Sri Lanka Update

Hello hello

I'm writing from a gloomy little internet cafe in Kandy, a city 110km west of Colombo. Since I last posted we've been on a 600km loop around the southeast of the country. As you could tell by the last post, we weren't quite sure what to expect. We definately couldn't forsee the events of the last few days. First, and most importantly, we were all quite safe and even enjoyed ourselves. And continue to be safe. There were quite a few roadblocks with mean-looking soldiers with even meaner looking weapons, but they were there to protect people like us, not harm us. We did get stopped once by the police, but they were just doing their job and checking on the registration of the van we were in. It was all good. Here's a quick reel of the last few days.

Saturday: We pack up and drive out of Colombo and down the east coast. Toward the end of the day it's time to find a place to stay. Our driver takes us to a place called the Lighthouse. It was perfect; we loved it. It was available for the low low price of $400(US) for the night. We left a patch of rubber on the parking lot and made our way to the beach. There we found some bungalows for a fraction of the aforementioned price. It was perfect. We had a quiet dinner sitting at a table in the sand. It was picture perfect(picture to come...)

Sunday: We regretfully leave the beach bungalows and make our way further down the coast. As we are driving we can see signs in front of new buildings and building projects noting that these are reconstruction projects in response to the tsunami disaster. When I thought tsunami I thought Indonesia, but this coastline was damaged quite seriously as well. Throughout the day we see evidence. Toward the end of the day it's hotel time again. Driver takes us to a safari camp. It's really posh so we start to get nervous. The nice man at the counter says that this place is only $300 for a night and I smile and we burn out of there too and I think scare some of the leopards and water buffalo in the bushes. There is this guy who has been following us in his Range Rover telling us that there is a place he knows that is affordable. He is persistent and so we follow him through the park and along the fenceline of another reserve. It was hot and long and all, but we did get to see some elephants 'in the wild' and more of the water buffalos. (We sang the VeggieTales song about Zebus as we went on our way.)Dude in the Rover was right. He did know a place and we did stay there. It wasn't the Taj Mahal, but hey, we're not in India yet.

Monday: We start driving inland. For some reason this makes me nervous. It may have something to do with the fact that everything looks a bit like Vietnam with rice paddies palm trees and my imagination starts to get the better of me. But it is actually OK. At noon we arrive at a reserve for orphaned elephants. 'So cute!'(not my words, mind you) Feeding time was just over so we saw them from a distance, dodged a few more guys trying to get us to join overpriced safaris and headed for the hills. On the way we stopped at a beautiful waterfall whose name escapes me, but it was a really cool place to check out. There was an ice cream man there, too. It was perfect. Now it is almost dark and we are driving and driving and go higher and higher and quite suddenly we are in Bavaria. Three hours ago it was monkeys and huts and now there are gabled houses and hotels and cliffs and the air is clean and cold and I am really confused. We are in the town of Nuwara Eliya in the heart of tea country. The elevation is almost 7000 feet and the whole place looks like a ski town out of the Alps. We checked into the Alpine Hotel and had dinner at the Collingwood. I'm still confused but not complaining. The exchange rate is very much in our favour so we are staying at a four star for $25 a room and a steak meal is $4. Yes. After the Collingwood, we sit on our huge beds and watch American TV piped in via dish and it's not really feeling like Sri Lanka at all. It feels like Colorado.

Tuesday(today): We stay at the hotel as long as we possibly can. We check out just in time to dodge the late fee and load up in the van for a twisty ride back to the foothills. I was still in awe as we were driving. It was terraced hills as far as you could see and waterfalls and blue lakes and huge forests. If you had told me I was in Alberta, I would have bought it. But that wore off. Now we are back in the city and it is loud and crowded and there is lots of fresh exhaust to breathe in. We are catching up with e-mail and I am doing the update, then we will get some dinner at the Pizza Hut across the road and then back to our guest house for the night. Tomorrow we have a plane to India to catch. It leaves at 4 in the afternoon. We have a bit of a drive to get there from here, but the roads are good from here on out. Most likely the next time you will hear from us will be from India. Before I sign out, I wanted to say thanks for all the e-mails that have been filling up our inboxes from people letting us know they are thinking of us and holding us in their prayers. This trip is by no means safe and we appreciate your support very much.

Over and out,
E