Clearly I did not road test this blog thing, and I apologise to all of youse.
I am just relieved that you can read what is on the blog.
As to how comments are posted,,,,,,,sorry. But as I indicated on the email, we were worried we were the only ones who can read it. Hopefully by Indonesia we will have it sorted. I also think we have been able to post photos too.(only had to download another two apps to dot it though). Be prepared for the non sequitur as I am still practicing putting the pics in.
The Grand Orient Hotel , you will al clearly recall was the place that Anton Chekov stayed for 9 days in 1890.(that's for you KRF), that's why there is a bronze bust of him in the ornate foyer.
Off to Galle today one of the single hardest hit areas in the 2004 tsunami. The major death toll was at the crowded bus station and then several thousand souls lost on a train that was hit. All up over 120.000 people killed, still missing or injured.
Colombo railway station, is somewhat rudimentary as too are the rolling stock. Unlike busses in Laos, the commuters don't even wait for the train to stop, or the getter-offerers to get of before clambering on and claiming ones seat.... its a free-for-all. But in a strangely polite way. Don't get between NJC and a potentially vacant seat!!! The fare to Galle was r180 2nd class .
We made the mistake of trying to get into the third class but was kindly directed to a high class of survival-of-the -fittest in 2nd class.
The line runs predominately south along the beach front with the Indian Ocean nearly always in view. 
Indian Ocean from the train
GALLE
Galle is renowned for three things 1 tragically the tsunami 2. The old Dutch fort and 3. The Galle cricket ground. For a city that was all but wiped out 9 years ago, it is very vibrant, if not a tad frenetic. We are staying at the Weitevreden which is within what is still a substantially and completely walled city. The owner spent three months in Melbourne .... In 1972 but his wife was not a nurse.
The Sri Lankan people are mad about Cricket. With my encyclopaedic cricket knowledge I can hold my own for five or six seconds. The Galle cricked ground was destroyed in the tsunami, and the Shane warne foundation generously funded the re-establishment of the cricket ground, and is a local hero.......maybe we can forgive his hubris a bit. 
The fort area itself being a very solid and high rampart was virtually untouched, but the neck of land between it and the main part of town all around was washed pretty much away. When the ocean receded 1 or so kilometre the fort police Closed the enormous rampart gates, so when the tsunami wave came in at several hundred kph, much damage was avoided and the gate withstood.
Galle cricket ground viewed from the fort wall. 10000 fans inside, 30,000sit on the walls to watch.
Galle Fort reminds us of Georgetown or Malacca,Malaysia but the roads are in better repair, alas the buildings are in great need of maintenance, for heavens sake most are over two hundred and fifty years old, I'd be checking the builders warranties. You can walk around most of the city on the top of the wall in an hour and there are two gates, the oldest was built in 1668.
Approached by several 'friends' who had family in Australia, their wives were nurses, and they wanted to share .....that's when abc gets a bit cranky and tells them to go away.....nicely of course.
Looking forward to a meal at Mamas rooftop restaurant....can' t believe that the Lonely Planet got it wrong. It turns out they lost their rooftop lease, and we look out over the next door rooftop, and the lighthouse is gone too. Krakatoa is not erupting either....!!!! What next?
Organised a tuk tuk tour from the railway station, for r3000 . Which had us about 4.5 hours of travel. The two highlights were the Handumgoda White Virgin Tea plantation, where only white virgins can pick tea.....no I have just been corrected, it is white tea, the very tips of the flower bud, picked by hand by 'pluckers' who wear gloves, and use scissors similar to nail scissors, and pick 250 grams a day, as opposed to non virgin white tea, where up to 22 kgs a day can be hand 'plucked'
King coconut
Apparently, too, the requirement for the pluckers to be virgins went out of vogue in 18th century China. But it was a fascinating tour, with Joseph, free tea and cake with the resident squirrel in the upper house, a hands on tour of the processing plant and a selection of 30 teas to taste at the end. Far better than the BOH Cameron Highlands tea plantation tour in Malaysia None of you expect a taste of the virgin tea from us.
Had a try of a King coconut from a roadside vendor for r50.(so called because a king of Sri Lanka would only drink from these, lest he be poisoned or enchanted by potions he would drink) so far so good
The other highlight was the Lagoon herbal garden at Habaraduwa, where we were given a tour of a smallish garden, that showed many differing herbs and spices (more than col. Sanders anyway) and their Ayurvedic uses. One again don't expect any presents from here, once we get home they are going in the safe...if we had one! Of course we need a wild garlic paste to remove 'unwanted' body hair, from any sensitive area.(of course Andrews upper lip was being alluded to here)
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Went on a walking tour of the fort with Juliette Coombes who was a british newspaper corespondent for Murdoch when she was sent to Galle to report on the tsunami, fell in love with a local, and has stayed. Erstwhile artist and still writing about Sri Lankan stuff, her walk was one fascinating aspect to another. One hundred families live in the fort, most go back nine generations on can trace back to 10. The fort has its own superstitions, local rules of behaviour, custom and etiquette, even it's own magistrates and high court. Nearly every building had a history. It is expected every family is succeeded by the eldest son in the fort. Sanga karla (?) the captain of the sri Lankan cricket team has his house here! The only hotel in the fort is a super duper expensive restored 1850Amindigo hotel.. Where the cheapest room is $450.00. We did have tea and scones there though. You can see my post on trip advisor.
Far too fancy for us
By Asian standards, food here is relatively expensive $20.00 for 2 not uncommon where other countries $5.00 or so would have fed us. Not that we lament, but there does not seem to be the same street vendor/ cooking culture here. (In the south anyway)
On the last morning in Galle we found the YMBA(young men's Buddhist association) cafe, where not only did we both eat for $2.50, but the Hoppers, dhal, red rice, and coconut sambal was authentically spicy hot. As we were western ears we got the fancy paper napkins, rather than the newspaper ones. Clearly the decor would not have won any awards, but so far we are parasite free.
Have decided to travel far north by train up to Jaffna, then slowly work way back.
Train from Galle to vaviniya about 9 hours, .At Galle station we met a young fellow Roshan, who seemed genuinely interested in practicing his English and telling us about his life as a trainee chef at the above mentioned fancy schmancy hotel. He gets r16000 a month $160.00. I am sure that he wanted us to adopt him. And i think we were invited to stay with his family. He did insist on us sending him a photo.
World championship train seat getting. I failed, but I was about to deck this European woman, in a stupid bouffy dress, who decided she was going to be ruder than the locals. Ahh but smile at the lovely railway police, look pathetically standing up, and explaining we have 7-9 hours to go, she found a seat for us by kicking out two local social climbers who should have been in third class. It is however raining INSIDE the car. Hopefully it is from the freshwater tank. We are really near the toilet.........
It's raining inside the train.
If we gat parasites, this is what done it....train vendor food
good to hear from you guys?? Anton Chekov great bloke. KRF
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