T-25, Thursday, January 20, 2005
Today I spent most of the day running around getting ready to go to Trincomalee, though I am planning on leaving tomorrow night. I also spent part of the morning at VolunteerSriLanka.
After lunch I headed to the bus station to find a ticket. I think I found what I was looking for though I have my doubts. When I was here before I took an express luxury bus between Trinco and Colombo. While not very impressive by “Western” standards, it is a step up from the “chicken” buses that most people take here. If my memory serves, the AC works, the chairs are padded, and the road to Trinco is horrible.
I got this guy trying to follow me around at the bus station who didn’t speak any English (and really needed a bath) who kept trying to get me on different buses. I finally found someone who spoke good English and said I could buy a ticket for the special bus I was looking for. But I wasn’t 100% sure so I decided to wait until the day I actually left (currently planned for tomorrow) to buy the ticket.
After that I went to a Dr. recommended by Brenda Barrett, the USAID-OTI person I will be staying with initially in Trinco (and who is a PhD student at the Tulane University Payson Center, where I got my Masters). I went intending to get my Japanese Encephalitis vaccination, but apparently I wasn’t as up to date on my vaccinations as I thought I was. I got four shots today (two in each arm – fun), and I need to come back in two weeks for two boosters!
Before heading back home, I went shirt shopping. I assume I will need to dress up most of the time (at least a button up shirt). I brought a few with me but since I will probably either be sending my clothes to a laundry or hand washing them in Trinco, I will need numerous sets so I have plenty to wear in the days the laundry is being done.
I went to the clothes market, and managed to find 6 nice button-up shirts in my size for about US $5 each! Sri Lanka after all is a major exporter of clothes to the US and Europe.
I also picked up the indispensable survival guide for any traveler, the most recent edition of Lonely Planet. I just wonder how much no longer applies following the tsunami.
After lunch I headed to the bus station to find a ticket. I think I found what I was looking for though I have my doubts. When I was here before I took an express luxury bus between Trinco and Colombo. While not very impressive by “Western” standards, it is a step up from the “chicken” buses that most people take here. If my memory serves, the AC works, the chairs are padded, and the road to Trinco is horrible.
I got this guy trying to follow me around at the bus station who didn’t speak any English (and really needed a bath) who kept trying to get me on different buses. I finally found someone who spoke good English and said I could buy a ticket for the special bus I was looking for. But I wasn’t 100% sure so I decided to wait until the day I actually left (currently planned for tomorrow) to buy the ticket.
After that I went to a Dr. recommended by Brenda Barrett, the USAID-OTI person I will be staying with initially in Trinco (and who is a PhD student at the Tulane University Payson Center, where I got my Masters). I went intending to get my Japanese Encephalitis vaccination, but apparently I wasn’t as up to date on my vaccinations as I thought I was. I got four shots today (two in each arm – fun), and I need to come back in two weeks for two boosters!
Before heading back home, I went shirt shopping. I assume I will need to dress up most of the time (at least a button up shirt). I brought a few with me but since I will probably either be sending my clothes to a laundry or hand washing them in Trinco, I will need numerous sets so I have plenty to wear in the days the laundry is being done.
I went to the clothes market, and managed to find 6 nice button-up shirts in my size for about US $5 each! Sri Lanka after all is a major exporter of clothes to the US and Europe.
I also picked up the indispensable survival guide for any traveler, the most recent edition of Lonely Planet. I just wonder how much no longer applies following the tsunami.
posted by Jason A. Smith at 11:25 PM
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