What a week it's been!!

Today we're to leave Hambantota for Panama which is in the district of Pottuvil.  We decide that on the way, we'll call at the Seth Sevana Mentally Handicapped Orphanage at Thanamalwila. 
I usually visit these children and young adults to see how they're getting on.  There is very little that I can take to them that they can use so I now buy food items that they don't often get.  Usually it's fruit in season and yoghurt.
This time it's very hot and dry and not much in the way of fruit choice so I decide to buy dates from the local shop as well as the yoghurt.
We usually don't annouce our arrival, juststop by. 
Gihan drives the van to the gate, the usual boy Kumara opens the gate and looks at us with suspicion.  I later learn that they are expecting two vans with 4 families who will come to do Alms giving.  Remember I mentioned it earlier at the Methmal Orphanage.
Anyway, once we get out of the van, he recognises our faces and his face opens into a big grin.  He yells for the Manager to come, the white lady is here again.
We greet him and explain our visit. He sends for the girls from the other section to come and join the boys for what is now morning tea.  They wander across and immediately go into the dining hall.  This is a familiar activity for them so I just wait for them all to be seated before I enter to start and distribute the items of food we'd brought with us.
Before too long, with the help of Raja, Gihan, the helping lady for the orphanage and Kumara, everyone has their yoghurt and dates.  It's gone all too quickly and as they are drinking water, the 4 families arrive to serve the lunch that they'd brought.
We all venture to the office to have a quick chat with the Manager before we continue our journey to Panama.
All too quickly we leave and as it's just after 12.00, we decide to stop off at Wandinaheliyaya school to let the Principal know which day we would be visiting her school to distribute things to the children.
We then visit Raja's friend and it's then that we decide to stay in the Welawaya area for the night.  Raja's friend works at the local sugar plantation and it turns out that there is a guest house there are we are able to stay the night there instead of driving for a few more hours to stay at an unknown hotel.
We all drive along to the sugar plantation, it's dry and very hot.  We turn along this very bumpy road and drive for what seems more k's than it really is.  After a short time,we enter this estate, it's green and lush.  It reminds me of a military camp. 
We arrive at this very old building that is in really good condition, it's like an oasis in the desert.  It's very British looking.. 
Very quickly we're registed as guests, Raja's friend goes off to work and I'm taken to my room.  It's spacious and clean which is all I ask.
Very soon after, we asked to come to the dining room for lunch.  It's very nice local rice and curry.  It's been a busy day so we're all pretty hungry.
After lunch, Raja and Gihan go to their room and I decide to go for a walk,  There is a golf course so I thought this would be the best place to go.  I couldn't imagine that this place existed.  As I walk, I spy some very lush greenery ahead, low and behold, there are the largest frangapani trees I've every seen and the flowers were at picking height for me.  I ended up with a very fragrant bunch to take back with me.  I wander around the golf course for about an hour and then head back. 
Now it's time to take my computer, ipod and go and sit on the grass by the pool.  "Yes", there's even a pool. 
Very soon the day's over, we decide to go to the bar and have a drink before dinner.  Raja's friend is the head barman and it's his last week to work before he retires.
Afterour drink, we have dinner and it's time for bed, I'm very tired so look forward to a good nights sleep in this quiet hidden place.
We're up early the next day ready for our long journey to Panama.  We're about an hour from Monaragal where we're stopping to buy 40 pairs of thongs and then it's onto Panama some 4 hours drive away.
Raja and Gihan decide that it's best to buy lunch packets (take away) for lunch and we would stop on the roadside to eat at some point when we're hungry.  I follow their advice and it works well.
We collect the thongs, buy our food from a Rest House while we have a cup of tea and then proceed.
It's about 2pm when they spot a suitable place for us to get out of the van and eat.  It's in the Lahugala National Park.  They're wary of elephants, I'm oblivious to this, it's only when I see them looking into the jungle that I realise what's going on.  The language barrier works in my favour sometimes.
After driving for what seems like more than enough hours and I've listened to my favourite songs over and over, we arrive in Pottuvil which is the city area before we get to Arugum Bay where we'll be sleeping.  Panama has no hotels at all.
It's now late on Saturday afternoon so we just go to the hotel and check in.  Raja and Gihan go to their room to shower and I go to my room to do the same.  I have a nice balcony so it's refreshing to sit out in the evening and have a drink. 
It's live entertainment, in the grounds of the hotel, there is a bar and all the local men pay visits during the day in into the night. 
I wish I had a toll booth at the beginning of the road, I'd have made a fortune by the time the wekend was over.
Sunday is a free day for us so we all decide to head to Kumana National Park.  Its in the area of Yala East and has just recently re opened after the war.  We use the van and hire at Park guide at the entrance.
It's a great safari, we see all sorts of deer, a few elephants, even a dead one.  It apparently ate an explosive bait that was laid by farmers and it exploded in it's mouth and it couldn't eat or drink so eventually died.  Very sad to see considering that the live population of elephants in Sri Lanka is just over 3500.
A little further along, we come to a very green and wet area that is alive with birdlife.  It's delightful to see all the different species that have taken refuge in the park from the outside dry area.
I'm ever hopeful of seeing leopards, but alas, not on this trip,
Before too long, it's 5pm and we must make our way back to the entrance of the park to conclude our safari before dark.
On the way back to Arugum Bay, it's about a 1.5 hour drive, it's dark and we're fearful of coming across elephants on the road.  Not before long, our fears have been realised, a big adult elephant is on the very edge of the road,  his trunk is up, Gihan stops the van, Raja yells to him to keep driving,  In the night, the elephants if frightened can charge a vehicle so that's Raja's concern. Anyway after coming across 5 elephants on the drive from Kumuna to Panama and then Panama to Arugum Bay, we made it safely back but clearly I didn't fully comprehend the potential danger that we were in.
On Monday, we travelled the 15 k's to the Tamil School at Panama.  It hadn't changed, still the same two buildings with a huge brick and concrete around the perimeter.  Still no trees and it was blazing hot,  No where to park the van.
We met with the Assistant Principal as the Principal was away from the school at a Principal meeting in Colombo. 
I'd met the Assistant Principal on the last visit, he is one of the teachers at the school.  All the same teachers were there all male except 1 single female teacher.  She was also away for the day at a meeting.
The children all knew us but were a little more reticent in their greetings.  The younger ones were jumping around with joy as all small  children do but the older ones were more reserved, particularly the girls.  The boys once I started to chat with them and asked for them to help unload the van soon began asking questions using simple English. 
We all met with the teachers to enquire of the situation at the school and of the progress of the computer room.  I'd bought with me 6 laptops for this school but only if the computer program had commenced.  Unfortunately two of the laptops were stolen from the cargo after clearing and before delivery to Raja's so now there are just 4 laptops.
Unfortunately we were told that the school had no power and that had been the situation for more than 2 months.  When we asked the reason, non payment of account and arrears, some SR40,000-.  I wondered how this could be as the classes are held in the daytime and there's no need for fans as the sea breeze blows through the classrooms well, so very little power is needed.
I found that the Government give SR500- per month for power and any additional usage costs must be met by the teachers and parents.  I'm still perplexed, how do they use the power and owe so much money to the power company?
I decide not to leave the laptops.  I'm concerned that the teachers will take them home never to be seen again so I think it's safer store them at Raja's home for next time.  Maybe the situation will improve with the new Principal.
I ask Raja, Why the problem with the power, how can a school with no visible electrical equipment use so much power and owe somuch money?  He tells that it is not uncommon for the teachers to do their cooking in the school, using the school power.  When school is over, they also sit in the office using the fan and watching TV.  This is why the power bills are so high, but they who use the power, don't seem to realise it's them that must pay the difference between what the Government allows and total of the bill.
On the school grounds, there are a number of living quarters for the Principal, their families and for the teachers.  Not often in these rural area's do the teachers live and work in the same village so they must stay for the week and go home on the weekends.
Anyway, after all of this discussion, it's time to visit with the children.  We decide to give the chocolate and biscuits first.  There's a scramble for them all to get back to their classrooms and be seated before I get there.  They're always very happy to eat chocolate and this time, I've also brought some lollies from Australia, they love the flavour of them.
We eventually have all the items arranged and it's time to ask the children to come forward class by class.  We start with grade 1.  They are so cute, not really sure what to do so the teacher has to lead the first child and ask the others to follow.
They all receive the education pack, rulers, hankies and small toys.  They love the toys the most.  As we get to the older children, I have wallets for them.  They love them and when I'm giving the girls the hairbands, the boys are requesting one for themselves as well.  Apparently they're going to wear them as wrist bands. 
I have ribbons for the girls hair and the older girls particularly arevery choosy about what colours they like.  They're all very respectful and take only two being aware that there are others who haven't yet selected their ribbon.  It's refreshing to see how well mannered they are.
The small girls get dolls, they love them.  All of the children go home with something other than learning materials.
After all the distribution is finished, it's time to again sit and chat with the staff over a cool drink.  It's important for us now to get letters of confirmation of the donations so that I can have confirmation for the next shipment for Sri Lankan Customs and the Inland Revenue Department.  The Principal quickly agrees and writes the letter for us listing all of the children in each grade and what we'd donated.
After about three hours, we bid them farewell and tell that we'll see them again in 2012.  They all stand outside waving as we make our way out of the school ground and onto the road back to Arugum Bay for our last night in this area.
It's been a tough day for me, I woke this morning with severe back pain from our bumpy journey to Kumana the previous day.  I couldn't sit for long enough even to eat breakfast.  I'd taken a number of emergency painkillers that I knew would get me through the day.  I couldn't not perform my duties this morning for these children.  My pain was so bad, once back in Arugum Bay, I needed to get a massage.  Fortunately I'd seen a place the previous day so we went there.  I couldn't even lift myself up onto the bed, the pain was so bad.  They advised me to go to the hospital for a pain injection, of course I couldn't do that.  I knew that a massage would be most helpful and then I could manage the rest.
The folowing morning, we're to head to Wellayawa to the Wandinaheliyaya school as promised. I wasn't sure how I would manage that trip, it would take 4 - 5hours and sitting is so bad.
The next morning I awoke, to back pain but also a little case of gastro.  I couldn't eat or drink, I kept running to the toilet.  How could I manage this trip now.  Anyway, we had to go. 
I explained to Raja and asked that if I needed to stop, please listen and stop immediately as it would be urgent. 
I managed to drink black ginger tea, my tummy settled and we started the travel.  I was really nervous about it all.  We did made two stops for more toilet and then ginger tea.  I made it safely but felt quite ill by then.  I hadn't eaten anything for more then 24 hours and I felt very weak.  I knew I needed to keep drinking so at least I was able to keep water with sugar down.  How could I tell Raja just how sick I felt.  He would worry so much. 
The follwing morning, we were to go to Wandinaheliyaya school, Raja knew that I wasn't well so headed off to the Auyvedic medicine shop and came back with a liquid that he assured me would settle my stomach.  I drank that but still couldn't eat. 
We managed to go to the school, I got through the morning.
The Principal and teachers were waiting for us and all clapped as we drove into the school ground.  It was nice to see their smiling faces again and the two teachers were the ones who were there last year so I greeted them fondly.
Very quickly seats were arranged in one of the classrooms for the children and tables were arranged with cloths for the gifts to be placed on then the children were all asked to come and sit.  There are 31 of them and I quickly learned that one child in grade 5 had been offered a scholarship.  This is the first child from this school ever to be awarded a scholarship and it's a big honour for the child, his family and the school. 
At the front of the school, there is a sign with the childs photo on it for all to see.
Whilst I prepare the items to be given, Raja and his friend Kumara are handing out the lollies and biscuits to each child.
I'm ready and the process of distributing the gifts to the children begins and before long it's over and each child is chattering and looking at all of the items, conparing with the person sitting next to him or her, 
On our next trip to Wandinaheliyaya, we'll buy school shoes for all of the children.  On this journey, I have bought slippers (thongs) for each of the children and also given them a pair of school socks along with the usual education pack and some small toys.  I've also brought cricket bats and balls along with a number of other items for the playground.
The Principal thanks me for what I do and tells the children that it's important to come along to school each day as this lady from Australia wants them to get a full education so that they can go to University and get a good job for their future.
Again we sit with the Principal and teachers for a cup of tea, my tummies till no good so I opt for black tea with sugar.  I feel bad about refusing to eat the food that's been prepared but I date not take the risk.
Whilst having tea, one of the parents comes with two bags full of fruit.  Mangoes, Papaya and Woodapple.  I didn't realise that they were gifts from the parents for me and Raja.  I'm really touched by their kindness, I never expected this and I can tell you, it's a very generous thing for them to do.  They are all subsistence farmers and it's the dry period now and there's no rain for planting.  They are in the famon period until the rains come at the end of October.
Before long, it's all over and we head to Raja's friend Kumara for lunch.  We often visit them and the food they prepare is always very local and good.  This time unfortunately, I can't eat any of it.  I'm still feeling ill, even after Raja's miracle medicine.  It's working but not for too long.
We decide to make the drive to Ratnapura where we'll visit with Rev. Henepola Sumanajothi to clarify arrangements for the upcoming festival on the weekend of 1st October.  We take the smooth road (apparently), my back is paining and I'm not well.  It will take a little longer but better for my health.  I lay down on the van seat and doze until I need to stop for toilet and tea.  It's a long journey to Ratnapura, 4 hours but we need to do this.
We arrive at about 5pm and meet with Sumanajothi, confirm preparations for Saturday, have a cup of tea and then at about 6pm proceed to Colombo.  This next part of the journey will take about 2 hours. 
Because of the time, we arrive at Raja's home at about 8pm, that's in good time. 
I'm really sick by now, can't tell anyone.  Just want to unload the van, wash have a drink and go to bed. I need to have a good rest for the following day, I need to work to sort out the things for the children at the Festival in Ratnapura on Saturday 1st October.