Blog 3

Number 3 blog. Well faraway places it was I took the plunge , threw myself into my work during term time but every holiday I had something planned. I saw the orangutans in Borneo, that was the furthest place I ever went it took 23 hours to get there and then I lost a whole day sleeping ! I had a beach cottage and swam in the South China Sea, idyllic, I people watched and explored the island in local taxi’s all on my own , no-one else to please. I thought I could get used to this luxury.
Then came Sri Lanka, I wanted to see where my dad was stationed during the war in Ceylon as he called it. I almost met my demise here twice,on the day I arrived I wanted to get out onto the beach and swim in the Indian Ocean, I followed the directions in the hotel and found myself alone on the beach, great I thought all mine ,I left my things in a heap and plunged into the sea after a few minutes swimming I was convinced something was wrapping round my leg and I imagined an octopus I then realised I was way further out than I should be, I kicked my leg around to free it ( I think it was possibly seaweed ) and in doing so I felt my knee wrench. Swimming was getting increasingly difficult and I could see the beach getting further away .I swam as though my life depended on it and it took what seemed like forever to get back into my own depth and feel the bottom . I walked out of the ocean exhausted from the effort, still no-one to be seen anywhere. I walked back to the door of the hotel and there in front of me , on the back of the door was a notice saying swimming from this beach was not recommended due to rip tides and extremely deep shelves. Why this notice was not on the other side of the door to be read before you open the door I do not know! Lesson learned ask about swimming before you go and only ever swim parallel in your own depth !!
Then after a lovely 10 days it was Tamil New Year and on the way back to the airport the mini- bus was involved in a crash with a drunken tuc -tuc driver, smashing the windscreen. The driver had to flag down a coach and transfer all of the passengers as he was embroiled in a shouting match with the locals and the Police arrived to sort it out .
I arrived at the airport with broken glass in my hair and blood trickling down my face. The next week Colombo Airport was bombed by the Tamil Tigers, at least I avoided that disaster.