Giritale

---

D7

The verdict has changed reference the Sri Lankan drivers. We have come to the conclusion that many are reckless and dangerous.
This morning we were nearly run off the road by a car overtaking a lorry uphill
at speed with just enough room for us to get through – frightening. This
afternoon entering Minnetiya John was thrown off his bike by a foolish motorist
who came alongside and then swerved across him to enter the fuel station. John
had to turn with him and applied his brakes on the wet road so skidded to a stop in a big heap with a battered knee, forearm and hand. The police came and instead of reprimanding the driver tried to encourage John to go to hospital. However, since he did not want to contract
some deadly disease he reluctantly declined and his wife Sue cleaned and patched him up at the roadside. This morning we went to the fruit and veg market in Dambulla where we saw great volumes of produce the likes of which we have never seen before and some we dare not taste. Later, despite our guide telling us the weather was to improve, we got a couple of dowsings, but warm with it at about 26 degreess. The lunch was a buffet of whatever we could wish
and was delicious. Not a bad meal yet, in my opinion, but the two who were ill the last two days may not agree. Abundant wild life again today, with an elephant by a small lake eating grass, roots and all. We saw a lot of twos, maybe Noah was calling. Two one foot long lizards basking in the sun, two kingfishers like blue flashes whizzing through the trees over the river looking
amazing. Two woolly necked Storks up in a tree looking like vultures waiting to pounce on the next dead cyclist. A black wren sized bird with a long tail and swooping about erratically. I will have to get the book out. The Giritale Hotel is nice and the food is good but full of damn foreigners. The beer is also 300 rupees a bottle so I may be teatotal again tomorrow. This computer crashed before but eventually restarted to produce this. It must be the weather. After
all it is the DRY season.

---