Return to Kurunagale

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Saturday 18th April


We were up early and with some regret headed to the train station. The train due to leave at 07:30 did not arrive until 7.55 and we had worried as more and more people had flooded the platform. As the train pulled in people began to leap aboard and I did the same to grab seats leaving N to restrain the boys who were all for leaping on after me. We admired their spirit but felt it was a risk not worth taking. We got 4 seats together by the door - would have been prime seats but for the fact they were on the sunny side of the train - but still was ok on a modern and fast train.

We were looking forward to lunch with Kannan and Sweta in Colombo. We got a tuk tuk to his stylish contemporary apartment, and were extremely grateful for his laid back generous hospitality. The boys fired into his biscuits and chocolates with gusto and the adults relished his cool drenching shower. It was lovely to be driven in his beetle rather than worrying about where to go or how to get there, and no hassle. It was equally delightful not to be talking about what we are doing, where and for how long.

Kannan was insistent we needed ID and relieved that I had my driver’s license. He is clearly used to be stopped regularly and yet we have never been stopped, and on the few occasions we have nearly been on realising we are a western family we have been waved on. Sure enough we were not stopped while with him nor despite 2 close calls in the tuk tuk back to our first class train (AC).

We arrived in Kurunagala and after a brief key hunt found our accommodation only slightly improved. Still we had bought the boys a state of the art pop up mozzie net - very like the decathlon tents, and a standard but new and clean one for ourselves and were confident we wouldl be ok.

Seems a shame that the one place we have not absolutely loved is the one that is our semi permanent home - we see plenty of weekends away looming! We have decided it is the Wolverhampton of Sri Lanka, and having done that are resisting a wave of negative emotions about it. A final slapstick moment as we were getting ready for bed, I went for a shower - but the water all spurted out from cracks in the pipe, and never made it to the shower head. We just looked at each other and burst out laughing. Luckily we have another bathroom and the shower in there worked.

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Photos

little crack in shower
perhaps why it leaks?