From Galle on the south coast to Point Pedro at the northernmost tip on the Jaffna peninsula The route Above is my route that I’ve just highlighted in thick green ink showing the steps I’ve …
Continue readingCategory: Trek planning
Day 15 – Stage 2 of the Pekoe Trail and my final blog of our trip
Yesterday’s Lesson Lesson learnt from yesterday – set off as early as possible, and than even earlier, and be walking the trails by sunrise – we were out by 05.45 and heading by tuktuk for the start …
Continue readingDay 12 – Visit to WDC, the shop Sthree and Krystyna’s wonderful weaving
Women’s Development Centre (WDC) Women’s development censtaff were waiting for us when we arrived first thing in the morning to discuss the programmes they are working on and which we are supporting. Suzana and Gill …
Continue readingDay 10 – a magnificent breakfast visitor, the tranquil spice garden and meeting up with Suzana
During breakfast this morning a very large Elephant sauntered past just a few meters away which created a bit of stir amongst the hotel guests. Gill managed to catch him on video. On our way from Habarana …
Continue readingDay 6 – a scuttling cockroach and the places we couldn’t find
We spent ages today trying to find the Puthukkdiyiruppa War Museum and when we eventually did we were told that only locals can go and that they need to obtain special permission to do so. …
Continue readingBlog 5 – Kilinochchi
Trekking Not an early enough start today so it got far too hot far too quickly and we only managed to trek 9km. It’s been so hot and it becomes unbearable when we start melting …
Continue readingBlog 4 – Elephant Pass
We learnt only this morning that the place we’ve been staying for the past three nights, Fox Resort Jaffna, was used as the headquarters for the (LTTE) Tamil Tigers’ Commander during the Sri Lankan Civil …
Continue readingDay 1 – Arrival
Arrived in Jaffna surviving the 400 km/8 hour car journey from Colombo which was almost as long as the flight from London. Of course we had to stop for our coconut drink and breathe in …
Continue readingLess than 6 weeks to go blog:)
Projects Update Since my last last blog 6 weeks’ ago Kate Gale has been to Sri Lanka, volunteered in a village school in Kurunegala doing amazing stuff helping to make a difference to the Manapaha …
Continue reading12 Weeks to go . . .
Funding update Just 12 weeks to go before I set off on my third and final leg of trekking from the south to the northern tip of Sri Lanka. I’ve currently raised £25,000 of my …
Continue readingMore exciting connections – Nov ‘23 update
One of the great raffle prizes for 24 November – Electric Storm Flights now booked for next March for the final stage of my and Gill’s trek across Sri Lanka. £23,363 (77%) of my £30k …
Continue readingI can see clearly now . . . September 2023 Update
I can see clearly now . . . The many hundreds of pairs of spectacles I had shipped out in April this year arrived just a couple of months ago at Colombo Shipping Port. They …
Continue readingAugust 2023 update
The 10th anniversary of the passing of Pearl Stephen The 31st July this year was the anniversary of the death of Pearl Stephen who was my inspiration for returning to Sri Lanka to volunteer following …
Continue readingBlog 4 – day 2 of trek
Descent from Medakallie village Left Medakallie village for our 2 hour descent to a bus stop where we got picked up and taken to the nearest town. The wiggly path we trekked down, the villagers’ …
Continue readingBlog 3 – Day 1 of trek – to Medakallie Village (the middle of the jungle)
Leech-land Both of us got bitten by leeches pretty much as soon as we set off on our jungle trek to Medakallie village, but Kiran’s was worse as her blood stains looked like she’d been …
Continue readingDay 2 Kirimatiya – a Tamil village in the hills and Kiran’s arrival!
An early tuk tuk trip today with Susantha to WDC where I dropped off the donation of children’s clothes, school stationery, spectacle frames and medicines. And then to Kirimatiya, the Tamil village in the hills …
Continue readingArrived . . .
Smooth 10 hour overnight flight from Heathrow to Colombo with Sri Lankan airlines, the only airline that flies direct. Kiran close behind and should arrive tomorrow ready for trek beginning on Tuesday.
Safe taxi journey from Colombo to Kandy with a couple of stop-offs for a king coconut, a mango and chicken curry followed by a mango juice – and now I look like a ? and only been here a few hours!
Fab driving through Kandy past familiar colonial sites such as the iconic clock tower, the old prison, Kandy lake, Queens and then eventually Hotel Suiss where I’ll be for next 2 nights.
Day 1
As we’re 5.5 hours ahead of UK time and with at best 2 hours sleep on the plane, I collapsed last night and didn’t wake until gone 10am and nearly missed breakfast. Now UK clocks went forward last eve we’re now only 4.5 hours ahead of the game! UKers are catch up with us.
Looking forward to Kiran arriving on Monday now and not today as she’s had flight dramas but in time to start trekking with me on Tuesday. Sounds like her flight problems will make a blog all by itself – she’s now flying via Chennai and as I’m writing this she should be in the air.
Women’s refuge
I visited the girls’ refuge today – the real reason for coming to Sri Lanka. It all started here. An example below of some sanitary kits the girls have learnt to make which are sold at markets around the country and for schools in the poorer rural communities. Each set lasts for approximately 2 years and as you can see comes in a discrete bag which the girls can carry in their school bag.
More pictures of the activity in the refuge in future blogs when wifi working better!
My evening was spent with Koush, Sri Lanka’s well known birder and trekker who we met last year in the Sinharaja rainforest, to finalise our exciting trek plans starting Tuesday.
If you missed the last blog then HERE it is.
Further sponsorship – if you’d like to help me to help those in need in Sri Lanka at this difficult time, whilst being assured every penny will go to those who need it, then please donate by clicking on this link. Don’t forget that if you’re a tax payer to declare gift aid when doing so which will increase your donation by 25% at no cost to you. Alternatively, if you know of anyone or any organisation who may have an interest in this cause please share this blog link with them
March 2023 – And we’re off . . .
There’s been a few changes since last month’s update: Gill can’t come now but Kiran can, for most of it anyway, and for all of the trekking part. As a result I’ve tweaked the schedule …
Continue readingFeb 2023 update – 50 day countdown
Our forest walk I’ve recently finished reading a mindfulness walking book that a friend gave me for Christmas. It captures some of what I’m looking forward to during our 4 days of trekking in the …
Continue readingJanuary 2023 update – 10 years
My 10th year anniversary 🙂 Top left: the late Pearl Stephen (Founder & Director of Women’s Development Centre), and Chandrathilika Liyanaarachchi (WDC’s Deputy Coordinator) on a trip with us to Nuwara Eliya. Right: Pearl Stephen …
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