Back home in Sri Lanka after being “on the road” for six weeks, we spring into action to get the little house we live in, in as good shape as possible, as we have quite a few home exchanges coming up and we want to put our best foot forward for fellow exchangers.
On day one we do an inventory of everything that needs tweaking. While every house always requires maintenance, a house on the edge of the jungle in a tropical climate, needs extra vigilance.
Our priorities before the next home exchangers arrive, are to create a driveway of some sort, to create a canopy in the bathroom for the passion fruit vine which feels like a jungle in and of itself, to paint the house inside and out, and to find a solution to hide the large water tank structure behind the bathroom garden.
We know that to get all of these tasks done in a few weeks will take both perseverance and time. Nothing gets done in a hurry here. Our strategy is to tackle one task at a time, rather than two in parallel, which would be a recipe for potential disaster.
Here goes…
We need a sign for the house, which is the norm here, to have a name instead of a number. This will make it easier for tuk tuk drivers and visitors to find our house. Initially we had named our house “Jungle Nest” ( a play on being empty nesters)… but after living here for a while we realized that every other boutique hotel or house had the word jungle in its name. Too confusing. A friend of ours, thought of the perfect name for our little rustic paradise ~ “Artist’s Haven”.
A short motorbike ride to the nearby stone quarry belonging to our neighbor, and we select the size and shape of the rock we want to use for our signage.
Ta da! Our rustic paradise now has a name AND a sign ~ at the junction with the small lane that leads to the rice paddies.
Signage: Check!
~ ~
Due to the humidity of our tropical climate, there is a need to repaint walls more than in other climates. For a long time we have been thinking of changing the color of the front of the house, to something more unusual, as many houses here are painted in shades of yellow as ours in now.
Before…
During…
After! We both love how different the front of the house looks in lavender blue.
We kept the sides of the house yellow, as a little wink to multi colored houses in Granada, Nicaragua where we lived for six years. Clearly, we are not ones for uniformity.
The inside of the house is instantly rejuvenated with a fresh coat of white paint.
Paint job: check!
~ ~
We come back home to a rainy season. Not monsoon, but a steady amount of rain almost each day or night. With the rain, come three things: lush green everywhere, mud and mosquitoes. Mosquito repellant, coils and bed nets we have, but clearly we need to do something about the soggy mess directly outside our front door. We select the least expensive, and easiest solution….a gravel stone path way. A way to get from the gate to the front door, sans mud!
The end result is practical, aesthetic, inexpensive, and importantly, done in record time.
The grey color of the stones looks great with the new paint job. Success.
Mud solution / Driveway: Check!
~ ~
A cream colored sofa seemed like a good idea, but in retrospect “what were we thinking?”
One of the (formerly stray) dogs who co-habitat on the property, occasionally sneaks in and makes herself quite at home on the couch when we are not looking. Not so great, especially in the rainy season. Once busted, she makes for a quick exit! The formerly cream sofa is in dire need of a spa day.
The sofa pieces are taken outside to be cleaned (under the watchful eye of monkeys overhead) and left to dry in the sun for a while… (Hoping the rain holds off.)
All clean and refreshed.
Clean the sofa: Check!
~ ~
There is an ugly concrete structure which houses our water tank behind our garden bathroom. Up until now, we had an ingenious but definitely temporary solution, which was to hang two saris from the top of the structure. They hung together like a green opera curtain in front of the concrete, completely hiding it. Well, after almost two years and a lot of rain, the saris have succumbed to the elements.
What permanent and attractive solution can we come up with to camouflage the structure?
Water tank challenge: before
Interim step: the construction of a wooden enclosure in front of the concrete structure. This achieves the first goal of hiding the concrete.
End state: The “cinnamon solution”. Sri Lanka is the world’s leading exporter of cinnamon sticks and powder and has been the leading provider of cinnamon to the world for centuries.
Sometimes the solution is right in front of your eyes….
Camouflaging the water tank structure: Check!
~ ~
The passionfruit creeper we planted has grown wild during our absence. We always envisioned it becoming a canopy of sorts for above the toilet, in our al fresco bathroom. The canopy is finally here. but the problem is, it sags from the weight. A simple yet strong solution is required to raise and strengthen the canopy which right now is made from coconut husk rope, which was a temporary solution we used to guide the growth of the creeper.
Gayan, Nilu’s brother in law knew we were pondering the solution to the canopy. One day, we return from the beach to a nice surprise. It is all done!! A simple construction made from (again) cinnamon branches.
Now we can use the toilet (to the left of the door) during the rain without getting drenched.
Al Fresco Bathroom Canopy: Check!
~ ~
In Sri Lanka’s tropical climate, plants grow fast, fruit ripens fast.
There are four fully mature jackfruit trees on our property. They are laden with what is considered the largest fruit in the world which grows on a tree. We are eager to get to some of the ripe ones before either the monkeys get them all, or they drop with a loud smash in the middle of the night, splattering everywhere.
(The inside flesh of the jackfruit can be eaten raw and is sweet with a juicy fruity type of flavor. The locals however only eat jackfruit cooked as a curry. Once cooked, the flesh develops a taste and texture akin to pulled pork.)
Gayan proudly brings a jackfruit to clean (a rather messy job due to the latex gel that surrounds the pods). The deal is, if he cuts them, he keeps half and we get half. We eat most of ours raw (great in smoothies) and the rest, Nilu makes into a curry for us.
The garden is lush and filling in nicely. It needed some trimming here and there, and we added a variety of mint plants. (The al fresco bathroom remains our favorite “room” in the house.)
Garden tamed: Check!
~ ~
As many of you who follow the blog know, we “inherited” 3 dogs which lived on the property before we came along. One of them, Teddy, is very old (15) and we pamper her when we are around with a doggy bed for her to sleep inside and added attention.
We come home to find Teddy looking rather thin and out of energy. She picks herself up the day we arrive, to follow along with us, as usual, as we walk to yoga.
Here comes Teddy…
The next day however, Teddy stops eating and we both know that she is nearing the end of her life. On the third day she wakes us up at 4 a.m. and is in pain. We know it is her time. Ben carries her in to her bed, and we share her last few hours of life together. This is the natural course of things, we all live and we all die. And yet, it is hard to say goodbye to Teddy.
Last portrait. Teddy at home in her final days of life.
Sharing her last hour. Peta sits stroking Teddy and singing to her until dawn breaks. Ben takes her to the dog clinic (as soon as it opens) and it is here that she dies in his arms.
Goodbye, dear Teddy.
~ ~ ~
In record time, we have managed to get everything done that we had set out to take care of, without stress or hassle, nor breaking the bank. We declare our house ready for the onslaught of home exchangers (a family from Switzerland, followed by one from France, Spain and Mexico.)
We host a rice and curry Sri Lankan dinner to celebrate a job well done.
We invite Nilu and her two sons, Gayan, his sister and his wife and their three kids to join us. We will pay for the produce and Gayan and Nilu will do the cooking.
Some of the family members have no English whatsoever, but most of the kids are learning English at school and have varying degrees of English language capability.
Nilu’s youngest son has brought his chess set along and is intent on teaching Ben how to play chess.
Ben, the novice, captures Dinishu’s queen early on, with Dinishu dismayed by his silly mistake.
Nilu’s oldest son Isuru, has an email account now and serves as the chief “communicator” between us and Nilu, when we are traveling.
One easily gets addicted to Sri Lankan curries with their particular spices and flavors. Nilu often cooks for us, but this time, Gayan takes the lead in the kitchen and wants to cook up some of his favorite recipes. He has had fifteen years of experience working in the restaurant of a nearby hotel and knows his way around the spice rack!
We see Nilu often,(and for those of you who have read her story on earlier posts, we are happy to say that Nilu is doing really well in transitioning to life after Bandu.
Mango curry prepped. The mangoes are cooked and eaten with the skin on, and is delicious.
Lagoon crabs cooked in coconut milk are generous in size and very tasty.
Rice (with vegetables) is a staple in Sri Lankan cuisine. Nilu knows that we like a little rice with our curries, in contrast to Sri Lankans who like a little curry with their rice!
Shredded morel mushrooms are cooked al dente and are always a favorite with us.
This was a new curry for us to try… pineapple! We voted this the best curry of the night.
A little after dinner musical entertainment.
Peta and Ben, thank you for the update and the lovely tour of your home! I enjoyed seeing the improvements made. Your home already looked welcoming and comfortable – now even more so.
Sorry to learn about Teddy, but as you said it was her time and I am glad you were there to ease her passing.
The food pictures look amazing as usual. I wish there was a way to smell the food over the computer…hehehe!
Deb
Thank you for your kind and thoughtful comments. We were pleased that we were there for Teddy. I wish you could smell the curries too… one day someone will invent an olfactory feature no doubt.
Peta
I love reading about all of these different facets of your life there. From home improvement, to morning rituals, to friendships with the locals, to the vibrant local food, etc. Love the lavender on the house and the natural roof in the bathroom. That photo of Peta with Teddy is both heartwarming and heartbreaking.
J.D. thanks for this. Hard to know if our daily life is of interest to readers, but hopefully it is different enough, that it IS. Nice to know that the lavendar color gets a thumbs up.
Two hours of singing and stroking Teddy and then Ben took her to the clinic hoping we could hasten the end for her by “putting her to sleep”. But in a Buddhist country, a dog clinic cannot take any action that would directly lead to or accelerate death. As he tried to convince them to do what we saw as being the most humane thing to do, Teddy’s soul moved on…
Peta
Wow, you have been busy – and successful! And it’s always good to get an update on Nilu and how she is getting on.
Thanks Anabel, glad to be able to give a positive update about Nilu.
Peta
I love reading about creative home improvements, so this is one of my favorite posts. All the cinnamon branches are beautiful, the gate, the watertank and the canopy. Such simple solutions all around, and very effective. I also love the paint color you chose. You nest well for nomads!
Thanks Sharon, for all the nice feedback. “You nest well for nomads” ~ that’s a classic statement! Can totally see that you would appreciate the aesthetics of the cinnamon branches. glad you love the paint color too!
xoxo
B&P
You two are astounding. Such a good team. Your solutions look brilliant. I cant believe how much the outdoor garden has grown. i assume with all of the upcoming house exchanges you will be on the road. Can you tell me what website you use for the exchanges?
Thanks Sue! We keep meaning to write a post on home exchange, the website we have used for the past ten years is http://www.homeexchange.com
Peta
I loved this post. I love how you just get things done and get on with it. We tend to procrastinate and so much time is wasted. I’m so touched by the picture of you with Teddy and can imagine how distraught you must be. The gathering of friends for delicious food is also so endearing and of course Ben at the piano is my favourite part. I only wonder what music he plays in the jungle?
Roch, so lovely to read you and so glad to hear that you enjoyed this post so much! We have no time to procrastinate and in any case, personality wise we both tend to “hit the ground running” and want it done yesterday.
Ben’s main go to is definitely jazz. You two could play up a storm together!
Peta
You two accomplished an amazing amount of upgrade to your Artist Haven. I don’t know how you can bear to give it up to exchanges but then you don’t sit still for long either. It must be so wonderful not only to come home to a lovely house but also to loving family. I’m still learning how to make scrambled eggs so I’m drooling over all the curries.
Hoping you’ll show more of your paintings. I’ve caught glimpses now and again.
But the most affecting photo is the one of Peta sitting beside Teddy. It’s easy to paint a house and have guests for dinner, but the true mark of humanity in a person is how willing they are to sit beside one who’s life force is ebbing.
Shabbat Shalom to you both.
Thanks Shari.The exchanges motivate us to get things done in record time and keep the house at its best.The whole beauty of home exchange is that it affords us the ability to travel at low cost as we do not pay for accommodation and that is a huge savings of course.
Not sure if you saw this post about our drawings: drawings and sketches
Here is another earlier post (from when we lived in Nicaragua) with some of my paintings: http://www.greenglobaltrek.com/2010/03/stray-dogs-paintings-on-show-in-granada.html
And from an exhibit in Chicago: http://www.greenglobaltrek.com/2015/05/studio-352may-exhibitstray-dogs-of-nicaragua.html
Shari I had to put a beloved cat to sleep once years ago, he was old and sick and I did not stay with him and I always regretted that decision. Years later, when one of the dogs I loved in Nicaragua, “Scarface” was at the end of his life I got the opportunity to be there for him during his final moments of life and now again with Teddy. Emotionally tough and yet feels so meaningful. Thank you for acknowledging.
Peta
xox
What a lovely paradise you’ve made! What I wouldn’t give to some day have a passion-fruit bathroom canopy. Maybe there’s only one in existence, right now?
Thanks Johnny! Our goal for that canopy in addition to providing shelter from rain and shade from sun, was to be able to eat passion fruit off the vine in our bathroom. So far, only a few flowers, but no fruit yet.
Peta
I think the house looks great! But I’m so sorry about Teddy. I’m glad you were able to be with her at the end. I remember you mentioned her in a comment on my post about my dog Lucy, but the photo of you sitting by her on her last day was just so touching.
Thank you Ann. I was so happy that we could be here for her at the end. We were concerned that we might have been traveling when the time came. It certainly seemed as though she waited for us to return before she left this world.
I hesitated about posting that photo, as I didn’t even know that Ben had taken it. But in the end we decided that it captured the moment and feeling aptly, more than words could.
Peta
I love your house! What a beautiful space you’ve created together.
It was wonderful to get a catch up, (you’ve been so busy!) and to hear that Nilu is doing well. And I’m so sorry about Teddy.
Alison
Thanks Alison for the lovely compliment. It is always a lot of work to create the kind of space we enjoy being in, but it is always worth the effort. We also do enjoy sharing our space with exchangers as they do with us!
Peta
I can’t help but wonder if Teddy wasn’t waiting for you to come home, before departing. I’m so glad that you were there to ease her final days.
And it’s so good to read about Nilu’s continuing success, as well as to see the wonderful, relatively easy upgrades to the house.
I never would have thought of pineapple curry, but a quick seach revealed every sort of variation, from a multitude of countries. I believe I’ll give it a try, as I do love pineapple.
Thanks for your comments. We definitely felt that Teddy waited for us to gat back before dying. The timing was just too close. As well, I have had the same thing happen before, (in Nicaragua), with a very old street dog named Scarface whom I fell in love with. A few days after we returned home after being away for three months, he managed to get himself to our door, before his final moments.
Pineapple (and mango) add a lovely sweetness to the spiciness of curries and the pineapple is certainly very original in curry form for sure.
Peta
I love and hate your post. Love the updates, love the pictures, love your ingenuity (love the lavender blue and yellow) love the peek into another culture and your world.
I hate the reminder that I’m getting old and stale and just the thought of all you’ve accomplished fatigued me! But most of all I hate it that I don’t have anyone to cook such delicious looking food for me.
I shall just have to continue living vicariously – so you two had better keep making my life as interesting as you’ve managed to do so far.
Hahaha Judith, you have us both laughing out loud and smiling (so our brains definitely know we ARE happy, re your recent blog post on smiling).
I have to say, that we do feel very pampered by having Nilu around and the luxury of having her make us yummy meals. It is such a treat. It took months of knowing Nilu before we realized that she was happy to make curries for us. And since then, we are not shy in asking her.. Sometime she even brings us a Sri Lankan breakfast as a surprise – sorry for this! 🙂 fish curry and lentil dahl with string hoppers (rice noodles) may not read “breakfast” to most Westerners but we have grown to love Asian style breakfasts of noodles and savory accompaniments.
We will do our best to keep life interesting!!
Ben & Peta
Love love love the cinnamon branches! Good work.
Sorry to hear about Teddy, it is always hard to lose a friend.
I just landed in Sri Lanka so it is neat to read about your home 🙂 We shall be ‘neighbors’ for a month.
Hi Donnae, Welcome to Sri Lanka! If you are interested, you can check out our archives on Sri Lanka for vignettes of some of our favorite places around the island.
Enjoy!
Peta
Impressive work on the house; both the results and how much you were able to get done in such a short amount of time. Our house needs attention too, but I keep getting sidetracked…
Thanks Dave! We had to work hard to stay focused on what needed to be done as we did not have the luxury of time and procrastination. I guess that is the best way to actually get things done in a house ~ time pressure = mandatory results.
Ben
Sorry to hear about Teddy. It’s hard to say goodbye to beloved pets. As for your list of jobs, you did well to get everything done in time. It all looks wonderful.
Thanks Carol. Glad to read that you think it looks “wonderful” Hopefully the home exchangers will think so too!
Peta
Great post. Well done on all the hard work. Looks great. Cinnamon branches sounds so exotic. So when you get short of cinnamon, do you go and grate a bit off your fence? 🙂
May Teddy rest in peace in Doggy Heaven.
Spread a blanket on the cream couch for the winter to stop it getting dirty?
Pineapple curry sounds yummyyy, combining all the taste senses.
Here in Israel, passion fruit vines only last at max 4 years before they die, they are susceptible to nematodes which eventually kill them. They also sometimes need extra iron – if they get yellow leaves, need iron supplement, but maybe the earth there is good, as yours seems to be thriving!
Thanks Nik! We do eat a lot of cinnamon.. put it in smoothies, curries etc because it is so readily available and so good for you, but not grated off our fence, no haha.
Winter?? What winter? It’s summer all year round.
We planted four passion fruit vines and out of those, only this one is thriving. Hopefully it lasts longer than 4 years. It is had no fruit though, so any suggestions to make it bear fruit, are welcomed.
Peta
xox
My condolences on Teddy – she had a very sweet, gentle look about her. Your house looks wonderful! Congrats on all the updates!
Thanks Ellyn. Teddy was a sweetheart, although she could get like an attack dog when she didn’t like someone or if she thought we were being threatened. She was very protective.
Peta
Oh no! I am so gutted to hear about Teddy although you made her final years very golden. Sounds like she was waiting around for your return to bid you farewell
On a happier note, I love all the home improvements; the inviting new sign, the divine split-tone paint job, the attractively practical gravel driveway… and I didn’t think it was possible to improve upon your ‘garden of delights’ bathroom but wow, just wow! I need to come back and visit again! What I would give for another one of Nilu’s curries.
Come back Lisa, your room is waiting for you!! Teddy definitely had a good two years with us and enjoyed all the attention and affection she received. She waited for us to come back, we have little doubt, seeing as she died so soon after. I have that happen with another street dog I loved, Scarface, in Nicaragua.
Thanks! So glad you like all the “upgrades”!!
Peta
Such a lovely “coming home” post and a peek into your daily life and wonderful community of friends in Sri Lanka. It’s good to know that Nilu is doing well.
Your home looks so beautiful and inviting—you know I am delighted by your choice of lavender for the front of your Artist’s Haven! And your outdoor bath is heavenly.
Peta, the photo of you with Teddy is so poignant. I’m sure he waited for you to come home to say goodbye. We held our kitty as she took her last breath—I will never forget watching the light leave her eyes. It was deeply painful letting her go, and at the same time, a spiritual experience. I know you understand.
Thank you Laurel for your kind words. Lavender is one of the few colors that Ben can see and enjoy (being color blind) so it totally makes sense. As well, in a hot climate, it makes the house feel a bit cooler than yellow, even if that is just psychological.
Yes, it is not easy and such an incredible thing to be there as a soul that we love departs this earth.
Peta
Well, this paradise as humble as it is magical is an abode of tranquility.
Sometimes, I wonder is ti even possible to stay like you guys do, away from the hustle bustle of city lives and truly living the Life you love.
I would really love to meet you Peta and Ben, just to gain some of your wisdom and share your experiences. How do you manage to travel so much?
The combination of blue with grey does look fresh 🙂
Love, Charu
Thank you Charu.
We have lived in the hustle bustle of city life and as much as we enjoy cities, we also love being in nature living a more simple and calmer and quiet life.
Seeing as you live in India it seems, we can likely meet and we invite you to visit us in Sri Lanka.
We prioritize travel and therefore use most of our money earned on that. Also, we travel low budget as possible using the majority of the money spent, going to the plane tickets.
xoxo
Peta
Loving the lavender and the ingenuity, Peta 🙂 🙂 Sad about Teddy but it looks like you have some exciting travels ahead. Take good care!
Thanks Johanna. Yes we have a lot of exchanges one after the other. We are currently in Northern Spain enjoying the Costa Brava from our home exchange (with an ocean view!)
Peta
What a fun post Peta, except of course for the loss of Teddy. I believe Teddy was lucky to have you as you were lucky to have inherited him.
I love the new lavender color and the cinnamon stick solutions! Can you smell the cinnamon? It seems as if that would be an added bonus.
I’m curious… do you host the guests while your are home, or do you do simultaneous exchanges?
Thanks Patti.
Seems the new lavender color is popular. Wouldn’t it be fun to see more colorful houses in more countries. You can smell the cinnamon branches when they are first cut. After that, the smell fades away.
No, we never host people, we are also traveling. But we also do not very often do simultaneous exchanges, mostly they are non simultaneous or work on a “credit” system where you offer your house up and get a credit in the system to use anywhere if someone else needs/wants a credit for their use.. and so on.
Peta
My condolences on losing Teddy. 😢 She had the comfort of having you beside her until the end.
On a lighter note, I’ve said before but am repeating how much I love your outdoor bathroom! It’s very dreamy. I had no idea cinnamon was such a useful wood for creating structures. Both the canopy and the cover for your tank look marvelous. Is it a fast growing tree?
Thank you.
We love our outdoor bathroom too. We enjoy it every day that we use it. It’s magic. We did not know much about cinnamon trees until living in Sri Lanka, nor how important the cinnamon trade is, for Sri Lanka. The spice itself is made from the soft inner bark and the Ceylon cinnamon tree grows to a massive 60 foot tall and reach cutting maturity in 5 to 10 years. Far closer to the fastest growing bamboo grass which reaches maturity in 5 years, compared with most trees used for timber which are typically slow growing.
Ben & Peta
Nothing like a hard deadline for a great motivator! Your house looks great… I love the new color! Lucky home exchangers who will be staying there! We’ve housesat but have never done an exchange… intriguing. So sorry about Teddy. That must have been so difficult.
Janis you are quite right… deadlines are very motivating. As they say “give tasks to very busy people and that is the surest way of getting the tasks done”. In this case it was a self imposed deadline, and there is a definite satisfaction in doing a lot of very visible home improvements.
We always “warn” home exchangers that the house is rustic. Most home exchangers are used to the combination of getting high end, low end, large, small, urban or rural homes to exchange. Most, find the location to be extremely unique ~ after all, how many people these days get woken by loud bird songs and can shower under the watchful eye of monkeys! Hope to write a post about home exchange some time soon. Got a serious backlog here…. 🙂
Peta
Thank you so much for sharing! I miss your home so so much…
LOVE the color of the house…wow.
We love you Teddy and I know you waited until Ben and Peta returned home to say your goodbyes. 🙁 You are missed!!!
Don’t get me started on the curries!!!!!!
Ben, you got a little piano? OH I want to be there right now listening to your heart play…
Love you guys dearly!
Brook Brook!!!! So great to read you!! This post is for YOU.
So glad you like the new color! Come and see it in person…. 🙂
Yup, finally he bought a keyboard, he missed having a piano to play, so much.
Love you TOO, miss you.
xoxoxo
“Artist’s Haven” is indeed a rustic paradise. I could easily imagine the atmosphere from your descriptive writing and lovely photos (including the pesky mosquitoes). As I was reading your post I was thinking this might become a new type of HGTV program where the hosts could renovate island paradises. The work you’ve put into the project is phenomenal. My heart breaks for Teddy and she was so fortunate to have you with her for her last hours, it’s such a sweet photo of the two of you. Beautiful post!!
Thanks you Stephanae for your kind words and compliments. It HAS been a lot of work, but so worth it.
We were both attached to Teddy, and she was particularly fond of Ben. She would wake him up numerous times during the night to let her in and out.. When we first met her (two years ago) she had a huge stomach tumor. We took her to the dog clinic to have surgery to get it removed and were so surprised to find out she was 15 years old. Not sure I would have subjected her to surgery had we known. But she survived fine, she was a tough broad, and seemed happy not to be lugging around that extra weight from her middle.
Peta
The paint job is fantastic. We call that colour bluple. Farewell Teddy.
Thanks Peggy, glad you like it. “Bluple” ~ that’s funny… It works!
Peta
I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your treasured canine companion but it must have been a comfort to you to spend his last days making sure he knew he was loved and not alone.
So great to see pictures of your house projects in your “rustic paradise” – it made me feel as if I were right there. Your outside w/c and bath still make me envious and it was lovely to see how the garden has filled in as well as the overhead ‘roof’ since your first sketches and initial pictures. And I love the lavender blue/yellow combination. It does remind me of Granada and other tropical countries like Curacao. Your house seems to be a beautiful combination of welcome, calm and contentment.
Thanks for the enthusiastic and warm comments. The garden bathroom has certainly “come along” from those early days. Even though it takes a lot of work to create something from nothing, the satisfaction gained, is well worth it, as is the end result.
So glad you like the color combo. We were not sure it would work, and had it not, we would have painted the sides lavender too. But yay, it did work!
Peta
Enjoyed the post…hope to read more
Thanks Travtrails,
Welcome to Green Global Trek and thanks for reading us and stopping by to say hi.
Peta
You two have created such a beautiful, inviting haven. I can only imagine how many will want to take advantage of this lovely jungle home for their vacation. So sorry for the loss of Teddy.
Thanks LuAnn for such kind words. We do love to share our spot of paradise with others. The setting is so unique, being so immersed in nature. One couple who stayed there for two weeks said it had changed their lives.
Peta
I was so sorry to hear about poor Teddy but at least he died knowing he was loved. Congratulations on getting all your projects done. The place looks great and I love the new colour!!
Teddy definitely knew she was well loved and I am grateful that we were there to be there with her in her final moments and to say good bye.
Thanks! Glad you like it.
Peta
What a rich and fulfilling life you have, Peta and Ben. You are inspiring in so many ways. I’m so sorry about Teddy; as you know, we had to say goodbye to our sweet doggy girl a few months ago, so I know how sad you are. 🙁 Hope all the home exchangers love your place!
Thanks Lex for the lovely comments. We have had so many terrific home exchanges ourselves and enjoyed so many homes, that we want to reciprocate as best we can. In fact we are in a wonderful home exchange right now!!
Peta
Lovely to hear and update from you, Peta and Ben. I like the title Artist Haven. It sounds like a very cozy inspirational sanctuary and the fresh coat of paint gives such a relaxing vibe. Didn’t know you actually had to paint the walls more in humid weather but it makes sense. The more humid the weather, the more wet and weathered the walls can become. So sorry to hear about Teddy and I’m sure she left all of you with many happy memories and moments to be cherished.
The dinner party looked like such a heartwarming affair. So many different kinds of spiced dishes to whet the palate. And nothing like hanging out with each other – that shot of everyone crowding around the laptop made me smile. Such inquisitive kids 🙂
Mabel thanks for your thoughtful response to this post. So glad that you enjoyed reading about our update from Sri lanka.
Peta
You guys are incredible! I can’t believe how much you got done, and all so beautiful and creative. Lucky folks who get to stay at your place. I’m so sorry about Teddy!
Thanks Caroline. We are definitely the “get it done” asap types.. especially seeing as we had a time constraint. The first exchangers from Switzerland are there and are very much enjoying the house and Nilu’s curries and we are in a home exchange in the South of France.
Peta
Some of these were serious projects. So much progress in so little time. You guys rock! It all looks amazing.
I love the new name and sign for your nest in paradise, and the fact that the stone has a natural arrow facing towards your home. 🙂
I can only rave about all your solutions and end results – the new color(s) of the house, the couch, to support for the vines, the cover-up of the cement for the water tank, First, I thought you used thin strands of bamboo, which I’m sure is plentiful as well, but the cinnamon looks pretty and fitting.
I’m so sorry to read about Teddy. So sad. But, I’m glad you guys were back in time to spend his last hours together. Life is full of bad and good moments, as your yummy celebration feast shows. Those dishes look scrumptious. Where will you go during the home exchanges? Or, will we find out soon in future posts? 🙂
Thanks Liesbet for your enthusiastic comments about this post and the progress on our house.
We are back in Europe where we have met up with our oldest son and his girlfriend. It will take a while to catch up on the blog, but we are also enjoying a series of home exchanges. Otherwise Europe would be out the question!
Peta
Dear old Teddy. <3 So glad you were there to bid her farewell and to comfort her in her last hours. Your home improvements are really impressive and very attractive. Well done to you both and also to your helpers. i love the new paint colours and the name too. I remember my dad telling me about the jackfruit which he so enjoyed in Indonesia where he grew up. I was interested to see your photos. I never realised how big the fruit was. Enjoy your time at home before you set off on your travels again. xx
Thanks Sylvia for all your positive feedback. Not only is the jackfruit large, it is also very heavy and very messy to open up as there is a layer of latex which sticks to everything ~ so definitely a job for gloves and lots of newspaper covering the countertops! But worth the effort for sure. The biggest surprise for us, besides how delicious the raw fruit is and how interesting it is in cooked form in curry (like pulled pork) is that there is the extra gift of the seeds, which when cooked taste like a combination of potato and chestnuts. Pretty yummy.
Peta
I had to wait a few moments before my eyes cleared enough to type. Peace to Teddy. So hard to say goodbye to an animal soul – the sweetest I’ve ever encountered. Thanks for sharing his end with us; what a gift for you both, and for Teddy, to be there with him.. As always, I read with rapt attention about your house going-ons. LOVE the lavender. And the cinnamon!
Thanks Pamela for your touching comments. We were very conscious the whole time that we knew Teddy that we were enriching her “golden years” and at the same time we were a bit nervous every time we travelled as we worried about her. Of course we had Nilu coming to feed all the dogs, but not quite the same as our presence. Grateful we got back in time, even though it was gut wrenching.
So glad to hear you LOVE the lavendar, we do too…. and the cinnamon is so Sri Lankan specific ~ a local specialty.
Peta & Ben
Peta and Ben your creativity and talent shine throughout your “rustic paradise” with such great attention to detail. I can imagine that your lovely home is very popular indeed with home exchanges, who would not love to spend time in such a relaxing environment. I am so sorry to hear about Teddy, very sad 🙁
Thank you Gilda… A funny thing about our home exchange in Sri Lanka is that it is one of just a handful, whereas other places such as San Francisco or Amsterdam have at least 200 or more listings each. So we do get a lot of requests. That said, it is not for everyone… If people want a place with air conditioning, or something more luxurious, this is not the spot for them.
Peta
Your home, environment, food — well, everything — seems so exotic to us. It’s foreign yet inviting and warm. Love the colors of your home, the mingling you get to do with locals, and the spirit of adventure that infuses each of your posts. Best wishes for always loving Sri Lanka.
Rusha thanks so much for your lovely and enthusiastic comments about this post. So glad you enjoyed it. It is always interesting how things can appear exotic and after spending some time immersed in the exotic, they just become part of daily life! I think it is one of the reasons we enjoy living sequentially in different countries so that we can re experience the feeling and excitement of exotic, many times over.
Peta
Wow, it all looks surreally beautiful! Thanks for the update Ben & Peta!
Thanks Aaron for stopping by. Glad you are enjoying the updates.
P&B