Our driver is having a very difficult day. First he had to buy a jack for the car. His windshield wiper broke and he had to stop at a repair shop. Vince accidentally pushed the van door off of the hinges and they had to reattach it. Now, as I write, he is having to bribe a police officer to get out of a hefty ticket. The entire thing is highly amusing for us, but probably not for our driver.
Yesterday I woke up in Sri Lanka. I preceded to sit around on the lawn of our hotel room for an entire day doing nothing. Oh sure, I walked 100 yards to a fancier hotel for a meal, but besides that it was all sunshine, sitting, and watching the birds and butterflies flit about.
It was our plan to take the train to Habadura. We hired a cab. We got ready. We were about half way to the station when the driver suggested he drive us all the way to our hotel. I was not amused. Was he running another scam once he had us securely stationed inside the car? We got to the train station. Tuk tuks were zipping around while cows made themselves very comfortable in the middle of the road. I walked up to the window and a barely able to speak English train employee looked at me from behind wooden slats. I kept asking him questions and he kept gently smiling at me, nodding, not really able to answer. I decided to hire the driver and take the car. (don't worry...we will take the train another day.)
But I was not going to mess around with this driver! Oh, No! I said to him, "You will take us where ever we want to go? Stop where ever we want to stop?" He said, "Oh yes Madame... we will do everything except daddy mommy things." It took me much time to realize what he meant by this joke.
This drive has been amazing. There are people everywhere waving at us as we drive past their homes. The green of the jungle is off set by the green of the rice patties. Egrets sit beside cow and water buffalo like the old friends that they are. One small town center looks like another. The colonial era homes are grand mansions nestled into the jungle. The contrast is striking and surprising and beautiful. These places are not entirely manicured. They are simply a grand memory fighting to keep the jungle at bay.
We arrived at an elephant show place. There are several of these here. It was going to cost about $35 bucks for the kids and Craig to ride the elephant and no one really wanted to do it that badly. As we were considering this a man shouted at us from across the street, "Want to pet my monkey?" Excuse us? Sure enough there was a monkey tied to a post and a man standing with a boa constrictor around his neck. "Come, pet my snake!" I wasn't really into petting anything this guy had going, but then I said, "Is that a cobra in the basket?" Oh yes! It is a cobra and he can make it dance for 500 rupee and I could touch his monkey and snake at the same time. I told him I would give him a hundred to make the snake dance with no monkey petting. He said 150. I didn't have a 50 and what do you do? Have the guy make change for a thousand? Craig said, "I will give you 50. I need to see this!" Out from the basket came a one year old cobra and as you can see it the picture, it was something. People kept stopping to watch the snake, but the man kept telling them, "Hey, this is my job!" and they would leave. Incredible.
We stopped at a spice garden and got to see and learn about different aerovedic medicines. Sri Lanka is heavily into natural medicines and we learned all about it. We were given tea to drink on the tour that was amazing flavored. Sweet without sugar. We bought some. Of course, the most expensive tea in the world, but the smile on my daughters face was worth it!
We stopped at a bakery and had coffee and sweets. We stopped for lunch at a curry and rice stop. Our driver taught us how to eat Sri Lankan style as this restaurant had no silverware. Chicken curry, pork curry, rice with dal and eggplant. We ate with our fingers in the way Marshall taught us. Make a scoop with the fingers and push the food into your mouth. It was spicy. Really spicy. So spicy Craig's nose started running. But spicy in a good way. This meal was so delicious that we could not stop eating. The owner had to bring us more egg plant.
Then Marshall needed a nap.
After Marshall bribed the police, we carried on to our final destination. What did we see standing along side the road like it was no big deal, just another day? An elephant. A wild beautiful elephant just hanging out doing what elephants do...eat. She was a little shy, hiding behind the tree. I didn't want to ask Marshall to back up anymore so that I could get a better shot of her because his day has not been going well and with his luck he would drive into the ditch.
The Sunrise Holiday Resort is not exactly what the word 'resort' implies. What this means in Sri Lanka is that there is a pool. The rooms are spacious and the host is warm and gracious. We were greeted with fresh juice made of papaya and pinapple. The kids immediately jumped in the pool. "Will you be staying for dinner?" They asked. "Tonight is rice and curry" they said. Of course we will eat rice and curry! OK, it will be ready at 8. 8pm? Really...
And the kids were swimming and I was watching the bats fly over head and all was right with the world. And then we learned that there had been a booking problem and Craig would have to sleep at another hotel for the night after dinner and they were so sorry and they would come and get him first thing and they were so sorry.
The curry was fantastic. I finished eating and much like our driver after our lunch I could not stay awake another moment. I kissed Craig goodbye, as this might be the end for him, and passed out hard!
Oh Sri Lanka! You are winning my heart!
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