Friday 19th January 2024

I took today off, as well as next Monday, in order to have a long weekend away. Erica, who I first met through Tim and Liz Westbrook in 2019 had invited me to stay on my previous two trips to Sri Lanka, but I hadn't been able to fit it into my schedule. This time I was determined to make the trip down south to see her. It is a 5-hour bus journey from Nuwara Eliya down to Ranna, near Tangalle, but it cost me less than £2, and it was well worth the long journey.

The bus journey was okay to start with, although the last hour was particularly uncomfortable, and it was a relief when Erica picked me up from Ranna bus station. It was only a short drive to her beautiful house, which backs onto the Indian Ocean. After a light lunch, I had a rest, nodding off whilst watching the Australian Open tennis championships, then had a lovely cup of tea, before heading out through her back gate for a walk along the seashore.

It is an idyllic place to come for a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle of working with Tea Leaf, and I felt like I was in paradise as I walked barefoot along the beach. I particularly love the sound of the ocean waves coming in and out, although it isn't particularly safe to swim here because of the very strong rip tides, so I contented myself with having a paddle, whilst taking photographs of stray dogs along the beach, and a short video of a hermit crab.

I returned to have a twilight swim in Erica's wonderful pool, where the water was just as warm as the sea was, and I swam for quite a while, as I was enjoying it so much. After a shower, it was already 19:00, and I enjoyed a lovely dinner with Erica. She is great company, with lots of stories to tell, and we chatted for a long time after the meal, particularly about education as, like me, she was involved in education for most of her working life.

Today's photos show Erica and her beautiful house and pool, plus my walk along the gorgeous sandy beach, with a little video of one of hundreds of hermit crabs I saw scuttling around.

















Comments

  1. CharlesJanuary 19, 2024 at 11:11 PM

    How inviting the sea, sand and palm trees look, Keith! It must be good to have a break away from the scene of your labours...

    ReplyDelete

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