Diving Colombo

Click here for photos from some recent wreck dives Pat has done with Island Scuba off the coast of Colombo, where he has seen lots of octopus, stone fish and puffers and more. 

Adam's Peak Pilgrimage/Hike

It was a crazy 32 hours. Eighteen of us left Colombo Saturday morning for the purpose of accomplishing an epic night hike - along the lighted pathway picture above - to the top of Adam's Peak. Step-one was a 7-hour drive into the center of Sri Lanka that can only be described as harrowing. The bus was big and the roads were narrow, but the scenery passing through terraced tea plantations was spectacular. We arrived at the mountain's base, near Hatton, around 5pm, in time for dinner and a few hours of sleep before starting our summit of Adam's Peak around 1am.  

Click here for photos from our hike. It took 4.5 hours to reach the summit, a journey that included climbing 5,500+ stairs, but we made it to the top in plenty of time to tour the temple at the top, get a quick Buddhist blessing, and take in the sunrise. We were hiking on a Poya Day (full moon) so it the path was especially crowded with local pilgrims. Adam's Peak is one of Sri Lanka's most sacred places, as well as one of the world's most scenic stair hikes. 

The sunrise was lovely. The walk back down was hard on the knees, especially since each of the 5,500+ stairs along the trail was unique in depth and height - from shallow to bone jarring. January is high season for both tourist and locals to hike Adam's Peak. People go up and down at all times of day and night, but being at the top for sunrise is especially popular. 

Click here for another set of photos, taken by a friend/colleague from our hiking group. Thank you Kevin for sharing. 

On the other side of the world, the kids were taking in the lunar eclipse and enjoying a weekend together in Bellingham. Click here for a few of their hiking and hanging out photos. 

South Coast Weekend

Click here for photos from our weekend on Sri Lanka's south coast. Pat's surfing skills continue to evolve, thanks to the consistent waves and plethora of beachside surf shops in Weligama.

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.