Bonjour Nice!!! Yesterday (Saturday 26/04) Kurt, Aaron and Myself flew out of London to Nice, France at 07:00am for a few days on the Mediterranean coastline. Now before I begin my story about our trip, I'll let you know a little bit about our taxi drive. Let me set the scene: It is Friday night, Kurt has finished his first week at work, I'm about to experience my first Friday in London, and it was Anzac Day! What do you think we did? Well after the tea and scones we went out and had a few beverages. The Poms love the famous Aussie beer (which no Aussies drink) Foster's, so we had plenty of that. There was an interesting concoction called a "Snake Bite" which has Strongbow, Foster's, and some red colouring in it...oh and a few rum and coke's. I apologise to all those reading who are thinking.."why would you drink that rubbish?" Well it was Anzac Day, it was the Walkabout Inn, and it was cheap. Anyway back to my rant...We had a big night and stumbled home at midnight, needing to wake at 04:30 am the next morning to leave at 05:00am when the taxi was to arrive. Well we were a little late getting our gear into the taxi (05:20am) and the driver thought he could charge us a late fee. Now by no stretch of the imagination was I going to have a bar of this so I decided to question the driver on his reasoning behind charging us this fee. He claimed, with little conviction, that he had another job booked back in London at 06:30am...or was that 07:00am...wait no it was 06:30am...and he wouldn't get there in time. As you can see he was clearly talking rubbish so my arguement was that we will see what time we arrive at the airport and if infact he cannot make it back in time (which he would anyway given his next pick up was at 07:00 am), then maybe we might look at a fee. Aaron stepped in at this point and said it was best I be quiet given we hadn't started our journey to the airport and I would be best served arguing once at the destination. Wise words, so some sleep was the next best option. The taxi driver then had the audacity to say "you speak too much." Well, long story short, we got to the airport, Kurt gave him a 4 pound tip and off we went to Nice.
Nice is a beautiful town situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the south west of France. We arrived and caught the bus to our Hostel, "Hotel Antares" - a 5 storey hotel with one key for a 6 dorm room, one toilet per room, and a bed bug or two...but....free Internet!! Our first trip was to Monte Carlo, Monaco - a small Principality to the west of Nice. Home of the Monaco Grand Prix and the Monte Carlo ATP Masters Tournament, and the Monte Carlo Casino. Monte Carlo is a picturesque hillside town situated in the banks of the Mediterranean Sea. This is where the rich and famous come to play, and 5 minutes here will leave you in awe at the wealth and aristocracy. We ventured down one of the many hills, towards the casino at 11:00am and were greeted by the latest and greatest Aston Martin's, Ferrari's, Rolls Royce's, Bentley's, Porche's and Lambourghini's on offer. We then walked down to the marina and saw some amazing boats and yachts docked, and the famous words of Borat came to mind, "Very nice. How much?" We continued our walk down to the beach in search for the Monte Carlo Country Club. Fifteen minutes later we heard a cheer from a large crowd, which could only mean we were getting close. Up a few thousand stairs, round a few bends in the road and through a few alley ways we were there. It was the Men's Semi Finals and Rodger Federer and Novac Djokovic were about to commence their match, the only problem was that an eight foot wall had been put up around the grandstand. After some subtle scoping of the perimeter, while keeping an eye out for security, we found a ledge with which to climb onto and look over the wall. Kurt had great success and got some fantastic close ups. All I had to do was say, "Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall, Show me thy chink, to blink through with mine eyne!" (Midsummer Night's Dream. Act 5. Scene 1. - for those confused few.), and there was a crack in the wall which I looked through.
After taking some photos, we headed back to the beach for lunch then followed a section of the Grand Prix track which goes under a theatre along the sea and comes up near the casino.
Later that night we went to Monte Carlo Casino, because it wouldn't be a trip to Monaco without seeing the casino. We each got 50 euros out and played Roulette, as there were no Blackjack tables with minimum bets smaller than 25 euros. Straight away Aaron won on an 8/9 split. I put a 5/8 split down for Mum's birthday and 15 for Dad's and came up short. I then put an 18/21 split for Genevieve and Perri's ages this year and 21 came up!! I won 75 euro. I then put one on 23/24 for mine, Andrew, and Erica's ages this year and I didn't win with 21 coming up again. Feeling content I was about to walk away when the Croupier got my attention for my win on 18/21. I forgot to take my previous chip off and ended up winning 150 euros which is $230 AUD!! What a great day out, topped off with a win at Monte Carlo Casino.
Sunday, 27 April 2008
Friday, 25 April 2008
Get some culture in ya!!
Tuesday and Wednesday 22nd & 23rd
Tuesday was a relaxing day for me and I took my time to rise and do something with my time. When I finally did, I caught up with Kurt and Aaron and we went to an Internet Cafe in Earl’s Court to book flights to Nice this coming weekend where we plan to visit Monaco. After this we headed into the city again and I visited ‘The Movieum’ which was located in City Hall, Behind the London Eye, on the Thames.
This was an exhibition which took you through the process of making a movie. It was an interesting exhibition with many costumes and props from some of the most famous movies of our time. After visiting the War Museum the previous day, everything else would struggle to meet my now high expectations, and unfortunately this was the case. It was mid afternoon when I finished at ‘The Movieum’ and I headed north east to meet Laura Morrissey, a friend from Brisbane who used to work at GE with me. Laura has been living in London for the past year, and has been working for a company handling marine insurance, a subsidiary of Lloyds. We went for a drink at a pub in Camden then watched a band perform a small gig at a nearby horse stable which had been transformed into a club.
On Wednesday it was raining and cold so I thought it would be a great opportunity to visit the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. The National Gallery is London’s attempt at the Louvre, and despite being quite large, I’m sure it ventures into insignificance when compared to the famous French Museum. I saw many pieces of art by famous artists from the early 15th century through to the 21st century. The older paintings were predominately themed around Christ and his following and the more recent paintings (1700’s - 1800’s) were themed around scenery and various objects. In the older displays there were many pieces of art which focussed primarily on Christ with the Virgin Mary and St John, the Kings bearing gifts, and Christ’s crucifixion. It was interesting to hear (through an audio guide) and read the many different thoughts and interpretations of the meanings of these pieces of art. I guess this is one of the interesting things about art, that it is open to individual perception and interpretation. One piece of artwork that did interest me, and I will endeavour to investigate further, was a portrait of a lady with a starling and a squirrel in picture. The caption says it is thought that the artist had painted a lady called Anne Lovell from East Harling. Reference is made toward the squirrel being associated to the Lovell name which I was not aware of.
After visiting the National Gallery I walked up to Regent St to find the HSBC branch that I had to go to open by bank account which I deposited money into back home. This all went without a hitch and I now have access to some savings, rather than using credit. After the bank I went to a large sports bar on Haymarket St which was showing an IPL game between Mumbai and Chennai. Matthew Hayden was batting for Chennai and scored 81 runs before being run out by the “obnoxious little weed” with about 3 overs to spare.
Tuesday was a relaxing day for me and I took my time to rise and do something with my time. When I finally did, I caught up with Kurt and Aaron and we went to an Internet Cafe in Earl’s Court to book flights to Nice this coming weekend where we plan to visit Monaco. After this we headed into the city again and I visited ‘The Movieum’ which was located in City Hall, Behind the London Eye, on the Thames.
This was an exhibition which took you through the process of making a movie. It was an interesting exhibition with many costumes and props from some of the most famous movies of our time. After visiting the War Museum the previous day, everything else would struggle to meet my now high expectations, and unfortunately this was the case. It was mid afternoon when I finished at ‘The Movieum’ and I headed north east to meet Laura Morrissey, a friend from Brisbane who used to work at GE with me. Laura has been living in London for the past year, and has been working for a company handling marine insurance, a subsidiary of Lloyds. We went for a drink at a pub in Camden then watched a band perform a small gig at a nearby horse stable which had been transformed into a club.
On Wednesday it was raining and cold so I thought it would be a great opportunity to visit the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. The National Gallery is London’s attempt at the Louvre, and despite being quite large, I’m sure it ventures into insignificance when compared to the famous French Museum. I saw many pieces of art by famous artists from the early 15th century through to the 21st century. The older paintings were predominately themed around Christ and his following and the more recent paintings (1700’s - 1800’s) were themed around scenery and various objects. In the older displays there were many pieces of art which focussed primarily on Christ with the Virgin Mary and St John, the Kings bearing gifts, and Christ’s crucifixion. It was interesting to hear (through an audio guide) and read the many different thoughts and interpretations of the meanings of these pieces of art. I guess this is one of the interesting things about art, that it is open to individual perception and interpretation. One piece of artwork that did interest me, and I will endeavour to investigate further, was a portrait of a lady with a starling and a squirrel in picture. The caption says it is thought that the artist had painted a lady called Anne Lovell from East Harling. Reference is made toward the squirrel being associated to the Lovell name which I was not aware of.After visiting the National Gallery I walked up to Regent St to find the HSBC branch that I had to go to open by bank account which I deposited money into back home. This all went without a hitch and I now have access to some savings, rather than using credit. After the bank I went to a large sports bar on Haymarket St which was showing an IPL game between Mumbai and Chennai. Matthew Hayden was batting for Chennai and scored 81 runs before being run out by the “obnoxious little weed” with about 3 overs to spare.
'ello London
London
The 11.5 hour flight from Sri Lanka to London went without a hitch and a cup holder. We arrived at Heathrow at 2030 local time and it was a cool 8 degrees Celsius. A stark contrast to the 30 degree temperatures experienced in Colombo. I had prepared for this and as soon as I was able to, I changed from my shorts and thongs, into my jeans and jumper. Over the past few months it has been this moment of going through Customs that concerned me the most. Having booked my flights to arrive at 8pm on the 19/04, not realising my visa stipulated that I could not enter the UK until the 20/04, I was not sure whether I would be able to go through Customs straight away. The moment came and after some small talk with the lady about my journey ahead and the fact that I was wearing shorts and she recommended pants (which I had prepared earlier), she stamped my passport and I was into the UK at 9pm. I caught the Tube to Earl’s Court after collecting my baggage, where I was to be staying at the local Youth Hostel. At 10 pm, with 19kg’s on my back I began to walk towards the hostel, well that’s what I thought, until an hour had passed and I realised I was lost. I asked a few people for directions and they lead me in the wrong direction, or I didn’t listen properly, and then I finally came across a pharmacy and the man behind the counter gave me a map and just round the corner was the hostel. Tired and sore, I got my room key, went up 6 flights of stairs to the top level, got changed and fell asleep.
Sunday 20th
My first day in London. I had met two Australians in my hostel this morning and they told me to go and do one of the free walking tours on offer in London. At 11am I arrived at Wellington Arch, near Hyde Park Corner Station, and went on the Royal London tour. The tour took approximately 3 hours and it took us passed Wellington Arch, down Constitution hill to Buckingham Palace, passed Prince William and Harry’s house, down Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall St, the Household Cavalry, Downing St, Churchill’s War Cabinet Bunker, Westminster Abbey and Parliament House. Along the way we learnt many interesting facts and history about these places and the people who have shaped England in some way, from Guy Faulkss, to Winston Churchill, and Florence Nightingale to Oliver Cromwell. During the tour I met another guy from Australia who was spending his last day in London. Together we went on London Eye, crossed London Bridge, Tower Bridge, and saw London Tower. That evening I headed back to the Hostel at 1730, feeling rather tired and decided to have a small nap before the evening. I woke up at 0650 the next morning, having slept right through the night.
Monday 21st
Today I bought a mobile phone and made contact with my friend from GE, Kurt Shrubsole, who had recently come over to London and he is staying in Shepherd’s Bush. Together, with his friend Aaron we headed into town and for lunch stopped in a pub and had a pie and beer. Afterwards we then went to the Churchill Museum and War Cabinet Rooms, which I had passed in the tour the previous day. This museum was situated in the underground bunkers built during WW2 where Churchill and his ministers would meet and strategise to defend against and attack the Nazis. The tour was amazing and showed a large array of memorabilia of Churchill’s life from birth to death. It was a very interactive display and there were many audio pieces of his renowned speeches, and videos during his time as a M.P in the early 1900’s through to his time as Prime Minister during WW2 and right through to his funeral in 1965. We spent 2 hours in the museum, touring the displays and the many rooms in the bunker which had been left just as they were when Churchill occupied them. Unfortunately we had to rush through the final parts of the tour as it had come to closing time. After leaving the Museum we walked through St James’s Park, up passed Piccadilly Circus and through Leicester Square and caught the tube back to Shepherd’s Bush for Dinner at the Walkabout Inn.
The Walkabout Inn is a chain of bars throughout England which all celebrate Australian culture. They have Australian Beers, play Australian pub songs and play Australian sport on TV. While there we played ‘Bogan Bingo’, without any luck, had a few games of pool then at 2230 we called it a night and I headed back to the train station to go back the hostel in Earl’s Court.
The 11.5 hour flight from Sri Lanka to London went without a hitch and a cup holder. We arrived at Heathrow at 2030 local time and it was a cool 8 degrees Celsius. A stark contrast to the 30 degree temperatures experienced in Colombo. I had prepared for this and as soon as I was able to, I changed from my shorts and thongs, into my jeans and jumper. Over the past few months it has been this moment of going through Customs that concerned me the most. Having booked my flights to arrive at 8pm on the 19/04, not realising my visa stipulated that I could not enter the UK until the 20/04, I was not sure whether I would be able to go through Customs straight away. The moment came and after some small talk with the lady about my journey ahead and the fact that I was wearing shorts and she recommended pants (which I had prepared earlier), she stamped my passport and I was into the UK at 9pm. I caught the Tube to Earl’s Court after collecting my baggage, where I was to be staying at the local Youth Hostel. At 10 pm, with 19kg’s on my back I began to walk towards the hostel, well that’s what I thought, until an hour had passed and I realised I was lost. I asked a few people for directions and they lead me in the wrong direction, or I didn’t listen properly, and then I finally came across a pharmacy and the man behind the counter gave me a map and just round the corner was the hostel. Tired and sore, I got my room key, went up 6 flights of stairs to the top level, got changed and fell asleep.
Sunday 20th
My first day in London. I had met two Australians in my hostel this morning and they told me to go and do one of the free walking tours on offer in London. At 11am I arrived at Wellington Arch, near Hyde Park Corner Station, and went on the Royal London tour. The tour took approximately 3 hours and it took us passed Wellington Arch, down Constitution hill to Buckingham Palace, passed Prince William and Harry’s house, down Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall St, the Household Cavalry, Downing St, Churchill’s War Cabinet Bunker, Westminster Abbey and Parliament House. Along the way we learnt many interesting facts and history about these places and the people who have shaped England in some way, from Guy Faulkss, to Winston Churchill, and Florence Nightingale to Oliver Cromwell. During the tour I met another guy from Australia who was spending his last day in London. Together we went on London Eye, crossed London Bridge, Tower Bridge, and saw London Tower. That evening I headed back to the Hostel at 1730, feeling rather tired and decided to have a small nap before the evening. I woke up at 0650 the next morning, having slept right through the night.
Monday 21st
Today I bought a mobile phone and made contact with my friend from GE, Kurt Shrubsole, who had recently come over to London and he is staying in Shepherd’s Bush. Together, with his friend Aaron we headed into town and for lunch stopped in a pub and had a pie and beer. Afterwards we then went to the Churchill Museum and War Cabinet Rooms, which I had passed in the tour the previous day. This museum was situated in the underground bunkers built during WW2 where Churchill and his ministers would meet and strategise to defend against and attack the Nazis. The tour was amazing and showed a large array of memorabilia of Churchill’s life from birth to death. It was a very interactive display and there were many audio pieces of his renowned speeches, and videos during his time as a M.P in the early 1900’s through to his time as Prime Minister during WW2 and right through to his funeral in 1965. We spent 2 hours in the museum, touring the displays and the many rooms in the bunker which had been left just as they were when Churchill occupied them. Unfortunately we had to rush through the final parts of the tour as it had come to closing time. After leaving the Museum we walked through St James’s Park, up passed Piccadilly Circus and through Leicester Square and caught the tube back to Shepherd’s Bush for Dinner at the Walkabout Inn.
The Walkabout Inn is a chain of bars throughout England which all celebrate Australian culture. They have Australian Beers, play Australian pub songs and play Australian sport on TV. While there we played ‘Bogan Bingo’, without any luck, had a few games of pool then at 2230 we called it a night and I headed back to the train station to go back the hostel in Earl’s Court.Innings closed
Wednesday 16th
Today we left Hikkaduwa and returned to Colombo for the final leg of our tour. This was a rest day for us and an opportunity for the team to go into town and experiencing the shopping on offer. For lunch we stopped in a Pizza Hut, which may not seem that adventurous to some but let me tell you it was a great experience. Firstly we got to eat at a Pizza Hut restaurant – you can’t do that in Brisbane anymore. Secondly, we got to taste some of the unique pizza flavours on offer, none of which are on Australian menus. Our first shopping stop was at Majestic City where I bought a pair of Diesel jeans and a Lacoste polo for 4400 rupees ($1 AUD = 93 R’s approx). Total cost about $48 AUD. We then went to an up market store called Odel, which is similar to Myer, and I bought two pairs of shorts which cost a total of 2500 R’s ($26 AUD approx). Security is very strict in all shopping centres and you are not allowed to take any bags in with you. They are to be left at a bag counter out the front of the store. At one shopping centre our coach, Terry Oliver (Queensland Bulls Head Coach) left his bag at the counter only to return with his mobile phone stolen. Bar the one unfortunate incident, shopping was a great success. The challenge will be to fit it all in my backpack, which is already bursting at the seams.
Thursday 17th
Today was our first match since playing on the hessian mat in Nuwara Eliya and it turned out to be a disaster. Held at CCC (Colombo Cricket Club), the match was scheduled as a 50 over match that was over before one could even build up a sweat in the 30̊̊ c/80% humidity conditions. We managed only 84 runs and I got a fifth ball duck, turning a ball to fine leg which got up on me and went straight to square leg. The opposition were 85/0 off 14.3 over’s and we all headed back to the hotel, with heads hung in shame.
Friday 18th
Today we were to play out last game in Sri Lanka for this 2008 tour and it was to be held at CCC, the ground which we performed so poorly the day before. After failing to put up much of a show the day prior and to date having not bowled a full 50 overs on tour, the captain Lance Roudenko decided that were we to win the toss we would bowl. Of course we didn’t win the toss and we were sent into bat. After 2 overs, our two openers were gone and the score was 4/2 – Déjà vu. Lance and Lloyd Moore then came into bat and put on a 150 run partnership to have us at approximately 160 off 35 overs when Lloyd fell for a well made 77 in very hot and trying conditions. Leigh Drennan was in and out quickly and I then went into bat with 10 overs to go and the score was about 170. Lance was suffering severe cramps and was caught for 76 and then I fell for 15 (19 balls). We then lost Matt “Willow” Williamson an over later and the score was about 208 with 4 over’s to go. At the start of the game we had brought in two Sri Lankan players to fill in for our injured and one of them came in at number 8 after I lost my wicket. He hit 39 (12 balls) including 3 sixes to leave us with 243 off 50 over’s. This was to be our first score over 200 on tour and we were very confident going into bowl. After returning from another curry lunch we went into bowl and it all started well. In the second over 16 year old giant, Michael Olsen (who partnered with me in the twenty20 and scored 46 runs), grabbed the first wicket, bowled, and the score was 5/1. Unfortunately that is where our good fortune ended. Their other opener scored 109 off 131 (I ended up catching him at mid wicket in the dying over’s), and guided them to a win with 3 over’s to spare. Despite the loss we were all proud of the effort we had put in and the tour had turned out to be a great success.
Today we left Hikkaduwa and returned to Colombo for the final leg of our tour. This was a rest day for us and an opportunity for the team to go into town and experiencing the shopping on offer. For lunch we stopped in a Pizza Hut, which may not seem that adventurous to some but let me tell you it was a great experience. Firstly we got to eat at a Pizza Hut restaurant – you can’t do that in Brisbane anymore. Secondly, we got to taste some of the unique pizza flavours on offer, none of which are on Australian menus. Our first shopping stop was at Majestic City where I bought a pair of Diesel jeans and a Lacoste polo for 4400 rupees ($1 AUD = 93 R’s approx). Total cost about $48 AUD. We then went to an up market store called Odel, which is similar to Myer, and I bought two pairs of shorts which cost a total of 2500 R’s ($26 AUD approx). Security is very strict in all shopping centres and you are not allowed to take any bags in with you. They are to be left at a bag counter out the front of the store. At one shopping centre our coach, Terry Oliver (Queensland Bulls Head Coach) left his bag at the counter only to return with his mobile phone stolen. Bar the one unfortunate incident, shopping was a great success. The challenge will be to fit it all in my backpack, which is already bursting at the seams.
Thursday 17th
Today was our first match since playing on the hessian mat in Nuwara Eliya and it turned out to be a disaster. Held at CCC (Colombo Cricket Club), the match was scheduled as a 50 over match that was over before one could even build up a sweat in the 30̊̊ c/80% humidity conditions. We managed only 84 runs and I got a fifth ball duck, turning a ball to fine leg which got up on me and went straight to square leg. The opposition were 85/0 off 14.3 over’s and we all headed back to the hotel, with heads hung in shame.
Friday 18th
Today we were to play out last game in Sri Lanka for this 2008 tour and it was to be held at CCC, the ground which we performed so poorly the day before. After failing to put up much of a show the day prior and to date having not bowled a full 50 overs on tour, the captain Lance Roudenko decided that were we to win the toss we would bowl. Of course we didn’t win the toss and we were sent into bat. After 2 overs, our two openers were gone and the score was 4/2 – Déjà vu. Lance and Lloyd Moore then came into bat and put on a 150 run partnership to have us at approximately 160 off 35 overs when Lloyd fell for a well made 77 in very hot and trying conditions. Leigh Drennan was in and out quickly and I then went into bat with 10 overs to go and the score was about 170. Lance was suffering severe cramps and was caught for 76 and then I fell for 15 (19 balls). We then lost Matt “Willow” Williamson an over later and the score was about 208 with 4 over’s to go. At the start of the game we had brought in two Sri Lankan players to fill in for our injured and one of them came in at number 8 after I lost my wicket. He hit 39 (12 balls) including 3 sixes to leave us with 243 off 50 over’s. This was to be our first score over 200 on tour and we were very confident going into bowl. After returning from another curry lunch we went into bowl and it all started well. In the second over 16 year old giant, Michael Olsen (who partnered with me in the twenty20 and scored 46 runs), grabbed the first wicket, bowled, and the score was 5/1. Unfortunately that is where our good fortune ended. Their other opener scored 109 off 131 (I ended up catching him at mid wicket in the dying over’s), and guided them to a win with 3 over’s to spare. Despite the loss we were all proud of the effort we had put in and the tour had turned out to be a great success.
Galle-y gosh!
Sunday 13th
Today was our last day in Kandy and we got up early and headed on to a southern coastal town near Galle called Hikkaduwa. The drive took 8 hours. On the way we stopped for lunch at a resort called Bluewater Resort. It is situated on the coast, about half way between Colombo and Galle. We then continued onto Hikkaduwa and on the way saw the devastating effects of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Many of the coastal houses have been reduced to ruins, and we were taken to the local train station where they have kept a train which was destroyed in the tsunami. It is reported that 1270 people were killed at the train station, while on a train or waiting to board one. We then arrived at the hotel which we will be staying for the next few days, called Amaya Reef. This is a beachfront hotel which too was affected by the tsunami.
Tuesday 15th
After a rest day on Monday which involved playing cricket with some locals on the beach, we headed on a bus trip to see sights around Hikkaduwa and Galle. Our first stop was to the newly built MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) Centre for Excellence. This site was originally set up as a contained village to house the less fortunate in the region, which was unfortunately reduced to ruin after the tsunami struck. Funding was then provided by the MCC to build a new centre which would be used to educate the young people in the region who were directly impacted by the tsunami. Further funding was provided to a local school to rehabilitate their oval into a fantastic cricket oval.
Today was our last day in Kandy and we got up early and headed on to a southern coastal town near Galle called Hikkaduwa. The drive took 8 hours. On the way we stopped for lunch at a resort called Bluewater Resort. It is situated on the coast, about half way between Colombo and Galle. We then continued onto Hikkaduwa and on the way saw the devastating effects of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Many of the coastal houses have been reduced to ruins, and we were taken to the local train station where they have kept a train which was destroyed in the tsunami. It is reported that 1270 people were killed at the train station, while on a train or waiting to board one. We then arrived at the hotel which we will be staying for the next few days, called Amaya Reef. This is a beachfront hotel which too was affected by the tsunami.
Tuesday 15th
After a rest day on Monday which involved playing cricket with some locals on the beach, we headed on a bus trip to see sights around Hikkaduwa and Galle. Our first stop was to the newly built MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) Centre for Excellence. This site was originally set up as a contained village to house the less fortunate in the region, which was unfortunately reduced to ruin after the tsunami struck. Funding was then provided by the MCC to build a new centre which would be used to educate the young people in the region who were directly impacted by the tsunami. Further funding was provided to a local school to rehabilitate their oval into a fantastic cricket oval.After visiting the MCC Centre for Excellence we drove into Galle to see some of the many tourist sites. Our first stop was the Dutch fort which spans a great distance across the southern coastline of Galle. According to our tour guide, it was established over 400 years ago during European settlement. From the fort you can see right across the city of Galle and far into the Indian Ocean. It is quite a remarkable structure yet poor management has left its mark on the sight, with rubbish lying around in many places, beggars on many corners, and structural damage evident. While visiting the fortress we drove past the cricket stadium in Galle which was also destroyed by the tsunami. Over time funding has seen this ground rehabilitated into one of the better cricket stadiums in Sri Lanka.
Cricket and Elephants
On the Sunday we played our first game of cricket against a Colombo academy side which boasted two players who had featured for Sri Lanka's international team. Surprisingly we won that match but I didn't contribute with the bat at no. 3, only scoring 2 runs. The next day we played again against the same team and this one we lost unfortunately. It was a struggle backing up the next day and again 
I didn't feature in the runs (same batting position, same score).
I didn't feature in the runs (same batting position, same score). On Wednesday we drove up to Kandy and on the way stopped at an Elephant orphanage. It was amazing getting to see these animals up close and to touch and bathe them. One elephant had its foot blown off by a land mine, and one elephant had killed a handler.
When we arrived in Kandy I had fallen asleep on the bus (no surprise), and woke to find us on the top of a mountain, overlooking the whole town. The hotel is called Amaya Hills. That night half the group went to a Buddhist temple called Temple of the Tooth. It is said to house Buddha's front left tooth which was salvaged when he died. There is great history behind the legend of the tooth and its journey to Sri Lanka. After our visit to the temple we headed back to the bus and came across a man crippled by polio begging for money on his knees. A very sad and confronting sight which made the health issues we all hear about so real.Our first cricket game in Kandy was on Thursday and was a 50 over match which was rained out after we bowled the St Trinity College team out for 150 runs. We played them again on Friday in a Twenty20 on a swamp land which hadn't recovered from the previous night's rain. I top scored: 54 not out (40 balls) and we won 135 to 123. Batting at my customary no. 5, it was good to get some runs.
When we arrived in Kandy I had fallen asleep on the bus (no surprise), and woke to find us on the top of a mountain, overlooking the whole town. The hotel is called Amaya Hills. That night half the group went to a Buddhist temple called Temple of the Tooth. It is said to house Buddha's front left tooth which was salvaged when he died. There is great history behind the legend of the tooth and its journey to Sri Lanka. After our visit to the temple we headed back to the bus and came across a man crippled by polio begging for money on his knees. A very sad and confronting sight which made the health issues we all hear about so real.Our first cricket game in Kandy was on Thursday and was a 50 over match which was rained out after we bowled the St Trinity College team out for 150 runs. We played them again on Friday in a Twenty20 on a swamp land which hadn't recovered from the previous night's rain. I top scored: 54 not out (40 balls) and we won 135 to 123. Batting at my customary no. 5, it was good to get some runs.
Thursday, 24 April 2008
It hit the weave and cut a mile
On Saturday 12th we drove to a beautiful town called Nuwara Eliya which was on the top of a mountain range, approximately a 2.5 hour drive from Kandy. On the way we passed many of the famous tea plantations of Sri Lanka and stopped for tea at a small bungalow owned by a company called Mackwood Tea. We then drove for lunch to their tea factory which had a restaurant at the location. I would liken it to Sirromet winery, but for tea. We were given a guided tour of the tea factory then given a buffet lunch. This weekend marks the New Year celebrated by the Hindus and Buddhists. We were lucky enough to see their celebrations and unusual rituals. Down the mountain, many people gathered alongside a river when three men were select to participate in a ritual. They were pierced by hooks all over their body and suspended by a tree trunk and driven up the hill. My understanding is that this display of personal sacrifice highlights their devotion to the religion. After seeing this ritual we drove to Nuwara Eliya to play cricket against their under 17 rep side. 
The game turned into a 15 over match due to pending rain and we played on a Hessian mat. We batted first, scored 103 runs then the rain came. In pouring rain we tried to bowl and field, with little luck, for 9 overs until the thunder and lightning forced our hand and the game was called off. It was an amazing sight when the cloud passed through and we were amongst it playing cricket. It was a very unique day all round which held many new experiences.
Ceylon Brisbane!!!
Saturday 5th of April
Today marked the day that I would attempt to fit my life in a Backpack and head off on my wild worldly adventures. This I managed with great procrastination, filling my day with evenly timed intervals of the Playstation 2 and packing. I managed to get everything finalised in time to head for the Brisbane International Airport to meet my team mates to embark on our Sri Lanka Cricket Tour. We left Brisbane Airport, after I had my last goodbyes with the family and some friends, on Singapore Airlines at 11:45 pm. The flight took 8 hours to Singapore and once we were seated it was my mission to take advantage of the in-flight movies available as it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch a movie with “dodgy” airplane headphones on a screen not much bigger than a postcard. There were over 40 options to choose from and “Walk Hard” was to be the first movie of choice. For those who don’t know, this is a comedy/spoof of Walk the line/Ray. As expected I lasted all of 15 minutes when I fell asleep, resting on my new neck cushion. I was deep in sleep and likely to remain that way for some time, until I was woken by the hostess offering me dinner which was a choice of noodles or a chicken pie. I ate the pie, and fell back to sleep after another attempt to watch “Walk Hard”. I would advise those reading not to think that the quality of the movie is related to my ability to stay awake. It was quite funny but I was very tired. Later in the flight I tried watching another movie, “Juno”, which many people have heard of. With about 1.5 hours left on the flight I thought that I would be able to watch at least one movie the whole way through during the 8 hour flight. I was wrong. With about 30 minutes left in the flight, the movie was turned off and I was left to watch the flight path with information such as, distance travelled, current speed, and estimated time of arrival. We finally arrived in Singapore: time – sparrow fart, distance travelled – a long way.
Today marked the day that I would attempt to fit my life in a Backpack and head off on my wild worldly adventures. This I managed with great procrastination, filling my day with evenly timed intervals of the Playstation 2 and packing. I managed to get everything finalised in time to head for the Brisbane International Airport to meet my team mates to embark on our Sri Lanka Cricket Tour. We left Brisbane Airport, after I had my last goodbyes with the family and some friends, on Singapore Airlines at 11:45 pm. The flight took 8 hours to Singapore and once we were seated it was my mission to take advantage of the in-flight movies available as it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch a movie with “dodgy” airplane headphones on a screen not much bigger than a postcard. There were over 40 options to choose from and “Walk Hard” was to be the first movie of choice. For those who don’t know, this is a comedy/spoof of Walk the line/Ray. As expected I lasted all of 15 minutes when I fell asleep, resting on my new neck cushion. I was deep in sleep and likely to remain that way for some time, until I was woken by the hostess offering me dinner which was a choice of noodles or a chicken pie. I ate the pie, and fell back to sleep after another attempt to watch “Walk Hard”. I would advise those reading not to think that the quality of the movie is related to my ability to stay awake. It was quite funny but I was very tired. Later in the flight I tried watching another movie, “Juno”, which many people have heard of. With about 1.5 hours left on the flight I thought that I would be able to watch at least one movie the whole way through during the 8 hour flight. I was wrong. With about 30 minutes left in the flight, the movie was turned off and I was left to watch the flight path with information such as, distance travelled, current speed, and estimated time of arrival. We finally arrived in Singapore: time – sparrow fart, distance travelled – a long way.
With a 2 hour interval before we were to board our joining flight, the team walked the very long Changi Terminal, trying to fill in our time with some sleep, and/or shopping. I found a sports bar which was playing an English Premier League game on a big screen TV. The sound actually came out of speakers which were individually installed in each seat. It was at this bar where I saw a game which one would best describe as a “projector football game.” A projector shone a football field on the carpet with a ball and people could play on the projected area by “virtually” kicking the ball, which would then move in the direction kicked. We boarded the connecting flight at 07:05 am to Colombo which was scheduled to take 3 hours. 
We arrived on Sunday morning (7/04), after a long flight which stopped in Singapore for two hours, then arrived in Colombo. The moment we arrived I was astounded at the many cultural differences between Australia and Sri Lanka. The team caught a mini bus to the hotel we were staying at in Colombo (Cinnamon Grand), which took approximately 30 minutes to arrive. Colombo doesn't have any major highways, just two lane roads that run throughout the city. This makes it extremely hectic on the roads and the locals seem to run with organised chaos. People walk across the road with disregard for the traffic; cars merge into oncoming traffic with the expectation that everyone will stop for them; road lanes seem to be taken as general "guidelines" rather than law and often people are turning two lanes into three or four. Everyone beeps their horn, and you don't give way in a round-about - just enter and hope the oncoming traffic stops. On the drive in you notice that the poor and destitute live alongside the wealthy. You will pass many road side food stores, which look far from healthy, and then right next door there is an immaculate marble building, which is a car dealer, holding the newest Mercedes, Land Cruisers, and Lexus'. We saw a couple riding on a motor bike (similar to the postie bikes back home), and as we got closer the couple become a couple with two children sitting in between them. The son was at the front holding the bars, then dad, and finally daughter and mum were at the back. Of course the parents were wearing helmets and the kids weren't. There is military everywhere holding AK-47's and they patrol the streets. On our way in we saw athletes running past in 30 degree heat amongst the traffic, and a cow. Only later did we hear in the news that at the start of the race there was a suicide bombing and a parliamentary minister along with 15 athletes were murdered - yet they still ran!
We arrived on Sunday morning (7/04), after a long flight which stopped in Singapore for two hours, then arrived in Colombo. The moment we arrived I was astounded at the many cultural differences between Australia and Sri Lanka. The team caught a mini bus to the hotel we were staying at in Colombo (Cinnamon Grand), which took approximately 30 minutes to arrive. Colombo doesn't have any major highways, just two lane roads that run throughout the city. This makes it extremely hectic on the roads and the locals seem to run with organised chaos. People walk across the road with disregard for the traffic; cars merge into oncoming traffic with the expectation that everyone will stop for them; road lanes seem to be taken as general "guidelines" rather than law and often people are turning two lanes into three or four. Everyone beeps their horn, and you don't give way in a round-about - just enter and hope the oncoming traffic stops. On the drive in you notice that the poor and destitute live alongside the wealthy. You will pass many road side food stores, which look far from healthy, and then right next door there is an immaculate marble building, which is a car dealer, holding the newest Mercedes, Land Cruisers, and Lexus'. We saw a couple riding on a motor bike (similar to the postie bikes back home), and as we got closer the couple become a couple with two children sitting in between them. The son was at the front holding the bars, then dad, and finally daughter and mum were at the back. Of course the parents were wearing helmets and the kids weren't. There is military everywhere holding AK-47's and they patrol the streets. On our way in we saw athletes running past in 30 degree heat amongst the traffic, and a cow. Only later did we hear in the news that at the start of the race there was a suicide bombing and a parliamentary minister along with 15 athletes were murdered - yet they still ran!
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