Sri Lanka is even more foreign than I imagined. We've hired a driver named Mervin who is driving us arond the island. It's a good thing too because if we had to drive here, or even take the bus, it may be a life threatening experience. The barely two lane roads soemtimes become six lanes, packed with busses, cars, three wheelers and trucks. Is really amazing to watch.
The people are wonderful - very laid back, friendly and interested in all things western. We are as foreign to some of them as they are to us and it is a weird feeling- almost like celebrity. We have not met a single American here, but there seems to be some Englidh, Dutch and German tourists. The tsunami was a major hit on the local tourist economy, even though the vast majority of sights were untouched. Terrorism has been a worry in the past (before 2001), but things are peaceful now and we feel very safe.
As you might imagine, Sri Lanka doesn't have a big Internet Cafe culture, so our posting has been a bit lax. But, we're taking lots of pictures that will appear here on the site soon.
Yesterday I rode an elephant into 6 feet of water and almost had a sandal stolen by a monkey. Today I wore a sarong at a Buddhist temple. Sachi is recovering from a small stomach issue, but is almost at full strength again.
