I have, fortunately, found cheaper ways to eat. At work we order rice and curry packages, which are very big, for 100 rupees (67 eurocents). These are delicious, but for one like me, who is not experienced in the ways of the spice, it is like having an explosion in your mouth. Fortunately not all the curries in it (it's a medley) are spicy so I can strategically take 2 mouthfuls of hot followed by a good 5 of mild. Today I ate spicy for breakfast, lunch and dinner so by Sunday I may just be very resistant to curry. I am also eating "roti". Rotis are like a kebab but instead, of a wrap it's like a triangular savoury pancake with either fish, vegetables or egg inside(costs about 30 rupees-17 cents!). It's very greasy and not healthy and all, so because I am a healthy eater I had 6 of them for dinner last night in true Rorinator fashion. There are also egg hoppas which are great and fairly self explanatory, as well as milk rice and something I discovered tonight, kothu roti. It was very spicy but superb. It is a mix of vegetables, chicken in my case, onions and chopped roti bread.
I went for a run yesterday and wha started out as a lovely coastline run turned into a rather unpleasant expeeience. The main road veered inland a bit and I found myself running on the side of the road, desperately trying to dodge the incredibly wild Sri Lankan drivers, which will literally come at you from anywhere. While there were some very friendly people there was also the occasional death stare from an angry looking 10 year old, and after about 20 perilous minutes I turned back.
Today I went to Unawatuna and visited a massive peace pagoda made by the Japanese after the 2004 tsunami. I also got the fright of my life when, wearing flip flops, I very nearly stepped on a monitor lizard. I hadn't realised these things lived here, and because it was a good meter in length I literally thought I was stepping on a komodo dragon. The komodo is actually a species of monitor but fortunately this one was harmless and, sadly, gone by the time I went to get my camera. I also had a lot of trouble getting pictures of the prolific(and sometimes pretty big) monkeys that live in the trees around the Adopt Sri Lanka office. I think they knew I was trying to get a picture and did not want to comply.
mercredi 5 octobre 2011
dimanche 2 octobre 2011
Galle, Sri Lanka
A tuk-tuk is basically a motorbike with three wheels that has been designed in such a way that it becomes like a golf buggy with the steering wheel in the middle, two seats in the back and a roof. I decided there and then that when the time came for me to buy a vehicle it would not be a car or a motorbike, but a tuk-tuk.
I was driven to the Sun House hotel which the man I am working for, Geoffrey Dobbs, owns and was charged twice the normal amount, as I found out later.
The hotel is amazing, it's like a sort of temple paradise. It has this beautiful peaceful garden which makes one feel like a sage and the food is absolutely incredible. Being someone who eats eggs every morning, my standards are high and experienced, and these are the best eggs I've ever had. I don't even know where to start for the curry, it's divine. I met a few of the locals and hotel staff, who are exceptionally nice. I succeeded in staying up until 8 and slept 13 and a half hours, a personal best for me. In true gap year fashion, I then went into the town with a tuk tuk driver who kindly showed me around and bought a Sri Lankan shirt and serong.as a result of this and the tuk tuk fare, I have the equivent of about 6 pounds left. Fortunately I have a tab for the time being or I would be getting pretty hungry. Galle is very attractive and even on a Sunday it was teeming with activity.
I was driven to the Sun House hotel which the man I am working for, Geoffrey Dobbs, owns and was charged twice the normal amount, as I found out later.
The hotel is amazing, it's like a sort of temple paradise. It has this beautiful peaceful garden which makes one feel like a sage and the food is absolutely incredible. Being someone who eats eggs every morning, my standards are high and experienced, and these are the best eggs I've ever had. I don't even know where to start for the curry, it's divine. I met a few of the locals and hotel staff, who are exceptionally nice. I succeeded in staying up until 8 and slept 13 and a half hours, a personal best for me. In true gap year fashion, I then went into the town with a tuk tuk driver who kindly showed me around and bought a Sri Lankan shirt and serong.as a result of this and the tuk tuk fare, I have the equivent of about 6 pounds left. Fortunately I have a tab for the time being or I would be getting pretty hungry. Galle is very attractive and even on a Sunday it was teeming with activity.
The Journey-Part 3
This flight started with a bloody rude, overweight woman barging in front of me and sticking all her kit inside the security check machine without actually putting anything on a tray. Then I got in and a geriatric, very moody, very aged man had taken my seat and there was nothing I can do as he was ancient and is therefore allowed. So I was in the middle of a 4-seater section, in the middle part of the plane! This, as you may know, is terrible for me. This plane was bigger but more compact seatwise and my legs can't take it. In addition, I happen to drink a lot of water and I therefore pee a lot so don't like climbing over sleeping people to do so. I had reserved this seat online, so was mildly ticked off, and because he was so old I had to go all the way round to get into my seat as he couldn't stand up without a huge effort. But there is a god because just before takeoff he got moved to a closer, more spacious seat which I found out later was in first class. So I ended up with two seats to myself. Yes. No TVs though and it was a six and a half hour flight.. They had them on the 4 hour one. To my great annoyance, in dabbling with my alarm clock earlier I had managed to make the watch beep twice on every hour.
As we arrived in Banadaranaike Airport, I got my visa from a very grumpy man in a ridiculous white security outfit(this probably had something to do with his mood, and it was also 4 30 in the morning). I was immediately offered a taxi and left the airport in high spirits. The road
to Colombo was basically a military complex, barbed wire and army men everywhere. What struck me on the way into town wasn't just the culture shock but also how it really wasn't so different. One always goes to these places expecting to find a completely different world, but globalisation was jumping out at me from everywhere. I was completely lost in Colombo and no one spoke English, yet somehow managed to find the bus station and got onto a tiny green bus to Galle. This bus should have got in, at most, 10 people. Fortunately I got in when there were only about 10 people, and even then my enormous rucksack was causing great consternation, as the space was so little I couldn't get it through the middle. It had to be passed around to the back with great difficulty and I was charged double. My legs were by now trying to cramp on me and I couldn't quite fit my legs into my seat. Half an hour later, there were between 40 and 50 people on the bus, I have no idea how. Little seats kept popping out of nowhere and although we were completely crammed we somehow all fit in. This was a 3 and a half hour bus ride, I hadn't slept in ages and my legs were dying, so my body decided to try and send me to sleep... This was not popular with my two neighbours, as I kept nodding off and waking with a jolt/being thrown to the side- it must be said that this bus was literally breaking as it drove and must have been half the weight of the combination of everyone inside. Due to my sleep issues, I fell into the man on my right no less than a good 20 times, it was ridiculous.
Finally we arrived in Galle and I climbed into the greatest of inventions... A tuk-tuk.
As we arrived in Banadaranaike Airport, I got my visa from a very grumpy man in a ridiculous white security outfit(this probably had something to do with his mood, and it was also 4 30 in the morning). I was immediately offered a taxi and left the airport in high spirits. The road
to Colombo was basically a military complex, barbed wire and army men everywhere. What struck me on the way into town wasn't just the culture shock but also how it really wasn't so different. One always goes to these places expecting to find a completely different world, but globalisation was jumping out at me from everywhere. I was completely lost in Colombo and no one spoke English, yet somehow managed to find the bus station and got onto a tiny green bus to Galle. This bus should have got in, at most, 10 people. Fortunately I got in when there were only about 10 people, and even then my enormous rucksack was causing great consternation, as the space was so little I couldn't get it through the middle. It had to be passed around to the back with great difficulty and I was charged double. My legs were by now trying to cramp on me and I couldn't quite fit my legs into my seat. Half an hour later, there were between 40 and 50 people on the bus, I have no idea how. Little seats kept popping out of nowhere and although we were completely crammed we somehow all fit in. This was a 3 and a half hour bus ride, I hadn't slept in ages and my legs were dying, so my body decided to try and send me to sleep... This was not popular with my two neighbours, as I kept nodding off and waking with a jolt/being thrown to the side- it must be said that this bus was literally breaking as it drove and must have been half the weight of the combination of everyone inside. Due to my sleep issues, I fell into the man on my right no less than a good 20 times, it was ridiculous.
Finally we arrived in Galle and I climbed into the greatest of inventions... A tuk-tuk.
The Journey-Part 2
Amsterdam was an absolute nightmare. I originally only had about an hour to change flights (with different airlines!) but the plane, of course, was late and this became literally less than 20 minutes. About 20 minutes before landing I told a flight attendant that I had a flight in 25 minutes time and would it be possible to have a way to get off the plane as fast as possible. I persisted, shamelessly, until she reluctantly brought me to the very front of the plane. I SPRINTED in my nice loafers to a gate that happened to be at the other side of the airport. About halfway through this 10-15 minute run, I noticed on the panels that the 12 40 to Jordan's gates were now closing, making me very afraid and intensifying my already considerable amounts of sweat. As I finally made it to the gate, I realised with dread that there was a SECURITY CHECK to go through encompassing three different flights. Darn. I went straight to the lady at the front and explained my situation ( I still didn't have a ticket) and showed her my receipt and luggage thing and she said "yes, they're waiting for you." I thus assumed this meant I could go straight through but no, I had to go to the back of the line.
When I finally got through, the people at the Royal Jordanian desk told me that it was too late. I refused this and fortunately they let me on (I was wearing glasses and looking sweaty and upset) but told me that my big rucksack wouldn't make it. Nightmare. Incredibly, just
before takeoff a chap came onto the plane and told me at my bag had just made it, which was incredibly lucky. It was clearly very obvious to him which one on the plane was Rory McLeod!
The flight was great, about 4 and a half hours with good leg space, a TV and good food. The only glimpse I got of Jordan was oddly reminding of Tatooine in Star Wars, a crazy-coloured desert with an irregular array of rocks and cool little towns.
Inside the airport, it took me about 1 minute to get through the guards and to my gate. Amsterdam is therefore completely and utterly useless. The food looked fantastic and I was starving but had nowhere to convert my money into Jordanian dollars. As I got through the gate, when the guard asked me how I was I felt it appropriate to reply "very well thank you, how are you?" - he stared at me with a mixture of surprise and annoyance and did not answer.
When I finally got through, the people at the Royal Jordanian desk told me that it was too late. I refused this and fortunately they let me on (I was wearing glasses and looking sweaty and upset) but told me that my big rucksack wouldn't make it. Nightmare. Incredibly, just
before takeoff a chap came onto the plane and told me at my bag had just made it, which was incredibly lucky. It was clearly very obvious to him which one on the plane was Rory McLeod!
The flight was great, about 4 and a half hours with good leg space, a TV and good food. The only glimpse I got of Jordan was oddly reminding of Tatooine in Star Wars, a crazy-coloured desert with an irregular array of rocks and cool little towns.
Inside the airport, it took me about 1 minute to get through the guards and to my gate. Amsterdam is therefore completely and utterly useless. The food looked fantastic and I was starving but had nowhere to convert my money into Jordanian dollars. As I got through the gate, when the guard asked me how I was I felt it appropriate to reply "very well thank you, how are you?" - he stared at me with a mixture of surprise and annoyance and did not answer.
The Journey-Part 1
Thursday began with an emotional goodbye from Mum and a very emotional goodbye from Ruby, who to my concern was not eating. Ruby not eating is even more serious than me not eating... Got to London and met up with Auntie Alice, making the usual mistake of thinking she had changed car (she hasn't changed car). Had a lovely afternoon, the highlights being a very big plate of fish and chips for a whopping 5 pounds (YES ENGLAND), a visit to the vast Kew gardens (+ a very sticky "gluten free" piece of chocolate cake), a sprint session to pretend to myself that I was being healthy, a trip to Morrison's in Alice's rugby kit (the shirts were two thirds of the way up my thighs and the tshirt was just above my waist) making me look like a crossdresser. Ironically the only things I bought in Morrison's were a pack of hayfever pills and a large box of protection. The night was capped off with another gigantic dinner from Alice.
Friday was a 5 30 start but in an attempt to figure out how my watch alarm worked I accidentally set it for 4 AM and 5 30, which wasn't massively convenient. On the train to Gatwick I ate my healthy breakfast of bread, egg and rhubarb pie which won me some grim and angry stares from several people on the train, and then proceeded to get on the plane incredibly smoothly with no slip ups.
...yet.
Friday was a 5 30 start but in an attempt to figure out how my watch alarm worked I accidentally set it for 4 AM and 5 30, which wasn't massively convenient. On the train to Gatwick I ate my healthy breakfast of bread, egg and rhubarb pie which won me some grim and angry stares from several people on the train, and then proceeded to get on the plane incredibly smoothly with no slip ups.
...yet.
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