It is afternoon. Raining here in Colombo. We have packed our things and tonight will fly out. We will fly home. During this trip here in Sri Lanka I always knew that it is a one way trip and that it will end in Europe. BUt this feeling never got so real as now. To me it has been a journey in anothe rtropical country, and coming from Cambodia we would also go back there. Stay in the warm climat, feeling the moonson rain over the roof of the house as in this moment. The winter, the clear cut Europe have been far from me. But tomorrow we will be there. Another strange thing happened in this trip and is related to the realisation of how quickly Cambodia seemed far in the time although we have been out for just three weeks and I remember and my last presentation in Phnom Penh took place barely one month ago. However Cambodia, Kampong Thom, the projects in which we have put so much effort were quickly distant, faster than Europe getting closer. Maybe it is easier than I thought to say good bye to a place where we have lived for so many years and the excitment of starting something new has taken soon my thoughts.

Sri Lanka has been a good break, the right place think about Cambodia (I found myself comparing all the time this country with Cambodia) and start to figure out how to organise the life of this little family in Finland. As I wrote yesterday the part of the trip in the South made us see the effect of the tsunami of one year ago. The national road to Colombo as well as the main railway track follow the coast and it is possible to see the damages and to some extent the reconstruction effort. We could see that the houses built too close to the shore have been wiped out by the sea, we could see several temporary settlements made by wooden shacks that risk to become too much permanent, to of three tents, roads and brithadges that have been rebuilt, and twisted rail tracks and a damaged train that gave some idea of the power of the water. Tourist are getting back as well and in Mirissa where we have spent most of the time on the coast, sereval people came to our guesthouse while we have been staying longer. It is a beautifull small bay, with nice beach and great waves for surf. The water is clean and it is amazing to think that in front< of us there wa just ocean all the way down to the South Pole.