Tales from Sri Lanka

I wake up early at around 5.30am (either it’s jetlag or something is very wrong with me). After reading my guidebook for a few hours I decide it’s time to go exploring. I haul myself out of bed and turn my creaky ceiling fan off as I shut the door.

The hotel is situated in Mt. Lavinia, one of the outer suburbs of Colombo. Most residents of Colombo head to Mt. Lavinia to chill and relax, as it is the only place in the areas that boasts a beach.

Ranveli (where I am staying) is situated less than 50 meters from the sea. The only thing separating it from the beach is, bizarrely, a railway track. As I head downstairs, a train whizzes past me, packed with people. They look just as surprised and curious to see me as I am them.

After looking left then right then left again, (not much in the way of pedestrian crossings) I cross the railway tracks and am on the beach. It seems to stretch all the way to Colombo. As it is a Sunday morning every man and his dog seem to be out, swimming, playing volleyball (Sri Lanka’s national sport apparently) or just walking up and down the beach.

After an hour of walking I head back to get some breakfast and to see if any of the other volunteers have arrived. Ranveli still seems pretty sparse of any company.

Lisabeth Shaw is the first person I meet and I am glad to see her. By midday I was starting to wonder if I was the only person in the place. Lisabeth is from Nottingham, England (where Robin Hood lives) and has just finished her first year of uni.

After a pot of Sri Lankan tea (yummo), Boo the owner of the hotel, (whose real name is Buwanelea Abeysuriya, hence why people call him Boo) arrives and greets us. After initial hellos he takes us for a quick drive around Mt. Lavinia. The streets are definitely busier by day.

As the day wears on, I gradually meet the people I’m going to be spending the next two weeks with. I’m now really looking forward to Kosgoda, where all the work begins.

By dinner time most have arrived, all a little jet-lagged and shell shocked. Most are heading to Kosgoda, while a few others will be staying in Colombo to work in an orphanage and two more are heading inland to the hill country to work in a village there.

We have dinner by the beach, which is great, after we put a good dose of mosquito repellent on. The food is traditional Sri Lankan, which means hot curries! I have to admit that when it comes to spicy food I am absolute rubbish, but am determined to love it. Boo has assured us that it is not spicy at all, which is true for the most part, however my tongue catches fire when I dig into the chilli coconut. But still tastes good, as tears run down my face.