We decided that I could pick up a few Sri Lankan souvenirs from Laksala. I’ve discussed the government-run handicraft sales organisation before. It’s still the easiest place to do complete souvenir shopping. It’s also nice to know that some of the funds will actually benefit the people who made them. I wanted to pick up something for my secretary at work. After all she is ‘fish-sitting’ for five weeks. We also needed to buy something to give ex-colleagues from Dubai. Bill and Leone left a decade ago when we did. They’ve been raising the kids in Hong Kong. Since we’re spending a week there .. yikes .. next week, we plan on seeing them. Even though the coconut shell monkeys were sold out, there was a cute, fat coconut elephant that needed a home. We have enough travel junk but at $1.60 it was one of those things I couldn’t afford not to buy.When in the Fort area, we developed some digital photos. Earlier in the morning, we sat and looked though the directory on the Gateway and found 78 ‘people pictures’ to give to folks here. I burned them to a little CD for transport. The prints were SR 15 each and they were ready to pick up after Laksala and lunch.
We ate at the Pagoda restaurant which is something of an institution here. It has been there for quite a while. It’s not the cheapest but is reasonably priced so office workers eat there. Duran Duran (Do you remember them?) filmed part of a music video inside in the 1980’s when on location in Sri Lanka. Mongolian grill was a speciality today and I’m sure I smelled like it on the way back to Nugegoda in Bus 137. We hit the roads just when some schools let out; therefore, the trip took over an hour.
It’s warmer here than out among the coconut trees in Minuwangoda. I’m typing this in the yard. Jay’s showing a DVD of last year’s Euro-trip to the others. Lal’s house presently has one floor, so the sun bakes the roof/ceiling. Jay’s eldest sister, though, has created a living space that looks like an art gallery. It is beautiful.