http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Phip/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Phip en-us Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:38:48 +0000 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:38:48 +0000 So long farewell auf wierdersehen goodbye The boys at the pool planted a fruit tree and called it The Skipper tree at the pool so they could remember me every day. It really was incredible touching and totally unexpected Chami made me a special lunch packet and bought me a gift For people with very little money it shows what kind of hearts these guys haveIn fact everyone that made an effor http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Southern-Province/Galle/blog-439506.html Becrsquos Birthday Beach Party 12 SeptemberI am sure the photos will speak for themselves. It was a good night plenty of cocktails and vodka which is evil dancing and fire throwingThe day after was not that pretty. I managed drag my sorry body to the beach where a sea bath always fixes a sore head. A very slow day and I was very keen to get back into bed and wake up feeling like a norma http://www.travelblog.org/Oceans-and-Seas/blog-436663.html Carrying on from the tour with the girls Sal and I came back to Unawatuna for a few days before she flew home and I flew off to Malaysia for a visa run. We spent our time on the beach wandering around the fort or for me with a stomach bug again on the last day of Salrsquos visit Luckily it was wet and miserable anyway so it was a reading chatting and sleeping day. Our driver Sam picked http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/blog-435041.html Some pics from our Tour plus a few anecdotes from the past few weeksmonths Itrsquos the little things From the never ending power failures to the deaf man across the road smiling and giving me a wave when he goes to collect the water each day.The kids at the pool bowing at my feet after they have had a lesson and the ones that make sure they say thank you in English because they can or b http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Central-Province/Ella/blog-433139.html Well it has been a while since I put anything down in writing so I will just jump straight in with the girls visitingBertha Nicoral as she is now known donrsquot ask I am not sure I even know and I was there And Trin and Sal came over on 16 August arrived around 9pm with Sam the driver I had arranged. They got on well with Sam because he let them drink and smoke in the van from the air http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-433136.html Well since my last post I have been a bit under the weather something didnrsquot like me and needed to come out and out it came. I am sure I donrsquot have to paint too vivid a picture for you however in case you donrsquot get it all ends were on full alert and active. I have been house bound and bed ridden for the past 3 days I finally crawled out and rejoined the living for the fest http://www.travelblog.org/Oceans-and-Seas/blog-426060.html 2nd AugustJust back from a weekend in Colombo. There isnrsquot any wonder why the guide books say many people bypass the capital there is not much to do even by the localrsquos standards. I headed up on Friday by bus which was an extremely uncomfortable ride for 3 hours reminiscent of a small mini bus crammed full of people in Cambodia and no one wants to relive that story do they George http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-426058.html Some pics for you to look at before the next entry.... http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-423331.html 23 JulyFireflys are amazing little guys I love watching them in the evening the light up an otherwise dark sky. I have no idea how they work they just do. They come into my room at night and fly around creating a glow that is different to anything I have seen before. I will miss them when I go.The project is coming along well even though Dharmadasa is just not cutting the mustard The trus http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-421619.html 12 JulyThe driver to take me to Kalutara where the English competition was being held was an hour late which meant he drove like a maniac to get me there for the afternoons judginghellip.a little scary at times a few white knuckles could be seen I was the only judge let alone foreigner and I had to judge school children of all ages on their pronunciation clarity presentation and choice of http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/blog-418321.html 11 JulyIt has been a while so I need to catch up on what has been happening Life is now becoming routine with a few funnies added in just to keep you on your toesWent to the cricket last weekend. It was a test match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. It was good to go and see and hear all the trumpets and noise makers in the stands All other countries seem to do it so well. No one really d http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Western-Province/Colombo/blog-418315.html Its all happening here The presidents wife was in town attending a wedding and she bought along her entourage of police security and army men and women. They were posted on the road everywhere from Unawatuna to Galle and just as I was heading to the pool the whole lot came passed me slowed down had a good stare so I waved to the presidents wife in her big black sleek car and she on her way http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-414660.html 28 JuneMuch better weather today. I went for walk to the pagodatemple this morning and sat at watched the water blowing into the blow hole which is where Sunset Point is as well a very nice spot to watch the sun setting could be very romantic if I wasn't on my own Will have to bring Bertha Trin and Sal up when they arrive Met a local man along the way who listens to ABC radio and knows a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Southern-Province/Unawatuna/blog-413569.html As I sit on balcony at different times of the day there is any number of people walking past selling all sorts of things. We have the Maalu fish man selling his catch from the mornings run we have the man selling Kiri which is milk and curd from his buffalo that roams in front of my home on the weekends we have the ice cream man on his bicycle his version of green sleeves is a pump type horn http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Southern-Province/Unawatuna/blog-413567.html 25 JuneNo more Sri Lankan army wake up calls just the monkeys as usualFor the past few days I have been at the pool with the Sri Lankan coaches and Dharmadasa The coaches are really nice guys and so interested to learn new things we are getting pretty good at broken English and Sinhala. They are amazed that my teaching is quite relaxed and fun for both teacher and students. The way they hav http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Southern-Province/Galle/blog-412388.html 21 JuneHeaded back down to the pool on Friday afternoon to see more classes and the way the coaches are teaching. The young guys that are the coaches here are really keen to learn new techniques and between the language barrier we are slowly sorting things out. I just need to be more insistent that Dharmadasa helps translates otherwise I will need to pay for a translator I have womenrsquos http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Southern-Province/Galle/blog-411028.html 19.6.09All good here just working out my timetable and how things work as in where to buy stuff. It has been quite funI generally go to the pool in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next couple of weeks I am teaching kids from the international school and they speak english so that is much easier for me to teach. With the other classes I am trying assist the coaches to teach h http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Southern-Province/Unawatuna/blog-410045.html 17 JuneWell the womenrsquos classes and I will be one soon. Christina has had her visa extension rejected so I am it as her eyes and ears until she can work things out with the immigration department. It is a real shame as it would have been great to teach with her now I have to keep her staff in line and they donrsquot speak Englishhellip..Prior to heading Tangalle later today I had th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Southern-Province/Tangalle/blog-409661.html Journey into Sri Lanka13 JuneAfter an odd start at the Sunflower Hotel Negombo which is no longer the Sunflower but the Paradise they changed the name but didnrsquot tell anyone even the taxi drivershellip.Anyway turned up there at midnight to a very dark and odd looking place upon further inspection I realized the place looked like a building site they were doing renovations another http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Southern-Province/Unawatuna/blog-408650.html