Back from vacation

Well, I've been to Galle and in someways, I'm glad to be back.  2 more days, 6 hours more of language class but on Wednesday I shall finally be off to Badulla.  Galle is an old dutch fort city, surrounded by a wall which kept the Tsunami from devastating everything and killing a lot of people.  It is a charming little town with quaint streets, some so pristine with many colored Borgenvilla and some with garbage being eaten by the local cows and dogs.  The first day, Lieve, a volunteer from Holland and I walked the entire fort area hitting every shop we passed.  I knew Lieve was the right person to spend the day with in this way as she had already accompanied me on several buying trips for my apartment and I know we shop similarly.  Eight of us went to Galle which was probably quite ambitious, eight opinions, eight tastes in food, but we managed mostly and are back safe and sound.  Near Galle is the area where men on poles fish.  The pole is inherited from father to son and is quite prized.  Unfortunately as I was in a tuk tuk to go see them, itstarted to pour with rain and we had to turn back.  I did get to Unawatuna beach for a day which was lovely.  We sat with the native people rather then the expats and visitors so women had to be covered.  Sri Lankan women do not wear bathing suits, they were some kind of cover up or their saris or shalwars and wade in the water.  Fortunately I had something to wear over my suit so no trauma for anyone there.  What was unfortunate however was that as we walked from one end of the beach to another I slipped as a huge wave rolled in and my purse and bag with all my stuff got immersed in the water!  The major issue is that my new camera was totally soaked.  So without going into details, my camera is now very temperamental.  Sometimes it turns on, sometimes not.  sometimes it will zoom, many times not, sometimes the lens cover opens  mostly it opens just partially.  I guess I am going to have to have it fixed, somewhere when I figure out how to get that accomplished.
We did eat while we were in Galle but it would frequently take upwards of an hour to get food.  It would start with first having to get menus, then a waitperson, then waiting for food which could take a very long time, we never figured out why.  This morning at our little hotel I ordered a fruit plate for breakfast others ordered more complicated and time consuming dishes, they had to wait but at the end of an hour they had eaten and I was still waiting for the fruit!  No reason and only smiles from everyone.  I think I have mentioned the Sri Lankans are so wonderfully nice.  Everybody says hello, smiles, talks, it's great.  It's weird because almost everything has to be bargained for which I really don't like but after it's done we are all very friendly.  Galle became my little village.  By the time I left, many shopkeepers knew me and I pretty much was greeted by all these 20 somethings in the local cafe I hung out in.    Oh speaking of fruit, have I said that the fruit here is the best I have ever tasted?  Daily, pinapples, papaya, mangos and bananas, fantastic!  Funnily, the last few days we have eaten odd things, not the usual diet we had gotten used to which is various kinds of curries and rice for lunch and dinner.  (curry is vegetable, chicken, fish in a very hot sauce made with chillies, curry powder or leaves etc.)  Then there is daal and other little things and rice.  Well, I miss my SL food.  Eating it is the first time I can remember all systems working properly (!) and feeling very good.  Tomorrow, back on a routine!  On the  drive back to Colombo our driver stopped at a monument for the thousands of people who were on a train when the Tsunami hit and all died.  It was very moving.  All seems so calm and beautiful there now, hard to believe.  It has been very hot and humid here.  Oh, have I mentioned my new nickname:
The Jewish Buddhist Dwarf!!!