Power Cuts and Groovy Moves

So the blog is in two parts in case everything cuts out....So arriving in Ella I found a room with a local woman and went out to explore a bit. The bus journey floors me so I head for cold drinks. Its geared to tourists here so unusally there's things like frittata on the menu and pork schnitzel. There is a high German contingent out here, plus many Brits and French. Get chatting to some Americans who suggest dinner and the waiter, Dash, tells me there's music tonight. After chiling in my first room on the road, I try out the step machine which is randomly part of the deal. With my Ipod on, I stride along, getting some training in for my hill walking. I could be in England at the gym. Lizzie my host cooks me a lovely Sri Lankan rice and curry and I peer doubtfully out the window at the torrential ran scuppering my plans to go out. The route out is via some rammed earth tyres through the garden and down a steep hill. "There will be leeches after the rain", she warns me, but like a petulant teenager I commit to my excursion, headtorch and umbrella in hand. I have a 10 o'clock curfew as there's only one key! Head for the restaurant, no sign of the Americans. Decide to head to the live music alone. Its a local Sri Lankan band in a field, warming everyone up for New Year. Mainly its just the older men dancing. My favourites are the man in a traditional sarong standing with legs apart, feet turned out and knees bent, jigging up and down on the spot holding his arms in the air shouting "Sri Lankaaaa!" repeatedly; closely followed by a man whose varied routine includes hands on head-shoulders-hips-and leap-somewhat like a reindeer on a Christmas card. Number two dancer stretches his feet and uses his arms expansively. I've never seen anything like this when an Englishman hits the floor. They love music and it is playing at the markets, on the buses, in the bank and here it seems they show me how they do it. The local policeman wanders around. Suddenly, in full regalia, the local policeman is centre stage, doing a number! He has a great singing voice so he does another. It ain't like this back home. The music goes on and the younger men join. Some beer has been drunk. I am the only tourist and only woman. Try to blend in. Doesn't quite work due to being the only tourist and only woman. All are friendly and many offers to join in but feel like just me and a bunch of drunken men could be dubious. A couple of words are exchanged as it is so I slope off. Later the next day I chat to Dash from the coffee shop. He says he didn't make it till later and there was unfortunately a fight and the police were there. He was quite tactful but the cause of the fight may have been a girl. Er...that would be me then. Just by being there it turned a bit like the school disco with the men vying to talk to the only girl. Heck I wasn't expecting that (Aussie accent). Despite not drinking, smoking or showing off it still caused a problem. I brushed it off and blamed the Arrack (local spirit, strong and drunk everywhere). Arrack Attack. On getting back as well I had started to undress and found a leech on my leg. "Lizzie!" I shouted hopping across the dining room. She rallied with the salt and it reeled like a baddie on fire in a movie and fell off leaving a little pool of blood on her doorstep. Going out late and listening to music and bleeding on the front porch. I"m her best guest yet! Patched myself up and headed for bed...