Sick of driving
Towards the east coast
Tuesday 11 Jan 11 - Tuesday 11 Jan 11
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Not much to report from today, hardly enough to justify an entry really.
I woke up feeling really weak and sick, so I struggled to pack my bag before we said goodbye to the Colombo-bound crew. I wasn’t able to stomach much more than dry toast for breakfast, and that was only eaten on Bronwyn’s insistence.
We left Haputale in pouring rain. There’s been flooding throughout the country this last few days, including in areas we’ve only recently left. We’re also hearing numerous devastating reports from Queensland; it seems as though it’s raining the whole world over.
The drive was long and painful, mostly through windy mountain roads that did little to ease my stomach, but then on some of the flattest territory I’ve ever seen as we went towards the eastern coast. The whole trip took us six hours including breaks.
Travel time is to me one of the most frustrating things about Sri Lanka. To cover the same distance back home would take perhaps an hour and a half, and we could’ve had an activity planned for the afternoon, but instead we got off the bus tired and grumpy after five in the evening. This is not through any fault of the drivers, who are managing extremely difficult conditions incredibly well in such large vehicles, but due to the poor condition of the roads.
The conditions were treacherous in parts, too. The rice paddies near Pothuvil, our current destination, were overflowing with water, and there was one flooded section of road. The rivers all over are flowing very quickly and waterfalls are forming on rock faces that are usually dry. The rain is unseasonal, too – January is generally considered to be part of the dry season – so it’s disappointing but unavoidable.
We arrived at the hotel and found we had it all to ourselves. I took the chance to have a bit of a lie down before dinner (first non-buffet meal I think we’ve had so far!) and we shortly after went to bed. Another clinic coming up tomorrow, and the weather’s expected to stay very wet.
Posted by sammyhez Tuesday 11 Jan 11 22:58 Archived in Sri Lanka Tagged drivinghaputalearugam_baypothuvil
