With my birthday falling on a Thursday and Friday being a Poya (full moon) holiday, I took the two days from work and after celebrations already described on my birthday itself, took Rennie and the children away to Kalpitiya for a long weekend.

Our intention was to finish the kite surfing course that we started in the new year, but we hadn’t considered the significance of a full moon on wind that was already becoming variable towards the end of the season; this is that there would be no wind.  Not even a breath!

Oh well.  There are worse places to be than living close to nature with a lovely beach to enjoy, dolphin watching as you can see here, afterwards swimming several miles out from the coast in a flat calm sea as seen here, and the company of family and friends to kick back and relax with; plenty of time was spent simply playing card or board games until late and all was a welcome reprieve from business life.  On the final evening was a fabulous barbeque of delicious fresh meats and seafood because it turned out that five of us were each celebrating a birthday!  Live music was from a great band that had travelled up from Colombo for the occasion and a real party vibe ensued with sand between the toes.

Rennie had arranged a birthday cake that was spirited to Kalpitiya with friends, so I knew nothing about it until surprised just before dinner on the first evening when friends started gathering outside our hut.  Thankfully I had the bottle of Jack Daniels with me that I’d been given the day before and the adults found that a JD and Coke on ice went down very nicely with a coffee cake! 

Amongst the group were the two kite surfing instructors for whom Rennie had cared during pregnancy and at the birth of baby Skye, so it was nice for her especially to catch up and enjoy a cuddle a few months down the line.

On the way back to Colombo we stopped at the vibrantly coloured Hindu temple just outside Chilaw and arrived back home just in time for a sunset G&T – and the surprise of an air show practice session!  More on that to come. 

A lovely birthday weekend.   

Steve