Arugamma go my way

We arrived in Arugam Bay after taking three different buses in quick succession from Polonnoruwa. Our last morning in Polonnoruwa saw us visit a local wood carving factory. Now I'm not big on wooden elephants or Sri Lankan masks so I asked if it was possible to make me a Caram board. The kids had played it in the guesthouse in Kandy and it was great fun. The bloke who runs the wood factory has a rather large window so he saw me coming from a long way off. A deal more favourable to him was struck between us and apparently I'll have the board shipped to me sometime in the next two months. I'm quite looking forward to getting it but I'm not looking forward to the import duty on a mahogany board.

Arugam Bay is a whole new kettle of fish - it's a funny place that isn't really like the rest of the country or at least those parts I've seen thus far. It's a long strip full of restaurants and surf shops and it actually feels like we're in an entirely different country. Local Muslim folk and rice farmers cycle or tractor up and down the Main Street whilst surf dudes and immodestly clad twenty something's breeze around them. You can get pizza and pasta and it all feels like a restrained Vang Vieng in Laos.

Caroline and the three older kids took a surfing lesson today and have another tomorrow morning at 6.30am. Good luck to them I say - Paddy and I are going to stay in bed. The heat is blinking murderous today - I just sat down and sweated this afternoon for about two hours solid. It didn't help that I had my first Sri Lankan hangover. Last night I had one Lion Lager too many and then followed it up with a Mojito for good measure. Dehydration is s big enough factor here without me adding further fuel to the fire. After Joe and Harry's recent birthdays I'll be having mine too in a couple of days. The day after we travel to Ella in the Hill Country so things should get a little cooler there. Here's hoping anyway.