Saturday, March 17, 2018

Christmas in Sri Lanka


5 months and the last time I can get into
that bathing suit, for sure



This post is happening 3 months after the actual trip to Sri Lanka. We've been a little busy, getting ready for our little human to arrive.

We had 2 whole weeks in Sri Lanka and wanted to explore this diverse country some more, as we had really only seen a very small part of it on our first trip.  We started the trip, briefly, in Colombo to pick up our rental car.  In true Kristi and Matt fashion, the rental car was a disaster waiting to happen.  It's a long and stressful story, but involves a pregnant Kristi running (literally) around government offices before they close in 15 minutes trying to obtain a driving license followed by a minor incident with a parked car.  Matt drove the rest of the trip. 




Luckily, the rest of the trip was smooth.  We traveled to Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, in the mountainous region, to spend some time hiking, visiting a tea plantation, and seeing traditional Kandyan dancers. 

                                       


Traditional Sri Lankan Breakfast: String Hoppers (rice noodles) with Dal (lentils), Sambola
(fresh shredded coconut with chili), and eggs.

Nuwara Eliya city park snake charmer


From Nuwara Eliya we traveled to Horton Plains National Park. This park offers day hiking through forest and grassland, great views and wildlife. We saw monkeys, a very friendly bird, and something called a forest mouse which was squirrel the size of a medium-sized dog.












Obligatory car trouble on Christmas Day. The best part of this story is how we had 10 Sri Lankans pulled over trying to help us-pushing the car uphill to jump start, letting us use their phones, and escorting us to a mechanic in the next town.


We took a short hike to look at Adam's peak from the town of Ella. The views were nice and we were reminded that almost anywhere you go in the world you will find a sleeping dog.

We then traveled to the South end of the island to visit Yala National Park, renowned for the wildlife and the exceptional efforts at conservation, a challenge on this crowded island.   We want on a jeep safari from the town of Kataragama and got to see some amazing wildlife, including a leopard! 

This elephant we actually saw the day before on our drive towards the park.
Peacocks were everywhere in this part of the country.

Temples were also everywhere. Some famous temples are popular destinations for tourists and locals alike. Walking down the road in any rural area you will encounter more modest ones as well.

Offerings for sale outside the Kataragama Temple

Evening ceremony at Kataragama

We also learned that if you remove your shoes too close to the temple entrance they will be carefully relocated for you.


Sri Lanka's national bird: The Ceylon Jungle Fowl. It's also a wild ancestor of the chicken.




















We finished our trip with a few relaxing days in Mirissa, a beach resort town.  Kristi went whale watching and saw blue whales, dolphins, and sea turtles, while Matt fished. 


Saturday, March 10, 2018

Because... Kuwait

Why do we drive in the emergency lane during heavy traffic?
Because... Kuwait.

Why do people here cut in line and act as if there are not 6 other people waiting for the same thing?
Because...Kuwait

Why does it sound like the 12's when the Seahawks score a touchdown in my classroom every time it rains?
Because...Kuwait

Why does it take Matt 3 tries to get a driver's license (clearly a very skilled driver) when it only takes Kristi once (clearly a horrible driver)?
Because...Kuwait

Why can I get Taco Bell, Dairy Queen, toilet paper, water, medicine, or pretty much anything I can imagine delivered to my door?
Because...Kuwait.

Why is it that I go through 6 government officials to get on a plane, yet someone still manages to get on the wrong flight?
Because...Kuwait

Why do all the Arab men I talk to directly respond to my husband instead of me?
Because...Kuwait. And misogyny.


It makes no sense. It's illogical.  It's Kuwait.

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Summer Fishing (Slovenia, Washington, Oregon)

 We are still going through photos from last summer. Here are some fly fishing pictures going back to June, July and August of last year. Last summer provided some opportunities to fish some familiar waters and to explore some beautiful rivers in Slovenia and enjoy the trout, grayling, and chub fishing.
Croatian Brown Trout


Brown-Marble hybrid?


Soca River Rainbow
Marble Trout

Whidbey Island Coho and Dungeness crab.


Yakama River Cuthroat


 Southern Oregon Black Crappie and Yellow Perch



Wa Triploid Rainbow

Central Oregon Tiger Trout

Columbia River Smallmouth

Starry Flounder
Wild Coho caught by Ben while eclipse fishing.