April 29,

First off, shout out to one of our brother-in-laws….

             Happy Birthday!!! Hoping the best for you today and the upcoming year!!

Yesterday after getting up and about, we had a set back. Jeff, we think had a gallbladder attack! So we stayed at our place. Jeff had to be close to a bathroom, and started having a bit of right upper quadrant abdominal pain. I didn't associate it to his gallstones, until he had the pain in the afternoon, and couldn't sit still. By late evening he was better, but , hmmm!! We will just have to play it by ear!

We were given breakfast again: same but with chopped veggies of red onions, carrots, red cabbage, tomatoes, and chillies. (We didn't eat the veggies – saving them for a later time.) Jeff was able to eat fine. We are still appreciating the nice breakfast service, as it was not listed with our place. Lunch was grilled cheese sandwiches, as it's a comfort food and we had some cheese for once. The cheese was a garlic gouda, and it too set with Jeff fine. Then supper was pasta with the chopped veggies from breakfast and garlic mayo sauce with a wedge of cheese melted in it. We were able to get touch with my mom and then with our church brethren and service back home. Bed by 2230.

Today, we got up and about. Thankfully, Jeff is symptom free this morning. We were able to get in touch with his sister, and actually received our breakfast during the call! After we finished the call we ate our rice cake squares, with formed, like-tootsie roll shaped bits (sweet, coconut and brown sugar maybe with sesame seeds??) It's a great combo as the rice cakes were coconut flavored and salty. Finished and Jeff feeling good we went out on the scooter we had rented. We went to a couple of waterfalls right here in Nuwara Eliya. The first one was dry – no water falling at all. We almost decided to nix the adventure, but we went on. The second waterfall, called Lover's Leap, was a very steep ascent. I had to get off the scooter for it to make it up! Then we climbed up rock made stairs. When we arrived, we were rewarded! It wasn't at full power by any means, but it was nice. The views back over the city of Nuwara Eliya are great. You can see some tea plantations and the town reaching up to meet them. We hiked back to our scooter and went over to a tea plantation that we had seen. We opted to not go walking about the rows of tea bushes as the weather is touch and go. It is supposed to rain today, but has not yet! From here we could see the small lake in the city. It is big enough to have a couple of speed boats and couple of jet skis zooming around it. 

We went back down this side and tried to go around the lake. But when we arrived there is a foreigner entrance fee and scooters not allowed. We nixed that, mostly due to cost and if it rained… The sun and clouds are having a “wrestling match” in the sky today and we don't want to be out somewhere when the clouds finally win. The weather shows 100% rain today. We also skirted the horse track some. There is a Cricket match (or game?) going on, inside the center of the horse track ring. The horse track is quite large as there is also a bunch rolling grassland that some horses are grazing on. We found a stand, Hot Fresh Potato Chips. It was selling hot fresh potato chips! The potato has been cut in a long spiral and skewered. We ordered two and she fried them up fresh and hot for us. She asked, “Spicy?… Tomato sauce?  (this means ketchup) Jeff said, “A little spicy and one with the sauce.”  They were just like potato chips but different. Actually, we enjoyed them quite a bit!! Just as we finished, the clouds won and it started sprinkling. We loaded on the scooter and it stopped. So we shopped for groceries and then went back to our place. No since in tempting fate. 

Back at our place, we discovered an invasion. As in a family of five or six, is going to be occupying the upstairs of our place. Dilhan and his mother with the cleaning crew were getting the space, ready as the family and their massive amounts of luggage were strung out in front of our place. We had to side step some of their stuff to get in (they were oblivious to moving out of the way, but there's little area to move it to.) Anyway, we managed to get in and had some of the spreadable cheese on bread for a cheese sandwich. As we were eating the family “invaded” the upstairs – herd of elephants!! It may be interesting tonight. They then left, I assume to eat. Jeff laid down for a siesta. I blogged outside and listened to the birds and watched as the clouds now defiantly won! It rained for an hour or so, but still looks to unload some more. 

Tonight we plan on making some nice, big, cuts of cubed beef (we had bought couple of days ago) with a mustard sauce/rub and a Greek type salad. Then hopefully have a restful (quiet?) night's sleep. Maybe explore around Nuwara Eliya tomorrow.