Trinco trip

I went to Trinco with FCE looking at religious sites we are rebuilding there. As usual nothing went as planned. We were supposed to leave Ampara at 8.30 am, when I arrived at 8.15 there was no sign of the driver, when he eventually arrived he hadn’t got a travel permit, he should have gone the day before for one.

After he got the travel permit, 9.45, he decided to wash the van?

Next we drove fast through Ampara and ended up at the driver’s house so he could pack an overnight bag. We then drove back through Ampara to the garage to get diesel.

We then headed of to Akkirapatu, which is in the opposite direction to Trinco to collect Akeel, who had been expecting us at 9.00 we got there at 11.15, then to the police station to get yet another pass. At 12.15 we set off for Trinco.

The driver was chewing on leaves and paste which has the effect of giving him a high, like caffeine , he drives very fast, blaring the horn all the time and spitting out of the window every 30 seconds. He has a habit of trying to overtake in difficult places, having to brake then not changing gear and then rocking back and forth in the driver’s seat willing the van to go faster. He doesn’t seem to want to change down a gear or two. All very typical of the way things work here.
After 4 hours we are about half way to Trinco, we have done some really fast driving. Akeel suddenly says is it ok if we call in and see an old friend, evidently this idea has just occurred to him so we head off into the remote areas.

We get to his friends village and are made welcome, the next hour involves me being shown round the village and introduced to all Akeel’s friend’s relatives. It is then decided that it is too late to go to Trinco and we should stay there, get up at 3am and go!

I am urged to have my bath, that’s standing next to a well in your boxers and having an all over wash, in my case with an audience. I am given a room and a bed. We are fed and I decide to go to bed about 10, then follows the worst night yet, mosquitoes or bugs I don’t know which but I was bitten to death. I get up at 3am and Akeel is moaning that he too was bitten to death, we both had nets but to no avail.

Another bath at the well then off into the night. The amazing thing here is that in the middle of the night in the remotest places you find people doing all sorts of things, from building to waiting for buses.
We drive through the early hours and get to Trinco about 7.30am, stop for tea at somebody’s house then go in search of the office, which has just been moved so can’t be found easily.
When we do find the office nobody is there so we sit around for a while. I could go on and on with the chaos and disorganization but I will move it along.

After having a really bad night previously I decided I had had enough, so went and booked into the Oceanic a 5* hotel on the beach. Turns out that’s where a lot of the INGO’s are staying in luxury beach apartments. I just booked into a standard room. Really beautiful place, swimming pool, the lot, I have to say I was a bit shocked at the INGO long-term residents. Maybe there is no alternative but it doesn’t seem right somehow.
I got to visit the religious sites we are rebuilding; as luck would have it one is on Nirvali beach, which is as beautiful as the books say. I also got to travel around the bays and cross one on a local ferry. I will be happy to go to Trinco to live if given the chance next year.

Trinco trip 4

The shortcut we used on the way back from Trinco. The road was blocked off but we went down anyway-Sri Lanka!-only to discover a new road surface being laid. They had laid and rolled the stone for about 200m. We walked to the end of the job near the railway crossing. The stone is covered with tar and then sand thrown on top. The tar was being melted at the end we were parked and being spread at the railway end. Hence the line of people transporting buckets of molten tar in bare feet! After a chat with the engineer who refused to let us drive over the stone as we might displace it, we discovered they only had enough tar to coat 20m of stone. So we waited till the tar ran out and carried on our way. Why you would stone 200m when you can only coat 20m? Nice people though, all very friendly. Some kids I met at Trinco, they were all following and love to see themselves on the camera. One of the benefits of Digital cameras.

Trinco trip 3

This is how we crossed one of the bays at Trinco. The ferry is powered by a single outboard. As you can see once the ferry gets out into the bay and the currents increase he has to turn against them. That causes the outboard platform to 'submarine', works though, we arrived safely.

Trinco trip Nirvali Beach

This is Nirvali beach, supposedly the best in Sri Lanka. Off the coast you can see pidgeon island. One of our sites is right on the beach and is being rebuilt. I suggested the existing could be restored quite easily. But evidently restoration is not an option it would be bad luck. I was also told the old temple was half a degree out of alignment with Mecca. In the picture the main man and me.

Trinco trip 1

View from next to the Portugese fort and some building work taking place.

Disability day 2006

supposed to be pin the eye on the elephant, unfortunately Thandie missed the board. the next guy hit the elephans eye, but we think he cheated!

The outdoor games lasted 10mins before rainy season did the business, planning huh!

Weekend in Ella

A group of us went to Ella for the weekend, starting on a Saturday morning. As ever Ampara planning resulted in a farewell party for 4 people on the Friday night and my intentions of an early night went wrong. We set off at 7am with a few hangovers and got to Ella about lunchtime.

Ella isn’t far from Badullah so Beatrice joined us in our guesthouse.

The views from the balcony were great and the whole area very scenic. Despite Beatrice’s warnings that it always rains in the afternoons we set off for a walk to see a waterfall. This involved going to the station and walking back up the railway track towards Kandy and Colombo for a short while.

It was a pleasant afternoon and we managed to miss the point where you leave the tracks. A local put us right but then stayed with us as a guide despite our encouragement for him to leave. We found the waterfall ok then headed for the rock temple, at which point it started to rain, quite heavily and the mist closed in. We got soaked, we eventually made our way back to the main road and some of us walked in the rain all the way, uphill, back to Ella and the hotel. A hot shower and some tea came in handy. This was about 4.30 and I could have done with eating about 6-7 ish.

We planned to meet with some others at 8, but in the event they didn’t get there till 9! Past the point by then. We managed a meal and crashed out. The next day we got an early wake-up from Steve and 3 of us, Claudia, Steve and I set off to climb Ella rock. Back along the railway, past the waterfall but this time up again.

We got 2 boys as guides but sent them away as Claudia said we could manage, and then she led us into somebody’s back garden! We went through the tea plantations and had climbed quite far when we noticed leeches on our boots, we all had them and they got worse the further we went. So being brave we legged it down again; on the way being attacked by bees, I got stung.

Thirkovil Kovil Opening Ceremony

The organisation I am working for is the only one restoring religious buildings. the funding comes from the Norwegian Foreign Office. This oppening ceremony is in Thurkovil towards the south of Ampara district. I was treated as an important guest and as usual was asked to make a speech! Good day out though.

Flower Power Party

This was a leaving party for Wendy, a VSO and Ettienne from TDH. The theme was flower power, I decided not to go to a lot of trouble as some of us had for a halloween party only to be alone in fancy dress. As it happened everyone made an effort and a good night was had by all.

UN Day

The UN was celebrating its 61st birthday and an event at a local school had been organized. I turned up about midday, watched some speeches and dancing, and then on my way to the lunch tent was approached by Saroja and friend. It turns out the friend had organized a peace game but it had been decided the game wouldn’t work. So could I think of something? Bear in mind the place is heaving, 400 kids and parent, teachers, INGO’s etc. no pressure.
I had my lunch trying desperately to think of something appropriate. All the activities I could think of needed equipment of some sort. I thought of one with 2 hoops but there weren’t any and the school was in a remote location so couldn’t get a couple of bicycle tyres. Anyway I then tried ringing FCE to get the truck to bring my walking planks out, no luck the truck was being used, and then Bob from IOM offered me a driver so I headed back to Ampara.
We got to our office and I went to get the kit, it had been hidden behind several bicycles and under lots of newspapers and other assorted junk. I got the planks out and loaded them on the vehicle, and then I noticed 2 of the blue ropes were missing! Typical somebody had taken them off to use for something else, we managed to find them and headed off. The ropes go through holes in the planks and were hell to fit in the first place, very tight. I managed to fit one rope while the driver went to get some more food in Ampara. Then I fitted the other rope back at the school with seconds to spare.
The parents were watching me while the children played musical chairs, so they came over and started playing with the planks, in the end we couldn’t get the parents off so had to let them have a go first to show the kids what to do. I tried to get some photos but the crowd just surrounded the activity so not much chance.
The activity went down well though as they put different ethnicity's on each team, peace building!

UN Day

Ampara Tank

Shades of Pinky

Well now the rainy season has arrived and it’s a little cooler it seems my neighbours have decided the house may be getting too hot. I haven’t complained, it is in fact a cool house so quite comfortable. It would be quite light if the neighbours didn’t keep shutting the windows. Anyway the new sun blinds are up, plastic and cotton ones so no chance of any sunshine in the afternoons now. I didn’t ask and wasn’t consulted, as for the guy putting them up, check out the ladder, nice man but takes a few risks.
Just a note about the heavy rain, it is common practise here for the cows, goats etc to wander the streets and of course there are cow pats on the roads. During the dry season they just dry and turn to dust and blow away. However in the wet the roads just become covered in slurry. You have to roll your trousers up then wash your legs when you get home as you get covered! Smells bad!

There's nowt like a cuppa

Peace Prayers

Sunday morning at the Japenese Peace Temple outside Ampara, a peace meeting intended for the youth of Ampara District. Unfortunately it's now the rainy season so had to be under cover as it rained first thing. I arrived a bit late as it was raining and I am on my Motorbike.

Lego Tower the Results

Everyone dashed off again and began building. As I walked around it became evident that one team was ahead of the game, others had got stuck with foundations, not being aware of the time, or not really understanding what was meant by a tower.
At the end of the build time we stopped everybody and I got my tape out, it wasn’t really necessary it was obvious who had won. I measured anyway as I need the info for another version of the exercise, the winning build 138mm high. The winning team was led by Vithy who was very pleased about it as you can see.
It seems everybody enjoyed themselves and the messages of planning, teamwork, delegation, time management seem to be appreciated. We’ll see what happens when we do the next bit of activity based training.