****I wrote this post at 2 am Sri Lankan time day 3 (I dunno. Jet lag! )*****
I had pre-booked all of my accommodation as stated in my blog post-Sri Lanka Diaries – Day One -The Journey. If you are reading this first by all means click the link and read that one too, you know you want to
Travelling forwards in time, unfortunately, means that you lose a day. So my holiday/time abroad actually starts today.
I just realised travelling on a plane is the closest to time travel any human is gonna get without being super!
Anyways, I disembarked the plane in a jumper, jeans and a biker jacket, I dunno what I was thinking, I do know though that the plane was cold! At that moment in time I was sweltering!
I went through immigration smoothly and I am now the proud owner of a Sri Lankan stamp in my passport! Followed the signs for baggage collection and the fear returned. Do you get worked up waiting for your luggage? I do. What if it gets left somewhere and didn’t make it? What if it makes it and another passenger makes off with it? This actually happened to me in Barcelona and my ex had to run after the offender to get it back. Granted we had the same case but if you saw how battered his was, well, I’m surprised he thought his case could possibly be mine! Also why don’t you check the flight tag? It’s not hard! I digress!
After what seemed like an age but was really only 20 minutes, the backpack kindly lent to me by a great friend materialised. Travel money exchanged, walking into the humidity of the air outside Colombo Airport, I met Francis, who was waiting to take me to the accommodation he shared with his wife Carmaline.
Meeting Francis and Carmaline and Getting Settled…
Francis was a lovely older man on the thirty-minute journey to his villa in Negombo he regaled me with stories of his children and grandchildren.
I stared out the window at the architecture, heard horns beeping and saw people driving on the edge. With the humidity and the wonder hitting my senses I didn’t take a single image or video, Sigh!
Carmalineoline was ready at their villa, which reminded me of my grandparents house in Barbados; high ceilings, white interior to help keep the place cool, a porch/veranda to bring the outside in and coconut and mango trees surrounded by well maintained flowers and shrubs; with a smile and Sri Lankan black tea and loads of ginger biscuits. Yum!
Once the tea had been drunk and the biscuits consumed, Francis showed me to my room and whilst basic was clean, tastefully decorated, air conditioned and had a mosquito net over the bed.
I sat on the veranda with Francis and Carmaline trying to get the WiFi to work (it wouldn’t) before retreating to my room with a magazine and promptly falling asleep for FOUR HOURS! Great just great.
The Beach-Cannot Waste The Day
Rushing to the beach and grateful that the midday sun had dissipated and the humidity was lower. The guest house is about a 10 minute walk from Winston Beach where I ended up. there was no way I was going to waste the whole day and I was out and about for roughly 2 hours and in that time these photographs were taken…
I returned to a lovely meal prepared by Carmaline that I had requested before my nap. I dined on the veranda, ate until I was full (the food was divine) and retired to my room, showered and crawled under the mosquito net to write my first Sri Lankan blog post. If you didn’t click the link above click it now! Sri Lanka Diaries – Day One -The Journey Go on…. I dare ya! Lol.
Unfortunately due to the lack of Internet that post and indeed this one were uploaded upon my return. Day 1 and Day 2 were calm and relatively drama free. The highlight? Definitely dinner
I really enjoyed my first day in Negombo and Francis and Carmaline’s hospitality calmed me somewhat. They really allowed me to relax and eased me in slowly into Sri Lankan life.
With some certainty, I can say I am actually going to enjoy this holiday.
So another instalment 'Day 2, Touchdown 18th April 2017' I hope you enjoy Day 2, Touchdown 18th April 2017 ****I wrote this post at 2 am Sri Lankan time day 3 (I dunno.
