Sunday 8th January 2023

Having gone to bed last night rather disappointed that my luggage still hadn't followed me on to Nuwara Eliya, I woke up to find that my poor hosts had received a phone call in the middle of the night and that Jana had gone out on his moped with Daya at 2:30 in the morning to collect it, because they claimed not to have been able to find this address. I felt very guilty that I had slept through all that and I was extremely grateful to them both.

I spent some time unpacking and then ironing all the shirts and trousers that I had washed yesterday. A lot of my 'work' (it's voluntary) here involves going into schools, so jeans and a t-shirt really doesn't cut the mustard, and it's back to the regular day gear I had when I was a Headteacher, although I draw the line at wearing a suit, and just stick to a smart jacket for the most formal occasions.

Daya has been most helpful in sorting out my room here for me, and he was putting up an extra shelf for me, so we went into Nuwara Eliya for a snack lunch - 'short eats' (like rolls and various other snack foods) and a cup of tea. Daya bought the wood for the shelf, and we did some food shopping, before cramming all our purchases into a tuk-tuk for the journey back to Blackpool, one I am now very familiar with.

It is lovely to see how Jana's allotment is progressing. He has received some tuition from an uncle, I think, and is growing seedlings to sell on to other growers. His main crop is lettuce, with the addition of green cabbage, red cabbage, and broccoli. It is hard to make a living these days in Sri Lanka, but people must eat, so his investment in this small gardening venture may make a big difference to the family income.

Today's photos show the wonderful views from my room here in Blackpool, including a lovely one with the mist descending, and a close-up view of Jana's lovely allotment.