The cursor is blinking on my screen and for the first time of my life, may be, I am at a loss for words. Almost a week after our return I think we are still suffering from post traumatic stress, if you can call it that.

We still remember the manner in which we were welcomed. The Commander - a larger than life personality in the true sense of the phrase - briefed us on the topography of the Naval Dockyard. We were too awed to take notes.

We never knew of the magnitude of the Dockyard, and we felt privileged to be two of the very few journalists allowed inside it's very private world.

From the first cup of tea we were offered, we knew that Sri Lanka Navy had an exceptional manner of influencing the citizens without considering their ethnicity or grades. We guess that was the reason we later found out their capabilities and hospitality with the help of ordinary people's comments.

On the third day we were just as elated to catch a boat ride to Muthur. However Anuki was vehemently refusing the life jacket, to no avail. It turned out that it was a must for all civilians. But we managed to stand on the boat, in spite of the liaisons officers entreaties.

He was counting on us getting sea sick, but we were actually wishing that the sea was rougher.

The rougher it got, harder the wind blew as well. And guess what? my colleague dropped her pair of sun glasses and instead of worrying about it, she was jabbering about how fifty years from now it would be picked up by some person, like the 'heart of the ocean' in Titanic. I decided that she was either being excessively romantic due to the change of surroundings or seriously sea sick.

Upon our return we got the very rare chance to board a Navy ship. We never thought we could be so emotional.

All the officers lined up to welcome us, on deck, and although in the hight of excitement - and the scurry of activities of trying to get Anuki out of the boat and on to the ship - we missed it, but were told later that the officers are supposed to salute any lady who comes aboard or disembark a naval ship.

It was indeed a total wondrous experience to us. We roamed around the ship and found out all the stuff that took place inside a ship. That is not all, of course we were fortunate enough to have lunch on board with a whole team of navy personnel.

We thinking it was one of the most mouth watering meals we ever had and wish we could get one more chance. Also we did not forget to pull their legs by saying that men are far better cooks than women, these days.

Their way of thinking in various areas were impressive. (I remember when we reported to work after the assignment, our Senior Associate Editor said, listening to our never ending tales of Trincomalee that he is glad that we have met some intelligent personalities).

Until the moment we disembarked from the ship the whole trip was awe inspiring and exciting, but from then on we started to realize that there was an end to it as everything else. We were able to catch the salute when we disembarked. And let me tell you, never have we felt more proud in my whole life. We had a sudden urge to salute the heros of our country .

We experienced much more while we were in Trincomalee. The song 'Seasons in the sun', would be one ideal way to express what we felt and experienced. Until next week.....

We had joy

we had fun

We had seasons in the sun,

but the stars we could reach were

just starfish on the beach

We had joy

We had fun

We had seasons in the sun,

but the wine and the song

like the season out of time.