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Hello once again ladies & gents, boys and girls. As I sit writing this, watching rangers score a last minute winner over Cardiff (had to get that in! It was on TV too so everyone could see it, HA!) … I am once again back in Ja Ela, having arrived back in Sri Lanka yesterday and spending last night in Colombo.
Right so India is all done and dusted, after throwing my toys out of the pram in the first week, I eventually made it through five weeks there, that’s 12 weeks away in total now ……and Vic’s still hasn’t moved out … not coming home till she has!! (for those of you completely lost right now, Vicky’s my sister, and it was a small attempt at humor, I’ll try to refrain from such attempts in the future).
So, my last week in Madurai, I must to admit to not having done massive amounts. I did go to Madurai temple though. It was quite impressive in places, the hall of 1000 pillars particularly, although it only has 997 pillars in truth, but still that’s a good effort. I also went to the Gandhi museum. That was very interesting, a lot to take in though. In simple terms, Gandhi was great and the English were b******s … we really were! I also learnt that the country of Pakistan was actually created by India to host all the Muslims that were residing in India, because of the differences in religious beliefs. Another interesting thing at the museum, or outside rather, was a giant model of a T-rex. Why exactly it was there we are still unsure but Andrew maintains that it was a replica of the T-rex that Gandhi killed with his bear hands whilst blind-folded during one of his fasting periods …. I’m not entirely sure I believe Andrew, but he does now everything else about everything that’s ever happened ever, so he could well be right. I still have my suspicions though.
Over the weekend we were supposed to taking all the little kiddies from the orphanage out to the park which sounded good fun, but at the last minute we were told we couldn’t, despite the fact it had been done countless times before, Boo! Anyway, so being the mature and responsible adults we are we went anyway. This was no ordinary park however, it was also a small theme park (and there was another model dinosaur, what was with the dinosaurs??). We went on a few rides, risking life and limb. The swinging boat was quite good although at times you could well have knocked yourself on one of the branches that overhung the boat, and the Ferris wheel was in somewhat of a hurry. I thought those things were supposed to go round slowly!? I’ve only just got the feeling back in my leg after Tina decided she needed to apply a vice like grip to my leg whilst on the ride …. Coz restricting another persons blood flow really does help when on rides that go a little too fast - FACT!
Had my last coaching sessions on Monday and got loads of photos with the kids, however I stupidly deleted them off my camera after getting them printed so, you wont be seeing those ones. In the last week, a lot of the kids and teachers have been infected with conjunctivitis (sp?) and I thought I’d escaped … until I woke up with it this morning, off to get some eye drops in a bit. It’s a viral infection contracted through touch, or sharing a towel etc. The Indians however believe that it is contracted through sight i.e. so if one of you (assuming more than one person is reading this … hi mum) were to look at me now, they believe you would have contracted it. So as a precaution everyone in Madurai is wearing sun glasses, unfortunately none of them were sporting the Tom Cruise aviator style look, like in Top Gun.
My last evening we all went for a meal/drink at one of the hotels in town and that was that, said my goodbyes and the following morning I went to the airport. Jo, Steph and Karen came to the airport with, which was nice of them, and with any luck I should be able to meet up with Steph and Jo in Sydney, roundabout the time of my birthday!!
My flights were pretty painless, especially considering that on the flight from Chennai (Madrass) to Colombo I was in premium class, Ha! Never felt so out of place in my life, still being a man of leisure I embraced my new found …. whatever it was, and proceeded to be waited on throughout the flight, they even offered champagne … for free. Damn it why don’t I like champagne?! I also got a luminous green curry. Shame the flight only lasted an hour and a half, wouldn’t mind that on my flight from Bangkok to Sydney – 13hrs.
From Colombo airport I got a cab into Colombo town centre which is actually over an hour’s journey, even though it sounds like it should be ten minutes. I spent yesterday just looking around Colombo, walked around the lake, went for a pint, done a bit of shopping & went to the cinema in Majestic City and lastly went to Pizza Hut. Today I’ve traveled back to the travellers house in Ja Ela as I spoke to Roshan and he said I could stay. I’ve probably just dropped him in it as I received an email from Elizabeth saying I couldn’t go back, but I figure travelers owe me after the monumental f**k-up that was my first two weeks in India. *Elizabeth - If you’re reading this, I’m sorry to go against what you said, but there are people at the house now and … it is a lot cheaper than staying in Colombo.
That about covers it for the last week, and so I shall leave you with my final thought … well tell a lie it wasn’t actually my thought it was Marks before he left, but it’s a good point …. Why do toasters have a setting on them that will systematically cremate your bread?? Who wants to eat burnt toast?? Hmm?
… And that was my final thought.
Adios.
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