Cardiff Castle

Old graffiti in the castle

poem

With eyes wide open
and senses on high,
I'm exploring this country,
this culture to which I'm tied.

Every meal is savoured as an experience
and not just to fill,
Laden with spices
the heat hasn't beat me yet, until...

The attractions are diverse,
we've been spoilt by many an awesome sight.
Wherever we go, the children can't help but stare,
thinking "Is it really possible to be so white?".

Full of colour, faith and tradition,
Sarees and sarongs are rife.
The Sri Lankans believe in taking a minute,
to enjoy this fragile life.

With heart wide open,
so I can truly appreciate this land,
I too can waggle my head,
to show that I'm beginning to understand.

Claire

galle & unawatuna

Walking to prayer

Beach with a temple view

uda walawe safari

Taken from the viewing tower of our bungalow.

climbing sri pada (adam's peak)

Surprisingly, there was only a brief moment when I thought that this was a bad idea. Having a few beers the night before climbing the mountain may have been a contributing factor.

Claire and I slept for a few hours, then the alarm went off at 2am and we started the ascent. Our room was like a shoebox in both size and smell, so we were happy to get going.

There were many pilgrims who were also climbing the 6000 steps, hoping to reach the top by sunrise. I climbed in rapid spurts and quickly became exhausted. Luckily, Claire, the Queen of Endurance, took control and got us to the top well before sunrise. We saw the shards of light cut through the clouds as the monks chanted.

We stopped for a few well-earned rotis after descending, Claire ordered in Singhalese. There is a saying here: If you never climb Sri Pada, you are a fool. If you climb Sri Pada, you are also a fool. If you drink beer before climbing, you are an idiot.

Gaj

At the summit

The mountain casts a perfectly triangular shadow across the clouds.

The start of our descent. Buddhist flags flutter in the breeze.

Sunrise

The summit in the background

wasgamuwa safari

A jackal

Lone male elephant sizing us up

One of the highlights of staying in the safari park was going out at the break of dawn - we saw a whole different set of wildlife behaviour. On the downside, we got no sleep.

sigiriya & polonnaruwa

"Hello sir! Look my secret magic box! In it you can open four secret boxes. Just try to open. No need to buy, just try. No need to buy."

"No, thanks"

"Ok sir, you have look after climbing rock. I be here!"

"No, thanks"

Sure enough, after climbing Sigiriya, the hawker was still there with his secret wooden box. And it began again.

Gaj

The ricketty stairs to the top of Sigiriya.

On the summit

Ancient frescoes

Polonnaruwa - ancient city

millenium elephant foundation

A few tidbits we learnt today:

1) Millenium is alive. With a grand homestead taking pride of place on top of the hill, and all walks of animals (dogs, cats, squirrels, mongeese/mongooses, birdlife, elephants) surrounding us, we chinked our tea cups and played cards.

2) Elephants have uncannily human characteristics. The kids can never stay still and dance on the spot. Sometimes they cross their hind legs whilst standing. Portions of poo are called 'loaves' and are suprisingly handy for making paper... tourists love elephant dung paper.

3) I can't help but think that the joke's on us. Gazing deeply into the elephants' eyes, I see wisdom, possibly sadness. But in reality, the elephants are probably wondering why people want to hear them trumpet, blow water in the air and why their poo is so interesting.

Claire


The daily bath with coconut husk exfoliation.

Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage

Peak hour

negombo

A touristy seaside town, north of Colombo.

wathumulla

Wathumulla evokes an overwhelming sense of home, even though I've never lived there. Glimpses of the white-walled house make me smile as we approach. The air is heavy with the scent of the jungle and the lush green is dotted with bright reds, pinks and yellows of various tropical flowers. Sounds waft over from the nearby primary school - singing and the occasional crack of cricket ball on bat.

This is the property my father grew up on, my ancestral land. The dusty driveway opens onto the porch, which is home to a number of well-used chairs and benches. The maroon floors and white walls continue inside, wrapping the various styles of furniture. Old cupboards and dressers contain decades-old photographs, back when tight pants and open-necked shirts were the fashion. I found a picture of myself playing in the garden as a 3 or 4 year old.

The caretaker, Prabath, is still here and continues to keep the property in top condition. Wandering around, all the old comforts and memories are present: the dark brick well; the coconut tree, planted by my grandfather on the day of my birth; and the graves of my grandparents.

I'm lucky to have this living family history. I feel confident that more memories will be laid down by the next generation.

Gaj

The lounge room



Tumbling around the village in a tuk-tuk

Entrance to the monk's house at the local temple

colombo

Sri Lanka is stretching her legs after 30 years of war. How do you build on this violent history, which was punctuated with a bloody end? Apparently, the elections were the most peaceful ever and no curfew was needed. Money is being funnelled into development and tourism is gathering speed. People are taking more pride in themselves and their country - but, of course, the cloud of war does not blow away in one day.

Colombo continues to be an all-encompassing assault on the senses. Smells of tropical fruit mix with motorbike fumes and the laughter of children is punctuated by jackhammers. A walk across the road is like a computer game, as we dodge dogs, bicycles and buses. We get bonus points when a car stops, instead of trying to go through us. I was last here four years ago, there has been an obvious acceleration in development. High-rise apartments and a stadium are being built. We went to a smokey club and listened to local cover versions of 1980s classics while sipping Carlsberg beer. The dancing was an unusual mix of graceful Sri Lankan arm movements and Western leg shaking.

After catching up with relatives and shopping for a few days, we were glad to head away from the city to my father's ancestral property - Wathamulla.

Gaj

We were sipping cocktails on the terrace of the magnificent Mt Lavinia Hotel, when a tropical storm rolled through. The blue sky rapidly became the colour of the ocean.

Families flying kites on the Galle Face Green.