And so the journey begins

After a slight delay of eleven days I've found an internet connection steady enough to check in. There are power surges and cuts here so I'm rolling around in the air con luxury of the Paradise Beach Hotel in Mirissa, just along from Weligama. The journey out east was smooth, Jet Airways are a high class budget airline and their red thai curry and asparagus dinner with real cutlery and many a free drink would have even the most hardened falling for their Eastern charms. My friendly seat neighbour on the final leg identified everything as wheat free and explained the cost of a local taxi. My first impressions of Sri Lankans are friendly and curious and helpful and whilst there are tourists about it certainly isn't peak season. Laura and Aj, my hosts, run a  sustainably built surf lodge right on the beach, replete with palm trees, hammocks, a wonderful chef and many a barking beach pup. I've been in the sea every day and counted my blessings, mainly because I didn't think I'd survive the drive down here. This being my first experience of driving way out east, I was somewhat bemused as we hurtled in a mini van through the streets of Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital. Within five minutes I saw some legs sticking out of a crowd of people on the floor and minutes later a huge truck slammed into a row of shops. Our driver was a man possessed. He seemed to want to plough through the traffic literally, using the horn on average every 15 seconds.. After a couple of hours I awoke to a grinding, scraping noise to realise we were being ploughed into by a passsing truck. Cue much talking, drama, pointing, waiting, crowd gatheriung, speccing out the locals mad enough to wander in the road itself and waiting for the motorcycle insurance man who arrived in black padded jacket in the 30+ degree heat. Later still we overheated and had to leap for the pavement as steam billowed throughout the van......
The country itself is very green and beautiful with dry, dusty heat mixing with immense tropical storms. We've had lightning and thunder like the gates of hell openeing and some downpours of rain, but luckily it looks like just a precursor to the monsooon season. There is a plethora of wildlife everywhere from comedy leaping chipmunks to huge monitor lizards and beautiful butterflies. So far someone has been eaten alive by mossies, someone else prickeld by a jellyfish and another person accidentaly stomped on a ray but forunately only had severe pain for four hours. Aj was bitten by a millipede and his whole hand swelled up. The wildlife here is out in force. I also now know it takes 12 Sri Lankans, one moped and two bits of string and a palm stem to catch a four foot poisonious snake. And a goood dose of drama, that's essential. The snake looked well unimpressed as it was lead off like a travellers's dog-on-a-string......
So far I have taken my first ever break-neck ride in a tuk tuk in the rain, surfed my first ever reef break and given my first ever Sri Lankan fire show. There's another one booked for tonight as a couple at the Green Rooms (Laura's place) got engaged yesterday and there's a beach barbie celebration. I've sampled Arrack (atttack) which is the local brew rather like dark rum and Lion beer rather like a very weak lager from Asda. I've ventured out to sea with traditional Sri Lankan fishermen and got involved in a game of beach cricket with aforementioned fishermen on aforemementioned Arrack. The shouting and laughter was occasionally understandable but mainly I just did what I was told and pulled funny faces....With the World Cup Final yesterday everyone is mad for cricket. I kept it real for the Uk by scoring a 4 and even catching someone out. The language here is Singhalese, not easy to learn, although Laura has impressively mastered it. The use of head rolls and the speed of the chatter (the men talk often, the women are less easy to know as they spend much time indoors) is a challenge. Some speak good English but many only a few words, so the fun will begin when I get on the road proper and stop lounging around like a beach bum. However the laid back atmosphere is great and Laura and Aj are good hosts.
This is one big chunk of a post but the Internet is a tuk tuk ride away so I'm cramming it in. Apart from all that I've visited an Ayurvedic Garden, a Buddhist temple, seen cinnamon preparation, improved my surfing and marvelled at the colourful chaos of the local towns and streets. In amongst all that I think of you all back home and feel a little bit proud of our weird small island and all its about. Living in Cornwall has proved to be useful here for a) my invaluable surfing intro, b) dealing with the odd drunken fisherman and c) taking the pace sloooow. I am now off to try on a new frock I've bought and, more excitingly I am having little dress especially made for me for all of 3 quid by Lionel the local taylor. We're going to dress up tonite for Toby and Holly's engagement party. Big love people...speak soon xx


A Cornish "rake it up and burn it" mentality seems to abound. The Green Rooms surf place is right beside all the traditional Sri Lankan boats