DJ Gillgren You'll love it up there Tayne. A photographers paradise. The buildings, the colours and the ethnic mix are absolutely amazing. Look forward to seeing how you get on.

Debbie Ephraims Great read Tayne, I cannot wait to read the next blog,son xoxoxo

Roger Great account and impressions of your landing and travel to Colombo and to Jaffna. Look forward to more accounts of your travels. Jaffna has the Palmyra toddy the equivalent of the coconut toddy. Be careful though toddy makes you pot bellied and also causes much tail raising.

Charles Ephraims good thing you didn't drink too much toddy, may have missed the train. Nice article

ann On the Road to Mandalay... Golden Brown kiff, spliffs kyat and tea Girls rolling them up Ghosts, the march still guffawing the Road to Mandalay

Anne Hahahah Toyne Ephroms. Why is it always funny when someone missspells your name? Unfortunaltly I am the only person who thinks this is funny. I said to Tanya Stubbles, that;sa funny a name for a famous artist. She said it was her fathers name and a good one. I concurred.

Arcadia Heyo taynos :) Was just thinking of you today (in the shower, smashing the mosquito bites on my back under hot water!) then up popped an email from your blog! Myanmar is somewhere I wanted to go but didn't manage... Hope you have more merry days there! Also hope you are well and happy :) Lots of love oxox Thunderpants :)

D Ephraims Way to go Tayne,so now we are into Nanna naps,you must be getting old son.Glad to see you are still enjoying your time o,seas.Have fun... We are having a heatwave here in the land of AUST.. I,M waiting for you to post some photos as well. Stay safe & well Luv Mum

Tayne It's weird, in the sun it's quite hot, but as soon as you step in the shade it seems to go down about ten degrees. As long as you're not in the direct sun for too long it's not really that hot at all.

anne Jimeny Crickets! 7 ks in the dark is like going to Bulli underground, or maybe like a whale yo would develop sonar and no how big the cave is from that. Bang all of your bucks together and then set fire to them. Zena dnt eh Art of Bicle Mainteneance could be the title of your new sotry since I don't know anybody else so good at maintaining bicycles though I have not seen you riding one. Forget the buck banging and find yourself a nice girl.

anne sounds ideal except for ten k's in a sapping sun...it's hot enough here. I now have a tan that starts at my neck and begins again about ten inches from my knee. I am lilke a ruin at the end of my own street which is my head.

Tayne I know, I find myself asking the same question every time. But in the end, it's always worth it. I had a s*** camera for 99% of the time I was in India. But I just feel stupid carrying around something like a DSLR when there's kids everywhere begging on the streets. I found an old SLR (a Pentax, film camera) on the street market in Mumbai which I'm using now in Sri Lanka. I think it's a good compromise. Cheap and old, but good quality. At least I don't feel too self-conscious with it hanging around my neck with the knowledge that it's probably about as old as I am!

anne Neighbours over the back just got back from cambodia and Brendan said he sat in the back of this bus wondering why he had chosen to do the hot bus in asia trip, yet again. OK I love the names Vinu Binu and Johnson. There's a title. I have see Clouds Land on the accom. It's great that you were able to join in. I too had a s*** camera in Russia and wondered how that had eventauted. what had led to the postion of being inthis amazing place with a s*** camera. I blame Arthur who said if I had a good one I would have my heart cut out and hung around my neck, instead of the camera.

Anne Your brother is very problem...hahaha well let's hope he stays that way and is no way very changed for the very worst on his return. Joel is abolutely right to pay a fortune for a good shave. Those are hard to come by and skill and grace oughta have it's own rewards. Your blog is great, I really enjoy getting the picture of the place and what your days are full of...toilet paper and clean water and maybe some lomotil to stop the s***ting?? Coupla days and you'll al lbe back on your tuk tuks. Did you hire that motorbike? Very cool. Does El like being pillion? Great that you dont have to wear a helmet. It's stupid, but I dislike helmets immensely. Whereas breeze in your hair is wonderful. Stinking beaches are no fun when it's hot. I snuck into a pool at a friends hotle in Delhi and they wanted 25 US dollars offa me, and I got sick they day after. Are you going North or inland? Will there be some swimming holes where you are going. I guess you jsut have to go under the shower ten times a day. It's Christams Day and I am trying to write a Christams Poem but it's not coming out. I woke up, saw the clouds, opened a window, smelt the rain, the honeysuckle, the sweetpeas then choked as the cigarette smoke from my neighbour reached my bed. Opening the sliding door I yelled out "Do YOu MInd!" Shut the doors and went back to bed rmembering how my nana put my sack at the end of the bed one xmas sleepover before I was asleep. What the hell, I thought, there's no magic, no miracle, it's just THEM. I got a Barbie that Xmas. I knew straight away that it's long shiny plastic legs were wrong and went back to paper cut out dolls. In the morning, instead of a lung full of smoke, I wish i still had those people who would go to great lengths to magic alive for me, even nana, who tried to stay awake until we were sleep, but I guess she just made a small error of judgement and anyway, it had to happen sooner or later. Miss you all be well.