Ella, Sri Lanka. We woke at 3am this morning, after only getting to bed at 1am (beers under the full moon on a beautiful beach – just too enticing!) and arrived at Uda Welawe National Park to catch the dawn troop of elephants. As the mist cleared, we stalked the odd beasties in our jeep – all that was missing was a voiceover from David Attenborough. I like elephant footprints.
Mirissa, Sri Lanka. We’ve been doing a fair bit of diving lately and, a couple of days ago, we saw a turtle. I’ve never seen one so close. He effortlessly banked round right in between us, as we made our ascent from the deep. You could even see his smile – chuckling at how clumsy we looked trying to be fish.
Mirissa Beach, Sri Lanka. Sun, sea, surf, snorkelling… Oh and a bit of diving. Nuf said really
Colombo, Sri Lanka. A busy city, yes. But a world away from the busy we’ve left behind in India. The traffic goes in the same direction, on the correct side of the road. And on tarmac roads too! With pavements and everything.
After a month of curry for breakfast, lunch and dinner it has been a welcome treat to find a place serving culinary delights such as sushi and a cool beer. This really is a little cosmopolitan heaven. Although, seeing Christmas decorated plastic palm trees in a shopping mall is perhaps stretching even my ideas of consumer utopia a little too far. And, I have to admit, I found it a little disconcerting riding the elevator up the west tower of the World Trade Centre – Colombo’s very own twin towers.
madurai, tamil nadu. i don’t believe it – we have just spent the last four days surrounded by complete mayhem and i get to an internet cafe to upload our photos and it says the data is corrupt! technology schmechnology.
last night we wandered around the spell binding temple again, taking it all in, and were duly blessed by the holy painted elephant. then, as we stepped out into the heavy evening, the sky and streets were suddenly alive with a non-stop assault of bangs, squeals and cascading colours from a second wave of diwali attack. mothers in saris lit mischievous firecrackers and dads dueled with fireworks of ever increasing size. we escaped to a rooftop and watched the beautiful battle unfold around us. the thick air becoming even thicker with gunpowder smoke and the smell of incense.
and, of course, this morning the sacred cows were out in force – happily munching on all the spent munitions littering the streets.
madurai, tamil nadu. i have sought a brief air-conditioned solace from the war zone of deepavali firecrackers out in the streets. it seems nothing is spared by kids letting off bangers – bottles, fruit, bikes, cows – all are no match for the fireworks that they are armed with.
the temple this morning was equally crazy, in a very different way; sacred painted elephants wandering about between the butter throwing, prostrating and chanting devotees. we explored the temple, through the labyrinth of corridors, shrines and ceilings – decorated with elaborate stories of various deities in fantastical detail. the noise and buzz of holy activity created a truly magical atmosphere. it felt like wandering round an indiana jones movie.
madurai, tamil nadu. we have a room on the roof of a hotel that has amazing views of the city and sunrise this morning was rather special. the huge temple towers, thought to be decorated with 3.3 million brilliantly painted sculptures, dominate the vista. while the chants, wails, toots and beeps rise from the chaotic streets of the bustling holy city below. you can feel the excited anticipation as everyone prepares for deepavali. this is a very different india to goa and kerala – and i think i’m going to enjoy it.
munnar tea stations, high in the hills. this might have been a bit of a mistake as it has rained constantly for days. apparently the view from our hotel across the tea plantations is amazing – if only we could see through the mist. very atmospheric but very wet. considering the torrential rain and looming misty cloud, i was obviously quite happy to hear that the town in which we are staying is host to a famous old gentleman’s club where apparently one can while away the afternoon playing snooker, sipping a gin and tonic, surrounded by hunting trophies. i’m an english gentleman – i thought. so with a hop, skip and a rickshaw ride, we were there – the high range club. i confidently approached the golf sweater wearing manager and, with my best public school english, enquired as to whether we may avail of his facilities. he took a cursory glance at me and said no. i wasn’t wearing shoes. “but… but i’m english”, i thought, looking down at my flip flops. then turned around and left muttering to myself about golf clubs and jeans.
somewhere in south india. my first impressions of india were mainly the stark contrasts. old ways and new ideas sit quite happily next to each other. take this broadband internet cafe i am in – looking all swish and air conditioned – while oxen lead wooden carts in the mud roads outside. it is constantly hectic yet surprisingly easy going. though it doesn’t seem as different as i thought it might – mainly i think due to the cultural barriers that can be crossed by sharing a common language. whereas south america was constantly a battle to be understood or to understand, here it is much easier. even though the place is completely crazy at times. a particular ruse that i am becoming aware of is something we have taken to dub “the elaborate faff”. it goes something like this: 1) identify a problem that everyone knows the solution to but won’t admit; 2) create a particularly elaborate diversion – ideally involving lots of running around and people getting busy; 3) faff plenty; 4) solve original simple problem behind the elaborate smoke-screen diversion. all this is done most knowingly – with lots of smiles and yes sirs and no sirs and dippings of the head. talking of head movements – one thing that has caused a few confusions is the sideways rocking of the head that indicates agreement when it looks like a negative shake at first glance from a westerner’s perception. i think we’ve gotten used to that one though – after only a few minor mis-interpretations.
anyway – i have a few photos to share with you from the last few days.