Home for the Holiday Lights

Click here from photos from some of the many holiday light displays we have visited this week around Portland -- The Oregon Zoo's Zoo Lights, Pioneer Square Christmas Tree, Alpenrose Dairy's Storybook Lane, Peacock Lane in SE Portland, and the Christmas Ships parade along the Willamette River.  We timed a trip to the Portland Saturday Market with the Santa paddle board parade, though credit for that photo goes to The Oregonian. 

Happy holidays to all!

Underwater Colombo

Click here for photos from Pat's recent dives with Island Scuba. He has been diving just offshore from Colombo, where there are a dozen or so wrecks to explore. If you have an Instagram account, you can click here for video of an specially friendly pufferfish. 

There are a few above-the-ground shots in the album too - featuring some of the festive holiday decorating we've been seeing around Colombo and some great sky views. 

Meanwhile back in Portland... Drew was recently featured in a promotion for a local surf shop, Cosube. 

Thanksgiving Week 2018 - Sri Lanka; South Coast

The photo above was taken at Talalla Beach on Sri Lanka's South Coast at sunset the day before Thanksgiving and November's full moon Poya Day.  

Click here for more photos from our Thanksgiving week spent enjoying Sri Lanka's south coast, from Hiriketiya to Talalla to Weligama. We walked along some of Sri Lanka's most scenic beaches, saw a peacock take flight, took in amazing sunsets, and were happy to see so many tourist kicking-off the South Coast's high season, in spite of political unrest. 

For more on the political situation in Sri Lanka, this brief video provides a excellent summary. 

Click here to watch a quick video of the fish we saw being dragged on shore and sold literally fresh off the boat as we passed through Galle on our way back to Colombo. 

Meanwhile back in Oregon, click here for a few photos of the kids enjoying a late Fall sail and Thanksgiving with great friends.  

And finally, here's a recipe for our favorite Sri Lankan dish, Pol Sambol. We can make sambol fresh at home now with the coconut shredder I got for my birthday.

• 1/2 fresh coconut, shredded
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp crushed red pepper
• juice of 1 lime
• diced red onion to taste
• optional add-ins include diced tomato, dried fish flakes, cumin, mustard seed

Turtle Time

We spent the holiday weekend on Sri Lanka's south coast, in Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa. Both towns have lovely beaches, but Hikkaduwa gets our vote due to their resident population of sea turtles. The turtles hang out near shore, along the Hikkaduwa coral reef, and are very happy to be hand-fed sea grass. Click here for more photos of our turtle feeding experience and time at the coast. 

Peaceful Protest - Perplexing Politics

The protest photo above was taken a few days after Sri Lanka's President made a controversial and unexpected decision to dismiss the country's Prime Minister, replacing him with the previous president. Debate continues as to whether this action was constitutional and if the decision will hold once a Parliamentary vote called. You can read more about this evolving constitutional crisis by clicking here. 

Click here for a few photos from our daily life here in Sri Lanka, which has not been disrupted by the current political situation, at least not so far. It's interesting to talk politics with locals and ex-pats alike - debating what might happen next and/or whose country has more controversy on any given day.

October is a less-than-ideal weather month in Colombo, when monsoon season is most likely to impact the city. The sunsets have been lovely when the skies are not overcast, and though it's still very humid, the temperature is bit more moderate. Evening thunder and lightening storms have been frequent, and we experience occasional rainbows.

Celebrating Luna's and Diego's B'nai Mitzvah

Congratulations to our good friends Luna and Diego and their family on the occasion of their B'nai Mitzvah. Click here for party photos.

Thank you Tony, Lee, Elan, Luna, Diego and Ari for a great evening of dancing and celebrating. 

Paris

Click here for photos from our just completed 3-day stopover in Paris in route back to Portland. 

Our walks along the Seine, seeing the Eiffel Tower by day and night, and exploring the Louve made for a great ending to our summer travels. 

Now it's officially back-to-school time, with Fall Terms at OSU and WWU beginning within the next week. 

Trincomalee and Wilpattu National Park

Click here for photos from Trincomalee and Wilpattu National Park, our final stops on our most recent trip around Sri Lanka.  This was our second visit to Trinco, where the focus was mostly on diving. The jelly pictured above was a highlight for both Emilys, who simply can't get enough time underwater. 

It was our first time in Wilpattu National Park, where we had the very good fortune of spotting the leopard pictured below. We were one of the only groups who saw a leopard the morning of our safari, so felt very lucky. Almost as exciting as seeing one was hearing them. 

Two leopards were hunting in the brush near our jeep. We listened to them call back and forth to each other for several minutes and hoped they might show themselves. Their calls got louder and closer, then stopped abruptly. We assumed that meant their hunt was a success. Breakfast was likely one of the many spotted chevrotains (mouse deers) we saw in the park.

On the drive into Wilpattu, we saw a rice harvest. Local families lined the roadway for several kilometers, sweeping and bagging rice, which they lay out to dry on the asphalt. 

We're now back in Colombo preparing to return to the States in a few days. Before departure, we squeezed in a trip to House of Fashion, a quirky shopping experience where you can find odds, ends and overstocks/seconds from brands like Zara, Pull and Bear, etc... whose clothing is made in Sri Lanka.

We also got to take part in one more session of the American Center's conversations buddies program. This weekly program was a definitely a highlight of our time in Colombo. Pictured below are some of the wonderful people who come to the Center to practice their English, learn about the US and discuss current events. Click here for a few other Colombo photos, including last night's beautiful sunset as seen from Galle Face Green. 

Arugam Bay

Click here for photos from our time in Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka's top surfing destination. The photos in this album where taken mostly at the Whiskey Point surf break, just north of Arugam Bay, where the boys caught some great waves. The beaches in Arugam are among the nicest in Sri Lanka - clean and uncrowded with beautiful turquoise water.

There's a lagoon and some mangroves just behind the beach at Whiskey Point where we spotted wild elephants and water buffalo. 

While staying at the Danish Inn, the villa manager taught the kids to play Carrom, a table top billiards-style game that is very popular in Sri Lanka. 

More Elephants

Click here for photos from our time at and around Sri Lanka's Udawalawe National Park. We visited the park for an afternoon safari; stopped by an elephant orphanage to watch the baby elephants get fed; and glamped at the lovely Kottawatta Village. 

Next stop: Arugam Bay. 

Tea and Trains

People suggest that Nuwara Eliya, in the heart of Sri Lanka's tea country, is like a little England. We're not completely sure we get that comparison, but we definitely got a Disney vibe walking around Nuwara Eliya's lovely Gregory Lake. 

Click here to see photos from our visits to Nurawa Eliya and Ella, which included visiting a tea plantation, a couple of lovely hikes and a scenic, open-air/open-door train ride. 

Click here for a few beach photos from Hiriketiya. This little cove was our first stop once we reached Sri Lanka's south coast. It's an up and coming surf and tourist destination for good reason. 

Pera Hera

Our most recent visit to Kandy coincided with the 5th night (of 10) of the city's famous PeraHera Festival. It was an amazing thing to see. The procession of fire dancers, whip-crackers, flag bearers, drummers and elephants seemed almost endless. We found a great viewing spot near the Temple of the Tooth to take in the spectacle. Click here for photos. 

One of the elephants was being boarded in someone's front yard, just a few doors down from Anna Shantha Villas, where we were staying, so we got to see him throughout the day - during his bath time, dinner and costuming. 

People have a lot of mixed feelings over the impact of Pera Hera on the elephants - the use of chains, the stress they experience from the noise and commotion, etc.  We most definitely thought about all that while watching the parade, though we witnessed good care and attention by the elephant handlers. The crowd was reverent, the chaos was well organized, and the parade was most definitely a highlight of our time in Sri Lanka.

Elephant Safari

While in Sigiriya, we visited Minneriya National Park, which "hosts" a large gathering of wild elephants each August because of the water sources within the park. Click here for photos. 

In and around Minneriya, elephants roam freely. It's not unusual to see them along the roadsides; or to see small platforms - similar to deer blinds - where farmers keep watch over their fields at night in an effort to keep the elephants away. Noise and/or small fires are usually enough to deter them, though some farmers resort to more extreme measures.  One afternoon, we stopped to watch some locals who were trying to keep an injured elephant occupied while they awaited the arrival of a veterinarian. It had a bullet logged in its trunk. In the photos linked above, you can see the bump of the bullet. 

As for our safari, we got to see a couple of dozen elephants gathered, including the two below who spent much of the afternoon wrestling each other. 

Exploring Sri Lanka's Ancient Cities

We visited two of Sri Lanka's ancient cities this past week - Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa - as well as the Dambulla cave temples.  Click here for photos.  

Our time in Sigiriya include two great hikes - one to the top of Lion's Rock, picture above, and one to the top of nearby Pidurangala Rock, which offers great views of Lion's Rock. 

At Polonnaruwa, we explored some very well preserved ancient ruins and had the unexpected opportunity to witness a Buddhist religious event. The crowds were a bit overwhelming, but it was fascinating none-the-less. People were gathering all day for a ceremony that began just before sunset and would continue through sunrise the following day.  

In addition to seeing a lot of monks at Polonnaruwa, there were monkeys everywhere. The kids are worried I'm going to be featured in a monkey-attacks-human YouTube video soon. They have a lot of curiosity when it comes to cameras, and I often have snacks in my purse. 

Surf Lessons

We're posting photos from the last portion of our recent 8-day trip around Sri Lanka first.  Click here for surf photos from Weligama, home of great surfing and Sri Lanka's first "fish taco". 

We always stay at Neo Bay when we visit Sri Lanka's south coast, and the managers have just opened a restaurant. At Pat's suggestion, they now serve fish tacos. Pat had to make a trip to the US this past week, so he wasn't with us for the taste testing, but we think he'll like them. The kids definitely liked surfing.

Our trip to Weligama - and lovely nearby Mirissa Beach - ended on a Poya Day (full moon = holiday) and was a great way to cap-off our inland travels around Sri Lanka's Hill Country. 

Sigiriya and South... preview

We have been traveling around this past week, without a computer or consistent WiFi access, but LOTS of photos are coming soon. The one above was taken after a great hike to the top of Punduragala Rock near Sirigirya. The one below captures a beautiful sunset we saw in Ella. We’ll post more from our trip in a few days when we are back in Colombo. For now... click here. 

Trincomalee... continued & updated

Click here for mostly in-and-underwater photos from our long weekend in Trincomalee. And also here. 

Sightings included a couple of turtles, lots of eels, a lion fish, puffer fish and more. Look closely at the jellies, and you'll see small starfish inside them.  


Shortly after her final check-out dive, Emily told us she would prefer to live underwater. She doesn't get sunburned down there, and she loves hanging out with sea life. For Pat, this comment advanced her significantly in the always evolving favorite child standings. 

On the way back to Colombo, we passed the tusker pictured below. He is walking from Colombo to Kandy for next week's Perahera festival and was definitely attracting attention, not to mention complicating the traffic flow. The walk is a sacred and longstanding tradition. It takes about 4 days in all, with lots of rest stops along the way at various Buddhist temples. 

We're expecting to be in Kandy next week on the 5th night (out of 10) of Perahera, so we'll share more about the festival then. Each night includes a parade, with each successive parade becoming more elaborate with costumes, lighting and elephant participation. 40-50 elephants take part in the final parade night. 

Mixed with this album are a few shots from around Colombo, too. 

Diving in Trincomalee

Click here for above-the-water photos from our long weekend in Trincomalee, on Sri Lanka's beautiful eastern coast. The twins got certified to dive during our visit, and Pat took lots of underwater photos (coming soon in another web album).  Jake's friend Emily is visiting us for a few weeks, so we now have two Emilys - a Canadian one and an American one. 

Trincomalee, Uppuveli and Nilaveli are adjacent towns with beautiful beaches along the upper east coast of Sri Lanka. The area is still fairly undeveloped, but tourism is definitely on the rise due to good diving, snorkeling and the great beaches. 

Locals are mostly Hindu and Muslim, so calls to prayer are frequent, with chants broadcast over loudspeakers from various temples. Mixed-in with the prayer music, fresh bread delivery tuks and ice-cream vendors drive around all day playing Beethoven’s Für Elise. Tourists are mostly European, Chinese and Indian. August is high season, but most of the "traffic" we experienced during our 5 day stay in Trinco was four-legged in nature. Cows roam around everywhere, along with deer and beach dogs. 

Trinco's most famous religious sight is Koneswaram Temple, a shrine to the Hindu Lord Shiva to whom expecting mothers pray for health pregnancies. The Temple sits on a bluff with amazing views of the area. Fencing along the cliff edges is covered with handmade offerings - small wooden "cribs" tied with colorful ribbons. 

Our days in Trinco were very simple: 

• An early breakfast of tea, fruit, eggs and toast, which is always included as part of a stay at local villas like the placed we stayed in Nilaveli, Sea Zone. 
• Morning diving with Jez and Cinzia at AquaCreed. 
• Lunch at Rice & Curry, a small restaurant we fell in love with in Uppuveli with excellent kottu and dal. 
• An afternoon rest during the heat of the day. 
• A little puppy time, with the five, 6-month old puppies being cared for by the dive shop near our villa. One is pictured below. 
• Playing in the practically perfect waves at Nilaveli Beach until sunset (around 6:30pm here). 
• Repeat, with minimal variation. 

On our last morning, we snorkeled at Pigeon Island National Park. We got there early to avoid the crowds and with the hope of seeing reef sharks, but the visibility was less than ideal for spotting them. There were plenty of fish and some nice coral. Fish photos coming as soon as we download Pat's underwater camera.