Postscript

Monday 7th July 2003. Exeter
We have been home three weeks now. Our photos have been developed and we have settled back into our daily working routine. The memories of the holiday live on however, becoming stronger with hindsight as we get all our experiences into perspective. The unpleasant moments fade and the many wonderful episodes become sharper in our memories. Reading through the pages of this diary has given us great pleasure, enabling us to vividly recall so many details that would otherwise be forgotten. Some things could perhaps have been left unsaid, but they are a reflection of my mood at the time of writing and a reminder that there were black moments as well as golden ones. And even the bad experiences are good when seen from a distance. It’s good to know that the urge to travel and seek new experiences is as powerful now as when we were younger and hopefully we will still be finding it exhilarating long into the future.

Since coming home we have heard from Neil that his friend Ali decided to go off to Galle for a few days before the wedding. Because we’d said how happy we’d been staying with Mrs. Khalid he phoned her from Colombo to arrange to stay with her. She warned him on no account to pay more than 50 rupees for the tuc-tuc from the staion and to ask her to speak to the driver if he had any trouble. Neil went with Ali to the railway station in Colombo and saw him safely onto the train with dire warnings not to get involved with strangers on the journey, telling him of our experiences.

A few stops before Galle two smart looking men got onto the train and wandered down to where Ali was sitting. One took the seat beside him, the other sat opposite. Ali was immediately on his guard. One of the men asked him where he came from and what he did, to which Ali replied that he was a researcher at Oxford. The other man responded with “Oh, we’re policemen”. They showed him their ID cards to prove it and then sat guarding him until they reached Galle where they saw him into a safe tuc-tuc that took him straight off to Mrs. Khalid’s. It would seem that the tourist police took very seriously our complaint about the Galle Mafia and the harassment of tourists. It’s good to know that.

Yesterday we had a blessing for Neil and Jeev at the convent in Oxford where they first met. It was actually a garden party for about fifty friends and relatives who had been unable to make the journey to Sri Lanka. For a change, this time we outnumbered the Sri Lankan guests! Nita, who is now temporarily back in England, came with Kalinga. Abey is still working on his engineering project in Sri Lanka so couldn’t be with us. At such a happy time Ian’s mum was sadly missed. She would have so much enjoyed the day. My aunt José made a beautiful wedding cake with little pink elephants on the sides and a beautiful spray of sugar flowers on the top to bring together the different sides of the world from which Jeev and Neil come. It was a really lovely afternoon and gave us great happiness to see, once again, how many lovely friends and relatives wish Neil and Jeev so much happiness in their future together. Sister Marion gave the blessing and talked of their time as students residing in the nunnery. Both she and Sister Mary joined in the celebration with us and I am quite sure everyone thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon.



The same cloth was used at English wedding cake Margaret and Jeev chat in the convent
Neil's great grandparents' made by José. garden.
40th wedding anniversary


Friends and family help us to celebrate in the beautiful convent garden.


Jill, Ian, Neil and Kate (JINK) Neil, Jeev and Nita with Jill (Salisbury)

So the whole adventure has finally been rounded off and Neil and Jeev set out on the path to their future. If they should find rocky patches along the way they know they have many loyal friends to help them along until they reach level ground again. They’ll go far together. I’m quite confident of that.


Neil and Jeev at their new home in Didcot