Update From Kandy

Claire blogs ...

Hi all, hope you are all well. Today the whole group is in a town called Kandy which is a few hours out and away from Colombo- and very different too. Yesterday was just an incredible day for us all. We spent it at the Elephant Orphanage. We were able to get really close to them, going down to the river where they were bathing and get some incredible pictures.


One came up to me and I think it must have liked me as I'm sure it gave me a hug with his trunk. Either that or he thought the flowers on my camera bag was food. After a tour, we then, with much thanks to John, got the chance to feed a very cute baby elephant with some milk. Just amazing and we were all just a bit blown-away by the whole experience. I've tried uploading some pictures but not luck yet. Sure one of us will succeed soon.

Later we arrived in Kandy where we were picked up by our hosts at the Queen Hotel in the center of town. Kath, Emily and myself met our lovely host called RoseMarie. She lives about an hour's drive away, up in the hills and jungle area. We weren't quite sure what to expect as she kept telling us that her home was being renovated. But it is just the most beautiful house I have ever stayed in, with beautiful artwork from all over the world, and she has just been the perfect host to us. To be able to find out about her life, which has been so so interesting, and her culture, and also meet such an inspiring woman is just something that I doubt any of us will forget.

This morning she took us around her property, we spotted some naughty monkeys in the trees nearby, walked to her waterfall, saw a few of her many cats and dogs too that she lives with. But we did have to keep moving as because it's been so wet here there are a few leeches on the loose! A few took a shine to us but we managed to click them off before they started to dine!

The weather over the last week has been quite overcast (we keep threatening to find sunbed shops so we don't go home looking like ghosts still) but the sun seems to be making an appearance at last.

Today we all have vocational visits, John at an international school and university, Jenny at the Botanical Gardens, and Kath and Emily at hospitals. I may be meeting a journalist but he had a press conference in Colombo yesterday evening and may not be able to make it. We shall see though!

Right, going to see if I can work out why these pictures aren't attaching. Maybe the internet, maybe my complete rubbishness (yes, this is now a word) with computers and all things related.

Keep checking our pages, FB, our blog and twitter, for more updates though and thanks for reading and following us.

We are all well and just know each day how lucky we are. This is a once in a lifetime experience and we are just loving every second.

Missing you all.