A Need for Speed

The day started well. One wrong turn and Gary was proved right, as we headed in the opposite direction to where we were meant to be going. Such is the way of life in Sri Lanka. Our ever-smiling driver allowed Alison to reprieve Sandra Bullock's role in Speed, as we hurtled back from whence we came, the speedo never dipping below 100. No-one vomited, thanks be to Buddha.

The tsunami watermark is a poignant reminder of how far they've come.

The Foundation of Goodness is a special place. Rebuilt after the devastating tsunami of 2004, it's testament to everything that's good about faith, hope and charity, and the very best of humanity. Anura De Silva, our charming and articulate guide for the morning, showed us the spoils of many years of hard work and generous funding, not least from the MCC. We began at the preschool, where we were treated to a wonderful medley of English and Sri Lankan nursery rhymes. Every child attending the school receives a pack containing uniform, shoes, and text books, something that they simply couldn't afford otherwise.

As well as the formal schooling, there's an ICT suite filled with computers offering various courses free of charge. Such training would cost 500,000R in Colombo - here, it's absolutely free. Some of the top graduates in ICT are eligible to apply for jobs in a self-contained office, again on site, supporting a large Asian supermarket chain in admin and accounts. There's a women's centre too, with baking, sari-making, and sewing skills on offer.

The medical centre serves over 92,000 people and offers two surgeries a day. Again, medicine is absolutely free. This is an area where people are really struggling and the Foundation has offered an infrastructure that this area badly needed. This was a genuinely humbling experience for everyone, I think.

Moving swiftly on (how else?!) we headed to the Fort in Galle, colonised by the Dutch for 60 years. We split off for separate lunches as buffet-itus had set in and some opted to take a few hours to explore. The usual Chinese whispers regarding arrangements meant that some of us (ahem) may have kept the coach waiting.

It was back to the Foundation of Goodness for some hands-on training as the girls re-united with some familiar faces, and Tim (level 2) and Matt (level 1) got stuck in too. The facilities on offer uare first class and even include the Bryan Adams swimming pool. Thankfully no sponsor music over the tanoy.

So then it was back to the Citrus for the evening, where a few of us headed down the road to a Buddhist festival. Amazing how safe tuk-tuk travel feels now we've travelled by coach. The highlight of the evening had to be the motorbike 'wall of death'. Round and round they went as way too many of us stood in a flimsy wooden structure that felt like it might collapse at any moment.

Life in Sri Lanka is never dull.

By Esmé & Claire