Colombo
Colombo and Home..
And home again…
We use the new year as reason to sleep in a little bit and after buffet breakfast, we check out of the hotel, storing our bags until we head to the airport.
Colombo, like many large cities, is lacking in signature must-see sights. We make the most of our time, however, and wander around the National Museum and Viharamahadevi Park before taking a tuk-tuk to a fantastic restaurant for lunch. …
Kandy to Colombo
Kandy
What do you mean by formal dress??
Breakfast is served on our private terrace. We eat quickly, as we agreed to an early start with our driver. Today we complete our circle route, driving from Kandy back to Colombo. Our first stop, however, is at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. We arrive on time for the morning feeding and bathing of the elephants. …
Kandy
Kandy
MG quotes of the day… “so that is what the lime is for…” and later, "I am not the only one trying to keep my eyes open".
For the first time since arriving in Sri Lanka, we are cold during the night. We both require the additional blankets provided and I even keep my "feets" covered (and if you really know me, you'll know that is a pretty rare event). …
Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Elyia
You're in the wrong country for massages with Happy Endings…
Having slept much much better than the night before, we are up and off at 8am, beginning the journey from Udawalawe to Nuwara Eliya. At breakfast we have our first morning meal with protein...omelets. I think it's fair to say we are both open minded eaters, preferring the taste and safety of local food over best attempts at western food, but breakfast is the exception. …
Tangalla to Uda Walawe
Tangalla to Uda Walawe
What do you normally do when an elephant attacks?
After breakfast we check out, a little sleepy, but happy to be moving ahead with the journey. We drive along the last bit of southern coast that we will see and then head north, towards Udawalawe and the Uda Walawe National Park. It is a challenging three hour drive to the home town of our driver (which happens to be very close to our hotel and the National Park)... and by challenging I mean challenging to stay awake. …
Galle to Tangalla
Galle to Tangalla
It's a Christmas miracle and beaches that rival those in Hawaii
11 hours of sleep is wonderful and after we enjoy a breakfast of fruit and toast we are on the road with our driver. We decide to skip Mirissa and drive on to Tangalla (our original plan was to make the short drive to Mirissa for whale watching, but our driver suggests that whale watching is disappointing at this time of the year).
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En Route to Sri Lanka
En Route to Sri Lanka
Where the F**k is Qatar...on route to Sri Lanka
I must admit that feels strange to be heading to the airport when I should be waking up for Christmas morning in Canada - I will also admit to a few tears...which I believe are completely justified [post trip note…these were the only tears of the entire trip].
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A long journey home
Hawai'i is a long way from home…cab to plane, to plane, to plane, to plane, to train, to train, to bus, to HOME.
On the way to Hawaii, the break in Toronto helped to split the travel time. We don’t have such a luxury on the way home.
We leave O’ahu shortly after 20:00 and with the time zone change and flight time, we arrive in Vancouver shortly after 5.00 local time, As we board the plane to Toronto, our upgrade request is accommodated and they are able to upgrade us to business class. …
O'Ahu - Honolulu
We’re in Hawaii…tell me again how we ended up on the old number 2 bus?
Somehow, after only a few hours…and most of them spent sleeping…the hotel rooms looks as though we have moved in or been robbed. We reorganize the chaos of clothes and repack our bags for the final time on this trip. After breakfast we drop our bags at reception and set out to make the most of the day. …
The Big Island - Volcano
Helicopters in the morning, airports in the evening…and Walmart, Target and an iHOP in between
MG indulges my love of markets and we go to the local Volcano market, which is up and running by 6:30. It’s bustling with locals and feels as though the whole town has come to socialize and stock up on local produce and treats. …
Around the Big Island - Kona to Volcano
Some things are better at night…welcome to the Volcano National Park
While the professional triathletes start the 3.5Km swim portion of the triathlon in the morning, we enjoy a wonderful breakfast of fruit and eggs and fresh scones. From the dining room of the Inn we can see the black shadow of race participants move through the water. …
From Maui to the Big Island - Kona
Questions of the day: Was your Jeep always missing a tire? AND If you’re checking in, who is the couple already in the cottage?
We wake up and get organized to depart, as today is our last day morning at the Four Seasons. We have a few hours before heading to the airport, plenty of time for breakfast and a quick swim in the ocean. …