... Annie goes snorkelling and diving in the clear warm waters around paradisiac Pidgeon Island near white Nilaveli Beach: She runs around squeezed in a wetsuit, getting herself a nice sunburn, unable to express her happiness and enthusiasm because I ALWAYS wanted to that and now I'm doing it!
But I wanted to bit my bum ten times a second for being so greedy and buying a non-waterproof camera... what a pity that I can capture the breathtaking Finding-Nemo-underwaterworld only in my memory and not share it here!
BUT with the friendly permission of SKULI I can share the link of his video about his underwater experience in Trincomalee... so you can see it too, enjoy! http://vimeo.com/72178075
What do you guess it is, sunrise or sunset? Dozy Annie got up to see the sunrise and it was so worth it, of course..
Nilaveli Beach.... a mellow little place with three rooms run by the lovliest local family, cooking the most gorgeous food, having a washing mashine that survived the Tsunami almost 10 years ago...
Going on a bicycle trip to Trinco Town, playing the guitar or listening to Jonny play, frogs in the shower, wonderful sunsets.
And Peace begins with a smile.
Even though the policeman would not smile for the picture.
SO EXCITED about snorkelling and diving. Later more!
If I knew all the words I would write myself out of here
If I was all the colours I would paint you pretty in GOLD in a picture...
And Kandy's got some space to fill in new daydreams
Living high on yesterday's lies.
Well, that's another whole box of pandoras, oh that's another whole box of them ties!
Slide your foot off the gas....
Oh the roads, unencumbered by cats, they're burning like wet matches through my MIRACLE MILE MIND,
but it's all in my mind, oh
You left your thumbprint inside me now for months it seems but mine only brushed your soft surface
and somehow it leaves me listless
my tongue curls under my lips, so I can't speak to tell you of the months before that I met you, love
But us, we found peace in all of them shadows
Ah, long enough to see the monster die!
Long enough, is it long enough, is it long enough for me?!
Oh well, and if it isn't, and if it isn't, ad if it isn't, and if it isn't,
and if it ain't, ain't, and if it don't,
oh if it can't, then it won't
And that's just the way that it goes over and over again...
That's just the way things go!
And now I, I can remember, oh now and then I remember oh-so-well, oh it's almost too well!
Am I the only one who remembers?
General Update, in kurz und fuer die Germans:
Ich habe einen superlieben Singhalesen mit Dreadlocks von Jason Mraz ueberzeugt und ich glaube, es hat sein Leben veraendert.... :D
Ich habe Leute aus Bad Bergzabern in den Caves of Dambulla getroffen und mal wieder paelzisch gebabbelt.
Ich habe 7 Stunden lang auf den Trittstufen eines ueberfuellten Zuges gesessen und Teeplantagen an mir vorueberziehen lassen.
Ich habe den besten Israeli der Welt getroffen und ich glaube, ich darf ihn sogar Freund nennen.
Ich bin wohl der einzigste Touri in beautiful Lanka, der zwei Mal auf Ella Rock gekrabbelt ist.
Ich habe in einer proppenvollen Bar mit einer Gitarre auf der Buehne gesessen und Boy-Songs ins Mikrofon gesungen, und sie fanden es sogar toll.
Ich habe knapp 100 geschmueckte Elefanten und unzaehlige Taenzer und Akrobaten und Trommler bei der Kandy Esala Perahera, dem groessten Festival in Sri Lanka, gesehen.
Ich habe mich zum ersten Mal in meinem Leben so richtig professionell mit Ayurvedaoel einschmieren und massieren lassen....
Ich bin Tuktuk gefahren... also, selber, nicht hintendrin :D
Ich habe jetzt wundervolle Freunde in London, Hawaii und Barcelona, bei denen ich jeder Zeit wilkommen bin...
Ich habe auf einer Radtour durch die Hitze von Arugambay gelernt, was schwitzen ist....
Ich sitze fast jedem Abend vor meinem Essen und bin ueberzeugt, dass es das leckerste Rice and Curry ist, das ich bis jetzt in Sri Lanka gegessen habe...
Er Leit, er leit, er wenns ma nit glääwe, was mer heit bassiert esch!
Ich war in denne beriehmde un uralte Höhletempel in Dambulla, wos fünf Höhle gebbt owwe uff em Berch, un die sin komplett vollgemolt mit sauschäine buddhistische Wandmolereie und beeindruckende Buddhastatue iwwerall, alles so richtich alt, fascht 2000 Johr, und abardich kunschtvoll und detailliert.... werklich, fer jemand, der sich fer so Zeich begeischdere kann, eschs äfach nur e wahrie Frähd in denne Tempel vun Dambulla zu sei. Und driwwernaus escht nadierlich wie in jedem Tempel äfach nur so sau friedlich un entspannend, dass ma do echt stunnelang ufm kuehle Stäbodde hugge kann un meditiere und glicklich sei.
Un ich steh do so rum mit meim Foddo in the Hand un guck un denk an nix Beeses... do erreichen Laute mei Ohr, die mich echt in e fascht religiösie Stimmung versetzen, die vun de erschde Sekund a mei vollie Uffmerksamkeit hänn un mich uff de Stell äfach nur sau melodramadisch un uffgerecht machen... do sin Leit, die stehn do vor denne Höhle in Dambulla rum un diskutieren, wie rum jetz die Speicherkart in de Foddo ghert - UFF PÄLZISCH....!!!
Ich konnt mich nadierlich nit zammereisse un hab glei meiner Begeischderung Luft gemacht wie schäi un iwweraschend des esch, mol widder pälzisch zu here, un dann äch noch an so em Ort! Es hat sich rausgschdellt, dass es en Ehepaar aus Bad Berchzawwre esch, das do grad sein Urlaub verbringt. Und nadierlich hennse Hääschde gekennt und henn gemäänt, dasse ugfähr zwämol in the Woch in Hääschde sin... wie geil eschn des bitte! Babba, Mama, sie henn eich zwar nit gekennt, awwer vielleicht gäbbts jo nochmol so en abadicher Zufall un ihr griechen en Gruss vun mer ausgerichtet!
Tja, Pälzer finnsch halt werklich iwwerall uff de Welt!
Für all die armen Seelen, die der Pfälzischen Sprache nicht mächtig sind: Ich habe in den Höhlen von Dambulla Pfälzer aus Bad Bergzabern getroffen und diesen Zufall als Anlass genommen, auch einmal einen Blogpost in meiner Muttersprache zu verfassen. :))))
For all the ones who can't speak neither Paelzisch nor usual German: I met a paelzisch speaking couple in the Caves of Dambulla and took this as an inspiration to write a blog post in my mother tongue. :))))
... I don't know anything about plants, their names and origins and what makes them special. Although I was raised by a flower-freaky woman who spends hours studying gardening magazines... the only effect it had on me is that I enjoy beautiful gardens so much.
Put me into a place like the Botanical Garden near Kandy and I will be perfectly happy spending the day strolling around, admiring colourful flowers, hugging and climbing trees, discovering hundreds of big bats hanging upside down in the branches, taking lots of makro shots, cuddling with the grass, listening to music and singing along, falling asleep in the spotty shade under an old tree, watching squirrels that dart from bush to bush with their tails flinching.
The only big bad disappointment was that Jonny was not allowed to take his guitar inside the garden. Jonny, British/Spanish guy with a guitar, travelling with me for the moment. How splendid it would have been if we could have spent the afternoon playing and singing and, in my case, just listening to the relaxing sound of the guitar. But " this is Sri Lanka regulation, no problem, here is safety...!" I wish I could make all the Germans hear the Sri Lankan accent which is very funny to listen to at times...!
Steven Stills made a mellow song called "Johnny's Garden" and for some reason it was in my head all day long...
We ended the day with an awesome Indian dish (Massala Doha?) in a place we called "Mickey Mouse Restaurant".... because on the way to the toilet you could see huge rats climbing around the room and a man in a sarong, broadly smiling, saying " Mickey Mouse! Disney!!"
:3
But the food was outstanding.
Hmmmwwhat a nice day. What a temptation to go there tomorrow again, the Botanical Garden in Kandy.
I think I am the only traveller in Sri Lanka who climbed Ella rock twice!
How did that happen?
Well, I would probably have spent even more time in awesome Arugambay, because I just could not leave the place... if it hadn't been for that two lovely girls from London, Annie and Fiona, who were also part of the YMCA dorm room family. They invited me to join them on their trip to Kandy to see the famous Esala Perahera parade, and so I finally managed to say Good bye to Arugambay.
After one last colourful beachparty we set off to Ella early on a Sunday morning, found a nice little room with a beautiful view, enjoyed Sri Lankas fastest and perhaps tastiest Kottu Rotti twice, had curd and fruit in the morning and an incedibly relaxing Ayurveda massage in the evening. And in between, we climbed Ella Rock.
I led them up the same confused path I had taken three weeks before, and like back then we enjoyed the waterfalls and rocky riverbeds and climbed the stairs-like last bit of the way, our lunch and the talks to other travellers on top and the outstanding view...
Somehow, you could think that it was almost the same experience like my first walk to Ella Rock, but it was not, it was completely different for me. It felt like it was a quite different girl who sat on Ella Rock only three weeks ago.
Being in company is always a different thing from being on your own, but for sure that doesn't mean that it was less fun!
... Annie and Fi are just fun. Imagine their cute posh London accent! I wish you could hear them talk :D I thought I was quite good at English, but no way, if I listen to Fi and Annie talking among themselves, I hardly understand a word! But it's a beautiful accent - sooooo British!
Yes, they are really British with their love for tea and pastry. And I learned a lot about English accents and manymany new English words. Soooo good for your English to travel with native speakers :3
And it was a nice thing to be persuaded to enjoy a real, professional massage for the first time in my life. It was gorgeous. That feeling that became so rare since I'm traveling, that feeling of being so nicely smelly silky smooth all over... after being messy salty sandy sunburnt in Arugambay for weeks...
Let's buy some ayurvedic oil and massage all the friends along my way! And afterwards paint them with henna....
Thanks for the pictures, that day and everything, girls :)
