11-4-05
(Since we will be traveling this weekend-Tuesday we may not have access to the internet so we will not be able to answer emails or do any blog entries. We will resume communication Tuesday or Wednesday depending on when we get back to civilization.)

It’s Friday and we are excited to be traveling this weekend. On Saturday we will travel to Kandy in central SL, about 70 miles away. We will be traveling with Alix, the program director and a driver. On Saturday we will look at a training facility since there aren’t many (any?) to speak of. Part of Ron’s program involves training city staff on using computers for improving financial management and accountability. The program will also provide the cities with computers. After Kandy, we travel south to Nuwara Eliya, about 50 miles south of Kandy, and it is about 6,000 ft in altitude and supposed to be cold. To be seen! I can hardly wait for a no sweat day. Nuwara Eliya is supposed to be absolutely beautiful. This is the region where tea is grown. There are three grades of tea and the best grade is grown at the highest altitudes. The tea plantations are also supposed to be lovely. Like in the southern US, workers were brought into the country to work the plantations. I believe most came from southern India.

This morning I went over to our house to take measurements, to make sure if a six- person dining room table would fit and look at color schemes for towels and such. Oh my, we really scored with this place. It is so lovely and has so many special touches. I will send photos as soon as we get settled. If you took one look at our street, you would turn away but once you go down the street, there are lovely homes there. It’s just that the street itself is crummy. I think that may end up being as asset because it will eliminate any traffic other than the residents who live on the street, which is about one long block in length.

The house has one bedroom on the first floor and we will make that our office. The second floor has three bedrooms, ours is 10 feet by 19 ft. and has a small balcony that runs about half the length of the bedroom. Veena, our landlady, personally designed the wrought iron that goes on each door and window. I am guessing the iron is for security and it is so attractive. The two guest bedrooms are smaller, one is 9 x 8 and the other is 8x 12 with a bathroom in between the two. Our bedroom has its own bath. Each bedroom has doors that open onto a balcony. The second floor has a sitting area of 11 x 11 where you could have a tv or reading/entertaining area. It includes two counters, a sink and cabinets.

The third floor does not have a bedroom. I think I said it did before but rather it has an open sitting area of 10x 12, a small laundry room for drying clothes on racks during the monsoons and space for ironing. There is a bathroom on the third floor also. In addition there is the fabulous garden on the roof top.

I am eager to get moved in and our target date is Nov 15. That would make a month of hotel living! I am hopeful that Ron can make the changes to the lease today so we can send it off to ICMA before we leave. Then hopefully when we return on Tuesday we would have the go ahead, can sign the papers. Once signed, I can start shopping and store things at the house. Everything needs to be bought, from beds to bed linens, cleaning supplies, towels, kitchen totally outfitted and stocked, window coverings and the list goes on. You can see why I might be just a wee bit anxious about getting all that done in a week. Think of the miles I am going to generate on my charge card. Yahoo!

We found a fabulous store called Article 14. They make beautiful wrought iron furniture. I asked what the meaning of the name was. Article 14 in their constitution is the freedom of expression article. Cool ugh? We found a bed we liked but wanted some modifications. Heavier material, of course; we like that Bergman-built look! So we are waiting for a quote on the price difference. Hopefully we can come to an agreement because the wooden beds we’ve seen we aren’t wild about and they are too close to the floor for us. Probably cooler that way but not to our liking. By the way they don’t use box springs here, just mattresses.

Today is a Muslim holiday, the end of Ramadan so there is no traffic to speak of and schools are out. I think I forgot to mention there are no school buses so children are taken to school by their parents or drivers. You can’t imagine the traffic around schools in the morning and afternoon.

Early Saturday
Ron worked late into the night making the changes on the lease and sent it off to the Veena and the real estate broker Christine. We’ll wait until we return on Tuesday to send it off to ICMA after Veena and Christine have had a chance to review it.

I ordered the bed and it will be ready in about three weeks so I reckon we will be on the floor until it is delivered. We’re off to the hills!