Friday 17th June 2022

I was up and off early again today, catching the bus from Blackpool Junction into Nuwara Eliya. It was a bit surreal, as some sad music was playing on the bus as we entered Nuwara Eliya and I saw at least 1,000 people queuing up for kerosene, later hearing that they were only allowed 3 litres each, which would not last them for that long. It was an immensely powerful image that I could not capture on film.

As I walked to GROW, I saw a rather lonely-looking horse at the roundabout by the garage, and then a vast queue of vehicles from the garage trailing all the way up Lady McCullum's Drive (sound's very Sri Lankan doesn't it!) where Donald and Ladushan's company GROW is situated. I did manage to take a photo of this queue, but it still doesn't really show the full extent of how desperately sad it was.

I spent the morning helping Donald and Ladushan get ready for tomorrow's reopening, including making a welcome banner for them, and then I walked into town to meet up with Yad, Tharika and her daughter Evinka. On the way, I passed this political protest near Victoria Park, where a line of rubbish bags with photos of government ministers made it clear what they thought of the current administration!

It was a very happy afternoon treating two of my favourite ladies from the Central Management Team to coffee and cake at The Grand Hotel. We had such a great time chatting and having fun that, just for an afternoon, we almost forgot about how tough things are in Sri Lanka currently, although it is always in the back of your mind, and my heart goes out to these lovely people at this terrible time for them.










Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 18, 2022 at 5:17 AM

    You look very much at ease in the last photo. I presume the protest involved protesters as well as garbage symbols?! What hope is there of regime change? I gather the opposition parties' motion to move a no confidence vote in the President was defeated by 119 to 68, but that this has not put an end to the debate over whether such a vote should be allowed...

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