Washed My First Elephant Today

Made it to Sri Lanka on Tuesday. We took off right away to Uda Welewe, a nature preserve containing herds of wild elephants. Spent the night sleeping under the stars and listening to the birds. Saw maybe 40 or 50 elephants. One up close and personal. I've got the video. He was more curious than anything.

Today I gave my first elephant bath. Menike is her name. She lay on her side in a stream while I scrubbed her with split cocoanut husks. She seemed to enjoy it. He mahout (handler) told me "very good." It may have been the only english he knows. But, I'll take it.

It's the Sri Lankan New Year today. Fireworks have been going off all around us for days. Sounds like a war zone. No wait...it IS a war zone. But, no real shooting these days. Tomorrow the Millenium Elephant Foundation (where I'm staying) is having a New Years celebration for the locals. Prizes and games sort of thing. All the proceeds go toward the local poor. There's even a 10 kilometer race. Natch, I'm in. Funny, it's not like in the States here. Have yet to see anyone "jogging" for exercise, except maybe in the major city, Colombo. (Seems like the primary interest here is living and maybe cricket) AND it gets pretty hot here too. I wonder what this will be like. I haven't raced since 1999 and I don't intend to re-start. But I will go the distance.

Monday we're off to an agricultural village which suffers from a human-elephant conflict problem. The farmers expand their crop lands into the jungle which of course is the elephants' home. Thhe elephants take issue and strike back, often with disastrous results. We'll be providing alarm equipment, which alerts the villagers when an elephant is near and helps to scare them (the elephants) off. Later we'll work on building a schoolhouse for the village kids. We'll be gone a couple days.

I'm with a great bunch of folks. About six other volunteers, all Euros, mostly from the UK. I MAY be picking up a bit of a cockney accent. I'll be talking like the GEICO Gecko by the time I get back.

Blimey!

"The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men Gaing Aft Aglae..."

Well....you know that plan I had to do a quick tour of London? Gone. You know that trip I left for yesterday to Sri Lanka? I'm still in the States.

Turns out there was bad weather in Newark. (Flying in to Newark, which I've done several times before, over the swamps, the factories, the urban blight, I wonder if I've ever landed here when it wasn't gloomy. I think not.) Our plane from Pittsburgh was about three hours late taking off. We landed just as my flight onward to London left. There were literally HUNDREDS of folks in my situation. You would think the airlines would hold some of these international flights so we could all catch up. You would be wrong. Looooong story short: twenty-four hour delay. I'm scheduled to leave the beautiful city of Newark at 8:30 tonight. I'm hoping my attempts at contacting the people who will pick me up in Colombo are successful. I'll say this, I love the GSM, quad-band (or whatever they call it) cell phone. Called my good friend in Sri Lanka. Clearer than some local calls.

So I along with a slew of other stranded passengers were comped an overnight stay and two meals. Ramada Inn. Surrounded by concrete. Could go into Manhatten for a short stay, but don't know if I have the mental energy for it.

I did read "The Kite Runner" in it's entirety yesterday. Very good read. About Afghanistan from before the Russians, the mujahadden, the Talibandits, 9/11 to the present. Fictional novel. Moving. I recommend it. Author is Khaled Hosseini.

So the day wasn't a complete waste.

Twenty-two hours and 35 minutes into the journey and I've made it as far as Newark.

"Every Tomorrow Ought Not To Resemble Every Yesterday"

From West With The Night by Beryl Markham, 1942.

I heard that!

For the next month I'm living out of this pack. Next up: Airport hassle, then London.

Let's get it on.

I'm Packed

Got everything in one backpack. Except for a couple paperbacks I'm bringing to read on the plane. Otherwise I'm at around 18 and a half pounds, including camera.

Planning my hike around London during my eight hour layover. From Westminster Abbey through the Tower of London to Greenwich Observatory is 5.5 miles. If I can just follow the Thames I should be alright.

Well, if I get lost I can just ask. I DO speak the language. After a fashion.

Tally-ho!

Notes on one of my Interests

Visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites, as you may know, is one of my little hobbies. I have to date hit 30 sites. Looking forward to picking up a few more this trip during my eight hour layover in London (Tower of London for one) and when in Sri Lanka. Also should nail down a few in Central America this June and July.

Follow the link for an article on how my tourism is endangering the sites. But, what am I gonna do? They're out there. So am I.

This Week's Sign of the Apocalypse

Heather Locklear's New Romance!

April 5, 2006

ET first broke the news in February that HEATHER LOCKLEAR and her rocker husband RICHIE SAMBORA were calling it quits after more than 11 years of marriage.

Now the former "Melrose Place" and "Spin City" star is dating comedian DAVID SPADE, according to Us Weekly.

The two were reportedly seen kissing while hanging out with some friends at a West Hollywood hot spot.

Heather and David share the same manager and have been friends for some time. Has their relationship turned romantic?

For now, the couple is keeping things quiet -- David recently declined to comment on any intimate details at the April 2 premiere of his new movie 'The Benchwarmers.'

Sheesh! David Spade and Heather Locklear? Kissing? I think I'm gonna be sick.

This Is Where I'm Headed

OK, first a word about the 'stash. I wore that (now) ridiculous looking thing for 29 years. Something about making my baby-face look older. (Once I actually got some significant mileage I decided I probably didn't need it anymore.)

The picture was taken three years ago when I first visited Millenium Elephant Foundation in Kegalle, Sri Lanka. It's along side the stream where the pachyderms get their daily bath. A week from now I'll be washing one of these guys, maybe this one.