Sri Lanka searching

So with our unexpected year not turning into the year we wished for we decided we would take the positive and head of on another adventure to a new land, or maybe old. A colleague had just been walking in the Himalayas and my need to drink chai and get back to India was bubbling inside, I broached the subject with Sam, however was quickly told no and reminded we had just bought a house, I left it and pondered and obviously pestered and managed to find flights from Edinburgh for a decent price, with a few quieter words Sammy was convinced, the flights were booked and Sri Lanka was the destination. 

We had wanted to go to Sri Lanka when travelling in 2014, however our time and money just wouldn’t allow it so we decided to give it a miss knowing it was somewhere we could enjoy on a 3wk holiday. We sat down with our guidebook and map and discussed what our wishes were from the holiday, as always I wanted beach, a good hike with a touch of history, I am so lucky having Sam as my travel buddy we pretty much always want the same, he is a great beach bum, loves indulging in a good book and battling the waves. We had some advice from others and decided that with 3wks we had enough time to venture South then make our way North, we also had friends we wished to meet in Ella so made sure we had a good couple of days with them also. 

We flew into Colombo and decided to stay in the capital for one night, we had a long flight so knew we would want to rest when we arrived and snooze the afternoon away, Sam had found the Silvikris Villas, which was nestled away, the ease of the taxi from the airport slowly turned into unease as we drove around looking for our accommodation, however with lots of asks we found our stay and checked ourselves in.

Sam and I love venturing and seeing the capital, it’s always so busy and mental and it’s great to dive in and experience it for a few hours. We found a place to eat before crashing out for the afternoon, as always with our limited language we bumbled our way through ordering and managed to get a few rotis and some dips. That evening we took a stroll out to the cricket, Sam has always talked of wanting to watch cricket in another country so we paid our 25p and took our seats amongst the locals, I must admit I snoozed the afternoon away on the hill, with the joy of cheering and laughter in the background. Sam had a great time and I could see from the smile on his face and the temptation to come back the next day for more showed his pure enthusiasm for the sport and enjoyment of watching it in another country. 

After the cricket we headed to Galle face Green for sunset, it was rammed with locals and food vendors and we tried our hand at some street food, deep fried, spicy and interesting, we strolled back and forth, people watching and taking photos. As we left we were followed by a myriad of flea ridden dogs, to which I partially freaked out and ran into a posh hotel to get rid of them, they wouldn’t stop following our scent which was hilarious or maybe they just knew we were different and may have food. 

We took the train to Mirissa the following morning, our first journey on Sri Lankan trains, it was rammed on the train, there was no room to sit and sadly the beautiful view out the window was only enjoyed at intermittent points, however when it was seen it was a total joy, coastline, blues, tropical greens and rustic browns, families enjoying life and getting on with everyday chores, the snapshots seen were wonderful and a much difference to some of the sights I have seen on other train journeys. 

We arrived in Mirissa and had decided to stay at Amarasinghe Guesthouse, some friends had stayed here a few years before and really rated it, Sam and I love a good recommendation so we decided to go for it. We were lucky as the guest house was empty so we had a whole area to ourselves which was gorgeous and looked out onto a garden with spices and sweet delicious smells. We enjoyed tasty curry and rice there that evening and spent the days lolling about on the beach and attempting not to be sucked under by the waves. We also had booked our whale watching tour in Mirissa, with a company called Raja and the Whales, again they had been recommended, however Sam had chosen to do some reading and was really pleased with the values they held http://www.rajaandthewhales.com/ they carry out work with Edinburgh university and were one of the first companies operating whale tours. We took our trip the next morning and rose early, I swallowed my seasickness tablet willing not to be affected, however with my track record it was obvious I would be, the sickness came as we headed out and although I managed the tour there was defiantly a few icky moments. The guys shared a lot about the whales (I wish I had been able to concentrate on it all), they shared how they would track the whales and what they would do once they spotted a whale. The trip paid off and we managed to see 3-4 blue whales, we mainly saw the backs of the whales as they dived down and sadly no tail flicks, however the joy of seeing them was mind blowing and was worth the sickness. We came back in that afternoon and snoozed on the sands then eat out that night, enjoying more rice and curry, sadly no lion beer as the brewery had been flooded so I ordered a cheeky cocktail and took in the evening sunset with my love. 

We woke the next morning and headed to Tangalle, another beach spot and our plan was 3 days of doing nothing but reading and sunbathing, we bought our yummy egg samosas and took the bus to Tangalle from Mirissa, the hustle and bustle that surrounded us was wonderful to watch, people staring as they saw us on the bus, talking and asking us where we were from and why we were travelling there Sri Lanka. 

We arrived in Tangalle and fell upon a wonderful accommodation, sadly it didn’t have a name as was still being rebuilt from the tsunami, the owner had two rooms but was in the midst of building another four further back, due to this he gave us a great price, our room looked right out onto the ocean, the room was nestled in between the palm trees and was an adorable spot for the next three nights. My favourite part of Tangalle was that there was what we called ‘the lazy river’ it was a pool where the water became trapped between the rocks and it was so funny going from one end to the other, sadly the rest of the sea was too crashing to lull about in so the lazy river was our main hang out when the tropical sun took over. Tangalle was super quiet and still, with nothing going on but a couple of restaurants, it was ideal to just switch of, read and really shake the worries away. 

From Tangalle we headed into Ella, we were meeting friends in the hills for a few days, we had two days booked and Sam had organised a wonderful homestay that looked out over Ella Rock, Nimsara Homestay, it was a wonderful two room stay above the home of the hosts, the food was absolutely delicious, some of the best we have tasted in Sri Lanka, we ate at Nimsara both nights and couldn’t have asked for more from our stay. We had decided we would spend one full day out and about, a morning walk and late afternoon due to the midday sun being too much. We climbed Little Adams Peak in the morning, up to the tea factory, across the railway line (for miles) then back to Ella for some lunch. That evening we headed back out along the railway tracks to mini ravana falls, it was crazy watching and talking to people as they ambled along the train tracks, living just off the tracks with small homes and showers outdoors for the world to see. A train came past as were walking and we were quick to jump on the side as it zoomed its way along. Sam decided to be the daredevil he is and climb out on the top of the waterfall (there was no water so it was empty) with a local guy, the fear struck us all and we quickly urged him back as we could only see his head. The waterfall is part of the walk to Ella Rock, which we had decided not to take on, however a few late travellers passed us by as we turned ourselves around and headed back into Ella for drinks. 

We woke the next morning with blurry heads, we had a couple of buses to take before we got to our next destination which was Arugam Bay, on route to the bus stop a tuktuk drive accosted us and asked if we would like a cheap tuktuk all the way to ‘A Bay’, obviously dubious we started to walk away, however then realised this guy was being serious and when we worked out the effort and cost of the bus to the tuktuk it was a difference of £3, so in we hopped and off we went. It was so much fun, yep I was hungover but what a dream a tuktuk straight there, it took around 3.5hrs and we drove through so many interesting spots, towns, national parks, elephant stoppings, it was great, I snoozed and took in the journey, Sam chatted away to our driver who lived in A Bay and wanted to get home to his family after dropping a couple of in Ella. It was a perfect way to travel and such a great experience to add to the adventure we were on. 

We arrived in A Bay and planned to stay at a certain beachfront accommodation, however it was full and brimming with your classic backpackers so we headed in and came across The Folly, which was literally a dream stop and exactly what we were looking for, a hut on the beach which was clean and had frangipani trees situated in the beach filled garden. We could see and hear the sea and there were deckchairs out front for lounging when not on the beach, yep the next 4 days were definitely sorted. 

Arugam Bay was totally beautiful and such a delight, situated on the Indian Ocean, the sea was wild and there was so many great surf spots, Sam decided it was all a bit too cool and advanced so we gave the surf a miss but enjoyed scooting out to see some of the surf hang outs and play about in the ocean waves without a board. My most favourite part of Arugam was the elephants, so many wild ones, we took a bike out one day and managed to spot two elephants playing in water and then another family on the way home at dusk, there wild large frame just idling through the sandy terrain, we sat for some time just watching and willing for a closer look however we respect there wild and wondrous ways and enjoyed this scene of nature from afar.

We also encountered a crazy rainstorm whilst in A Bay and an afternoon on the beach soon turned into sodden clothes and hibernating away. The storm came as we were out wandering the top end of the beach, the locals went crazy for it, jumping and lapping about in the waves, some took cover but a huge amount soaked in this storm, thankful for the break in the heat. I enjoyed getting my camera out and taking some shots of the smiles on folks faces, the men and children in the water and the women on the side lines, hiking their saris and dresses up and paddling into the edge of the ocean. 

We were ready to move on from A Bay when the time came, feeling we had taken what we wanted and lapped in its delights, I was ready to move inland, away from the sea and enjoy a good few days exploring the Ancient Cities, we had decided to base ourselves in Polonnaruwa at Devis Tourist Homestay, the homestay was nice, friendly, an abundance of cats (not so great), but a really helpful place and they sorted everything out for us which made it very easy. We had 4 days, the first our arrival day, we chose to relax, read and have a mini explore, there isn’t much to do in Polonnaruwa, its very local with little but one street of shops and about one restaurant, plus its gets super dark and Devi’s is a little walk from town, so we ate at the home stay every night. 

The second day we headed into Polonnaruwa, the tickets for the ‘main attractions’ were more expensive than the sites in India and we were looking at £25pp for each ticket, Polonnaruwa is defiantly a good day ticket and we hired bikes and cycled around the ancient sites, enjoying the history of the ruins and the statue of the Buddha’s potted around the grounds. We went early to avoid the heat, however sadly it does get busy and we found ourselves attempting to stay ahead of the crowds, the site itself is so grand and there is so much to see, we decided which sites we felt we could manage before the midday heat took over, and we got a good amount in, feeling we had the opportunity to embrace it all and get our money’s worth of our ticket. My favourite was the Polonnaruwa Vatadage, this is an old house relic with four staircases and at the top of each is a Buddha, the Buddha is just sat there, present and strong, I found myself standing for some time in awe of its structure and shape. Gal Vihara is the other incredible spot in Polonnaruwa, its where 3 Buddha’s are placed, they were found around different parts of the ancient site however have been brought together to preserve, this area was so busy but there was something quite special about being in the hustle and bustle and everyone putting their lotus flowers down and praying to their god. We headed back after seeing the Gal Vihara and hid away from the baking sun, we went back out that evening to see the other site that was unearthed, it was a joy cycling out here, you went along a lake and there was people carrying out there every day activities, couples dating, people coming home from work, it didn’t take long to see the evening site,, similarities to other parts of the morning site however just being further out and seeing what else had been found was such an experience and a pleasure to have taken the time to see. 

The next day we took an afternoon trip to a national park, we had been informed to go to Minneryia but were advised by the owner of the homestay to go to Kadulla as there were more elephants there. We decided to treat ourselves and got a jeep for us two, costing us around £60, we were picked up around 2pm and went out in the jeep to the park, it didn’t take too long to get there and our driver pointed a number of birds and other animal life out to us on route. As we entered the park it didn’t take too long before we saw our first elephants, our driver was great, he was really respectful and didn’t drive too close, force us to get photos took or do the whole touristy thing, even when more jeeps drove up, he drove off not allowing too many jeeps to be on top of the elephant parade. In total we must have saw nearly 100 elephants, down by waterholes, lonesome or just a small family heading across the grass lands to find shelter for the evening. It was more than I could ask for and the exact reason I love seeing what a national park can bring, animals in their natural habitat, just beautiful. 

The next day we headed out to Sigirya in a tuktuk, from Sigirya we were heading straight to Trincomalee, so our lovely driver stated he would stay with us and keep our bags whilst we took the climb up Sigirya. This was definitely my most favourite day, I never thought the elephants could be beaten but climbing up Sigirya and reaching the top was just mind blowing and the sights just took my breath away. The story of it being a monastery or palace, or both was great to explore and to see what was up there and how it was all laid out. My belief is it was a monastery but then was made into a palace by the king who took over the lands of Sigirya, to imagine home being so high up. Before you make the big climb there is a point where you head up the stairs through these grand lion paws, you can see the elements of regency and grandness through pockets of the rock and it was just an incredible morning of hiking and sightseeing. The museum was also great at Sigirya, it had information about the finding of this great rock palace and the story of the first archaeologist that dug out so many parts of this ancient ground. 

We caught a bus straight to Trincomalee from Sigirya which was great, the journey went quick and we landed at our stay. Trincomalee was a great spot to end, we stayed in Uppuveli at The Little White House, it was a quaint stay, however there was an air of sadness floating as we found out one of the owners had been diagnosed with cancer a few weeks before, meaning you were basically left to work it all out yourself, however one guy was still there and after our first days of doubts he calmed our nerves and shared some hidden spots that we should unearth. Our next few days here were spent eating rice and curry and kotthu, reading, snorkeling and hiring scooters to go to an old army beach that had no one on but the fishermen. It was a paradise bliss and I was thankful we had headed north to end our trip in such a quiet part of the country. I could feel the sense of some newness creeping in and I felt that in a few years this part of the coast may look very different to what we were seeing, as we sat on our last day sipping cocktails by the sea, I was marveled at the beauty Sri Lanka had given, ready to head home but my heart was full and my travel toes happy. 

Project Van Life pt2

We have been back out on the van again, Sam has taken on more of the role with me, due to a lot of work being a one man job and i feel i am just getting in the way, however as Sam stated i am crafting for the interior of the van so i am still working, this made me feel more comfortable about sitting watching grey's anatomy whilst crocheting. 

We are still insulating, it's a long and boring job and has many many layers, in my last blog post here http://claire-yvonne.blogspot.com/2016/10/project-van-life.html we started cleaning and prepping the van, if that was not boring then insulating has definitely taken over, we had to first add the outer insulation, we used thermal wrap (Wickes) which was placed on the inside of all the van, celing, walls, floor, we also placed some in the front cab and placed an old yoga mat on tap for a bit extra comfort (before we place the carpet down), we stuck it all down with high temperature adhesive (amazon), which stank and was super strong, we had to cut set lengths to fit around the wheel base (inside the van) and inside certain compartments along the edges. 

Sam then added the framing using timber, the framing will hold the ply, we then started placing space loft roll (Wickes) on top of the thermal roll to pad it out and ensure the heat is kept in good and proper for when the ply goes on top. We used a spray adhesive to start sticking the space loft roll on, however some will just be placed behind the ply walls, this weekend will be more insulating and hopefully the walls will start being placed. 

As for whats happening inside the house, i started crocheting squares a few years back, i decided when travelling in 2014 it would be a good thing to learn and allow my hands to keep crafting, the blanket has been a slow process, however i decided it would be a great van blanket so i have now started focusing more on it rather then it being a 'work in progress' ~ so here it is just a few snaps as a taster. My idea is the crochet squares with the brown outside will be the outer layer then a mad mixture of colours in the middle, there is no order to this blanket, it's been made by so many different wool's in so many different countries that it literally will be a mixture of madness, however it will be treasured as it will be my first crochet masterpiece. 

Garden Village Community Advent Windows

I have lived in the Garden Village since 1999, it's a wonderful little area in the midst of Gosforth that i feel has a village esk feel to it. There is a lot of debate about which streets belong to the Garden Village however in the name of community the Garden Village is an area of streets off and around Hollywood Avenue. When moving back home Sam and I discussed constantly where we would settle, whether that would be the country or the city, we chose the city and aptly decided the Garden Village was where we wished to reside. We moved in to our home in January 2016, and my new years resolution was to bring a community minded spirit to where i lived, this was when the idea of the community advent windows began. 

A friend of mine's Mum lives in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, each year they inform me of the advent window display they are putting together, i loved the concept and the idea of a new window being displayed each day of advent, the idea of a living advent window and it being a community minded activity. 

I decided that the Garden Village was perfect for the advent windows, it could be carried out as a circular trail if we got enough houses and i felt if i could involve the Garden Village Hall the trail could end there on Christmas Eve for Christmas Carol Singing (a yearly tradition). I carried out research on what i wanted the first leaflet to look like, as felt the best way to see who was interested was a good old fashioned leaflet drop, the first leaflet needed to have specific information about what the project was, what was expected from people and the importance of what it could bring to our community, however i was aware people may be cautious, thinking it would come at a cost or be linked to a specific group. 

The uptake started and with every email i got a spark of excitement, by Tuesday i had 12 people - i decided at this number i would definitely run the advent windows but it would be every other day, however over the next week the spaces started to fill up and eventually we ended up with 26 windows, i decided that 3 would open on Christmas Eve as i wanted everyone to be involved who wanted to be.  

Sammy put together the trail and produced the map, which i was so happy with, can you see the secret sleigh? To put the route together i found out what dates people could do and couldn't do and attempted to arrange the trail route the best i could around these dates.

Everyone was happy with the dates given and i asked for a description from each home of their window display and who and how it had come together. I felt it would give the windows a life and an understanding for those carrying the trail out. I decided to not advertise anywhere but the local community and our facebook page as i wanted it to be a community based trail and not opened out to all. The Garden Village committee also got involved and it was decided the houses that were no24 windows would be around the Garden Village Hall so we could all enjoy carols there after the advent trail. 

We did a 2nd leaflet drop of the maps, meaning that even if people weren't doing a window they could enjoy the advent trail.

It was incredible to see people out on the trail, we took advent day 1 and i did a picture of me walking Socks.

On day 1 there was a flock of folk outside the house, admiring the window, holding their maps and joyfully embracing the festive display. The month carried on like this, everyday a new display lit up and i shared the image with the description on facebook. 

We decided on the 24th to serve hot chocolate and mulled cider and invite everybody around to ours to do a joint trail. We couldn't believe how many people came by, i think we counted 50-60, everyone brought a cup, we served up then enjoyed a wonderful wintery Christmassy walk. The feeling was amazing, i had a few tears with the wonder that was such an incredible community and being part of a new tradition, there was so many positive words shared and everyone loved the windows, the creativity came in so many different ways and seeing everyone's individual window was amazing, but seeing everyone enjoying each other's windows on the walk was the icing on the cake. 

to see more of the windows check out Garden Village Community Advent on facebook. 

2016 – A year of unexpected.

2016, a time of crafting, reflection and thing’s not always going the way we planned, however other things came about that were unexpected and we made a year that could have been tiresome into something just as beautiful.

Jan 2016 

We had different plans for 2016, we bought a house and that became our focus, spending the money we had to decorate it the best we could, we got creative with colour, wallpaper, tiles and boldness and made a house into our home. 

March 2016

The Hens came home, then they multiplied. We always knew we wanted our hens back, it was a jolt in us moving as the rented flat wouldn't allow us to have them, so when we started to be settled i spoke to Jill, a friend who was looking after them in Rothbury, she was moving and looking to re-home them so it worked a treat, Spring came and they arrived on the back of a truck, one had sadly passed due to a sore foot but Maisy and Mavis joined us again, these two have moved all over the UK, i was pleased to see them back where they belong. We decided to purchase a few more hens, so went for two hybrid layers and another two bantams. The coop got bigger and after a few teething problems they all become a flock and enjoyed being together. Sadly we lost Maisy just before Christmas, she must have been around 6 so had good innings for a hen, Sam found her passed at the back of the coop, with her mate Mavis (aka Tina Turner) watching over her. We have a new hen coming in the next week from my Aunty, Nicola the black rock, hopefully the girls will accept her and there wont be too much bullying.

Spring/Summer 2016

We took many a walk out in the country and coast, enjoying the Northumberland air, we took trips to some old haunts but also some new.

August 2016

We then decided to take a trip to Sri Lanka, however just before going we purchased Betty, we had always decided we wanted a campervan project, however didn't expect this to happen until 2017, an opportunity presented itself though and it was too good to miss, so a few days before flying we headed to Sheffield to pick her up and bring her home.

We took our travelling toes off again mid August, not thinking we would have the opportunity to this year, we found cheap flights and decided what the hell, why not. We booked 3wks off work and decided to explore a this enchanting country (i hope to write a blog about Sri Lanka, so watch this space). Sri Lanka was beautiful, really laid back and chilled out, tasty food, the most beautiful beaches and sights that were awe inspiring, my highlights were climbing Sigiriya and all the beaches, lots of relax, book reading, life planning and silliness with my love. 

October 2016

We came back to England and decided it was time for us to become 3, it wasn't happening any other way so why not this way. The decision to get a dog did not come lightly, i have wanted a dog for years however its just never felt right, my love of pugs moved and Sammy suggested we take home a retired greyhound, it's a dog i didn't know a lot about however Socks is perfect for us. Socks loves a good walk, but also a good rest, she is affectionate and loves a cuddle and her nature is just to die for. We have made many good decisions this year, but this one was one definitely beats the rest, we visited http://www.northumberlandgreyhoundrescue.org.uk/ up in Steele, luckily for us we had already seen Socks online and she was still there when we went to meet the dogs, from the moment we saw her we knew she was our girl. A few weeks later, home she came and we haven't looked back.

At the end of October i became an Aunty, my brother and his fiancee had a baby boy called Miles, blessing us with his gorgeous smile, cute face and delicious baby smell. I got my craft on and made him a mobile, i went down the safari animal play and got creative with my miniature knitted world books. 

November 2016

Winter came with a mix of feelings, we thought we would be ending the year with different news but sadly it hasn't happened for us yet, lots of tests and appointments and investigations so some good news and bad over the winter months, i will write about this more when the time comes but for now it is filled with a mix bag of emotions.

December 2016

December came with a new project in tow, something i am going to blog further about but i had decided to bring a living advent window to my local community, lots of planning, preparation and organising and the project came together, each day a new window was reveled in the community displaying an advent/Christmas/winter theme. On the 24 December, all 24 windows were open and the full advent trail could commence. The project was great with amazing participation, here's a sneak of our window, each window would have a short description with it so people could learn the story behind the design.

 Our window was based on my snowy walks with our wonderful greyhound. 

2017

2017 starts with difficulties but i have developed a mantra 'believe in the hope' to push me through any negatives that maybe trying to flood my mind. I have an operation coming up next week and i plan to stay as positive as i can, i have incredible support around me and being in the arms of those souls keeps me going on this challenging but wonderful journey called life. 

ps - here's to more blogging, its my constant, please feel free to leave comments, i love hearing folks feedback and stories. 

Claire x

Keeping to my Promise

My writing feels like its decreasing rather than increasing, I read other blogs and I urge myself to start again but things move to the wayside and I find it’s another month before I focus and recount what I want to share with others. I have so many notes for blog entries, I will get round to them but life has become busy and my promise to myself whilst travelling has been left at the back door. So today my writing comes from a place of change, a commitment to myself and my well-being. 

Sam and I took 2014 to travel, explore, adventure and reconnect and we definitely felt we did that, I quit my job to take on this mighty test of travel and found it a challenge not having a working routine but also refreshing to not be managed and told what I can and can’t do. It brought a new life to me and made me re-evaluate my old one but also my commitments to work and what I wanted for my career, what was important to me and my sanity. 

I came back with drive and passion to set up my own business/s and get a part time job allowing a guaranteed monthly income. One business succeeded, another didn’t work out the way I planned, the part time job came through, however this part time job turned into a full time and I realised that my working week was suddenly at between 35-40hrs over 4/5 days which wasn’t the plan I had once had in mind. I find money is the killer, it sneaks in and then i become reliant on it and it becomes hard to then go back, I know I start spending more and stuff starts to appear that I don’t really need. My mind slows down and my brain becomes mushy, the work I do requires time, energy and empathy and that’s a lot to give away, and not have time to replenish because before you know it the week starts again and the cycle continues.  
Last week I bit the bullet and went to my manager and took my time back, I have lessened my counselling hours which allows me to work 3 days a week then a Tuesday evening for my yoga. It allows me to spend time planning and developing as I have plans for more yoga next year but more importantly it gives me time to enjoy my new found greyhound, knit, rest, read and relax. 

I ask myself what makes us dedicate so much of our life to work, when did money become a thing that gave us status and when did we stop enjoying the life we want to live and take it for granted, giving it all up for work and stuff, stuff we don’t normally need. 

 

Project Van Life

So for those of you who didn't see our sneaky instagram posts a few months back, we got lucky and my cousin sold us his van, she's a beast, massive to say the least, a big tall lass. Its been a dream for some time to renovate and create our own camper and we are now in the process of being able to spend time working out where and how we begin, well we started....

Boards down, cleaning begins, design planning!

Windows are being fitted Monday then it's insulating and frame fitting...