A nature walk.

 I saw the largest tree I have ever seen in my life today.

They call it a Banion tree. (Banyon?)

It's huge but I couldn't find out how old it is.

I'm lost inside this tree!

Mr. Haton (my tuk driver) swings on the root.

That stringly-looking thing grows down from the branches into the ground and ta-da a new tree grows from it.

A dead monk guards the tree. It is said he was 6 feet tall. Unusual, as most Sri Lankans are fairly short.

Then it was off to see Kaludya Pond.

Most signs are in three languages. Sinhalese, Tamil and English.

This pond is over 3000 years old!

It's in the center of the archiological dig.

Had to do some climbing to get to the site, but don't mind as I need the exercise.

Then my friends came to see me😊.

Also ran into some devotees taking lunch for Buddhist monks who meditate at a building nearby and in the surrounding forest.

It is the custom for devotees to supply breakfast, dinner and supper for the Buddhist Monks in their district.

Inside the "Arms"

The food is prepared in a large room called the Arms.

I had a good lunch today too.

 2 boiled corn and a jelly coconut.

Proud of myself as I have been a vegan for 2 days!

Yup, healthy living but it's because mi fraid a Sri Lankan food, for peppa wudda kill mi.😭

https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2025/05/omg-im-allergic.html?m=1. 

Anyway healthy living won't kill me for 

 there is no shortage of delicious fruits as stalls like these line every road. (Instead of potholes like a Yard😡)

Fruit stalls abound all around Sri Lanka.

For people who like pepper, there are no end of signs advertising rice and curry. 

To go, it's served in banana leaves.

OMG, I'm allergic😩.

 I have always maintained that if I don't learn something new every day of life, it means I am dead!

L-r. Sharlene, "Captain" (the owner), Damith, Joan.

Well it took almost eight decades for me to learn that I have a food allergy.

 That's humbling as I have always boasted how I have a stomach of steel as I listened to my friends list the things they can't eat. 

Let me clarify that a bit because for over thirty years, I have not been able to eat ackee, the most important ingredient in Jamaica national dish.

 But that's not an allergy, for before having my beautiful daughter, I could enjoy that fare three or four times per day, especially if roasted breadfruit or pear was around. 

After she arrived on this earth, I got the message "you have had enough ackee," so even after tasting a little amount, I would end up with a severe stomach ache and retch like hell. 

But that was not an allergy, just something to do with my body's evolution (revolution?) I guess, and since I had already eaten enough ackee and saltfish to last me through three or four reincarnations, I never let it bother my pretty little head.

 I just stopped eating the national dish. 

Well I have news for you, (and me), I now know I am allergic to pepper. But the sad news is though, if I stop eating during pepper during the three weeks I am here in Sri Lanka, I am going to starve to death, for everything they cook here is teeming with pepper.🥴

Seeing my reaction to a little pepper from day one here, my poor host Sharlene has tried her best to "tone it down," but there does not seem to be any prepared seasoning or additive here that does no have an overwhelming amount of pepper! So, while I will be able to cope reasonably well with home cooked food, eating outside will be a struggle as everything fulla peppa🥴.

  I shall overcome however.

My hosts took me to dinner last night at the popular Madara Restaurant and that's when I came to accept that I do indeed have an allergy. Anyway, since since knowledge is power I will overcome.💪. 

I guess somewhere on this sign it says Madara Restaurant. Their alphabet has 62 letters!

Yes I know I am rambling so let me clarify.

This is referred to as a bite of pork!

I hear that for a proper meal, you must spend several hours nibbling on various bites.

Now, in case you never knew, I admit I am I am a pork fanatic. I can eat pork in the morning, pork in the evening and pork at suppertime.

As my favorite dish arrived last night, naturally I jumped right in. And it was absolutely delicious but hot as hell.

It was so nice otherwise that I just could not stop eating.😭.

 But with each bite, my nose started running, I started coughing and sneezing and ended up having to drink four glasses of water and four glasses of red wine just to tackle my lovely pork and get a belly full!

Within minutes of finishing my dear, sweet pork, all the above effects immediately disappeared!

 I have eaten food with pepper all my life, but normally I have other non-peppery stuff to choose from as well, so I have never ended up having to eat straight unadulterated pepper!

But here, there is no such thing as non-peppery stuff, just the degree of pepperness.  

So I guess I will just have to finally accept that I have a food allergy, learn how to face my demons, and overcome🤔.

Nb. We have a lot of fruits and foods in common with Sri Lanka but they consume/prepare them differently.

 For example, I love jackfruits and they have it all over this island. Problem for me? They curry the green jackfruit (with tons of pepper I suspect), whereas I love to eat the ripened fruit. Can't find any ripe ones on sale here though.

But I have found something we call blue draws or duckuno and love it. Can't pronounce  what they call it here though.😊

It's really a kind of cornmeal pudding cooked with lots of coconut milk and steamed in banana leaves.

 I couldn't get enough of that.😋