February 28,2019

Snorkelling in the warm cerulean Bay of Bengal
Off Pigeon Island,
The coral reef is full of colour and texture.
Huge white brain-like corals,
Bright lime green cabbage-like corals,
Tiny mauve tipped corals,
A  large hot pink starfish shaped coral.

A big fat turquoise fish
With a splash of intense purple,
Peddles past furiously
Using its two small bright red side fins.
Some fish have long snouts and dower expressions,
Others are like cheerful little balloons
Darting here and there.
These are the clown fish, the angel fish, the parrot fish.
A wall of yellow and white striped fish
Fills my view.
When they turn sideways,
They are as thin as leaves.

Even the plain black fish,
With a sliver of white on its dorsal fin is glorious.
One long skinny stick-like fish is transparent.
Its’ one unblinking eye
Regards me or doesn’t.
The surface is peppered
With small colourful fish
Catching the sunshine.
Just when I think I have seen everything,
A school of large fish fill my view
And gradually disappear into the blue distance.

Laying on the surface,
Weightless in the water,
Breathing through my snorkel
And gently kicking with my flippers
I feel like I am a fish.
I am one with the world.
This could be heaven.
The large grey sharks swerving underneath
Remind me, that I am the interloper.

February 27, 2019

February 27, 2019

A few random photos (we artists tend to find beauty in some odd places) and another little painting of the beach.

Tomorrow we are off to Pigeon Island, a National Park, that you get to by boat. Apparently it has a terrific reef that is amazing to snorkel

over.

I loved snorkelling In the Galapagos. It was a highlight of my life. Even though I am worried about getting back into the boat due to my muscular dystrophy, I have booked to do this tomorrow!  Wish us luck! 

I still remember years ago when Jim and I were in the Amazon, we went swimming with dolphins from a long narrow jungle boat. Getting into the water was no problem. Getting back into the boat was awful. Jim and our wonderful small guide Louis just hauled me in and managed to keep the boat upright. Then Louis showed us the piranhas!

February 26, 2019

February 26, 2019

The waves roll in.

Constantly the warm dark-green crests

Spill into white froth.

Males with with surging hormones,

Prance and preen,

Whiles females giggle and rub on sunscreen.

The women all wear itty bittys,

Their buttocks bare.

The men, their bathing trucks equally colourful

But conservative,

Flaunt smooth rippling chests and arms.

Everyone sports one tattoo or many.

Everyone is drinking Tiger beer.

The dance of life is never ending,

Just like the waves.

February 25

February 25, 2019

We arrived in Trincomalee at noon today.  We are staying at the Get Well Guest House which seems auspicious since Jim and I are still feeling ill and hacking with our colds.

It was a relief to leave Sigiriya just because of our host from hell. Jim said he was “obsessively obsequeous “ and that pretty much described him.  It was really hard to eat a meal while he was standing beside us asking “You like Madame?” “Everything is good Sir? “Are you happy? If you are happy I am happy.”

February 24, 2019

Sunday February 24, 2019

Poor Jim is still really under the weather today, so I left him sleeping, and reading and drinking beer. 

I did witness one really incredible thing; something I hope we never do in Canada.

The busses had filled up with kids ( they were touring the Buddha) and before they departed, two of the buses put their musical horns on full blast and had a duel in  the litter- filled empty parking lot in front of me. They gunned their engines and took off doing tight turns and almost crashing. Of course the students cheered and enjoyed their wild ride!