Deb and I said good bye to Sri Lanka yesterday morning. I have been trying to post photos of the work we did there, but you can view it at www.tripca.org as posting to the blog seems to be a problem right now.
We arrived in Trivandrum yesterday morning...and our hotel which is setting us back about $10/night (which is a little expensive actually) has a tv with several movie channels. So instead of exploring which would have been too much work in this heat, we plunked ourselves down and watched 4 hours of tv. How heavenly is that? Now don't go thinking we are staying at the ritz. Our room might have a tv, but it doesn't have sheets on the bed, towels or toilet paper. It is pretty basic. My friend Ben in Thailand sent us photos of his new house there and Deb and I almost went right out to teh airport and booked our ticket there because his place looks so nice.
What can I tell you about Trivandrum other than it is HOT, busy, and dirty. Not the most appealing discription I am sure but both Deb and I are holding back judgement on it until we have had the chance to explore it a little more this afternoon. First order of business is to get our Indian cell phone working, check out the train station and then do some sight seeing.
We are both craving some good home cooked meals right now. The last thing I want is another plate of rice. But while we are in southern india I am not sure we will find much else. So as you all sit there eating spaghetti, pizza, steak...heck I would even take a burger; think of us...eating more curry.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
India Bound
Well I was trying to post some photos, but for whatever reason it didn't work,so I will try again once I get to India. So stay tuned because there are some good ones coming.
We are done house bulding. Yesterday was a sad day...saying good bye to the workers and theother volunteers. I am a little amazed and a little surprised at how much affection I felt for the workers after only a couple of weeks spent with them and with most of them having very little knowledge of English. On our 2nd last day we split up into groups and went and visited about 6 of their homes. Got to meet their families and see how they live. It reinforced for me how lucky I am to live in Canada as some of them lived in homes without windows and doors and had only 2 rooms.
It was a great experience. I had a lot of laughs with both the workers and the other crazy Canadian volunteers. Now Deb and I are back in Bentota getting prepared to leave for India on the 30th. We are heading to Trivandrum and I think we will park ourselves there for about a week so we can get acclimatized to the culture and the people. A touch sad to be leaving Sri Lanka. The people and the country are gorgeous.
I also think that Deb and I feel pretty comfortable here, so heading to India will be taking us out of our comfort zone again...which can always be a little unsettling.
We are done house bulding. Yesterday was a sad day...saying good bye to the workers and theother volunteers. I am a little amazed and a little surprised at how much affection I felt for the workers after only a couple of weeks spent with them and with most of them having very little knowledge of English. On our 2nd last day we split up into groups and went and visited about 6 of their homes. Got to meet their families and see how they live. It reinforced for me how lucky I am to live in Canada as some of them lived in homes without windows and doors and had only 2 rooms.
It was a great experience. I had a lot of laughs with both the workers and the other crazy Canadian volunteers. Now Deb and I are back in Bentota getting prepared to leave for India on the 30th. We are heading to Trivandrum and I think we will park ourselves there for about a week so we can get acclimatized to the culture and the people. A touch sad to be leaving Sri Lanka. The people and the country are gorgeous.
I also think that Deb and I feel pretty comfortable here, so heading to India will be taking us out of our comfort zone again...which can always be a little unsettling.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Let the sweating begin
Well we just finished our first week of building houses and I don't even know where to begin to describe what a completely incredible experience it has been. It is HOT here, so Deb and I drink about 80 litres of water a day. The work is hard and the days are long. So far I have mixed and poured cement (by hand) for the floors in 4 houses. The Sri Lankan workers are impressed with our strength and our work ethic and have told me that I could get a job in construction here. I have climbed on top of a roof and put up the ceramic tiles. How to explain that the roof is made up of tiny pieces of wood, smaller than a 2x4 and that the Sri Lankan workers walk across them like they are on the ground, wearing flip flops and sarongs. They are incredible.
WE have sifted sand for plaster, we have dug foundations with nothing more than hoes and these crazy picks. The tools are rudimentary at best.
The workers...lets just say if I were to see half of them on the street of Tangalle late at night I would probably be afraid. Some of their nicknames (which of course I have made up) are pretty self expanatary and give you an idea as to why I might be afraid of them. My favourites are "one tooth" and "cheech". But after working with these men for a week I have totally fallen in love with them. Even though they speak very little english we manage to communicate with them through gestures, etc. I am even getting married to 1 of them on Tuesday. He is already married and has a 12 yr old daughter, but I am told that I can be the 'white wife'...sounds interesting enough for me. It is my first marriage proposal, so I feel pretty good. Ha!
I know I have thanked the people that donated already...but really you all need to know that the money you gave was SO worth it. TO have met some of the families that will be receiving these homes it makes me want to cry every time. A couple of them came to the site this week and worked along side us. It was wonderful to see the little children walking among the houses, you could almost imagine what the place will be like once everyone has moved in. If you haven't donated and think you might like to you can go to the TRIP website. Search it on google as I can't recall the url. Some really wonderful stuff happening here.
Deb and I are both good. Mom got off ok, even though it was a few days later than planned. WE have only a week left in Sri Lanka and then we will be heading to India. Just have to book and buy the ticket.
WE have sifted sand for plaster, we have dug foundations with nothing more than hoes and these crazy picks. The tools are rudimentary at best.
The workers...lets just say if I were to see half of them on the street of Tangalle late at night I would probably be afraid. Some of their nicknames (which of course I have made up) are pretty self expanatary and give you an idea as to why I might be afraid of them. My favourites are "one tooth" and "cheech". But after working with these men for a week I have totally fallen in love with them. Even though they speak very little english we manage to communicate with them through gestures, etc. I am even getting married to 1 of them on Tuesday. He is already married and has a 12 yr old daughter, but I am told that I can be the 'white wife'...sounds interesting enough for me. It is my first marriage proposal, so I feel pretty good. Ha!
I know I have thanked the people that donated already...but really you all need to know that the money you gave was SO worth it. TO have met some of the families that will be receiving these homes it makes me want to cry every time. A couple of them came to the site this week and worked along side us. It was wonderful to see the little children walking among the houses, you could almost imagine what the place will be like once everyone has moved in. If you haven't donated and think you might like to you can go to the TRIP website. Search it on google as I can't recall the url. Some really wonderful stuff happening here.
Deb and I are both good. Mom got off ok, even though it was a few days later than planned. WE have only a week left in Sri Lanka and then we will be heading to India. Just have to book and buy the ticket.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
A few more pictures
Mostly of countrside and beach...but the man standing between mom and Deb is Upali...our wonderful driver.
Falling in love
Well it is official. I am in love. Who would have thought, I would need to travel to Sri Lanka for it to happen. It hit me like a tonne of bricks. Doesn't seem to matter that it was with an elephant.
We went to an elephant orphanage a couple of days ago. There are about 80 elephants in the orphanage and I have never seen anything like it before. I have never been on safari and seen elephants in the wild. The most I have ever seen is when there are 5 or 6 of them in the zoo. Well this was like seeing them in the wild. All 80 of them (babies and all) were washing, drinking and playing in a gorgeous river. Some of them were close to the shore, so with the handler present, you could touch one of them. So I jumped to it immediately. I got to touch a 7 year old male...and a little baby. But it was the 7 year old that stole my heart. I put my hand on his trunk and started talking to him. I leaned forward and put my forehead on his and I kept talking...and I could hear his breathing change. I swear he was listening to me. I just kept talking...no idea what I was saying really. But I pushed my forehead into his, kind of nudging him...and he pushed back. I laughed and kept talking...and before I knew it he took his trunk, wrapped it around me like he was giving me a hug. It was wonderful. A completely thrilling experience. I felt so lucky to be able to have a moment like that with such a beautiful and powerful animal.
So now, I am totally in love with him. I will probably never see him again...but he stole my heart. sigh...
We are back in Colombo. Mom leaves day after next...and the city is nothing at all like it was when we were here 3 weeks ago. It is a huge holiday in Sri Lanka...similar to New Years for us. So many people have left the city (seems like all people to be honest) and have travelled home to their villages to be with their families. So there is little for us to do over the next day or so. It doesn't help that Colombo is as hot as the surface of the sun right now, so walking outside is a slow torture. I am sure mom is sad to be leaving, but looking forward to cooking herself a meal that doesn't consist of rice and curry, driving on a smooth road without bumps, bends and where people actually stay in 'lanes', something that does not exist here at all.
We went to an elephant orphanage a couple of days ago. There are about 80 elephants in the orphanage and I have never seen anything like it before. I have never been on safari and seen elephants in the wild. The most I have ever seen is when there are 5 or 6 of them in the zoo. Well this was like seeing them in the wild. All 80 of them (babies and all) were washing, drinking and playing in a gorgeous river. Some of them were close to the shore, so with the handler present, you could touch one of them. So I jumped to it immediately. I got to touch a 7 year old male...and a little baby. But it was the 7 year old that stole my heart. I put my hand on his trunk and started talking to him. I leaned forward and put my forehead on his and I kept talking...and I could hear his breathing change. I swear he was listening to me. I just kept talking...no idea what I was saying really. But I pushed my forehead into his, kind of nudging him...and he pushed back. I laughed and kept talking...and before I knew it he took his trunk, wrapped it around me like he was giving me a hug. It was wonderful. A completely thrilling experience. I felt so lucky to be able to have a moment like that with such a beautiful and powerful animal.
So now, I am totally in love with him. I will probably never see him again...but he stole my heart. sigh...
We are back in Colombo. Mom leaves day after next...and the city is nothing at all like it was when we were here 3 weeks ago. It is a huge holiday in Sri Lanka...similar to New Years for us. So many people have left the city (seems like all people to be honest) and have travelled home to their villages to be with their families. So there is little for us to do over the next day or so. It doesn't help that Colombo is as hot as the surface of the sun right now, so walking outside is a slow torture. I am sure mom is sad to be leaving, but looking forward to cooking herself a meal that doesn't consist of rice and curry, driving on a smooth road without bumps, bends and where people actually stay in 'lanes', something that does not exist here at all.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Monday, April 03, 2006
High in the hills of Ella
We drove 6 hours yesterday from the beaches of Tangalle to the hills of Ella. On our way out of Tangalle, we stopped at the build site where Deb and I will be building houses. It was pretty wonderful to see and I think mom was pretty happy she got to see what we will be doing here. They have 5 houses completed already and they are quite nice. Now that I have seen it, I am anxious to get back there and help.
THANKS again to all my wonderful friends who donated money to this...I will post photos when I can.
Just finished another wonderful meal high in the hills. One thing is certain, the food here is great. Deb, mom and I are both going to come back 50 lbs heavier...with all the spicy food and then the cold beer that is required to wash it all down :)
We went for a gorgeous hike through the tea plantations and up the hills to small Adams peak. The view from the top was just gorgeous. Every direction you looked in was stunning. Rice paddies, water falls, people working in the tea plantations. My camera didn't know which way to point first.
You can tell it is off season right now here in Sri Lanka. Everywhere we go it is so quiet. WE are not complaining because it means everywhere we go we are usually the only ones, so no fighting crowds, but it also means we are getting wonderful service.
Our next stop in Nuwara Eliya where we are going to do the pilgrimage up to Adams Peak. It entails leaving at 2:30 in the morning and climbing over 5200 steps to the tops. It should take us about 4 hours to get to the top, but the views are supposed to be worth it. I am sure the next day all of our legs will be like jello and we won't do a whole lot of anything.
I was hoping to see some elephants yesterday, but they eluded us....
chris
THANKS again to all my wonderful friends who donated money to this...I will post photos when I can.
Just finished another wonderful meal high in the hills. One thing is certain, the food here is great. Deb, mom and I are both going to come back 50 lbs heavier...with all the spicy food and then the cold beer that is required to wash it all down :)
We went for a gorgeous hike through the tea plantations and up the hills to small Adams peak. The view from the top was just gorgeous. Every direction you looked in was stunning. Rice paddies, water falls, people working in the tea plantations. My camera didn't know which way to point first.
You can tell it is off season right now here in Sri Lanka. Everywhere we go it is so quiet. WE are not complaining because it means everywhere we go we are usually the only ones, so no fighting crowds, but it also means we are getting wonderful service.
Our next stop in Nuwara Eliya where we are going to do the pilgrimage up to Adams Peak. It entails leaving at 2:30 in the morning and climbing over 5200 steps to the tops. It should take us about 4 hours to get to the top, but the views are supposed to be worth it. I am sure the next day all of our legs will be like jello and we won't do a whole lot of anything.
I was hoping to see some elephants yesterday, but they eluded us....
chris
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