Elephants elephant elephants

I don't know how to eat

Imagine you are in a buffet line and the person ahead of you takes a plate, puts gravy on it and then goes to he next station which is a hamburger one. Testing only, that person cuts the burger in half and then puts half the burger on the plate with gravy. Then, that person gets a martini glass for the mashed potatoes.

That's what I do every day. I eat everything I see in small amounts. Some things I recognize, others remain unknown. And I don't care. This trip is a banquet.

I can't even remember what day of the Perehara it is, I just know it's over. Yesterday, I saw elephants without costumes and they were in traffic. Made me think of police horses--can't get over how elephants are like pick up trucks here.

Everything's a scam part Ii

The train station was confusing. I speak neither Tamil nor Singhalese so I have to wait for the third part of any announcement which is in English. Turns out, the best information comes from this guy that just walked up to me. He's giving me hand signals to stay in place in the ladies waiting room so I do. A lot of other tourists are there, too along with regulars who take the train all the time.

This guy stands out cause he's well dressed, clean, and has good teeth. He also signals me that he is deaf. After waiting with me and all the other tourists in the station -- 25 maybe, he helps me get on the train and with my luggage which is one very heavy suitcase 36 kilos so 80 lbs. how did that get so heavy? Back to this guy. Just as the train is slowly pulling out of the station, this guy thrusts a piece of paper under my nose. He's with a school for the deaf and is collecting donations. I see a whole list of names, countries, and the amount of 1000 Sri Lankan rupees which is about $7.

I figure that's pretty darn fair for making sure I got on the right train.

Everything's a scam, but a reasonable one

The train ride to Kandy started with the tuk-tuk ride to the train station. Imagine a 25hp motorcycle, put a wrap around widshield on it that is big enough to go around the whole bike, then finish it with some stretched canvas and you have half the equation. The other half is the driver. Minor could hardly see. Scrawny ol guy with cataracts. His first words to me were that he had a problem, he was poor, and his wife was very sick in the hospital. The ride is supposed to cost 300 Sri Lankan rupees which is about $2.50. So I gave him 1000 rupee bill and asked for 500 back. He performed quite a good show of handing me 100 rupee bills and a couple 50 rupee bills. Long story short, I paid 700 rupees for the ride so more than twice the going rate. It was $5. Seemed alright by me.

View from my hotel room. I'm at the Queen's Hotel

Doha is a sand castle

Eleven and a half hours to the ancient past with a veneer of flash. The first thing you notice is the color and placement of those towers. They're in a circle, all look the same and border a man-made. Those towers are the same color as the sand And look just as parched. On the ground, their are no reference points. The light blue sky with a pink glow is all you see unless you turn to look at a plane which seems to be an artifact from another time. Instantly, you recognize the desert is going to win. Actually, the desert doesn't care what happens to you or anthing else. And the airport is 80 feet away from where the shuttle drops you off at 530 am. Already hotter and more humid than how citified people are able to function. Doha is rich. One of the highest nations in per capita wealth. The airport tells you that, too with $2000 dollar silk shells from Hermes. Berkas and made-up eyes. Grizzled oil guys. They look down on their luck even with duty-free bags of gifts. Sultans and emirs in flowing white robes. The American woman with a sleeve of tattoos and short shorts. And lots of Asians. Where did they come from?...the ones speaking Arabic I mean. Spiced tea, sweet cheese with pomegranate seeds and a hibiscus refresher. Pedicure -- they don't soak your feet, they apply orchid gel which softens your feet. Full body massage and facial at the spa. Four hours later Sri Lanka. So far, Colombo looks like savannah Georgia with unrecognizable cars and trucks and vans and those tuk-tuks. Tiny taxis that run on 2 cilanders or something. My taxi Grover has more apps on his phone than I do. He wants to move to Canada because there are no jobs here. Oil and transportation is what I see. And the hari Krishnas at the airports here have a plane to catch. Train to Kandy tomorrow.