Victoria Golf and Country Resort and Kandy

Our train ride to Kandy was nice - we rode in the first class observation saloon. It was a bit bumpy ... more than usual which makes me think it's because it's the last car on the train. We got into Kandy in the early evening, had some trouble finding a place for to leave our bags while we went to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. We wanted to leave it at a hotel thinking it would be safer, but we ended up leaving it with the bag drop at the front of the temple. That posed no issues so away we went!

Having visited twice before, I wasn't particularly motivated to come again. However, coming to see evening Puja definitely had a different feel. We were also lucky that it was a Poya day the next day so the moon was pretty much full which made the setting even more spectacular. On this particular night, there was a group of mostly elderly men and women who looked like they were from Thailand or Japan. Amazing to think that people travel just to come see the Temple (or make it the highlight of their journey).

After Puja I tried to call for a meter cab but with no luck. We eventually settled with taking a tuk tuk ... all the way to Victoria Golf and Country Resort. It was a LONG and DARK ride in that tuk tuk ... and the driver had no idea where he was going. For quite some time it just seemed like we were going nowhere! In the end we got there safely, but weren't exactly greeted warmly by the staff. I guess they had expected us earlier, but the didn't indicate that we needed to be there by a certain time for dinner. When we checked in, they initially told us dinner was over. Fortunately, the Chef agreed to cook some dinner for us. It's so Sri Lankan to not follow up on things and just kinda wait and let things be. A tip for their customer service would be to call the guest (you did take my number for a reason, no?) you are expecting if they haven't turned up by an expected time. I would have come earlier had I known!

Victoria Reservoir that borders one side of the course.

Anyhow, early the next morning we had a tee time booked for 6:30am. We were told to meet our caddies and ball boy at 6:15am. Again in true Sri Lankan fashion, they were late (the caddie master forgot we had a tee time, geez!) so didn't tee off until about 7am.

Putting while our two caddies look on. 

Yup. We each had a caddie and then shared a ball boy. Pretty amazing. Actually, it's required by the course. Having a caddie remind me of the things to focus on for each shot really helped. Maybe it's because it is warm here, but I didn't try to muscle the ball as I would usually back home and as a result, got my shots a lot straighter than I usually would. Despite the help from the caddies and ball boy, we were slow ... about 4 people played through us. We finished our round in about 4 hours and they say that average people play an hour faster. It's a pretty blistering pace! After that we had brunch then a nice dip in their infinity pool before just relaxing for the rest of the day.

The next day we headed back down to Kandy so we could catch our train at 3pm. I originally had some pretty ambitious plans to go see either the botanical gardens or the tea museum, but ended up a bit tight on time. We ended up wandering a bit through town and finding a nice place to sit (and so that Chad could do some work). We went to check out the Mlsena tea store and sat down for a nice cup of iced tea there away from the hustle and bustle of Kandy. After that we decided to settle at White House Restaurant where they conveniently had free Wi-Fi. We had to leave for a little while as they had to close for noon prayers (as they are Islamic) so we tried to find another place to hang out. We tried to find a place listed in the Lonely Planet, but it was no where to be found. We turned and started to head back to a place we had passed by. On the way, we were "befriended" by a local who in the beginning, seemed great to talk to. But, things got a little suspicious. I posted about this experience in a few places to warn others so I will copy and paste it here:

" A man on the street struck up a conversation and then suggested we go to have tea at a local tea shop. We were heading to the same shop anyhow so we went with it. We had a few short eats and some tea while he explained how his family owned a plantation and offered to ship 5kg of tea to my boyfriend as he has connections for shipping (he's a Port Master?) He stated shipping would only cost 220 LKR (or something really low). He talked about his family, how his daughter is married to a foreigner overseas, and how his son was about to go abroad to work in a hotel. To try and prove he was credible he showed us his son's visa. He also said if we were staying in Kandy longer he'd invite us to his house for lunch. He consistently returned to the point that shipping the tea to us would be no big deal and would always mention the cost.

Slowly things started to not add up. He was motioning the 5kg box of tea with his hand and the size he motioned was too small. Initially it sounded like he was going to ship for free then he straight up asked for the 220 rupees as we wrapped up with tea time. We declined saying we were uncomfortable with giving the money upfront, but happy to provide it once we received the tea. In our minds, we were thinking "220 LKR for a 5kg box? Too good to be true." I started to get the feeling this guy was a scam as when the bill came, he made no motion to pay or split the bill.

I have a sneaking suspicion this man does it regularly ... "befriending" travellers and seemingly appear generous and helpful with all his information, and then end up getting his tea and short eats paid for with a extra few hundred rupees. Chances are most travellers would be happy to pay someone so "friendly". His tone changed pretty quickly though when we backtracked on the tea and said we didn't feel comfortable giving him the money for shipping. I know it's not a lot, but it's the principle of the matter. Tea time quickly ended after that and he left just as quickly.

Anyhow, if you come across a man like this, it's your choice what you do. If you do/did give him money and you do end up with a 5kg box of tea back home, please let us know here that this man is not a scammer."

I got a few messages back from the forums I posted in confirming that this scheme is known to happen. I even got a message saying that the parents of someone living here who met this man, or someone selling a similar story, were still waiting for their tea! So people, beware!

Kandy does not have a nice reputation in my books anymore. After that incident we had the pleasure of dealing with a very persistent tout for a guesthouse. As Chad was taking photos around the lake, he repeatedly asked "Guesthouse? Guesthouse? I know one. Cheap." etc, etc. Anyhow, after many attempts at asking him to leave, telling him we didn't need a place, and having him talk to my hand, I said "GO AWAY". He then had the nerve to scold me about how rude it was of me to ask him to go away! We bickered a bit as I wasted my breath trying to reason with him that what he was doing warranted that reaction from me and explained it's people like him that give this country a bad reputation. Eventually we just had to walk away and ignore him even though I was fuming! Anyways, Kandy is now one of my least favourite places because of people like the ones I just mentioned. Such a shame.

So after all that, we were finally on our way back to Colombo where we had less than 12 hours before were to go on our way to the airport to catch our flight to ..... THE MALDIVES!

BTW, sorry for the long delay in between posts! Since getting back I've pretty busy and also trying to get Christmas all figured out. I've also resurrected my Twitter - you can see my latest Tweets on the right hand side of this page. Please follow if you have an account and I will do the same! 

Nuwara Eliya and Horton's Plains/World's End

Nuwara Eliya was a long, bumpy, windy, and squishy 5 hour bus ride from the junction by Tissamaharama. We made the mistake of sitting at the back of the bus (they were the only two seats together that were still available). With about an hour left in our ride we finally got seats near the front which was SO MUCH BETTER! I would recommend to anyone to sit separately near the front of the bus than to sit together at the back of the bus if you had to make the choice! Regardless, the seats anywhere on a bus is made for tiny skinny Sri Lankans. Chad definitely did not fit in these seats (and those who know him also know he is not that big).

Morning view from King Fern Bungalow

We arrived at the Nuwara Eliya bus station and was promptly greeted by Wasantha, the manager of the King Fern Bungalow (not to be confused with King Fern Cottage, owned by his brother Nishantha). Up one of the hills we went to the guesthouse perched high on one of the surrounding hills with a gorgeous view of town centre. We checked into our room on the second floor which had a beautiful view off the balcony. We were eager to explore the town so Wasantha quickly drew up a little map that showed us the path to walk down to town (about 7 minutes) and we were on our way! We passed by a few kids playing cricket, saw the Cargills Food City that still had all their old colonial signage, had some short eats at a local vegetarian restaurant (best vada ever!), walked through the public golf course, and enjoyed the cool weather that was so familiar to us. The air was cool and crisp and a bit damp. Loved it! We had another amazing Sri Lankan meal, this time, prepared by Wasantha's wife, Chithra, and her helpers.

Dawn with Adam's Peak in the background.

The next morning we shared a van with three others to Horton's Plains for a 10km, relatively flat hike with some pretty uneven and muddy terrain though. We departed just before 5:30am with breakfasts packed for us and reached the park at about 7:30am after another very slow and bumpy ride. Along the way we spotted the silhouette of Adam's Peak along the road as the day broke.



We got out of the van to pay our entrance fees (again, expats with a residence visa have a much cheaper rate at 60 LKR compared to the 2500 LKR for foreigners) and was hit with cold! It was foggy and damp with temps probably hovering around 10 degrees. Not that cold, but certainly a big difference from the 30+ we were in down in Yala. We quickly hopped back into the van and drove to the parking lot which was our starting point.

World's End

It wasn't long until we were pretty warm while moving along the trail and the sun was breaking through the fog. It was a leisurely walk as we occasionally stopped at the informational signs to read about the flora and fauna of the plains. Within 45 minutes we had reached Mini World's End which was beautiful. After a brief stop and a few clicks of the camera we continued to what we really came for, World's End. That was probably roughly another 30 mins on so we were there by 9:15am. It was perfect timing as we took our time snapping shots and taking in the view. We sat down for breakfast as we watched the clouds and mist roll in over the view at around 10:00am. So peaceful.

The hike back to the car seemed much longer. On the way back was the beautiful Baker's Falls. We also stopped on the plains by the river to have a snack ... I didn't want to leave! I would have loved to set up a tent there and just stay there for awhile. It reminded me of home with "real" grass (i.e. grass like home and not Sri Lankan grass) with pine trees and rhododendrons all over along with the fresh air and clear visibility. Would love to go back one day and just spend the day in the park.



We got dropped off in town on the way back so we could have lunch then head down to the Mackwoods Labookellie Tea Factory.  The tour was lacklustre. When we first arrived we were told it would only be 5 minutes until the next tour. Then it was 15 minutes. Then 40 minutes later after being rather exasperated, we finally got a tour of the tea factory. The tour guide herself was real nice, but the cashier behind the counter of the tea room was rather cranky and had  a poor attitude tossing boxes of tea that customers were purchasing nonchalantly and pretty much throwing change back at them.

Anyhow, after that we headed back to our guesthouse where we had our 2nd lovely meal with Wasantha and Chithra along with our fellow adventurers.

Tea plantations near King Fern Bungalow. 

The next morning we woke and got ready for a stroll through some tea plantations Wasantha would take us on. What an amazing walk. Sunny morning, greenery all around, and Wasantha guiding us while answering all our questions about tea. He also found a tea picker who was nice enough to let us take photos with her and pick some tea. She was young and very genuinely nice, unlike the older tea pickers who actually beckon you to take photos with them so they can force you to pay them for that opportunity. We tipped this wonderful woman afterwards, anyways. I hope though, that through the years she doesn't become like the older women. After our walk, we had breakfast, then we were off to the train station to catch the train to Kandy! 

Kataragama and Yala National Park

A brief stop in Matara.

No time machines in this excellent adventure, but lots of good times were had! In Part 1 of our adventure, we started off in a rather cramped A/C bus in Colombo heading to to Galle. A brief pit stop in Galle to use the bathrooms and stretch our legs we quickly continued to Matara, this time on a regular non A/C bus. We briefly stopped in Matara for lunch before getting a bus to Tissamaharama, where our accommodations would be for the next two days. Travelling along the coast rather than going inland rewarded us with some amazing views of the coast!

In the garden of My Village Guesthouse.

We booked at My Village Guesthouse which turned out to be one of the best guesthouses I've stayed at so far. Sujith, the owner and his friend Alae, who was down from Colombo helping him were amazing hosts. We wanted to get to Kataragama for the evening puja (about 7pm) pretty quick so they helped us organise a tuk tuk for 1200LKR. No hassles, no problems!


Puja at Kataragama was interesting and different. Unfortunately, it was raining so we spent quite some time just standing under cover. I was later told that the Puja at Kataragama is mostly attended by Hindus and Tamils which have different traditions than the Sinhalese (as witnessed at Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic/Sri Dalada Maligawa). We saw one lady who was twirling head of long hair around (similar to headbanging) to the chiming of the bell at the temple, like she was possessed by some sort of spirit. Then there were a couple of different groups with drums, flutes, dance, and chants that paraded through the grounds touching and worshipping in particular ways. The one thing that I wanted to see was people smashing coconuts. So there are these two, giant tiles I suppose, in the ground on which people wish upon their coconut. This said coconut is sometimes on fire. When the wish is completed, the wisher smashes the coconut into the ground. If it breaks, it's good luck. If it doesn't, well, I guess what you wished for doesn't come true!

We got back to My Village to an amazing Sri Lankan dinner consisting of the proteins of our choice (chicken and fish) accompanied by 6 other side dishes! We were stuffed at the end and still couldn't finish. We got our full day safari organised for the next day (8000 LKR for the jeep and driver/guide + entrance fees). A note to expats with residence visas - try to get your driver to get you the local entry fee. It's something like 150 LKR as opposed to 2500 LKR! Photo is on my iPhone... will upload when I remember!

Entry Gate to Yala.

The next morning we were up at 4:30am with a tea ready for us. Alae and Sujith had been up preparing and packing our breakfast and lunch which we would eat in the park. Just after 5:00am we departed with our awesome driver who passed a bunch of jeeps on the way to the park to get us as close to the front of the pack as he could. We were in the park by 6:30am in time for the sunrise and immediately started to spot animals! We broke for breakfast at around 9:30am at a stopping point on the beach in the park. Most half day safaris leave the park by 10:00am leaving the park to just those on the full day safaris (which was just a handful) so when we drove around for another hour and a bit it was much more peaceful, allowing us to observe the leopard we spotted for quite some time!

We stopped by the river for lunch for a couple hours before starting the afternoon portion of the safari. Again a bonus was being able to start before all the afternoon half-day jeeps arrived. During this period we had some amazing close encounters with a few elephants where they were just a foot from the jeep while walking by. Just amazing. Also these elephants were such a contrast to the elephants in chians at Pinnewala, which I really don't like.

It started to rain, then pour at around 3:00pm. However, we weren't quite done yet! The jeep drivers have a bit of a network so if they spot a really cool animal they call each other. So at this point, there was word a sloth bear was spotted so we were rushed to that position where about 10 other jeeps were already. However, our driver, being patient, predicted that the sloth bear would exit the brush a little farther back and backed us up away from the other Jeeps. Eventually he moved a bit forward again but he was spot on! We got the closest sighting of the bear as it walked right past our jeep!

On our way back it was a bit of a slow trip on the wet rainy roads following or passing the local motorbikes/scooters/tractors. We waved to many of these locals and got some great smiles. One local man and his family on a scooter even tried to have a conversation with us while driving along! We arrived back at My Village for another amazing dinner after a nice shower. After dinner, Sujith asked us to help him place his guesthouse on Google Maps. This came up because when I booked his guesthouse I asked him to point out where he was located on Google Maps. Anyhow, it wasn't a really easy task as Tissamaharama ends up being Trincomalee on Google Maps but we figured it out eventually (we put Hambantota which allowed us to tag his guesthouse in Tissa). Sujith was so appreciative and we were so happy we could help!

The next day we were a bit sad to leave, but after a relaxing breakfast in the garden we said our goodbyes as the tuk tuk they arranged for us pulled away to drive us to the junction where we needed to catch our bus to Nuwara Eliya!

For more photos, go to my Facebook album.

South Asian Beach Games 2011 - Hambantota

Ok, I have to warn some people that my observations in this post are quite frank. I don't mention any names, but if you read this and you recognize yourself being criticized in here, I make no apologies. I would be happy to talk to you about how we could improve upon the work that was done and I'd be happy to hear any reasonable feedback you may have on my work. Please e-mail me or call me at the NOC if you need to reach me. I know change is not immediate and that I probably have ruffled a few feathers trying to set some change into motion. I know that people here can be stubborn and some think that of me as well. I can only hope that change for the better will eventually take place - even if it's not a conscious decision because of lessons learned.

I also felt the need to wait to post this until the decision was made on where the 2018 Commonwealth Games were being held as Hambantota was a bid city, so there was no chance that people could say I influenced a negative outcome on the bid process (although Canada has now been blamed). Congratulations to the Gold Coast!


An opportunity that came up unexpectedly was one that involved work with the South Asian Beach Games (SABG). When I had returned from CYG and midterm, I was disappointed to see the staff hard at work on SABG. Prior to leaving, I had checked, and double checked with them that they didn’t want to use Zeus for SABG Accreditation, which they didn’t need but as we addressed that they promised that they would not be involved with any SABG work as the Games Secretariat had it under control.


It wasn’t out of choice that they had to do work for SABG as the Games Secretariat eventually needed the help of the NOC. Seeing the disorganization and fresh out of my experience with coordinating results at the CYG using Zeus, I inquired about results management for SABG. The reaction was an "uhhhhhh..." so I offered that I would look into the possibility of managing Sri Lanka's results on Zeus. That quickly turned in to managing the results for all of SABG, but instead of Zeus it was done on Excel. (Long story short, there are non-Commonwealth countries that are a part of SABG whereas Zeus is currently geared towards Commonwealth countries ... soon to change!) 


The two weeks leading up to the games were intense. The office staff worked through the weekend and stayed as late as 1am at the office only having to take up to two hours to get home and then get back on transit by 7am to get back to the office the next day. By the time the games started I was seriously worried about their health as they were running on empty especially since they were not eating meals regularly. Perhaps they are used to it as Sri Lankans eat breakfast early, then lunch around 1pm, then dinner isn't until well after 8 or 9pm! For me it was really a struggle as most of you know I snack all day long. I eventually was attached to a bag of food, but not food that I am used to eating as the only fresh food I could really carry was bananas. So during this week of prep and then at the games, dinner often wasn't until 10:30pm when we were back at our accommodation and for me that is WAY off my schedule and goes against my rule of eating before I sleep. But, if I didn't, I would have been nutritionally starving my body and that's not good either! 


Ok, so back to the disorganisation... it comes from the Games Secretariat being a bit old fashioned wanting to plan everything from beginning to end without help. They didn't realise they were a bit out of touch, I think, with how games procedures have evolved and the intricacies with planning such an event. For example, accreditation applications and the accreditation forms were done on paper ... with carbon copy paper to make multiple copies. THEN, these forms had to be entered by hand into the online "accreditation system" which wasn't completed on time for the teams to do themselves so the NOC staff and a team of volunteers had to enter them all. I had put "accreditation system" in quotations because it hardly qualified as one. It was an online form with fields to fill in which then filled in the accreditation card template. No reports could be run and the system was extremely slow. There all sorts of glitches and it was poorly developed. These cards then had to be printed off one by one through the system and we only had an inkjet printer to do it. Then, because the alignment of how the cards were printed was poor, each one had to be cut out of a piece of 8x11 paper by hand and then glued together because the print out was single sided. Then, these were stuffed by hand into a plastic pouch. Oi! 


Then there was the volunteer management. There was no volunteer manual. Sure, the volunteers received a training session, but a lot of those volunteers could not make the training session. As a volunteer I would have been frustrated as I would have had such a vague idea of what my role was, what the rules were, and who my resources were that I would not have felt empowered. However, these amazing volunteers pulled it off by coming together as a team. I could see some of the committee members being really frustrated with all the questions they were getting from the volunteers as they tried to solve problems ... but that is a result of not having proper procedures and communication protocols in place. 


One of my biggest frustrations was having to deal with the demands of the media here. They just didn't understand that sometimes, they had to wait for the information as we were working with limited resources. Many wanted paper print outs which was just not possible with the tools we had. I had to insist that the best way for them to receive updates was via e-mail. Unfortunately a few of them failed to understand the pace at which we could work at and what we had to work with which brought out the ugly side in me. I am not proud of it. I'm not sorry for it. But instead, I am disappointed in myself for not keeping my cool. What was really frustrating to hear was that the members in the media centre were not helping each other out. I don't know if it's common - I do know that agencies compete against each other to be the best. But really? Results are public knowledge and I'm sure passing a score over to a fellow member of the media isn't going to hurt your career.

Well, how about some positives? The venues were fantastic. The crowd in Hambantota was through the roof (literally). The matches were free to watch, as were the nightly concerts and as a result, the venues would be filled to the rafters with spectators. It was so so SO awesome to see a sporting event bring the community together to enjoy sport. I could tell that some spectators weren't familiar with the rules of the sports, but were having a blast anyhow!

And then there were the athletes. For many of them, this was their first ever international competition. For others, they were veterans. What was great was to see the cooperation of the veteran nations in some of the sports teach the newbies in some of the sports. For example, it was the first international competition for at least two of the teams participating in Beach Handball and the progress these teams made through the few days of competition were remarkable. The learning and adaptation that was going on was the spirit of sport visible for all to see. Loved it!

Personally, this was a huge learning and personal development experience. As I've been learning how to manage my stress and my tolerance level for uncomfortable situations, the ones I encountered at SABG were more challenging than most I've ever had to deal with. It pushed me to new limits and it really made me again, thankful for the training that has been provided to the CSOs by CGC and CGF. I struggle day to day with the cultural norms here and they were magnified tenfold at the games. It's so cliche, but it's so true when they say "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Grand Adventure Part 6 (Cayman Islands)

Chad is arriving in 26 hours ... and then we set off on a two week trip through parts of Sri Lanka and then to the Maldives. Life has been pretty all over the place (literally), but I will most certainly have an update after the Commonwealth Games 2018 host city is announced! In case you don't know, Hambantota on the south coast of Sri Lanka is competing against the Gold Cost in Australia. I honestly can't tell you who is going to win and who I want to win because like so many others, I keep flip flopping on the pros and cons. I don't envy the CGAs who have to make a decision on who to vote for!

Back to the adventure ...

So from the Isle of Man we left to go to London, met up with two other CSOs, Wendy (Uganda) and Natalie (Falkland Islands) and spent a night in disappointing 2 star "hotel" in a dingy basement triple room that smelled musty. The company was great though, we had a nice walk around in Covent Garden, and we were thoroughly excited for Cayman Islands!

We flew via Miami and reach Cayman on the evening of the 15th September. Greeted by all the CSOs we were relieved to find beautiful rooms at the Grand Cayamanian Resort and being in the company of familiar faces. Being exhausted, I hit the bed pretty early after dinner so to be ready for the next day!

Despite what some might think, we were in the boardroom from 9 - 5 everyday with the exception of one day ... where we made an afternoon trip to 7 mile beach (SO SO goregous!) I wish I had photos - I forgot my camera that day. :( Needless to say it was relaxing and really enjoyable. Jennie (CSP coordinator) did some one on one meetings, including mine, in the water. Now that is what I call an effective meeting! Aside from that, quite a bit of time was spent in the morning and evenings by and around the pool as the ocean off this resort had jellies in the water. We only learned after Nat and Jennie got stung!

We also met up with the Cayman Hash House Harriers who were an extremely hospitable group and made us feel so welcome! It was a "Hash Bash" meaning they had met some major milestone (in this case, the 1750th hash in the history of the club). The challenge that day was that it was a short run/walk (4km) but every km they had stopping points where participants, if they chose to participate, had to down a beer at each stopping point. Hearing from those who tried it, it was tough!

Anyhow, our midterm training in Cayman was incredibly rewarding. There was a lot of self-discovery through a lot of the nervous and anxious energy I was harbouring. I got some reassurances with what I was doing is in a positive direction and a much needed injection of self-confidence. We worked more on our cross cultural skills, problem solving, assessing our personal and professional progress, as well as evaluating the program thus far. We also did some work on principled negotiation ... I really need to work on that!

It was really hard to leave this group to come back to Sri Lanka. Not that I don't like Sri Lanka, but when you are with people who you are close to and love it's hard to leave them. I had spent the last month with some of the closest friends I have from meeting Linda in India, travelling with Paddye through Ireland and the UK, spending time with Wendy and Nat, then with the awesome CSOs in Cayman Islands. Additionally, for three weeks I had let my guard down and didn't have to deal with the constant questions of whether I needed a taxi, where I'm from, what I'm doing, or the staring. As much as those things don't really bug me, I am consistently in a heightened state of alertness which is a bit tiring and exhausting!  This was a really foreign feeling from the first time I left Vancouver. The difference I think was that I didn't have a benchmark of what it would feel like living alone, away from home, for an extended period of time. My trip back to home away from home felt like I was missing something ... but it wasn't long until I got back into my routine and things felt better again.

With that I conclude my Grand Adventure. I did spend one more day (12hr layover) in London on my return trip from Cayman back to Sri Lanka where I wandered around the Museum of Natural History (really cool place!) and Oxford Street. Photos will be on Facebook, eventually!

I also want to take this chance to thank my readers. I know many of you are reading this to just see what I'm up to, but I am also getting hits from some countries I wouldn't expect - particularly on my posts for the Kandy Esala Perhera and my stakeholder map! I also want to say that if you are one of those people who have ended up at my blog because you are searching for an image or information on travelling (or whatever else I have written about), please don't hesitate to send me a message/email if you have any questions! 

Grand Adventure Part 5 (Isle of Man)

We (Paddye and I) got to work right away on finishing up event entries and worked until it was time for opening ceremonies. It was a wee bit chilly but pretty cool to see all the young athletes parade into the opening. Some of them were so little (gymnasts)! It was a pretty impressive show; of course, youth driven. All the performers, dancers, and parkour artists were youth (except for the Vikings, that is ... whom we learned were actual members of a local Viking club).

The grand finale of the opening ceremonies. 

The following days were filled with results. We based ourselves at the NSC where badminton and swimming were taking place and the track was right next to it. We found a little corner in the cafe and called it home for about 12 hours each day ... to the point that a few volunteers came to see us each day to say hello and have a little chat!

Achini and Upuli - Sri Lanka Womens Doubles Team (white) in action against the Aussies;

The volunteers were remarkable. Everywhere we went they were so friendly and so helpful. If they didn't have an answer, they were certainly going to find it. If we looked alone, they'd sit with us to chat and tell us all about the Isle of Man. I love volunteers!



I wish I could say that I witnessed some pretty amazing sport performances, but truth was that we barely got any time away from our computers. I did manage to sneak away and see the final few points in the badminton match which Sri Lanka won the bronze medal in women's doubles. We got glimpses of the track as there were floor to ceiling windows in the cafe. It's amazing how disciplined, intense, and in shape these young athlete are! I most certainly was not at that point when I was 16 and maybe it was just that I didn't know what high performance sport really meant.

Everyday, having arrived with little rest, we got more and more exhausted. Our giggles and uncontrollable fits of laughter got more frequent as some of the littlest silly mistakes or forgetfulness became hilarious. There were times we laughed so hard I couldn't remember the last time I was in stitches like that! The long hours glued to our computers resulted in some pretty rewarding moments though. When we ran our first report to look for mistakes it was amazing how much data we had entered and how easily we could manipulate it in Zeus. Even cooler was that even as we were updating throughout the days of competition, someone at CGC was able to see our updates real-time while she was looking for Canadian results. Basically, any CGA using Zeus had access to these results as soon as we could enter them and run their own customized reports for their needs. Additionally, these results automatically updated to their databases of athletes so they don't have to do any data entry. The results are linked to the athletes forever so if an athlete competes these results stay with that name in Zeus. Cool, eh? Maybe not ... but I'm a bit of a geek.

And for your enjoyment, some photos! 

Grand Adventure Part 4 (Ireland to Isle of Man)

Sorry for the hiatus! I was prepping for, then attended the South Asian Beach Games in Hambantota the last two weeks. But, to pick up where I left off...

We had our tickets booked from Dublin to Douglas, Isle of Man departing roughly around 10am to arrive in Douglas at 1pm. We got up and left the hostel just after 9am to catch a bus to the ferry terminal, only to find they don't run a bus service for the Isle of Man Steam Packet ferry (they only do for Irish Ferries and maybe the Stena Line). So we paid an exorbitant amount for a cab to get to the Dublin Ferry Port where we immediately found out our ferry had been cancelled due to rough seas.

Now, this doesn't happen very often. They gave us our alternative route to which we went O.O and :O We looked for a way we could call Richard, our CGF Zeus guru and supervisor at the Games (and with all things related to Zeus). I had no credit left on my mobile phone and there was no free wi-fi. Paddye ponied up her credit card and used their public phone to call (the bill, we later found out, was also exorbitant) and find out what we should do. Booking last minute flights turned out to be way too expensive so the alternative route we would travel. Here is our journey, documented in photos:

Leg 1: Dublin Ferry Port to Dun Lagohaire Ferry Terminal @11:30am

Leg 2: Dun Lagohaire to Holyhead, Wales @1:15pm

Leg 3: Holyhead to Liverpool @3:45pm

We had dinner in Liverpool in this awesome little pub in the downtown/financial district (which was deserted by 6pm, by the way). It was cheap (i.e. less than 10 pounds for dinner) and DELICIOUS. And the staff were so nice ... they got the ingredient list for the things I wanted to eat and just really understood that an allergy is not to be taken lightly. They were concerned when their bread didn't have an ingredients list. So sweet. In the end we tipped them a little bit and they were so shocked that we would want to do that for them. They had to ask if we were sure we wanted to leave a tip and we were both like, "yeah!".

Leg 4: Liverpool to Heysham @ 9pm

Leg 5: Heysham to Douglas, Isle of Man @ 2:15am

Leg 6: Douglas Ferry Terminal to Hotel @ 6:15am (luckily this was only 2 minute ride).There's no photo here because we were so exhausted from the cold on and off again napping on the ferry and well, I think I just simply forgot.

By the way, we didn't shower that morning because we were staying in a hostel in Dublin and just couldn't be bothered to. We thought that we'd be just a few hours away from a posh hotel with an awesome shower and decided we'd just wait. We were so wrong in that decision! So what was supposed to be a simple, 3 hour, ferry trip turned into a 19 hour journey. Needless to say, were exhausted and feeling rather gross. We checked into the hotel, showered, took a 2 hour nap, then went straight into our work! 

Grand Adventure - Part 3 (Ireland)

After a relaxing and scenic journey by train, ferry, tram, and train again, I get to Limerick where I find my colleague Paddye, her friend Lisa, and Lisa's friend Kate just arriving at the same time I did. Perfect timing! We load my giant backpack into Lisa's car and just a few minutes later we're at her family's place. Our amazing hosts, the Buckleys, had put Paddye and I in their guesthouse for our stay. We just chatted a bit, made some dinner, then went to the bar briefly after. I passed out that evening in what probably was the comfiest bed of my month long trip. I had buried myself so well in the duvet/blanket that night that when Paddye came in she didn't even know I was in the bed!

Blarney Castle

Kissing the Blarney Stone.

The next day, Kevin (Lisa's bro) and Kate took us to see the Blarney Castle as I really wanted to kiss the Blarney Stone (nope, no gift of gab yet). The castle is pretty cool but I had no idea it was such a large ground with all sorts of gardens and other little remnants of what life was like here a few hundred years ago. I almost wish I had more time to just wander around the grounds! They were so well kept and it was so peaceful ... not a lot of people which was so unlike to what I've been accustomed to the last 4.5 months and all the sights in India.

We headed back to Limerick in the afternoon to quickly pack up our stuff and make the trip to Kilkee where the Buckleys have a weekend home right on the coastline. We went for a walk to where the cliffs were (gorgeous!), then went back where we changed into our swimsuits (yes, swimsuits in 15 degree weather) for a "dip" in the Atlantic. Little did we know on our chilly walk down that we were being brought to the diving boards at swimming spot nicknamed "Newfie". The original plan had been to go to the Pollock Holes, three "swimming pools" exposed in the rocks at low tide.

Paddye and I were definitely hesitant. Here we are, standing at the edge of the Atlantic in fall weather, with diving boards that were probably 4m above the water. Without hesitation, Kevin goes first, followed shortly by Lisa. "How is it?" Paddye and I ask. "Refreshing" they reply. They climb out so they can man the cameras for Paddye and my turn. Paddye steps on to the diving board with quite a bit of doubt ... after some self-convincing she goes for it. In she goes, and we wait for her to come back up. When she does, she exclaims that "this is NOT refreshing, it's coooold!". Now it's my turn. I step on to the diving board. It's cold under my feet. I look down ... the water is clear but it's dark. It looks really cold. I think "heck, who knows when I'll be on a coast of the Atlantic again". I look back and think, "here goes". I walk to the edge and knowing that if I stop I probably will never make the jump so I leap right off the edge. It seemed like forever before I hit the water, but when I did it was FREEZING cold. I swam as fast as I could to the surface which seemed like an endless swim. When I made it, my first words were "OH MY GOSH IT IS SO COLD" and made a beeline for the ladder out of the water.

Lisa and Kevin made a couple more jumps, then we headed back to the house where we all had warm showers then started cooking the most amazing meal ever. Fresh greens, lightly blanched broccoli (crunchy broccoli ... I get limp stuff here which I don't buy), bbq corn on the cob, bbq chicken, and mashed potatoes. Yum! It was also Lisa and Kevin's parent's anniversary so Lisa baked a cake while I made a apple crumble. We socialized a bit, watched some X-Factor, then brought the treats over to her parents who were hanging out with some of their friends. We celebrated and they took turns singing popular and Irish songs acapella (such musical people!). When it came to Paddye and I we really had nothing. We don't really sing ... and well, we both suck at memorizing lyrics. =P

The Cliffs of Moher

The next day we slept in a bit, had a really chill breakfast, then made the trip to the Cliffs of Moher. We got drenched in a downpour, but the most amazing rainbows (yes, I saw a double rainbow), Irish Stew, a half pint of Guinness and the best jam ever made it all better. We drove through The Burren, through all sorts of farm land and fields stopping at old churches and castles (and whatever looked awesome) along the way. It was one of the most scenic drives I have ever been on and was wishing I could do it on bike (although the winds would make it HARD). Eventually, we made it back to Limerick, had an easy night then got ready for our train trip next morning to Dublin.

The Temple Bar in Dublin. 

Dublin was nice ... but not as nice as Limerick and the countryside so we didn't feel too inspired to snap a lot of shots. However, like London, I loved that there were old buildings everywhere and the sites were so well preserved. Paddye and I also did a bit of shopping at Penney's which is kinda like H&M but has a way better accessories section. In the evening we met up with one of Paddye's friends who just moved from Canada to Dublin, chatted at the pub and enjoyed the live Irish music in the background.



The next morning we were ready to depart for the Isle of Man! But that alone, is a story for my next entry.

Check out my Ireland photos here. I'm too lazy to upload them to my Picasa account =P. If a pop up tells you that you need to log in, just click cancel and you can continue to view my photos!

Look closely and you'll find the double rainbow. Unfortunately this photo did not do the rainbows justice!

Grand Adventure - Part 2 (London)

It's my first time in Europe!

I arrived in London around dinner time on August 31st hoping to quickly get to my hostel, check-in, and find myself a good meal. Those hopes were almost dashed when I saw a long snaking lineup for customs which took about an hour to get through (not that bad compared to some of my other colleagues who flew to Heathrow as well). Anyhow, thanks to well-marked signs everywhere, I got an Oyster Card (for you Hong Kong-ers, it's like the Octopus card, but you can't pay for food with it) and boarded the Tube towards Holborn.

I got to my hostel for the next two nights, checked-in, threw down my bags, met my roomies for the night, and went off in search for Jamie's Italian. I think I was the only person in the restaurant dining by myself, but being a bit of a foodie I was pretty darn happy and I didn't care! I had some tasty antipasto and slurp-a-licous pasta.Yum! Not only that, I was loving the weather and being able to walk around without the gawking and staring (not to mention feeling pretty safe at night)!



The next day, blessed with blue skies, warm temps, and sunshine, I set out on a whirlwind tour of the city hitting all the main sights:

Buckingham Palace

Westminster Abbey

Big Ben

Tower Bridge (it's up as a boat crosses through!)

St. Paul's Cathedral

London is an amazingly easy city to get around in. There are signs and maps everywhere, transit running every which way, and if you can afford it, taxi cabs. I also have to mention that Londoners all look so fashionable ... at least a little if not head to toe. Didn't see too many people wearing jeans with runners (like I) and not a pair of Lulus in sight (see FB link to an article critiquing Vancouver's lack of fashion-sense).

My friend and fellow Capacity Support Officer, Paddye, was supposed to arrive in the evening, but got stuck in the customs line-up at Heathrow for over two hours. We were going to go for a late dinner, but after 9pm, I figured I better go eat before the restaurants close. I got back, there was still no sign of her so I got ready for bed. The next day, as I was up at 6am (and as was she) I heard her voice checking out while I was packing downstairs. I learned she didn't get in until really late and barely got a wink of sleep. We briefly said hello and she was off to the airport to fly into Shannon, Ireland, whereas I was going to take the scenic route through the UK to Holyhead via train to board a ferry to Dublin, then take another train to Limerick. We said our "see ya later" and started our journeys to find us some Leprechauns.

And here is a link to my favourite London photos. 

Grand Adventure - Part 1 (India)

Oh boy, I'm gone for a month and there's a brand new Blogger template and Facebook has changed yet again.

I've been back in Colombo now for just over a day and it's been a bit of a rough go. Having been surrounded by familiarity and people from back home I love the last month, coming back has felt a bit isolating again. I'm sure in a few days I'll reconnect with the friends I haven't seen here the last month and all will be well again!

Well, a lot has happened in the last month so I will blog about it over a few posts.

On August 26th I departed for India, sick and tired. It seemed I had yet another virus. Despite being excited for the trip, I had no energy to be excited. Anyhow, I boarded a plane at night to Delhi via Mumbai. Mumbai airport is bare and stark (although modern). Not a place for a tired traveller to nap on the floor (darn!). Anyhow, I arrived in Delhi around 5:00am the next morning ready to find a taxi to the train station. After 45 minutes of searching the airport for the left luggage counter (it's above the metro entrance, by the way), I found the pre-paid booth, purchased my ticket, and off I went. Lucky for me, it was rather straightforward and hassle-free!

First order of business was to head to Agra to meet up with my very good friend Linda. She had been travelling for over three weeks by this point, been sick almost the whole time with what we thought was a parasite, and harassed endlessly by Indian men. When we finally saw each other, we gave each other a GIANT hug and then we gabbed for probably what was a couple hours over food and soda. We made plans for the next day and then to bed we went!

The not so honest man from the back.
He worked hard, but because of his
greed we felt unsatisfied. "You happy,
I happy. You pay if you happy." Then
at the end we weren't that happy ... so
after we handed over some cash, he
then asked "how about more?" We just
walked away. 

Next day before the break of dawn we headed to the Taj Mahal. We wanted to capture it at sunrise, but the sunrise was rather blah this particular morning. Oh well. The best part likely is that we beat the big crowds giving us the freedom to shoot photos with a minimal number of people in it. It's hard to believe that these grounds were built by hands without any modern tools. The precision with which the carvings were done and stones were laid is mind-boggling! The rest of the day we felt rather unmotivated to see anything else. It was still summer temperatures (i.e. pushing 40 degrees) and I was drenching my tops in sweat. We eventually hired a cycle trishaw who took us to a few places ... he had promises of being honest but in the end, greed reared it's ugly head and we were done with that. That evening, we boarded an overnight train to Varanasi.



The Ganges unfortunately was really high when we were there, so no river tours, and the Ghats were mostly covered. We did visit two Ghats, where at one of them I walked by some bodies that were wrapped up gorgeously and ready to be cremated. A bit creepy, but amazing at the same time. No photos though as they were sacred places. Walking around old Varanasi wasn't too bad aside from the cow dung and garbage almost everywhere. It was probably the place we were least harassed and the most interesting. There was so much in all the little shops! This place definitely had character.

The real Brown Bread Bakery in Varanasi. 

Nice gentleman number 1. I can't find
his business card so I don't remember
his name. 

India has some really cutthroat people, but there were a few people who were worth mentioning for the kindness of their hearts. First was the man who helped me hire a motor rickshaw at a fair price and helped me find my guesthouse in Agra. I wish we could have communicated more easily but thank you for being honest. Second, was the man who sold me my "bling" to go with my Salwar in Varanasi. You enjoyed what you do and you had so much patience with my indecisiveness. And to top it off, you threw in a free gift for my friend and I. Very unexpected for culture that has greed woven intricately with it's traditions (a generalization, I know). Third, for the kind gentleman who took us in at his shop for a chat and some chai when we were at our wits end trying to arrange some travel. In the end, I know it helps you do your business (How could I resist not buying a bunch of scarves!). But, I know you would have been perfectly fine with us not buying anything at all. Like the second man, you threw in a couple freebies for us. Also very unexpected. (For those of you who want to know, this guy has his shop in the same building as the Brown Bread Bakery - the real one - an amazing restaurant/bakery that trains locals in the restaurant and also funds a school, in addition to empowering local women).

Even though I was only there for 5 days, I was exhausted in the end. I was tired of being seen as $. I was tired of worrying about whether my next meal would make me sick or not. I was tired of the heat. I missed home. To top it off, when I got to Delhi airport 7 hours before my flight, they wouldn't let me go into the arrivals hall (where people are picked up) so I could go take a shower or check in early so that I could go past security to use the showers in the departures area. I couldn't wait to board the flight to London! I don't know if I would go back ... probably not to that region. Maybe the North or the South in the future, and definitely not in the summer.

And your reward to reading the whole post, a link to my favourite photos from India. 

Because I said so!

It's been noisy around Olympic House the last couple of weeks. The walls that previously surrounded the grounds on which our building sits are in the process of being torn down. Why? Because "someone" said so. This "someone", like "He who must not be named" in a very famous movie, is a bit of a villain in my mind. Unfortunately, this person also has a lot of power.

A friend told me this person can order pretty much anyone around. This person, has "asked" the the National Olympic Committee and the other user groups around us to knock down our outer walls to create a more "open space". Why? Because he likes it. Because, from where he lived overseas, that's the way things are with more open spaces and he likes it. Along the the same lines, if this person sees a wall that is painted the "wrong" colour, he'll ask the property owner to paint it a colour of his choice.

Of course, me being me, I asked, "what if someone says no"? She replied, "No one can say no" to which I did not understand. There is no law against having a wall is mismatched with those around you. Nor is there a law that says you can't have walls up. I know I have no control over it, but it irks me that one person in a position of power can disrupt so many people's lives with a few words and perhaps a wave of a hand (or wand in the movie mentioned above). Sure, if in a neighbourhood where all the walls were white and an eccentric resident chose to paint his/her wall in a multi-colour splatter, I can see them being asked to conform. But, only if it the majority of those living in the vicinity of this resident agree that the wall should be white and even then they can ask and not force this person to change.

So here we are at the NOC, down to almost no walls and feeling rather naked and exposed to everything else around us. The walls provided a feeling of security and identity.  Not just for us, but probably for people like the ones I can now see through the window at my desk; the living area of the few live-in workers in the building next to ours. The walls were a boundary that told us "this place is ours". Now, anyone can walk onto our grounds and enjoy them, which isn't necessarily a bad thing as we have a beautiful place. It's just that there is little privacy anymore. But if the ducks have it their way on the grounds, no one will get to enjoy the grounds. (I tried today to cut through the outdoor dining area of the restaurant attached to our building and they chased me out. These ducks also like to leave little gifts all over our driveway and grounds).

Kandy Esala Perahera

Sri Dalada Maligawa lit up at night for the Esala Perahera. 

Last weekend, the girls in the office, with some help of people connected to the NOC, organized a trip for all us to go see the Kandy Esala Perahera. The Perahera is a big parade with dancers and elephants which celebrates and honours the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha housed in Sri Dalada Maligawa temple in Kandy.

The Intercity Express.

We took the Intercity Express train from Colombo Fort Station on Saturday morning in reserved 1st class seats. It was a lovely ride going through rural parts of Sri Lanka passing through rice paddies and coconut plantations before we climbed the hills, reaching Kandy in just under three hours.







Fast forwarding to the parade itself, we were lucky to have had someone arrange for us reserved seating under cover in the stands. It was a bit of a rainy day as according to superstition, whenever the Tooth Relic is taken out of it's room, it rains. Seems like the myth was holding true! We got to our seats at about 5pm to ensure they weren't taken and sat around waiting for the 7:30pm start. We snacked, chatted, and then got a bit bored. Because we were in the hills it got a little chilly too! Prior to the Perahera starting, the roads were washed water about a hour prior to the start. Then about half an hour before the start, the roads were washed again with a water and turmeric solution that is supposed to disinfect the road. According to Indian and Sri Lankan traditional medicine, turmeric is an antiseptic and is sometimes put on wounds. Who knew?! Before long, it was dark, and we heard the sounds of whippers - men and boys who crack long whips before the procession to signal the start of the Perahera.

Torch bearers walk alongside with the procession the whole way through lighting the way for the participants and the elephants. There are flutists, horn players, Kandyan dancers, fire spinners, and drummers interspersed with elephants carrying various relics on their backs and decorated with gorgeous drapery and lights. The Perahera repeats every night for two weeks ending on the Poya day in August with the grandest parade of them all. Because we saw the Perahera near the beginning of its season, it was lower key than the ones following it with more amateur performers - kids who look like they would much rather be somewhere else and many that looked bored to be there. However, there were a few performers who performed with so much passion it was such a pleasure to watch them dance with endless energy.

The elephant in the middle is the one carrying the casket in which the Sacred Tooth Relic sits. 

It was a LONG and slow parade though ... 2 hours with everything repeating itself about 5 times but with slightly different costumes and colours. They were kind of split into different segments depending on which relic was being celebrated but the performances that followed each relic (being carried by an elephant and it's elephant entourage) eventually started to look the same. At least there people were performing all the way - unlike at home where sometimes it's just people walking behind a banner in a parade or waving on an uneventful float.

Kandyan Dancers

The day after we visited the Sri Dalada Maligawa for Puja while the doors to the chamber in which the Sacred Tooth Relic is held were open. We got a glimpse of the casket in a very busy hall where many people were making their offerings and chanting. The girls walked me through how to make an offering to the Buddha with Blue Lotus flowers which entitled me to one wish after the offering. I'm not telling what it is!


Fast forward to the next day ...

So I didn't plan any celebrations for my birthday and kept it pretty low key. Sri Lankans party pretty hard and I was not up to that task for my birthday so I didn't really put it out there. So what do I mean by party hard? In line with the habit of eating dinner late, say, not until 9 or 10pm, they don't head to the clubs/bars until well after midnight. It's common not to get to a club until 1am or 2am then stay until 4 or 5am! For those of you who know me well, I love my sleep and it's hard pressed to find me up that late. Usually at that hour I might be waking up to go snowboarding in the winter...

My Birthday cookies. 

I did do a small celebration with the girls at the office. Here, it's customary that when you celebrate something, you bring the celebration! Knowing that I wouldn't be able to just buy a birthday cake because of my egg and dairy intolerances, I baked some birthday cookies instead. They were a sugar cookie, dipped on one side with lime flavoured icing and topped with dried coconut. The girls gave me a lovely card and some gift certificates to spend at ODEL (yay!). I think the highlight though was when Dinushi said she would love to open a cookie shop with me. ;)

U want a tuna?

Relaxing on a grey Saturday watching the seas from the balcony of Hotel Dhammika, Unawatuna.

Emelie and Alex relaxing under a tree in front of the Happy Banana.

Well, I would offer you a piece of my tuna, but it's overdone and dry like jerky. That's what the tuna I had this weekend on my skewer was like. Aside from that, I had a lovely weekend in Unawatuna (you-na-wa-tu-na). Another gorgeous Sri Lankan beach and with great company yet again. I was invited out by Alex and Emelie, a couple from Sweden to join them and what was going to be a few others. Those few others turned into eight so they broke off and did their own thing. Glad I brought a friend, Laura, along so I wasn't a third wheel!

The view from our guesthouse on Sunday morning!

Arrived on Saturday to rainy skies and great big grey clouds. We checked-in at the wonderful Hotel Dhammika (recommended by Alex and Emelie - 3rd time in Una I think?) and got a room without air conditioning for a reasonable 2500LKR (22CAD) that included a little mini fridge and a TV - not common at guesthouses. After sitting through the afternoon at the laid-back Bong Spice Chili Cafe (which was beside Happy Banana, who is neighbours with Lucky Tuna ... all restaurants), we retreated to our rooms to wait out the rain and enjoy the view from our balconies.  Cooler yet was an adventurous American/Australian couple (hi Jennie and Greg!) knocked on their door on Saturday afternoon and asked if Alex and Emelie wanted to have dinner with them and then of course Alex and Emelie invited us along. Good times! Dinner on the beach with a couple torches in the sand and under the stars. Awesome. Sunday was a much nicer day, but alas, it was time to head back to the city to get ready for the week.

What Unawatuna really is all about. Blue skies, blue waters and soft sandy beaches.

Got back late afternoon on Sunday and wasn't feeling great so I rolled into bed instead of going to yoga. Ended up feeling pretty sick and slept all night and basically until Tuesday morning (yeah, 36 hours-ish) only waking up occasionally to boil some water, take some Tylenol, and freshen up to feel better. I think it was another case of stomach flu/food poisoning. To make matters worse, the traffic authority had changed the traffic pattern in my area permanently as of Monday so I now live on one of the busiest roads in Colombo. As I was trying to recover, dozing in and out of sleep, I would occasionally get a really loud honk from those crazy bus drivers, along with a bunch of honk honks from tuk tuks, cars, and motorbikes, that interrupted my rest. I found some solace that I wasn't the only one who thinks this arrangement is crazy: http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110717/BusinessTimes/bt10.html. I'll have to try and do some before and after photos of the traffic difference for you guys later.

Unluckily through all this, red ants decided it would be nice to binge on my protein stash in my cupboard. They broke into my soybeans, cashews, crackers, noodles, rice, and oatmeal! Buggers! They ate through both plastic and foil packaging. GEEEZ.

Observe the holes in the foil packaging. They ruined my crackers. :( 

Those are all (dead) ants after I sprayed a dishwash detergent & water solution on them.  And that wasn't even the worst of it. I was too freaked out then to take a photo!