Sri Lanka

 

This happy moment was captured last week while on our latest adventure in Sri Lanka.

Although it was very difficult to travel in a third world country with a toddler while being 6 months pregnant, it was a great experience and I'm glad we went. It ended up being more of a trip than a vacation, but it was bliss just to be together as a family.

 

Sweetie pie here learned how to sleep anywhere on this trip. We really pushed her and so she would conk out anywhere.  This is on Richard's lap on the Express train to Hikkaduwa from Colombo.

It rained off and on throughout the trip. For the most part we were glad for the storms to keep us feeling cool. Except for on our drive to Sigariya - that was a torrential downpour and I thought we would be washed away. Awesome though because we kind of love rain storms. :)

 This view was taken from the deck of the Beach House we stayed at in Hikkaduwa called Neela's.

 Elizabeth deep in a curious thought at the Galle Dutch Fort in the South

Richard, Elizabeth, Catherine, and baby boy with the Sigariya Rock in the background. Hotel Sigariya was very nice and felt like a jungle hide-a-way with excellent food.
 

Elizabeth was so into the sand - the texture between her toes, pouring it through her hands, and watching it get wet from the waves.  I loved watching and seeing through her eyes the discovery of it all.

 The Buddhist people brought these gorgeous flowers to the temples as part of their worship. They would arrange them in rows at the base of the Buddha statues.

Elizabeth 16 months in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka

Richard and I kept commenting to each other throughout the trip how we felt like we were in the middle of a set of an old period movie. Especially at the train station or when we say awesome things like these cars.

 

Richard (and Elizabeth peeking out) with Monk Students

Local Fisherman

Inside the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, a most important Buddhist Temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It houses the Relic of the tooth of Buddha! :) This is a world heritage site and Buddhists believe that making the journey to visit this temple brings greater Karma than any other place. 

 Street view from our room in Kandy, Casamara Hotel. It was a small and basic room but clean and reasonably priced. The location was ideal and we walked to everything.

 Richard took this at the top of Sigariya Rock after hiking up 3,000 steps with Elizabeth in a backpack. It was really steep and rigorous so I didn't join them for this one.

The train schedule

 We hiked this mountain in Dambulla to the Temple in the Rock and it was amazing. There are several caves here, each with dozens of large Buddha statues and colorful murals.

 We visited a turtle sanctuary/hatchery and got to touch turtles of all ages, even one day old babies crawling out of the sand!

 The people were all fascinated with Elizabeth. I guess they don't make many blonde babies around there. Here she is about to kiss this darling little boy we met.