On this visit to the Hingurakgoda plantation, Amila and I only got there at 2.30am on Tuesday after a full days sales on Monday August 13th when we got back to the Godagama farm only at 8pm to pack the cab with old doors, an iron sofa bed given by an aunt, an old cupboard to put clothes into, plastic fruit crates, and coconut husks. Sudath the boy who is stationed at Hingurakgoda had to go home only 2 hours after our arrival, for two days.It was left for Amila and me to take care of the necessary work load. He therefore had little rest after the long drive.
We had to take bags of paddy, with me also carrying 50kg sacks, to mill rice both Rathu Samba and Rosa Samba. I had to pick up parboiled paddy I had given an expert farmer who parboils for me and then take this Thambapu Rathu samba to be milled.
I had to fill a tank of kerosene and make sure the water was pumped for the rice cultivation and papaya cultivation. We also had to check the availability of other produce from neighboring farmers in Sudath's absence.
Corn plants had to be checked over, the water from the main Minneriya tank that comes to us had to be directed at the correct paddy fields that needed it most, and I had to organize the materials for our building of a small kitchen to be covered in cadjan, or coconut palms woven. Hitherto we have been cooking in log fires in the open and we need to get some covered space before the next rains come next month.
This is an example of what we do when we stay in Hingurakgoda.
