Back in Colombo!

Hi I am back inColombo again, after a wonderful daytrip out to Kurrenegala we are back at Anne's place in Colombo. Its a long story but in brief we went up there with the intention of dropping me for a week or so to work in the orphanage there. I looked around and met some of the 18 girls who live there. I found them to be completely dressed, albeit a little old but their clothes were not in tatters, they had varying boxes of toys e.g. skipping ropes, balls and box games in another, they were completing forms etc which clearly did not present any great problem to them. In all I felt that these children whilst being orphaned, did not so desperately need help, compared with the 280 here, in just that one place down the road! So we turned around and drove all the way back to Colombo!


Whilst on our day out we stopped at another Leo project which is the elephant orphanage where sick animals go. They have about nine elephants at present. It is a very peaceful place, we received the tour first when we were shown varying parts from bodies found in the jungle, before going over to meet the resident star who has been in several films including Tarzan. The one thing I was not comfortable with was the fact that all the elephants still had chains around their neck and one foot. The mahout said it was because the animal would never obey orders without the chains, I can't help feeling that can only be due to the memory of the pain the chains can cause, which suggests that no-one has moved on.

We were driving up a country lane,well when I say 'driving' I use the term loosely. The art of constantly avoiding traffic which persists in aiming itself directly in our path, is indeed a task, one which requires a dominant and fearless determination. I have never, anywhere witnessed such awful driving. It really is scary, made worse when travelling through a township as pedestrians are then added to the equation! Anyay we were driving up a very remote lane and passed a young man walking up the hill carrying a cloth bag and a monkey on his shoulder. Straight away Anne and Amal recognised him as a snake charmer! They got out and negotiated a price, the chap charged all of 100 rupees for us to watch two cobras striking at him and the monkey very good value entertainment....at just under 50 pence!

We arrived back home, unpacked again and went to the beach, well it was only 21.00 where else would one go? Grabbed some food and beer on the way.....wonderful, the water was so warm , music pumping out from a gay club nearby, loads of people everywhere, fantastic.

Tomorrow.............well tomorrow s another day here in Sri Lanka

xx