Sunday, September 30, 2012

We arrived in Tangalle after a 2 hours bus-ride from Midigama that costed us 166 rupees, which is about 1,20AUS or 6NOK. Travelling in Sri Lanka can be very cheap if you have a little patience to wait for the right bus to stop, and of course it also makes it a lot more exciting to travel with the locals!
Last night was full-moon and this is a public holiday in Sri Lanka as full-moon is a highly religious day for Buddhists all over the world. The Sri Lankans call it Poya day and it is a day when the majority of the people seem to be going to temples for prayer, meditation and to give offerings. Ben and I used the opportunity to check out one of the local highlights; the rock temple of Mulkirigala. 
The temple is over 2500 years old and it is built on a massive rock mountain with three levels and each level contains two cave-like rooms with a big Buddha in, which all symbolises the different stages at the end of Buddhas life. From what we were told you can see the difference on wether the Buddhas are sleeping, reclining or dying from how the hands, the feet and the eyes are placed.




Visiting temples on days like Poya days makes it all a lot more special; the place is filled with smoke from the incense, butter lights are lit in front of the Buddhas and all the smaller shrines, and the head monk will be preaching and praying over the speakers, which creates almost a magical atmosphere. I am aware of all the horrible things in the worlds happening because of religion but I decide to look at the beauty of it and I find it truly amazing that people will do the same prayer and rituals month after month, year after year. I personally find religion to be a beautiful thing but it is misused in too many ways.



The Buddhists seem to be very open towards other religions and we are allowed to engage in the different rituals of prayer so we climbed the many steps to reach the three levels to offer our lotus flowers in front of the six Buddhas. Thanks to our tuk-tuk driver we realised there was a small dagoba (a white painted dome-shaped shrine) on the top of the mountain next to what they called "the end/edge of the world" in Sri Lanka. We were told this was 3000 meters above sea level, but I strongly doubt this as numbers and figures often gets mixed up and I'd think it would be more like 1000 meters above sea level, but what a beautiful view and sunset!



Tomorrow we will hire a motorbike to drive 15 kilometres down the coast to a beach were turtles come to lay eggs at nighttime. They say it is a lot bigger chance to see them the days before and after full-moon when the moon is still bright so I'm very excited!   

Thursday, September 27, 2012

A couple of days ago I had to look after Malke and Ravihan for an hour. They are such funny boys and we had a great time together, although babysitting can be quite challenging when you don't speak the same language so chocolate and marshmallows was highly needed as bribes due to the language barriers. I love how some kids can play on their own for ages. Ravihan is one of them and he can sit by himself just playing with whatever he finds for hours. And he talks, talks and talks while he is waving with his arms and hands to express himself. In a way I like not being able to understand what he says as I love listening to his little voice when he goes on and on. He is hilarious.



While I was looking after the boys Ben went to the barber to get his face shaved. After telling the barber he wanted to get his eyebrows trimmed he fell asleep in the chair. Big mistake!!! Fifteen minutes later he woke up with no eyebrows! Language can be a tricky thing sometimes and the barber had shaved his eyebrows off instead of trimming them. And I'm sorry Ben but I would be lying if I said it suits you...

The boys think the nail polish  is very exciting!! 

Ravihan "working" on the fan...



Due to pure laziness we have decided not to go to Arugam Bay this time as it is a twelve hours drive from where we are so we figured we will save it until next time and go to Tangalla instead, which is only 2-3hours south from Midigama. I have heard it is the perfect place for lying around and doing nothing and that suits us very well at the moment.


Thursday, September 20, 2012

Everywhere I read it is said that the best way to avoid getting malaria is to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes, but I just don't see how that is possible!! I desperately cover myself with insect repellent, I don't leave the light on at night-time unless necessary, and our bedroom is constantly covered in smoke from the mosquito coil after dusk. How is it possible that I still walk around looking like I've got some mysterious disease with bites from mosquitoes, sandflies and you name it all over my legs and arms? I guess I will be doomed if I ever go into a malaria area...
But enough about the mosquitos and sandflies; I feel truly blessed that Ben and I have become such good friends with Bambera and Manike's amazing family and that we get to spend time with them in their day-to-day life. It definitely gives us a different perspective on things.




Saturday, September 15, 2012

Bliss


    Having had 2-3 jobs the last few months and pretty much no life was all worth it the moment I put my feet in the sand and could smell the ocean! Oh, yes I know very well that’s such a cliché but it is just so true. And another 30 days of this sounds like bliss in my sunburnt ears…


    
   Rainy-season is just about to finish at the Southwest coast of Sri Lanka so there are few, if any tourists around at the moment. When I come to think about it maybe that’s probably why everybody is so happy seeing us again as we arriving means that tourist-season has begun! Or maybe they’re just happy because it is us?
    There’s not even a lot of rain and with something that seems like rainy-season all year-around at home I don’t really mind a couple of clouds every now and then. The only downside with it is that with rain comes the sand flies, and as I’ve said before they are not good friends of mine. Those itchy little bastards.


    When I go back to a place I’ve been before, or even when I go back home, it always feels like the time has been standing still. You will meet the same people at your local supermarket or at the corner-shop, and you say hello to the same tuk-tuk drivers as you did last time. But it is really the small things that change; Ravihan, Manike and Bambera’s two year old, has started talking and he is no baby anymore. And man, he talks! Malke, the five year old is so excited about starting pre-school after Christmas and he’s picking up English words perfectly; last night out of nowhere he suddenly said out loud; ”Goooood niiiiight Sriiii Lanka!!” It is little moments like this that stays with me for a long time. Last time we were here Malke asked his mother if she didn’t send him to school because she didn’t love him as much as she loves the other ones. This little boy amazes me as he has the most beautiful personality and such a big heart.


    What I like most about travelling would have to be the small things such as having a cup of tea with a stranger, talking to a little girl in the street and the guy at the corner-shop (called Neal’s shop here) or simply just sit around and watch people go on with their everyday life. I just love it; you meet people you’ve never met before but who you still feel so familiar with, and maybe most important you will meet people who laugh at the same things as you do wherever you go. And I am not saying I am not appreciating these small things at home as there’s nothing like having a cup of green tea with my mum or my cousin while sharing some hot new gossip! (Shouldn’t forget my sister in case she is reading this!)Manike and Bambera also changed the colour of their house since last time from bright pink to bright orange; what great colours they use!! 



    Tonight it is raining and we've got fireflies in our room. How cool isn't that? 

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Holiday time!

I almost can't believe I'm off travelling again today! I've been counting the days for weeks now and I am so excited. The trip goes to Sri Lanka where I'm meeting up with my boyfriend, and we will have one week in Midigama staying at Cheynu's guesthouse before we go to check out Arugam Bay on Sri Lanka's east-coast; apparently one of the top ten surfing-breaks in the world. I will stick to lying around on the beach and do absolutely nothing!