| I'm back in Galle, at the guesthouse where I've stayed for the last five years, and spending my days in the Fort, an area which is full of pretty old colonial buildings, and has nice restaurants and shops. The big change this year is the dramatic decline in the number of tourists, due to the coronavirus. There are still quite a few, but the Chinese have entirely vanished, and I think that all the other nationalities are considerably reduced. The streets, which were thronged last year at this time, now seem half-empty. For me, it is rather pleasant, but the locals, who rely on tourism, are really hurting. Less than a year ago the Easter Sunday bombings destroyed tourism for a while, and now this. It's always too hot in this area, but this year it's worse than usual. I don't really understand what makes it feel worse (maybe the humidity?) because the temperatures are always about the same. Usually these months are relatively comfortable, but this year the heat is oppressive. I'm enjoying this guesthouse, where the food is fantastic and I get very good Sinhala lessons from the family. I've known them for a long time now, and every year is like a homecoming. I think I've made some good progress with my Sinhala. During the rest of the year, despite my best efforts, a lot of it slips away, but I still feel like I'm slowly improving. I'll be back in the states in just a week, and home on March 22. Love to everyone! |
| Created on 5 March 2020 by Samuel Ethan Fox |