Are Friends Electric? - Tubeway Army

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'left clicking' the first image will allow 'streaming' of the photos

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Zeus is not happy this morning, by the sounds of it he had Baked Beans for supper last night? The heavy rain started about midnight and except for a slight lull at daybreak it continues now. Lightning and Thunder have been on the agenda along with mist, low cloud and more low flying midges than I have ever seen on home turf. Despite all of that, the Moth Traps are gunwales under with Insects but as we speak there is a need for a clear patch to take a look inside. Good job then that we have a 'proper' story for you!

With the 'Taiwan Post' (Memories Are Made of This) little more than 4 days old the mood is still set for a little nostalgia and the answer to a long outstanding question. Given my now close association with ALL of the Dampney family, but more particularly

HUGH and JANET
it is not surprising that
Steve Smith (Blog Link)
is not the only one to ask the question, "where did all of that begin"?

While a pin-point date is not possible, it is true to say that it must have been during the first few days of 2006 that I was wending my way back to Slight Return, '3 sheets to the wind'. It had been a fantastic party, but in that former life no gig was complete without a nightcap at

 FINN'S

 (some great memories there I can tell you)

 on Westham Road, Weymouth.

Among a wealth of excellent bar staff there was a particular friend, the then 18 year old Alexander Robinson, already an accomplished Drummer and budding Record Producer. Alex and I had spent many a happy hour discussing the merits, or otherwise, of just about every genre in the Music World and some of my experiences in Foreign Part. Telling him I would be absent for a couple of weeks, as I was about to depart for Morocco he replied "one day I'd like to be like you and see some of the world". Having never allowed myself (or my daughters in their formative years) the luxury of a 'hang-over', I did wake with something of a bad feel about the previous evening. Mostly a solo traveller (no mates, no argument)
did I REALLY ask that young man if he'd like to come to

SRI LANKA
(the Tear Drop of India)
with me?? 
I had, and he did and he was the best of Travelling Companions! 
RED = Track taken by road
YELLOW = Track taken by train
At our hotel we met none other than Hugh and Janet on the same trip
and within a very short time we were forging something of a friendship.
Like minded in most ways it was simply startling to find that they too were
residents of Dorset.
What follows is just a small 'snapshot' of, despite more than a fair share of troubles,
one of the finest countries I have set foot upon.  

 Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba

Apprentice Buddhist Monks

 MALABAR PIED HORNBILL

 Probably the most famous and doubtless dramatic is the

 Sigiriya Rock

 from the top of which the views are quite stunning.

 The Formal Gardens from the Peak.

 

 

 Terracing.

 The Interior Decor

 is errrrrmmm let's say

 INTERESTING

 SHAHEEN

on Sigiriya Rock

SCHOOL CHILDREN
No matter where you travel in Asia, Africa etc the outstanding thing about
school uniforms is how 'WHITE' they are!

 PAINTED STORK

 ASIAN ELEPHANT

 PHEASANT-TAILED JACANA

Hugh with binoculars and Janet.
Looking for,

 and finding
(Alex tending an Insect bite)

SMALL PRATINCOLE

 TEA

plays a huge part in the Sri Lankan economy.

 Two hard working 'pickers'

 well, at least One.

HUGH and I enjoy a cup of Trincomalee 

(as they say in 'rhyming slang') around here.

 JACKAL

INDIAN MUGGER

 YELLOW-WATTLED PLOVER

 ASIAN OPENBILL

 WHITE-BELLIED FISH EAGLE

BLACK-NECKED STORK

 STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER

 BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER

 BRAHMINY KITE

 CHAMELEON

 and the pride of place goes to

 LEOPARD

Lucky for us a Lazy Leopard.

Construction work, especially Temples,

was going on everywhere, albeit a little precariously!

Home with the Firewood.

An evening at the Theatre proved most entertaining

except when one of the flaming heads of the whirling torches
broke loose and landed in the lap of one of the observers.
Extremely lucky, the evening ended on a High Note.

The Express Train
From - GALLE at the south-west coastal tip
To - COLOMBO (the Capital) on the west coast.

The TSUNAMI which woke the world to the Sri Lankan plight
had been 2 years previously.

If truth be told

there was little to be seen

of where all of those MILLIONS

of donations had been spent.

Although there were a few 'new' boats in the harbours,
fishermen were still hauling their 'industrial size' nets in by hand.
Good job they had my help!

 Another Safety Issue,
yes that scaffold is Bamboo.

The only thing that Alex attracted more than the Elephants were the
GIRLS - B*s*a*d, he ain't coming again!

Now this is something I AM an Expert on,

no not DEITIES you fool, I'm talking about

LYING DOWN

The Beautiful People, The Beautiful People
Marilyn Manson
There is video footage of this excellent track in existence which cannot be found
on U-Tube. Rock Theatre at its very best, don't know the venue so cannot help you further.
-
Just enough time for a short break.
(Hugh and Janet left, Alex right oh yes and Moi)

Each evening before dinner we would pull into a convenient lay-by, where our Guide and Drive would 'knock up' the most fantastic cocktail of local ARAK with fruit and fruit juices.

"Come on Hugh, let's get a taxi, looks like Bagsy's had one over the 8 again!"

and so it came to pass Steve that a friendship was forged.
I thought it best to stick to the short version as I wouldn't want you all falling asleep.

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