Shan in Japan

Been bumping around the hill country over the past week. A pleasant change from the beach, with cool air. For such a small island country, it is amazing to see the diversity in geography here. Sitting around on the beach and relaxing was good, but realized now there is much more to see in this country. I went to a tea plantation established by Sir Thomas Lipton, the man himself. The original building is still there churning out tea to the world for over 100 years. It was great walking through the beautifully manicured tea plantations where the ladies a busy plucking, chatting and singing along. I doubt they earn very much, but it seems like such a idyllic place to work. I climbed Adam's peak - the holy mountain of Sri Lanka - for an early morning sunrise. This is the only sunrise I saw in Sri Lanka! Then again, everyday at the beach I made sure I was there for the sunset. Nothing beats a sunset over the Indian Ocean. Finished up at the Elephant orphanage where baby elephants, who've lost their parents in the wild, are saved. Amazing creatures to watch. Especially when they went to the river for their daily bath. Little baby elephants are learning how to use their trunk, they run around chasing each other and spurting water at each other - acting just like any human kid would. Now back in Colombo, where I caught up and had dinner with my friend Ajith. Waiting for my flight to India this afternoon now. I will miss this place, but I have a gut feeling I will be back here again. Got some photos up of Sri Lanka here: http://imageevent.com/shanakin/srilanka

I understand now why the 'crazy' cat I'm looking after was constantly dragging her kittens inside the house after I booted her (along with kittens) outside for pissing in my bed.  I saw a mongoose snooping around the outside shed, where I put them.  The cat was in a frenzy.  The mongoose was a strange looking animal - like a giant ferret with a pink nose.  Shifty mechanical movements like a lizard.  I watched on, oblivious to the cat's protests.  Considering the diet of a mongoose consists of venomous snakes, it must be a fairly stealthy predator.  No wonder the cat was getting nervous about it.  Nothing like a few juicy kittens for easy prey.  I intervened and the mongoose did a scooby doo take off on the smooth concrete surface before vanishing into the jungle.  So the cat and her babies are safely back in the house.  Probably pissing on my bed as I write this.  As an afterthought, the mongoose's presence must confirm that there are snakes lurking about outside in the undergrowth.   While I'm on the subject of wildlife, the place I'm staying at is teeming with it.  Strange bugs and flying insects I've never seen, monkeys whooping it up first thing in the morning,  big goanna lizards (called monitor lizards here) cruising around looking tough with their beefed up muscled legs.  Got geckos keeping the ant and bug population in check inside the house, stray dogs also wander inside acting like they own the place.  No wonder this cat I'm looking after is a nervous wreck over the welfare of her babies.  Cat is leaping around always making strange noises - thats why I named her crazy cat. Birds are also abundant putting on a nice sing song in the morning along the barotone monkeys.  Just a few more days left at the jungle house.  I will definitely miss the jungle shower amongst the banana trees.  It's made out of bamboo and makes me feel like I'm on Gilligan's island.  Can't believe I will be in London in just a few weeks. 

Apart from a few day trips down the coast for surfing, I've pretty much been in the same spot.  This is the longest time I've spent in any one place so far on this journey.  Now renting a nice little cottage in the jungle.  It has a kitchen, so I've been cooking meals - one of the many daily things I have not done for a while.  Though I think I've forgotten how to cook.  Not even the local cat will eat my leftovers. 

Just finished a 10 day intensive yoga course.  It makes you feel good and fires you up for the rest of the day (when done in the morning) but I found it a little sloooww and well.. boring.   I'm sure I need to do it much longer before I can see or feel the real benefits from it, but basically it seems like I'm doing alot of stretching and breathing, which I'm quite good at doing already I think.  Good to know what its all about anyhow. 

Surfing has been great.  Waves everyday.  I bought a cheap board and snapped it within a week.  Then rented a board and the fin fell off.   Nothing but  a selection of tired old boards here and ridiculous prices.   Been getting my fair share of cuts and grazes from the reef, as the waves -especially down south at Midigama, break very fast over shallow coral reef.  I'm staying out of the water for few days to let everything heal up.   I've seen lots over other surfers with nasty looking infections and sea ulcers from going in the water everyday. 

Probably continue to spend my days here churning through some books, knocking back a few evening Arracks (local distilled liquor made from toddy palm) and head off for a quick loop up into the hill country around Kandy at the end of the month before leaving for India and the UK.