Terry and I went to Nogombo this afternoon.  I decided not to take my camera and it was good fun to negotiate the local means of transport which varied from Tuk-tuk to Bus and back to Tuck-tuck (a small 3 weel vehicle that can take 2 passengers, basically a powered rickshaw). They are cheap and seemingly dangerous but they don’t seem to crash which says a lot more  about the belief in various gods than the skill of the drivers. They weave in and out of the traffic.  There is always hassle negotiating the price which usually finishes up at a few quid,if that. It’s a constant feud between Western travellers who arrive with wallets laden with cash and it seems the national passtime of every Sri Lankan is to extract as much of it as you can. This is done by always being “my-friend” or having a brother, uncle or some other distant relative who has a boat here or a taxi there or is a tour guide and will give you the best price etc.!

The beggars are real, and very sad but some people just randomly ask you for money even though they look perfectly respectable. We shopped in a gift shop which could have been any gift shop anywhere in the world with that slightly musty smell from the usual carvings, probably mass produced in China or the Philippines but all supposedly hand made here. Having been in hundred of gift shops in dozens of third world countries previously then I am sorry to say, I wasn’t fooled but did buy two tiny resin elephants (designed to look like iron wood) and a spoon made from a shell which will join all the other things from countries like Fiji and Tonga and the Pitcairn Islands, in a box somewhere in the attic.Oh well, when in Rome as they say…..
Our journey home was weird! We caught a bus which was crammed with people, we used our wits and even managed to get off the bus and then change on to the next one which was even more crowded and smelly. We careered along to our destination and jumped off to then flag down a passing agricultural vehicle who took us to a spot further on where we could get a Tuk-tuk to the last stage of our journey. All very interesting and exciting. I think the locals enjoyed it more than us as they were intrigued to see two English men of a certain age, on their crowded bus and laughed at us as well on the motor driven cart.
Back home at Ravi’s there is a disaster of sorts. Its a new moon and believe it or not every new moon is a public holiday and the bars and hotels are not allowed to sell alcohol! (Thats just for today). So an early night tonight which is probably a good thing as we are leaving very early in the morning for another go at the Dolphin trip.