Last trip round Lanka.

I took over 300 pics so selecting just 5 is going to be hard. We started in Dambulla, famous for its rock cave temples. Photographically not that interesting, but worth a visit. We took in Sigiriya on our way to Polunaruwa, which features in some old Duran Duran vids, and has some very old rock paintings, which they claim are not restored, but I have my doubts.






We moved onto Polunaruwa once an ancient and important city, but now a sprawling mass of fascinating ruins, built over many hundreds of years, containing both buddhist and Hindu temples and architecture.



I've just realised that this is the only pic I have on the iPhone and you don't really get an impression, but I like the pic anyway. We headed up to the east coast and Trinconamalee next and spent some time chilling on the beach. Easily the best beach in Sri Lanka for many reasons, sadly I caught a cold the day we arrived, so the first opportunity to dive on the east coast in 25yrs due to civil war, was lost to me :-(



We then took a lovely drive down the east coast to the south and Arugam bay, and spent some more time chilling, also a beautiful and deserted beach, apart from hardcore surfers.



Cathy and Laura blending in with the sunset.

Back

So, long time no blog, been very lazy and have been using facebook instead. So what've I been upto. Well... Where to start?
I suppose finishing work is a good place. 1st July I stopped work, and have been on holiday ever since. Hired a car and did one last tour of Sri Lanka, which was great. Some highlights of that to follow. Then a bit of time in Colombo bumming about and sorting out my stuff ( giving most of it away ( you lucky bastards you). Then headed off to Delhi, bought an enfield 350 bullet from a friend, met up with another before heading up to Spitti valley, some of the hardest motorbiking to be done in india, if not the world. Was a very hard trip, and came to an end when my mate came off and dislocated his shoulder, though we had been on the road for 11 days by that stage. So very near the end. Will post pics next. This trip was followed by a trip to a trip to the Maldives, and then a trip to Hong Kong, which was awesome, and I'm sitting in a place called Moalboal, Cebu in the Philippines, where I've been doing lots of diving. Today I passed my 50 dive landmark, rescue diver soon I think. Pics of all of these to follow soon.

Life's a beach

Stood on the beach, sunset, connected to wifi and posting this.
Trinconamalee, east coast, Sri Lanka.



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And now...the end is near

So after nearly three years in Sri Lanka, it's time to leave.

No real plans, just handed in my notice and will work my last day for the British Council Sri Lanka on 1st July.
I have mixed feelings about going. This has been a great place for me, I've had a very comfortable life here, not having to worry about money for the 1st time in my life has been very nice. I've spent the last year or so as a senior teacher, so my career has progressed somewhat, which is nice.
The country itself is beautiful and sometimes when I'm sat on the beach with a beer, looking out at the amazing coastline, palm fringed beaches, deep blue green of the sea, I realise and remember how lucky I am to live in such a place. The plants and the trees here are stunning, and under-appreciated by the tourists and locals alike.

Things I haven't enjoyed: Traffic. Buddhism.
When faced with the decision; slow down / wait a few seconds or potentially kill at least one other person, it seems that 95% of drivers here will choose the latter not the former, which is why the second of the two things I haven't enjoyed is there.  Respect for all life and compassion for others are central Buddhist tenets, but not here. Here the monks will cry and salivate for war and the death of a whole race of people, they will gather outside a TV station and throw rocks and petrol bombs because a pop star has a girl in a bikini dancing near a statue of the Buddha! in his video. Lots of things wrong with that obviously, 'a mob of angry, rock throwing monks' is not a lexical chunk I usually teach. The Buddha said that the worship of idols and statues was stupid, that rituals and ceremonies were stupid, that we should stop listening to others who think themselves wiser and in a position to tell others what to do, and start listening to ourselves and thinking for ourselves. None of that happens here. So they get angry because of semi-naked girl, without realising that the Buddha would probably laugh at the situation and them; why is there a statue of him (Buddha) in the first place? and why do you think its sacred? when he specifically told people not to do exactly that! Bonkers. Buddhists that do the exact opposite of what the Buddha believed and advised people to do!
Basically I'm sick to death of people trying to kill me too, with buses, landcruisers, tuc-tucs, trucks, cars etc on a daily basis, I'm ready to drag someone out of their vehicle and beat them to death, so it's time to leave.