Sunday already!

Unbelievable how quickly time has passed. I find I am already having to finalise the second part of my trip!
Today we took the train to Kandy, which is a town right up in the mountains, not a lot when you get there, just the usual temple and market. I think I said about their entrance fee, well it happened again. Entrance free for all except the 'foreigners' . They /we have to pay 1000 rupees to get in plus a nominal sum to leave our shoes plus a further fee to take a camera in. The train was a fairly pleasant experience but we chose to take the bus home as it is such an unbelievable fiasco to purchase train tickets. Well that was not far removed from hell. The bus is a coach and tagged onto the side of the fitted seats oneside of the coach, is a further fold up seat, hence when full, which everything always is here, it becomes a solid mass of seated passengers with no space at all. I sat there thinking how much I needed to just stand up and adjust my clothing and for at least a few minutes escape from the constant arm waving and tainted english emmiting from the Italian 'water pollution expert' scientist who was a UN volunteer and thought we were one of the same (which I guess if you ignore the fact that he was funded by the UN and he is highly intelligent) he may have something. The journey thankfully came to its end after three hours and boy was I pleased!

Yesterday we went to Hikkaduwa, a gorgeous beach with loads of surfers but the current so strong I could not stand up. I did get a little red although covered in lotion but the sun is so very strong and I have been out of it for most of the time since arriving. We dropped into the turtle project on the way down. They buy the turtle eggs from people they call fishermen but clearly the are egg raiders. The project bury the eggs in their grounds and after around 48 days they hatch, the baby turtles are then kept in a tank for 48 hours until they are able to see and have matured a little which then gives them a far better chance of survival. They let them free into the sea at night. I guess it does give them a far better chance but I certainly didn't like the bigger turtles that are kept permanently in tanks which I considered to be too small for a lifelong home. They say the reason they have them is for 'research' and 'tourism' , hmmm make your own decision on that.

The last few days we have had some very enjoyable dinners, chinese and japanese etc, I was losing weight!

Tomorrow I am now in the orphanage again as the American PTA didn't call until this afternoon (they had to consult their diaries) and I really felt their need could easily be met by applying their vast finances, so the children will benefit instead. Result!

Goodnight, only one more night here after this one. So sad .

xx