A Time to Gather your Thoughts

I hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas. We have been enjoying the feastive season at Amangalla in Sri Lanka. A wonderful old hotel steeped in hundreds of years of history. They have been celebrating Christmas in true style.

09:26 this morning a two minute silence was held to remember the 230,000 or more people that lost their lives in the devastating 2004 tsunami that hit the coastlines along the Indian Ocean, effecting over fourteen countries. The guests and staff at the hotel lit candles and placed then along the fort wall taking a moment to say a prayer or a few comforting words in remembrance of all those effected, especially the Sri Lankan people living along the coastline just metres below the fort.

Balmy Christmas

Its the week before Christmas and just feels so wrong to be sitting here with a temperature of 29 Degrees overlooking my tropical garden and pool. Im a big Christmas fan and really missing the cold weather, the preparations, everyones decorated houses filled with twinkle lights and even the cheesy Christmas songs in the shops thats leading up to Christmas day. To cheer us up we have however, had a delivery from a friend that came over from the UK. M&S mince pies and christmas pudding with a bottle of port to wash it down with. There are some things that you just cant do without!

Whilst sitting here wishing I was home in the UK this Brahminy Kite settled on a palm tree just across from my study. Even with all the building noise going on around he was totally aware of my camera shutter going off and acknowledging the bursts of clicks.