Fiery Feet

John blogs …


Huge stupa at Anuradhapura



At Anuradhapura

 An embarrassment of choices for breakfast
cooked English, waffles and syrup and fruits … prepared to perfection by Asanti. Thanks. Jenny agreed to stay behind and rest as she wasn’t feeling very well.

Leave at 9.00 for visit to Anuradhapura – World Heritage site. Roadworks and flood damage lengthened a 2 hour drive to become 3 hours. Jayantha was most apologetic but it cannot be helped.

First stop to Jayashriha Bodhiya, take off hat and shoes and … step onto the hot, hot, hot sand and baking stones. Ouch! Fiery feet or what! Reminds me of the scene from the film ‘10’ where Dudley Moore stalks Bo Derek on the hot sand.

Then to see various beautiful dagobas (stupas), moonstones and royal baths. The photographers in the team were in their element. Flags on the bodhia tree were fluttering gently whilst pilgrims and worshippers gave prayers. All very peaceful and spiritual.

Onwards for late lunch at the Palm Garden Village Hotel (3 star) which had really beautiful wooden carvings and furniture. Very stylish.

Returning home a different route which was further but took a little less than 3 hours. Home for quick shower and cup of tea with brownie before giving our presentation to an Inter-City meeting with 7 clubs. The data projector didn’t function as it ought but we still did well. The temperature was very, very hot - even the Sri Lankans said it was very hot for them too. Plenty of photos taken as we exchanged banners with 7 clubs and they also gave us several gifts which was very generous. The meeting was coming to a conclusion when someone thought it would be good to sing our respective National anthems … this would have been fine if the girls knew the words! Shame on them! So, more like a solo effort from me with a smile on my face giving it my all. Sooooo embarrassing but no one laughed! – not that I notice anyway.

We loved their banner which had been especially produced for the evening.

Time for fellowship – of course – where food and wine flowed with Baila dancing well into the early hours of the morning. Reluctantly persuaded to let limbs do uncontrollable things which seemed to fit with what everyone else was doing. Wariyapola’s president ‘Uncle’ set the pace and was a star mover all night long. I lasted past the midnight hour but the ‘angels’ have more stamina, keeping going until 2.00 when the party ended with everyone singing the Sri Lankan national anthem.





Some arm-twisting going on from Uncle