Day 08 - Growth and Decline ...

The eco-theme encouraged by the Lanka Challenge organizer’s returned today. Our first daily challenge saw us work with two great young ladies to plant a java tree in the grounds of a school. The school and local area were hit hard by the Tsunami and are slowly rebuilding their environment and education opportunities with the support of organisations like “Large Minority”. We hope these great eco-initiatives and investment in teaching materials will over the coming years grow and mature just like our little sapling (yes, you can reach for the tissues !!)

. Picking up the pieces following such a massive natural & social disaster is simply a massive and very real daily challenge for millions across Sri Lanka. Not much we can say about that ...

An “Amazing Race” style challenge around Galle Fort followed. A well preserved relic from the British Colonial era and certainly one location on the to-do list for any visitor to southern Sri Lanka. The 35C temperature mixed with high humidity sapped our energy (already at low levels after beers and flip-flop searches the night before) and ended up in us registering a time that would see us way outside the points.

A relatively uneventful drive up the coast saw us arrive in Beruwela. Groups were formed once again for a Sri Lankan knowledge quiz. We had been occasionally reading Lonely Planet in the back of the tuk-tuk so thought we had some skin in the game but like school exams we were “simply unlucky” in getting the questions we had not prepared for. The Loonies threw in a few right answers (and a couple of wrong one's) but a combined team more interested in grabbing a few beers was probably destined to finished in last place.., as it did ! Overlall we got consolation points picked up for which we get a share, but more ground lost unfortunately.

We closed the day out reviewing the impact of losing Phooey over a few cold beers (and still interrogating other teams of having committed the crime of the century). Was our challenge for the title now also gone ?