Guano

Over the only stair case that is accessible to patients, is a somewhat porous roof.  In fact, all of the roofs here are pretty flimsy.  The hospital roof, however, as become home to thousands of bats.  They produce enough guano, that the roof tiles started to leak it into the stairway, and into the area next to the maternity ward.  If guano smells bad in Iowa, think of what 90 degrees and 100 percent humidity does to the fragrance.  I will tell you.  It magnifies it.  To the point that going up the stairs would make your eyes water.  There is apparently a secondary problem, in that the monkeys like to catch the bats, and will climb on the roof at night.  So, as part of the deal to bring the hospital up to a better grade, the roof is being fixed.  I'm not sure that is the final answer to the bats, but I hope it will keep the smell down.  There are so many smells in Sri Lanka that are unusual to the western nose.  I'm not really sure how to catalog them.  I'm sure that they will evoke many memories if I ever smell them again.  Of bats, and monkeys, and cows walking down the middle of the road, and the ever present burning of trash and manure.  But there are good ones as well, like the smell of curry, the ocean salt breeze, fresh fish, and prawns on the grill.  I will try to remember the good ones.