Peace (and quiet) for Christmas

Brisbane, Australia

Sun, 06 Jan 2019 01:40:00 +1000

Sunday 6th January 2019 Singapore We are up at 4.30 am, the taxi is coming at 6 for our flight back to Australia. I am sorry I am unable to upload any more photos, the app seems to be playing up.

Singapore, Singapore

Fri, 04 Jan 2019 01:40:00 +0800

Thursday 3rd January Negombo This morning we are up at 5.30 and we leave for the airport at 7am. Our flight to Singapore with Silk Air leaves at 1050. Our taxi came dead on time. He gave us a little more information on Sri Lanka as we made our way to the airport. The children were on their way to school, which apparently starts at 7.30am. They wear white wherever they may go to school in the country, unless the school is private. Young boys where blue shorts until they are 11 years. The sight of all of the kids going to school dressed in white from head to foot against their brown skins, is a sight to behold. He also told us of the growth of the Muslim population in the country, apparently 20 families 10 years ago, now 2000. He however gave no clues as to his thoughts on the subject. We had to wait 15 minutes or so before checking in at the airport, but were soon in the lounge having breakfast. My word the Gold Star Alliance status, really is worth its weight in gold (so as to speak) and maintaining. We would certainly now only choose Airlines from that group, to try and maintain the extras. We even have the right to board the plane and check in with business class although flying in economy, along with double the baggage allowance, not that it would ever be used if I have my way!!! It means of coarse we must fly with likes of Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, Swiss, Air Canada, Thai etc, and avoid Qantas, British Airways and all, which suits us fine. Today we were flying Silk Air, the regional arm of Singapore Airlines. They are a full service airline, but they only operate the smaller 737’s and A40’s. Our flight is pretty uneventful and we look on time to arrive in Changi Airport at around 5.30 local, having put clocks forward the requisite 2.5 hours. 4th January 2019 Singapore We are staying at the Raintr33 hotel, no that is not a spelling mistake, it’s the actual name. It sounds a quirky name, well it’s a very quirky hotel. Apparently it was an old Commando Barracks, disused and converted into a hotel. It’s quirky in the respect each room has a large balcony with two double doors leading to it. One set from the room, the second from the toilet/shower. The sink is on the balcony, hence to brush your teeth, you have to leave the room and do so on the balcony. It has some bamboo blinds, but you can still watch the world go by as you clean your teeth. I guess if you were in the mood, the doors could be opened whilst you are sitting on the toilet to enjoy the whole natural experience. It took around 20 minutes to walk into Changi Village, the nearest shops. There are however some restaurants a little closer. Breakfast was okay, although it would have been a little better had we not had to follow a groups of youths, who looked like they were with a football team. Most of the contents of the breakfast buffet were gone, as shovel loads of food and fruit juice were stuffed into mouths. All done in a manner of coarse which is reflective of their parents, so often seen from the 18 to 20 odd age group, that now unfortunately rudely represents them. The hotel is situated at the western end of the Changi Coastal Path, so it was a no brainer finding something to do this morning. We set off at around 9.30 and joined the path at the end of the road from the hotel. It was so humid, far more so than Sri Lanka. The path followed the narrow stretch of water that separated the island of Pulau Ubin and Malaysia on the other side. Small ships, boats and some pleasure craft plied these straits, along with the occasional trundle from a Bum Boat on its way from Changi Point to Palau Ubin. In the near distance we could see the planes making their approach to the airport. After walking for around 20 minutes, we found that the path was blocked with barriers, where workers were repairing the path. It was especially annoying as we had to walk back from whence we had come for a good 10 minutes, to find an alternative route. When we arrived at Changi Village, we were once more able to rejoin the walk. We walked over the small bridge, where the trucks were lined up to collect the fish for distribution to the restaurants and other outlets. We watched for a while, the busy Bum Boat terminal, where local boatmen earn their living by ferrying passengers to and from Palau Ubin. We then carried along the path, now running parallel with a beautiful sandy beach. It’s quite a sight to behold. Here we have beautiful sand, coconut palms, bathers and a warm sea. Cast your eyes further and there are huge supertankers, container ships and oil rigs, whilst huge aircraft with their wheels already down, approach the airport. To add to this picture, there are a groups of sea otters frolicking not far from the bathers. All this can be captured in one scene, I wonder where else in the world this could possibly happen. If there ever was a testament to Singapore’s policy on rubbish and pollution, it would surely be here, it can be witnessed to be very successful. We carried on towards the Singapore Forces Ferry Base, leaving the bathers behind and now joining the fishermen, catching fish with their hand lines from the path. From the Base, what looked like soldiers, were being ferried to their camp over on the island beyond. We carried on further to the end of the path, turned and came back. We had already walked 9 kilometres, so it was looking as if our beer had been well earned today! On the way back, we stopped and watched the planes come in to land. You could almost wave to the pilot, as wheels down, these huge machines that never fail to excite most of us, glided in. We stopped at a small restaurant for a welcome beer, before carrying on back. A total of 15.6 kilometres today and probably a few kilos of liquid to be replaced. In the evening, we walked into Changi Village, to a place called ‘Jacobs’, which we have used before. It’s not the usual Singapore restaurant, it specialises in things like stews, lasagna, hot pots etc. However it usually has a Chicken Curry or something different on a special. This is all reasonably well priced in a country that is no longer the cost effective country it was. There are still bargains to be had in the Hawker Stalls, but sometimes sitting in a mass of sweaty bodies is not what you require. Saturday 5th January 2019 Singapore Had a good day, walking 9 kilometres, there and back to Changi Museum, only to find it is closed in 2019 for major renovations. Never mind, it’s time to go home now.

Shanelo Hotel Negombo

Sitting on our Colonial Balcony in Singapore

Negombo, Sri Lanka

Sat, 29 Dec 2018 01:40:00 +0530

Kalutara, Sri Lanka

Wed, 26 Dec 2018 01:40:00 +0530

December 25th Kalutara. After suffering the fireworks for most of what night remained, we awoke at around 6.30 and got ready for breakfast. Whilst sitting in the room waiting to go, I heard what I thought was somebody showering next door, only on closer inspection to realise it was ours. I went to turn it off and found I couldn’t, the tap just kept turning. It seemed as if the tap knob was not turning the spindle inside and the only reason the shower had stopped running in the first place, was the lack of water pressure. Once the pressure returned the shower restarted, well that’s my theory. Our first meeting with the owner started by me telling her that we couldn’t turn off the shower. Whilst we were at breakfast the local plumber arrived, on Christmas Day, on foot and wielding a stilson wrench. We could watch the coming and going in our room from our breakfast table, but it wasn’t long until everything was finished. On a brighter note, the breakfast was very pleasant and filling. Fresh fruit and juice, sandwich’s (they love them for breakfast here) samosas, cake and other food I can’t describe, but very tasty. Our taxi driver told us he wouldn’t be here to pick us up until 11.15, which wasn’t really a problem. We paid our bill and waited in the lobby for the taxi to arrive. The owner was very talkative and she and Debbie talked about all that was wrong in the world and in Australia and Sri Lanka. The hotel was very nice, which was a good job, because we were to return on Saturday, to spend our remaining 5 days in Sri Lanka. The room was sparsely furnished, but had all that we required including a fridge and kettle. Our taxi turned up ahead of time and we were soon our way to Kalutara. Of coarse the traffic would determine how long it would take to get there, but we were told to expect at least a 2 hour journey. At the cost of $50, we thought it had to be a bargain. As the driver told us, we were in a Luxury Hyundai! The journey was a mixture of cities, large towns, toll roads and bad drivers, our driver aside, well he thought so anyway. Sri Lanka is so green and tropical, rice paddies, banana plantations and tropical fruit trees provided the verdant scenery, whilst tuk tuk’s, large heavy bus’s and market stalls provided the busier and more urban side to the country. We arrived at the Coconut Bay Hotel at around 2pm. It was a 3 story hotel of 9 rooms right on the sea shore. The Indian Ocean rollers were only 100 meters from the hotel. We were welcomed with handshakes from the manager, the bellboy, the cleaner and the cook. The manager, whose name escapes me, will turn out to be a ‘pain in the a**e’, we can tell from the outset. His love and passion is cricket, his aim in life is to make sure he never stops talking and to use his words, ‘I am here to serve you, if you want anything Tim, come to me, I can arrange anything’. Why did he call me Tim you ask? After seeing the name on my passport, he Christened me Tim Paine after the Australian cricket teams captain. I think you are beginning to get a picture of ‘him’ in your head by now! We were taken to our room by ‘him’, the bellboy and the cleaner. The room was indeed nice. There was a balcony that looked out to the beach, a nice big bathroom and plenty of space. When the entourage left, we were able to unpack. The time was getting on and we decided to leave exploring until tomorrow, a big mistake. When we came down stairs ‘he’ was there. ‘Where would we like to sit, inside or on the beach’. We sat outside, would we like some lunch, would we like a drink, is there anything I can do. ‘I have decided to call you Tim’ he announced. Okay, whatever! We decided on two large bottles of Lion Beer and a chicken sandwich, they were nice sandwiches and the atmosphere watching the waves from the Ocean, enticed to order two more bottles. I decided to test his theory and said, there is something you can do for us. Will you put some teabags in our room as they will go nicely with the kettle. He immediately summoned the cleaner (a young and attractive girl), I gave her the key and she took the tea, coffee etc to our room. When she returned the key, I gave her 500 rupees (about $4). ‘He’ and I will find out his name, came and said to me, that it was nice of me to give her the money, because she has just lost her father and she needs all the help she can get. Whilst still basking in a little bit of warmth from my obvious human kindness, ‘he’ mentioned that he was not the manager here, but running the hotel for the owner who didn’t know how to. It was his way of saying, that I had tipped the bellboy and the cleaner and probably a tip for him would be in order. We had been at the hotel for around 2 hours and it had already cost us $12 in tips, with higher expectations still to come if he gets his own way! Under pressure, we asked for a table at 7.30. At around 7 o’clock, I went down and told him that Debbie was asleep and to cancel the table and we would see ‘him’ at breakfast tomorrow. It was nearly true, we were dog tired, were not really hungry after our late lunch and could do with a very early night. Served him right really, after me telling him that we would share a sandwich at lunch, he had appeared with 3 rounds and told me that he had decided to give us more! I just can’t wait to sample some more of ‘his’ hospitality tomorrow! By the way, when we got to the room, there was coffee galore, but not a teabag in sight! Wednesday 26th December Boxing Day The waves hitting the sand outside the window made me think it was thundering as we woke. I rushed out on to the balcony to retrieve our now dry, washing. It wasn’t thunder, but the huge waves banging on to the hard sand. I put on the kettle, but coffee was not a natural way for us to start the day, so much so that Debbie declined anything. We went down for breakfast at 7.30 and there ‘he’ was. ‘He’ went straight for the television remote and turned on the cricket. ‘There you are Tim, keeping the wicket velly well for you Aussies’. Oh dear, another day in paradise. He sat us down, unfortunately we were the only ones down, so we got his full attention. Would we like omelette, fruit juice, fresh fruit, toast, tea (yes they do apparently have some) yogurt, corn flakes. We settled for fruit, omelette and toast. ‘Anything you want Tim, let me know! Well yes there is actually, could we have some teabags for the room, we have only coffee, I offered. ‘He’ turned to me and said ‘ That dam girl, I told her to bring you teabags, I will see her and sort it. Dear me, dear me, dear me’ he muttered to himself. We told him not to worry, he assured us he was on the case. We escaped to our room, but not before he needed to know, where we were going, would we be having lunch and when would that be. I seemed to pacify him with, no lunch but a few beers and a table at 7.30 for tonight. All we had to do now was avoid him for the rest of the day, no easy task. ‘He’ has a name Passanna, this probably is not spelt correctly however. We found this out as we headed off up the town. We also learnt we were the only guests at the hotel for the next couple of days, as the others (one group of six) had gone to Yala National Park and wouldn’t return until tomorrow. Oh dear, we are to be Passanna’s only victims,sorry honoured guests. As we walked towards town, the sun was beating down, the coolness of the morning had given a false sense of security. As a race, Sri Lankan’s are naturally friendly people. They will always bid you good morning, especially the older ones. Some will just stare at you, in that Indian way, which we have learnt over the years, is just a curiosity and has no rude connotation. We learnt later, that we had not reached Kalutara town itself, but a smaller suburb. The checkout girl from the local supermarket had told us that beer was only sold in Kalutara, a lot further along the road. As we had already walked aimlessly in that direction, we felt no need to retrace our steps or travel further. We would have to try a few more beers from Passanna. Although at only 400 rupees ($3/£1.70) for a large bottle, there was nothing to complain about, other than they came with a free Passanna! After we returned (around lunch time), for some strange reason the chamber maid still hadn’t done the room, even having told us she had knocked four times already, but no one had answered! So we once more presented her the key and asked for some teabags. We went and had a walk along the beach. The beach was totally deserted and very hard to walk the slope that led to the waters edge. It could by no means be described as a calm sea, the heavy surf pounded the shore so hard, it sounded like thunder. We walked to the headland and then returned for a well earned beer. Passanna was waiting and rushed across with two Lions and a cloth to wipe the chairs before ‘Madam’ sat! We had a chat about the cricket, how he followed Durham in the English Championship and how Pujara was like Geoff Boycott in his style. He then graduated on to the anniversary (today) of the 2003 tsunami, that killed over 50,000 Sri Lankan’s. We had a couple of more beers and this time, after returning with them, decided to sit down and carry on the conversation. He had some likeable traits and sometimes you could actually warm to him, but in the main he just went on and on. A good 90 minutes must have passed before we headed for the room. I wondered why he came with us, only to discover, she was still cleaning it! It had been a grand total of 4 hours since she first asked for the key, and let’s not forget, we were the only people in the hotel. Still she had done a grand job in those four hours and even managed to find some teabags. Who could not forgive her. We had arranged dinner for 7.30. Unfortunately it had just started to rain, preventing us sitting outside and having to watch a repeat of the day’s play with Passanna’s commentary inside. We now had the close attention of Passanna, the bellboy, the cook, the cleaner and some blow in from up the road, who had turned up to watch the cricket highlights! We chose Chicken Biryani which came with a side salad and it was magnificent. Everything is cooked from scratch and the chef, quite rightly, very proud of his food. We had the attentiveness of all and sundry before during and after our meal. When we left to go up, the chef arrived for a group hug with us, Passanna, the waiter, the bellboy and the blow in from up the road. Breakfast would be at 8am and it will all start again! Thursday 27th December After the rain last night there was a little freshness in the air, but we knew it would soon manifest into another sticky day. This morning we are to have a walk into Downtown Kalutara and if it turns out to be too long a walk and too hot, our plan B will be to get a Tuk Tuk back. At breakfast this morning, Passanna presented us with the Australia v India cricket on the television , after being disgusted with Sri Lanka’s performance in New Zealand. Breakfast, again magnificent, with fresh mango juice, banana, mango, pineapple, watermelon and dates. There was also plenty of toast, tea and what he calls a Sri Lankan Omelet, which had all sorts of vegetables in it, including some (thankfully) quite mild chilli’s. As we left, Passanna informed us that the bar will be open on demand, when we return from our walk. We set off at around 10am, it did seem warmer than yesterday and far more humid. The sun came and went with the clouds passing overhead. The cloud cover felt noticeably cooler than the beating sun. I had looked at Google Maps and found a Liquor Store, just off the main road in Kalutara. In these parts, alcohol cannot be bought in a supermarket, only from a licensed premises, like a liquor store, bar, restaurant etc. After walking for 10 minutes or so and because I had no wifi, the phone although showing me the map of the area, no longer showed the store, so now it was to be guess work. I knew the road we needed was to the left of the main road north and that it was before a bridge. I also knew it should take about 45 minutes to walk and a distance of around 4.5 kilometres. It became obvious as we neared downtown, because the traffic became congested and the pavements a mass of bodies, vegetable sellers and other vendors. Sri Lankan women love to carry umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun. The pointed ends of these became an added hazard. We passed a huge bus station, where large, old, noisy and smelly Leyland’s were readying themselves for their duties. The bus conductors wandered up and down, shouting in manner of an auctioneer. I don’t know if the were shouting the route, the price, the times or something else, but it added to the noise, heat and atmosphere of the surrounding market. When we came to the bridge, I knew we had passed the store. We turned and realised it must be situated somewhere around the market and bus station area. We walked for a few metres into the throng and there we found it. It consisted of a shopfront and where windows would normally be, there were bars. Not bars to stand against, but ones that keep you in prison, or in this case out of the Liquor Store. Items are passed out through the bars, once you have parted with your money. Never will Dan Murphy’s or Threshers seem the same again. Armed with our bounty, we headed back. We crossed over the road to seek another aspect whilst walking home. Roads are a lot easier to cross here. Although the driving is still quite atrocious, they seem in the main, to obey a pedestrian type crossing. It is still however safer to try and cross in a crowd. The walk back was uneventful, but stifling hot. We stopped at a large supermarket and grabbed something for lunch. We just picked some samosa type goods from the bakery department, in the knowledge they would be spicy, whatever we chose. We were quite weary when we got back to Coconut Bay, but Passanna was there, with his entourage, waiting to bring us our two large Lion’s. We realised we had walked 9.5 kilometres and felt enough energy to have expounded for the day. We kicked back, Passanna sat down with us and we chatted about ‘life’. Whilst we have been here, we have paid for our beer, food etc., as we have gone along. It’s far better than a surprise bill when we leave. The chef, a very pleasant guy had been over and asked what we might like to eat this evening. After he went away, Passanna leant over and in a quiet voice asked, will we pay for our meal we have tonight, in the morning at breakfast. That’s no problem I said, he put thumbs up, winked and said, thank you Tim, you understand. To be honest the only thing I really do understand is his ability to make a few bucks. He obviously has some sort of fiddle going on! In the evening, when we went down for dinner, there was already a table of six (those that had returned from Yala Game Reserve) and a small band. I think in Mexico they may have been called a Mariachi Band, only these played a mouthorgan, rather than a trumpet. The maracas were present, as the guitar. The problem was, the majority of their repertoire was Christmas songs. In fairness they did sing other songs and they were surprisingly good. I couldn’t get away from feeling however that Passanna may have been their agent. We had a nice curry and there were lots of different dishes accompanying it, including chicken. Unfortunately chickens are not big in Sri Lanka and the bones make up the bulk of the dish. The chicken curry started okay, but when the waiter kept insisting we have more, the dish deteriorated into just bones, including spine etc. Take away the chicken and it was very nice however. Although the place was the busiest we had in seen on our stay, Passanna managed to remind on a few occasions to pay in the morning. There was a new guy around and I wondered if he was the boss! He’s definitely up to something! Friday 28th December Kalutara. There was something strange about the world as we went down to breakfast. I don’t mean India dominating the cricket at the MCG or Donald Trump sacking another White House Official. Where was Passanna? There was no television in the corner showing the cricket, there was no waves and big smiles from the waiter and the chef. They were all there, they were just subdued, some might say just getting with their job! The new guy from last night asked if we would like to try a Sri Lankan breakfast this morning. Indeed we did and very nice it was too. I can’t describe what we had, other than it was spicy and tasty. The fruit had a real purpose this morning, it was a good soothing accompaniment to the food. As we finished, Passanna arrived on the scene. He came over to see us and explained that he slept in this morning after two late nights finishing. I mentioned that I still owed him some money. He told me in hushed tones, later, later. As we left, he caught my eye, and with his head nodding from side to side in that Indian motion, he said. ‘Have a good day Sir’. No mention of payment. Yet! It is obvious that the new guy is either his boss, or he is not in on his fiddles, we shall see. The whole atmosphere of the place has changed from laughing and happy go lucky, to professional and calm. We’ll see how it all pans out. As we walked up to the town this morning, we were recognised by more of the locals who bidded us good day, even the Tuk Tuk drivers only half heartedly asked if we wanted a ride. One did stop and said he was going our way anyway, jump in. We would probably have gone via the Gem Shop and the Spice Garden, we naturally declined. We passed the guy sitting in his office at the railway crossing, who obviously has the best job in these parts. His job is to raise and lower the barrier gates when a train approaches, we have yet however to see a train or any sign of one. We found the Bank of Ceylon a little way along the road, who’s ATM worked without a hitch and crossed the busy road to the supermarket to buy a few essentials. The whole town seemed busy this morning, there were lots of children around and we wondered if it was a holiday. On returning to the hotel, Passanna was there asking what time we were leaving tomorrow. Then he asked if we could pay for the hotel tonight. That was not a problem for us and I readily agreed. We then got changed and went to the sea. Well we had to sample it, didn’t we? It was nearly impossible to get in modestly. The waves were big and broke very near to the shore. There was a very steep bank and a strong current, making entry very difficult, once in, all was fine. The water was very warm and we enjoyed it not worrying how we were to get out until we needed to. There were four others in the sea and they decided to leave before us. The problem was having to wait for a lull in the rollers and move swiftly up the very steep slope, whilst the sea and sand was being pulled from beneath you! Our confidence was not high, after watching one of the women hold the bottom of her bikini in the air after taking a tumble. At least she managed to keep hold of it! I won’t describe our egress, least to say it was ungainly and fraught. Our shower in the room could demonstrate how much sand was still on and in us, even after showering on the beach. In the evening we had some grilled fish and salad. Plenty of bones again, but nice nevertheless. I was sitting there with the Debit card in my pocket, but there was no sign of Passanna and no mention from anyone about paying the hotel bill. The plot thickens.

A visitor for breakfast

Our room at Coconut Bay

The view from our balcony

Linch on the beach

Cricket with Breakfast

On the way town

Found on our way to town

A little bit of paradise

A liitle rough at times

Our hotel from the beach

A beautiful sunset from our balcony

The evening restaurant

Our cleaner

Tuk Tuk’s everywhere.

Our walk to Downtown

Downtown church

Our Sri Lankan Breakfast

Negombo, Sri Lanka

Tue, 25 Dec 2018 01:40:00 +0530

Christmas Day Negombo Sri Lanka. We arrived last night in Sri Lanka on time and tired and not prepared for the queues of passengers waiting to get through Immigration. It probably wasn’t so much the amount of people, just the total disorganisation. No one in any official capacity, which were short on the ground anyway, wanted to organise the mayhem unfolding in front of us. The queues were basically just part of a heaving throng, thank goodness Sri Lankan’s are gentle people, all heading for the 4 or 5 officers on duty. There must have been several planes all landing at the same time and all wanting to get home for Christmas or to their hotel. Looking at the mass in front of us, it was unlikely anyone was going to be out of the airport by Christmas Day, now only 30 minutes away. Slowly but surely, we made the front and headed through Immigration. With a sense of relief we went to find another catastrophe at the baggage pickup. A long snake like line of bags had fell off the carousel, not only causing the belt to stop, but contribute to a ever increasing pile of luggage trying to make its way back out side on this endless loop of broken conveyor belt. There was no sign of any official, so passengers plied their way through the ever increasing wreckage of other passengers property, ours we thought somewhere amongst it. We landed at 11.30 and it was now 2 am. After watching all of the turmoil, we then realised our baggage was not even on this belt, but one on the other side of the airport. After making the trek to said conveyor, our solitary case was sitting there waiting for us. Armed now with everything but money, we headed to a bank of several ATM’s and a queue of passengers jostling to get their preferred machine. Cards went in, cards came out, sometimes with money and sometimes not. Some people wanted their balance, some wanted to have a conversation with others at the screens. I finally got to one and received some Sri Lankan Rupees. Getting the taxi was little hassle, although I did smile at the taxi office guy when I raised my eyebrows at the price. He told me it was the equivalent of $6US and under his breath seemed to be saying to himself ‘How cheap to do want it’? 1500 rupees didn’t seem to equate with me, but he was right! We were soon at the hotel, awaking the housekeeper, who put on a brave smile with us arriving at this un Godly hour. We went to sleep with fireworks banging and flashing outside our window. In the words of Monty Python, ‘what a way to spend Christmas’!

Hotel Shanelo, Nemgumbo.

Singapore, Singapore

Mon, 24 Dec 2018 01:40:00 +0800

Arrived at Singapore Changi Airport at 8.30 local.

Brisbane

Mon, 24 Dec 2018 01:40:00 +1000