CHEDDAR TO COLOMBO TO NEGOMBO (cheddar to veddar...)

Ahhh I am having so much fun here, and so much has happened i'm not sure how to start!
My flight from London left at 9am on the 1st and I arrived in Sri Lanka, in the capital Colombo, on the 2nd at 3:20am! So very jetlagged I had to get into a strange taxi and pray they were going to take me to my hotel! Thankfully they did but the driving out here is crazy! The cars are always weaving in and out and when overtaking a swore the cars were going to touch! And of course just to make things even more fun their was no seat belt! So I arrived at about 5:30am at the Indra Regent hotel in the heart of Colombo.

The next day I had a day to myself to explore the city. Believe me stepping outside my calm and secure hotel onto the busy streets of Colombo is scary!! Wherever you go people are always staring (as there aren't many white people in Sri Lanka) and shouting "Miss Miss!! Taxi!!" all the time! The 3-weeler vehicles, called Tuk Tuks, are the cities taxi system. They are an even more fun way to get around! Despite everytime they drive around a bend you feel like you're going to fall out, and to get a ride you have to barter! :) So I visited the National museum (educational stuff!) and went shopping a Barefoot and Majestic city...That evening I met 2 of the volunteers that I will be working with: Marie (a retired french woman) and Belli (19 year old German girl). Earlier I also met some volunteers from Holand, Australia, Uk, and Norway!

Right, so today Belli, Marie and I were all driven to our host family's house in Negombo! The family were soo welcoming! Maike our host mum made us such lovely food, and we have a really gorgeous room leading out onto a balcony, and a little table and chairs where we can sit. In the afternoon we went for a walk around Negombo town with Tristan (french boy volunteer who's already been with the family for one month). We had a drink at a hotel bar and Belli and I went swimming in the sea. It was so much fun! Except the waves here are so strong you can't go out far or you will be swept away! :S We then took the bus back to the house. It was so packed, you really couldn't move a muscle without being touched in inappropriate places! haha. I'm sure I will get the hand of Sri lankan public transport eventualy! How do people cope here??

Tomorrow is when we all start work at the orphanage! :)

Miss you all, but am loving my time in Sri Lanka, cannot wait to go travelling to Kandy, and Galle at weekends, there is so much to do here, and only one month to do it! Ahhhhhhhhh!

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