Six months on

Things have been a hard ride, the lows have been dangerously low. But I’ve kicked some habits and fought back. I’m still not entirely sure what I’m doing or where I’m going but I know over the last six months I’ve experienced things I’ve dreamt of my whole life, not just the portion in exile. Five Yala trips, leopards and more leopards, Wasgamuwa where I stared yet another leopard eye to eye and swam in the Mahaweli, Kalpitiya to see dolphins, six dives with barracuda and scorpion fish and this weekend what was an epic, epic camping trip to Gal Oya. Rain, raging rivers, mud and some of the most jaw droppingly beautiful jungles I have ever seen in my life. Dramatic rock drops and savannah jungles, four wheel drive kicking in and ant bites, one of the best times of my life.

Things won’t be a smooth sail from here, life is hard wherever you are but my heart is in the dry zone and at home. Batticoloa, Sinharaja, Mirissa, Yala and hopefully more Wasgamuwa and Gal Oya here I come. Fingers crossed maybe even Horton Plains.

The good, the bad and the ugly

Well happy 2009 to the blogosphere! It surely has been an eventful and interesting end to the last year and beginning to this one.

The Good

One of the best holidays I have ever had in my life (barring one fuck-up).

5 days spent in Madiha in Matara learning to scuba dive (more on that later). The perfect break, three awesome people to hang out with, trishawing it to Dondra and bussing it to Unawatune. Sea turtles 12 meters under the sea, the perfect beach and lots of fishies. The only drawbacks were sharing a van with a pair of huggy monkeys (I know both of you are going to be reading thisJ) and ending the trip with a strange compulsion to watch My Fair Lady.

Van mates

Seeing R’s face when I walked into the Lounge to suprise him and hearing him say “bloody hell, that’s twice now!”

Hikka with the second family, snorkeling with Akks and getting stoned with the boys.

A couple of rocking nights with old and new friends at Sugar. Was called a ‘classy guy’ which almost prompted me to fall off the table I was dancing on. Hot dogs and trishaws gunning in the night.

Sights of Sigirya I had never seen before, elephants wrestling in Kaudulla and the splendored ruins of Ritigala. Sunrise over the Giritale tank. Elephant on the Habarana road. The best rice and curry in the world at the Habaran rest house.

31st night at an ocean front suite in Galle Face. PKS crying with happiness to see me. Akks and I rocking the dance floor. Having a drink with T.

The best news I have had on the way to the airport.

More good news on landing.

Most of the holiday was perfection but…

The Bad

Who else but the girl could break my trip. Now firmly the ex-oneitis, cigarette burns and fork stabbings later. Attitude and ignoring for some unfathomable reason (await a pre-written post on that). Her face when I walked into the Lounge to greet R, strangely uncertain and then blank. A trend for the rest of the holiday.

On the way to the airport:

Text –

I’m off, take care.

Phone –

Your off?
Yes…
Take care…
You too…
What’s the matter with you? Why are you acting like this?
You really don’t know? I don’t think you’re that dumb.
I don’t know…goodbye.
Goodbye.

Hello?! Hello?!
Yes?
I’ll miss you.
Ok.
Click.

It’s strange to lose a friend after three years, especially when I can’t figure out why the friendship ended. As R says ‘these things happen.’

The Ugly

I try not to snap, but K pissed me off. I pushed his head under the water and snapped. He tried to come up but I put my knee on his neck and pushed down. Luckily R saw the look in my eyes and pulled me off. I’ve only ever snapped twice in my life now…fingers crossed that won’t happen again.

It always amazes me how important and amazing my friends are too me. Which made the bitterness of what happened even harder to swallow. I miss the boys and the akkis. I miss the friendship I had with the girl, irrespective of the other possibilities. I’m glad I met a couple of new amazing people. 2009 should be interesting and bittersweet but I have hope.

Great things are afoot.