Yaluwa Xmas '05: Diary Update 5

Sri Lanka, 26/12/2005 . Lee de Louche

Back in Lanka for Christmas and this time it's a family affair. We finally get round to staying at our place in Ahangama, and its a mad rush to get some furniture, cooker, fridge etc for the Christmas party. Folks and friends chip in to make it a special occasion and the whole neighbourhoood come around for a right old do.

26/12/2005 7.30ish am..

No lie in today, our friendly neighbour Tuk Tuk drivers are at the gate, ready to take us back to Hikkaduwa one year on. Apart from the hangover, today I have a strange mix of feelings, first, personally wanting to get this day out of the way, to get back to where I was before this all happened and get on with things. I'm sure a lot of people feel this way but so many will never get back to where they were. Secondly, there is the great feeling of togetherness, this time we are back with family and friends, who have supported us so well during the year, and we are heading back to where we were when that wave hit, to see friends, local or not, with whom there now seems to be an everlasting bond.

On arriving at Hikkaduwa, we can see the surfers are already paddling out, many have started forming the circle out beyond the main peak, to send off a wreath in rememberence of those who lost their lives the previous year. I frantically catch up with them, Daz and Mike are already out there and about a hundred surfers link hands while a short speech is given and a couple of minutes silence marks 9.15am when first wave hit.

On the paddle in, whilst everyone is scrambling for the first wave, I am asked if I was the guy with the broken pelvis by a girl named Kisandra. She informs me that herself, her boyfriend Scott and a few others lifted the concrete wall off me and dug out Angela in between the waves that day, and there's me going round for the last year saying I had found some super strength when I was ten foot under water...well it was all a bit vague.. Thanks to everyone involved!!

Up on the beach we meet up with Juliet and Sunil, who have been making a documentary for the last year on the inside story of the tsunami. Sunil Elvitigala, a Sri Lankan born film maker now based in Canada, arrived on Jan 5th, ten days after the tsunami hit. We have met Sunil and Juliet Coombe, a photo-journalist/photographer numerous times since we have returned to Lanka and its always good to see how their projects are getting on. This time they persuaded me to be interviewed, Daz had already done his bit so fair enough...

Later in the evening, there was a calm, positive feeling floating around the beach, and the lack of music pumping out today gave everyone the time to gather their thoughts and reflect on the past year. At Mambo's around dusk, people started to dig the date and time "2004 26/12 9.15" in the sand, and this was lit up with candles marking the end of a moving day for all involved..