One morning in July, we (Lily, her grandson Shehan, Vinod [driver], Tissa [our regular driver, serving as navigator] Visakha, and Ken) donned masks and left Kandy at 6:30 AM to go to Colombo for a preliminary "visa run." Having collected and certified the necessary papers in Kandy, our first stop would be the office of the Ministry of Buddha Sasana. In previous years, the hallway, which serves as a waiting room for this office, has been crowded, and it has taken about two hours for us to get the authorised letter we need for the Immigration Office. This year, we arrived at the office at 10:30. After the necessary handwashing anti-virus precautions, we took the elevator to the third floor. The only people in the hallway were three Catholic nuns. We submitted our papers and sat down, not too near the nuns, to wait. After a few minutes, two Buddhist monks came in, submitted papers, and disappeared. A mere twenty minutes later, a clerk emerged from the office and handed us our letters. Mission accomplished!

Perfect timing for our luncheon appointment with Lal and Dushy at Sariputtarama, the temple of our former student, Ven. Seevali. We had never been to the temple, but we knew that it was close to the IOM office where we would be going in the afternoon for the physical exams now requuired for resident visas.

The temple is small, quiet, and lovely. Ven. Seevali invited us to sit in the refectory, a simple wooden building beside the Bodhi tree. We maintained social distance, caught up on news and views, and we lay folks enjoyed grilled cheese sandwiches, beets, celery sticks, Indian savory snacks, and Ken's famous chocolate squares.

It was a quick run to the IOM office. We arrived early, but, when the guards noticed that Visakha merited a wheelchair and Ken was using a cane (a fortunately-timed weak knee) we were ushered in immediately. We were assigned the number 65, and, as soon as we completed the process at one station, 65 appeared on the screen for the next. The wheelchair attendant ushered us through the entire process in less than one hour, for blood tests, and X-rays. Nor did we have to wait very long to be called for our final interview. Visakha was given clean bill of health, but the doctor hesitated when she looked at Ken's results. The exam covers four diseases: malaria, TB, HIV, and filariasis, a mosquito-borne virus which, if untreated, can result in elephantiasis. Ken’s blood sample contained evidence of the last disease. A further blood test would be necessary to assess the severity of the infection. This test would also have to be conducted in Colombo. Unfortunately, the parasites, the worms, are active only in the evening. The test could not be done before 8PM, a wait of four hours.

The Anti-filariasis Campaign office was nearby, so we drove down to scout it out. Ken checked out the office and learned where to go, and we left to find a restaurant. (The four Sri Lankans were hungry!) We quickly found "Thalis," a small Indian restaurant with a parking lot. While our companions ate, we sat on a comfortable sofa near the door and read our Kindles. The manager was happy to let us remain there, even after the diners had finished. Before we left, we bought a box of ladoos (which were delicious!)

We arrived back at the office a little early, but, knowing exactly where to go, Ken took the elevator to the second floor. He sat on one of the chairs in the well-lighted Anti-filariasis Campaign office. After a few minutes, a young man, looking very official, arrived. Ken showed him his referral, and he was immediately called to the desk. In a very few minutes, the official pricked Ken's finger, smeared four circles of blood on two microscope slides, and asked Ken to come back in the morning. "Are your kidding me?" Ken replied. "I'm going back to Kandy tonight!" It was amicably agreed that Ken could return any day that was convenient. Another mission accomplished, all before 8 PM!

On the way back to Kandy, we needed to stop for, at least, a bathroom. Where? We hoped that Awanhala, the rest house in Ambepussa, where we ALWAYS stop would be open, but no one knew for sure. It was. After using the bathroom, Ken asked a waiter what time the restaurant closed. He replied ten o'clock. It was 9:59! Nevertheless, we were allowed to have tea and ginger beer before climbing back into the van. We arrived at home at midnight–a very full, eighteen hour day!

To make a long story only a little longer, a few days later, Lily, Shehan, Visakha, and Ken, returned to Colombo, this time, with Tissa as the driver. We went straight to the Anti-filariasis Campaign office. Ken was promptly informed that he did not have the worms, per se, only the antigens. Nevertheless, medication was necessary--two drugs for twelve days--one tablet of ABZ each morning and three tablets (calculated by body-weight) of DEC three times a day. Then he would have to return for another blood test after one month. The test could be done only in Colombo or Kurunegala. Since we have to return to Colombo for Immigration sometime in the near future, we will try to have the test on the same day.

Having completed the anti-filariasis process, we went back to the IOM office to get Ken's health card. (Visakha had received hers immediately after the first exam.) That was easily done, but it did take longer than we expected. When Ken returned to the van, he learned that Shehan had, with his phone, located another Indian restaurant, Indian Summer, on the way out of Colombo, so we headed there for, at least, a restroom. As it turned out, the restaurant was clean, quiet, and virtually empty, so we decided to have lunch there. Our servers were all properly masked. The meal was magnificent, and, top everyone's surprise and delight, Shehan, who is a somewhat picky eater, ate more than anyone else. Fully refreshed and highly satisfied, we hit the road again. On the way back, we made all the purchases we had hoped to make on the first run--pineapples, cashews, clay flower pots and cooking pots, coconut-shell ladles, and a string hopper maker. We arrived in Kandy at 5:30--this time only twelve hours.

Next adventure: our appointment at the Office of Immigration on September 3?