Scouts bag packing
Home from home, though as a punter not a leader this time!
Steve
“Singing in the rain”
Another lazy Sunday afternoon of tasty food, a few Cold Ones, a few games of Uno, gentle chatter and live jazz in the garden at Barefoot, but today was definitely a case of “Singing in the rain”. Boy, did it come down! We and most others were safely tucked under a roof at tables by the bar, but one solitary group chanced it under just a canvas shade.
Steve
Photos!
I\’ve gone back and added images to blog entries of the past week, my favourite of which has to be this one!
The horse seems to be sneering in presenting Rennie with a half-crunched apple dripping in saliva whilst listening to something interesting from behind!
Steve
Keys
We have his and hers keys! Thank you to grandma Susan for our key rings to remind us where we come from.
I got the second key made on the street for £1.50. Timpson in Sri Lanka would not stand a chance!
Rennie
Flowers
If you get a google maps to show you the way from Colombo to hill country of Nuwara Eliya you will see there is plenty of twisty hairpins majority of the way.
As we were sitting at the front of the bus both ways, we had a beautiful view and Misa said, that it felt like watching a huge screen television (and he is always travel sick, poor child). We could see people by the roadside selling fruit and vegetables – either in stalls or holding them in their hands waving them at us as we were passing.
On our way there, there was a man with a beautiful colourful bouquet of flowers (I think there were chrysanthemums) each on a rigid stem. They looked plastic as I know chrysanthemums don’t have that thick and long stem. He kept shouting and waving them in front of the bus and as we were not stopping, he would run up the steep path to short-cut the next hairpin to meet our bus again and repeat that about 5 times before he eventually gave up as we didn’t stop.
On our way home, there was a about 10-12 years old boy, doing exactly the same thing, but running downhill to short cut the hairpin bends. Each time he would appear from the bushes in front of the bus, shouting from the top of his voice “Sir, Sirrrr, Sirrrrrrrrrrrrrr” and with big eyes pleading for good fortune. We could hear him despite a closed door and the engine noise. He was getting more determined with each hairpin and I could see our kids were getting distressed by the experience as we didn’t stop, feeling really sorry for him. It was coming up to the sixth hairpin when I thought to myself: “If he is there again, we will stop and give him the money prepared in my hand already”. I thought I don’t want any flowers; I just give him money to reward his sheer perseverance.” It looked as he wasn’t there, and I felt disappointed that I had missed a chance to reward one strong and determined boy. However suddenly, he appeared to our delight, standing in the middle of the road with the flowers above his head, huge eyes imploring us to stop. Well, we did. We asked the coach driver to stop, the door opened, and the boy was delighted, sweat running down his face with a big grin! He told the driver one flower was for 200LKR (£1) and when I gave him 1000SLR he passed me 7 flowers. Our kids were ecstatic we had stopped and given him money. It made us feel good inside. I could see it on Misa’s, Steve’s and Emilka’s faces. Emilka was making stories what the boy will do with the money – I hope he will proudly give it to his mum.
It was not plastic; it was real chrysanthemums wrapped with green leaves and attached to a straight stick. Poked in to plastic bottles with a little water, we managed to transport the flowers in the bus and taxi home and they are now a pretty decoration for our lounge table.
If at first you don’t succeed, don’t give up.
Rennie
Thoughts for the day
Some of the bigger trees around the Grand hotel had signs on them with quite poignant thoughts for the day. It was lovely to walk around the gardens and even though I was keeping Misa company whilst he was able to play Pokémon Go using hotel’s free Wi-Fi, he did make some interesting comments while we were reading them. I do like them – such clever people who said them.
Rennie
Pony riding
Emilka has been longing to ride a horse for as long as I remember, but as she has been involved in so many activities, there was never time to do it. When she realised there was a Pony riding as one of the activities organised by the hotel, she jumped with joy and we booked it for Sunday after lunch with one of Steve’s colleague’s daughter we have made acquaintances with. Emi couldn’t wait to get on that horse and had the biggest grin possible. Misa is not that keen on horses, they smell, they are drooling, they are unpredictable. However, he thought of them and brought a pack of sugar and an apple from breakfast to give it to each of the two horses before they took the girls for a 30 mins ride. You can imagine, Emi didn’t want to let go of the horse when she came back.
The best: fast paced galloping and cantering
Rennie
Forest Bathing
One of the activities organised by the hotel for guests was “forest bathing”, a Japanese technique for taking time out, slowing down, and being at one with nature.
We left the kids in bed, boarded a minibus on Sunday at 7.30 am and drove to the forest, about 5km away from the hotel. The outdoor guide told us the rules: no gadgets, no talking, 1 min gap between each person, forget everyone and everything, have clear mind, think of yourself only, walk at your pace, smell, breath, touch, listen and feel, for about a 5 km walk downhill through the forest to the small lake when path stops.
Steve was first, I was about 5th to go. I had trouble to think of nothing and only me for the first few minutes and kept looking down my feet. It took me back to my childhood, when I would play in the woods for hours with my friends. I swear I could hear waterfall, but couldn’t see anything and realised, it was the wind between the trees. About 5 mins into the walk, I was able to just concentrate on myself when I felt suddenly something moving above my head. When I looked up for a split second, I glimpsed a furry animal. I couldn’t see a lot, just top of the trees moving and suddenly another one jumped – this time, I saw a long grey hairy monkey. What a privilege. Later I found out, it was most likely a purple leaf monkey – actually they have got black face, but when the light shines on them, they look purple. From that experience I kept looking up and not down on my feet – consequently ending up in the mud at one point, just like in life! When we all reached the finish point, everyone soaked up the scene by the lake and then started to take pictures, using their mobiles, talking and laughing and I just wished the walk was longer and everyone was quiet, or could even disappear! The fresh air was heaven and a huge contrast to polluted city air. We should do this more often.
Rennie
Red and Black party
Evening entertainment was a red and black party with Tik Tok videos to be streamed and judged, live music from singers from the company volunteers and a company band and disco afterwards. We made every effort to be in theme, so I was frantically shopping on Friday afternoon before picking up the kids from school for red tops. We were matching!
Misa, still feeling unwell, had to suffer the humiliation of about 15 minutes in short trousers (he has grown since he last wore them) and a new red shirt for 14-15-year-old, which was far too small for his not-quite-thirteen frame! He was not that keen on the loud music either, so he took himself off to bed leaving us three to have some fun. Shame the Tik Tok were not in English but they were visually hilarious to watch! Steve was asked to present some of the prizes, for which he was honoured.
After dinner, the live band disco continued till past midnight. I have never been a disco person. I just hope the hotel guests were informed of the loud music penetrating into our room as we went to Bedfordshire at 10 pm leaving Steve to socialise with his colleagues until midnight, though we hear the party went on to 3:30 in the morning.
Great fun!
Rennie
Grand hotel
No wander it is called Grand Hotel, what an amazing place and we were treated to stay there. The hotel, 2 story building with an old architecture, is at the end of a road (called Grand Hotel road) with a stunning garden around it. White fountain in the middle, flowers everywhere, green grass, topiary around the garden walls, trees to give you shade.
The staff are all kind and smiley, the decor is dark wood and brown colour, with a modern twist to it, the rooms were spacious with big beds and high ceilings. We were lucky, for the second time in our traveling lives, to be given a presidential suite with two rooms, sitting room and a dining room and two en suit bathrooms! Kids were in heaven. We could have a bath after not having one for 5 weeks! Shame we were staying only 24 hours. Kids were excited at the space and were looking forward to play hide and seek! Don’t you worry, they didn’t play hide and seek!
The food was out of this world! For lunch we had an amazing buffet of mainly Asian food, for dinner – wow, you didn’t know where to look and what que to stand in so the cook can cook it for you! Just amazing spread with so many different salads in small pots and the deserts! There was no room at the inn! For breakfast – you could have whatever you wish as you can imagine (Steve – spicy omelette, real pork bacon and baked beans, twice!, pastry and a pot of tea – no milk, it is UHT and fresh milk is hard to get, Emilka bacon, sausages with baked beans, doughnuts and fruit, Misa had two sponge cakes, bacon, sausages and eggs, and me, as always – fruit and yogurt to start with, bacon, tomatoes, egg and baked beans in the middle and coffee with pastry to round it off!) Now we should go on detox!
We were the largest group booking for 350 people they ever had and they coped extremely well. They are used to be full, especially at Christmas time. I am not surprised.
Rennie