Wanting to at least scope out part of the town, I took a hilly path past the police station and into a wooded area. Through the clearing, Ella Rock was visible above some tropical trees. Going past several small colorful houses, I had reached the end of the small road and so I turned back. At one house, I took some photos of eager children and their mothers. Next door, a grandmotherly woman came out and greeted me, asking if I wanted tea. (Thankfully there are many drinks with names common across languages, such as tea, coffee, coke, and juice). As she went to make the tea, I met her adopted sons, one of which was around 18 and the other around 25. The older son spoke fairly good English and eagerly showed me a school report he had made of Ella, with writings in both Sinhalese and English, and photos taken by him as well as postcards, etc. After tea and hard biscuits, the younger son asked if I could help him with Photoshop, of which I eagerly obliged. It was nice to be able to give back a bit, with the teen already feeling more confident with his new skills. When I bid the family good-bye and thanked them for their hospitality, the older son offered to take me the following morning to Little Adam’s Peak and some other local sights. Such generous people – something you likely wouldn’t discover so quickly in large cities!
That evening, I had supper at the Sun Top Hotel, consisting of homemade beef curry with coconut milk over local red rice. Okra, cassava, pumpkin, mushrooms, and pampadons were also brought out. Along with a drink, the large meal was about $4.50. Although some of the dishes were similar to what I’ve had in South India, they were less oily and gentler, probably due to the coconut milk. Back at my hotel room, the night was dark and quiet. Only the sounds of frogs and insects punctuated the silence. Lightning bugs flickered on and off, adding their touch to nature’s concert.
Wanting to at least scope out part of the town, I took a hilly path past the police station and into a wooded area. Through the clearing, Ella Rock was visible above some tropical trees. Going past several small colorful houses, I had reached the end of the small road and so I turned back. At one house, I took some photos of eager children and their mothers. Next door, a grandmotherly woman came out and greeted me, asking if I wanted tea. (Thankfully there are many drinks with names common across languages, such as tea, coffee, coke, and juice). As she went to make the tea, I met her adopted sons, one of which was around 18 and the other around 25. The older son spoke fairly good English and eagerly showed me a school report he had made of Ella, with writings in both Sinhalese and English, and photos taken by him as well as postcards, etc. After tea and hard biscuits, the younger son asked if I could help him with Photoshop, of which I eagerly obliged. It was nice to be able to give back a bit, with the teen already feeling more confident with his new skills. When I bid the family good-bye and thanked them for their hospitality, the older son offered to take me the following morning to Little Adam’s Peak and some other local sights. Such generous people – something you likely wouldn’t discover so quickly in large cities!
That evening, I had supper at the Sun Top Hotel, consisting of homemade beef curry with coconut milk over local red rice. Okra, cassava, pumpkin, mushrooms, and pampadons were also brought out. Along with a drink, the large meal was about $4.50. Although some of the dishes were similar to what I’ve had in South India, they were less oily and gentler, probably due to the coconut milk. Back at my hotel room, the night was dark and quiet. Only the sounds of frogs and insects punctuated the silence. Lightning bugs flickered on and off, adding their touch to nature’s concert.
No comments:
Post a Comment