Index

Date	Place	Contents
28 Nov.	Exeter.	Introduction and acknowledgement.
20 May	Exeter.	Setting the scene. Monsoon floods. Poruwa wedding plans.
24 May.	Ratmalana.	Arrival and first impressions of Colombo. Welcomed by Jeev's family. Supper on the beach at Mount Lavinia. A ride down the Galle road to Bentota and the Taj Exotica.
27 May.	Ratmalana.	Selecting the wedding rings. Meeting Marc. Exploring Colombo. Petta and the Dutch museum. Using the buses.
28 May.	Galle.	To Galle by train. Touts and con-men. A guest house in Fort. Unwanted attention. Exploring the old Fort and the town. Ceylon tourist board. A trip to the surrounding area. Our first Buddhist temple. A turtle hatchery. Fishermen on poles. Tropical beaches. Spice gardens. Lady Hill. The Ayurvedic medicine shop and organised touting. The Muslim women's committee in Fort organise aid for Ratnapura flood victims. At the bank.
29 May.	Ratmalana.	Galle museum. Escorted from town by tourist officers. Sri Lankan driving and an eventful bus journey. Home in the heat. An evening with newly arrived wedding guests at Mount Lavinia Hotel.
30 May.	Kandy.	We start our tour of the cultural triangle. Elephant orphanage at Pinnewala. A tea factory. Flying foxes. Commonwealth War Graves cemetery. Gem mining exhibition and retail showroom. Kandy. Display of Kandian music, dancing and firewalking. Temple of the Tooth.
31 May.	Dambulla.	Botanical gardens at Peradeniya. Matale spice gardens. The use of local plants in ayurvedic medicine. A massage. Nalanda Gedige. The Aluvihara temple. Palm leaf books incised with Buddhist scriptures. Temple caves at Dambulla.
1 June.	Polonnaruwa.	Sigiriya and the climb to the rock fortress. Pressure from local "guides". Saucy frescoes of King Kasyapa. Scenic views of the countryside and former water gardens. A contrasting climb through jungle to Pidurangala and the oldest Buddha in Sri Lanka. A place for peaceful meditation. An elephant ride in the river. Sighting wild elephants in the national park at Lake Mineriya. Parakrama Samudra and the ancient Ceylon irrigation system.
2 June.	Anuradnapura.	Archaeological site of Polonnaruwa. Potgul viraha library. Palace of King Parakrama Bahu. Round relic house. Gal Pota. A wood carving enterprise. Into the jungle to the ruins of Ritigala. An impression of rural life in the dry zone.
3 June.	Anuradhapura.	Archaeological complex of Anuradhapura. The Bo tree of Buddha's enlightenment. Mihintale and the cradle of Buddhism. Sunset magic beside a vast ancient water tank or lake.
4 June.	Bentota.	The wedding guest begin to gather at Ceysands. A small batik enterprise. The Aukana Buddha. Yapahuwa. Observations of the countryside and the people as seen on the long journey down to Bentota.
5 June.	Bentota.	Brief encounter at the Taj Exotica. Aluthgama. More unwelcome attention. Short eats. Final wedding arrangements.
6 June.	Bentota.	Neil and Jeev's wedding day. Tuc-tuc racing. Jeevani. The Poruwa wedding ceremony. Ian's speech. Paddling through the surf. A supper celebration with the newlyweds. Neil and Rob join the band.
7 June.	Bentota.	Guests begin to depart. Buddhist sanctuary on the Island of Panchkapaduwa. Impressions of the town and people of Aluthgama. An itinerant seller of Sinhalese posters. Farewell to friends.
8 June.	Bentota.	At the railway station. A walk through mangroves and coconut plantations. Village life at close hand. The coire factory. Sheltering from rain at the forest temple. The monastery library. Wordsworth's daffodils unexpectedly encountered. Fishing boats.
9 June	Ella.	Journey to the hills. Lionel. Ratnapura. A gem mine. Upland landscape and scenery. Unexpected encounter. Ambiente Lodge at Ella. An evening stroll through a rural Tamil village. Darkness on the terrace. Badulla railway.
10 June.	Ramboda.	Dawn. English flowers. Tapping rubber. Terraces. Rice, tea and vegetables. Tamil people. Self sufficiency. Fruit. Colombo's food basket. Climatic change. Nurawa Eliya. Victoria Park. The grand hotel and a walk through the town. Labookellie tea plantation and factory. Ramboda Falls. Monkey tricks. A walk with Lionel. The garden at night.
11 June.	Ratmalana.	Across country on by-roads. Rural village life. Tea pickers. Talawakele - a typical little town. Literacy and the local library. Home from home - Devon in the rain! Devon tea rooms, Devon tea plantation, Devon waterfall. Descent from the hills. A monitor lizard and the "Bridge on the River Kwai". Driving through Colombo. Goodbye to Lionel.
12 June.	Ratmalana.	Colombo heat. Cinnamon Gardens. The cultural museum. Galle Face hotel and shanty dwellings. Escaping the city. Kate and Rob's experiences in Hikkaduwa. Attacked by jellyfish. Supper in a fisherman's home. A train accident. Egg hoppers and curried prawns. Closeness of family life. Mixed emotions as we prepare to leave Sri Lanka.
15 June.	Exeter.	Crossing Colombo at dawn. Airport security and the flight back to England. Home sweet home.
7 July.	Exeter.	Postscript. Update on touting in Galle. Blessing the marriage at the Convent in Oxford.