Monday 26th February 2024

It was very strange leaving Blackpool for the last time at 07:00 this morning. I felt sad saying goodbye to everyone, but also quite emotional about leaving Blackpool itself, as it has an unusual connection for me (more on that tomorrow maybe!). I have enjoyed living there very much, although it has felt very different this year without Daya. I had rather a lot of luggage, as I was leaving a large suitcase and a box of pictures with Sandra on the way in Kurunegala.

The journey from Nuwara Eliya to Kurunegala is a very beautiful one, and you pass Tea Leaf Centre Pussellawa on the way, so we popped in to say hello to the staff and students, which was lovely, as the centre only opened a few weeks ago. Lunch in Kurunegala was at Sandra's lovely home, and Agatha and Tharika joined us. My experience in Kurunegala was quite a transforming one on this visit, and has led to some unexpected future opportunities.

It was a relief to eventually arrive at The Swimming Club, which now feels a very familiar destination, as this is the third time that I have stayed there. It looks out onto the Indian Ocean, with a railway line separating it from the sea, and it is lovely watching the trains go by every few minutes. I enjoyed a relaxing swim in the pool, as the main aim of my 3-day stay here is to have a few days to wind down before returning to the UK on Thursday.

Part of today's relaxation activities was to have dinner on the beach with Ragu, Daya's brother. I met up with him in Negombo on my first night in Sri Lanka, and it was great to see him again. Life has not been easy for this family of three brothers, and as with so many young people in Sri Lanka, they struggle to make ends meet and have little hope for their future in their own country, with so many of them seeking work abroad, where they can earn a lot more than they can here.

Today's photographs show a beautiful view on the journey, a couple taken at Tea Leaf Centre Pussellawa, a couple showing trains passing The Swimming Club in Colombo, and one of me on the beach this evening.








Comments

  1. CharlesFebruary 28, 2024 at 12:19 AM

    Just wondering how you get from the hotel to the beach when they are divided by the railway line?

    ReplyDelete
  2. TimFebruary 28, 2024 at 5:34 AM

    Hi Keith, are you meeting with Jit? If so a gentle nudge on Indian funding would be helpful. Liz and I both know the feeling of saying goodbye to friends in Sri Lanka, it’s not easy.

    ReplyDelete

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