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Lunugamvehera

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Today was the super early alarm time of 04:45! We were given breakfast boxes to keep us going on our way toĀ Lunugamvehera National Park, however some of the contents was rather questionable.. I decided not the put the sausage anywhere near my mouth!

The safari started on the same style of jeep as yesterday and we crossed a bridge made of railway sleepers. How this thing can be classed as safe I have absolutely no idea šŸ¤£ but we managed it across alive and didn’t plunge into the water below through the very rotten wood. We drove around for 3 hours but unfortunately we didn’t get to see any leopards. We did however see a huge variety of eagle (including one pulling a lizard apart!) Kingfishers, Bee Catchers, a very rare (so we’re told) Paradise Flycatcher and of course, peacocks! We also had a few crocodile and jackals thrown in as well. Our tour manager told us that in 20 years he has never been round a park where he hasn’t seen an elephant or a wild boar… How bloody typical!

This afternoon we were finally able to strip off, don the bikini and relax by the pool. It was much needed after a few days of early starts. Santa’s head is obviously glowing from slightly too many rays. Cases are all packed ready for us to move on to the final part of Sri Lanka tomorrow!

Udawalawe

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We had an early start this morning (not as early as tomorrow mind… 04:45 alarm set šŸ˜­) as we had a lot of distance to travel. We left the dizzy heights of Nuwara Eliya and travelled through the mountains, stopping off at Rawana Ella Falls on the way. Standing at 19m it was a lovely place to visitĀ but so many stray dogs everywhere (even more than normal) which was quite upsetting to see.

After a quick bag dump at the next hotel we headed out for Udawalawe National Park for our first of two safaris. We had probably only been going for about 5 minutes before we saw our first elephant. Words can’t really describe how amazing it was to see them being in their natural habitat. We saw adults and babies; eating, drinking and playing. We saw a large variety of beautiful birds and a slightly out of place peacock. Further into the safari we saw water buffalo and crocodile as well as an eagle. The landscape was spectacular and like nothing I have ever seen before. The rays coming through the clouds made it even more dramatic. As like every day so far, when 5pm came the thunder and lightning started and the heavens opened. My god did it rain!! But what an experience being in that environment in a storm.

Today has been an incredible experience and one I will never forget!

Nuwara Eliya

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Before leaving Kandy this morning we had an early visit to Temple of the Tooth. We got there around 8am and I would definately recommend getting there as early as possible as it was getting incredibly busy as we left. Whilst it was a beautiful building inside, it felt a bit intrusive stepping all over people as they prayed on the floor. They have clearly spent a lot of money on the architecture, it’s just a shame they didn’t put some of that to use in the toilets!

We left Kandy and headed for the hills to one of the many tea plantations on offer. Ours was the Glenloch factory. We had a tour of the factory and it was interesting to see they’re still using very old fashioned machinery. You wouldn’t want to mess with the woman who work in there… They are strong! We were then able to pick our own leaves and the most smiliest lady came to offer assistance as my basket was rather empty.

At 7000ft above sea level we arrived in Nuwara Eliya. At 20 degrees it’s still perfectly warm enough for us, but the locals clearly see it as arctic as half of them have wooly hats and scarves on! Always one to sniff out an afternoon tea, we ordered it straight away and enjoyed it in the sun in the garden before heading into the town to observe more local life. We found the market (not the looky looky type) and it was fascinating watching them go about their day, buying their fruit and veg etc. The noises, the smells… everything was so interesting to watch!

Santa obviously sniffed out the local pub which was rather seedy and the facilities were ropey to say the least. We quickly drank up and left. I couldn’t get away quick enough after being told by a creepy bloke in a creepy way ‘you look nice’

A few Mojitos in the bar in front of the fire (yes… really) and bed before another 5:45am start.

Another day in Kandy!

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This morning we were treated to a lie in (not tomorrow… 05:45 alarm is set šŸ˜­) and started the day off in the Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya. This was right up our street; National Trust but on a larger scale!

We had only been in the garden 5 minutes before the first request for a selfie came in from a group of school girls, who thought the ginger locks were absolutely fabulous. Half the time I felt like a celebrity with the selfies, however some pointed their lens from afar which made me feel slightly like a zoo animal.

We decided to spend the afternoon exploring Kandy centre. Just sitting and watching the traffic was an interesting experience. No shits are given! We got half way round the lake before the heavens opened again so headed for the market to get some shelter. It was looky looky at it’s finest, but I was persuaded to buy some elephant trousers which will come in very handy when I’ve had a big meal (every day…) Momma also got some trousers and Santa a new linen top.

There was only one mode of transport to get back to the hotel, and that was of course by tuk tuk. Ā£2.50 for a 20 minute journey is an absolute bargain!! It was however, one of the scariest things we have been on. Health and safety at it’s finest. But we made it back in one piece (just) to enjoy yet another thunderstorm.

Santa found a new beer tonight; an 8.8% stout. I’m sure he will be staggering up the stairs soon!

 

Kandy

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It’s been a relatively quiet day today so there’s not much to report!

We left the hotel this morning via a herb and spice garden. It was actually quite interesting; what the guide didn’t know about it all wasn’t worth knowing. Whack a bit of lime in everything if you want to get thin! The highlight however was Santa having his shirt removed and being rubbed all over by a hairy Sri Lankan.

We then headed for Kandy where we will be staying for the next two nights and we were taken to the Kandy Cultural Show. What can I say…. They tried hard and it was interesting to see their traditional dancing. However, the hall was like something you’d get in a high school and the one slightly chubbier dancer looked like he might have a heart attack at any minute. We then had fire eaters and walkers. I found it rather uncomfortable whilst he was licking his firey stick and making eyes at me šŸ¤£ The whole thing was a rather ‘interesting’ experience!

Sigiriya

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This morning was another early one to get a head start up Sigiriya Rock. It was already 30 degrees when we arrived which meant I was one crispy ginger. The 1202 step climb to the top was a very very sweaty one; make sure you have good footwear as some of the steps are less than friendly. However the view at the top was spectacular. How they managed to build what they did up there I will never know! This is not one for those who aren’t good with heights as the last part of the climb is a sheer drop over the side of the rails (which could have easily happened seeing some of the people we had to brush past). Also be aware of the creepy men who will do anything to literally drag you to the top for a few cheeky Rupee in return. A polite shoo usually does the trick.

As our hotel has a variety of wildlifeĀ we decided to go on the hunt after our rocky climb. We were lucky enough to see kingfishers, lizards and fruit bats to name a few (but mostly because I have no clue what anything else was šŸ¤£)

This afternoon we visited a traditional village in Sigiriya via bullock and cart and a Sri Lankan ‘catamaran’. Whilst enjoying a leisurely float we saw the rain coming in and mother nature let it all go again – poncho wanker round 2! We watched a local lady demonstrate their everyday chores, such as weaving palm leaves and de-husking rice paddy. She made us a delicious dish of sambal and roti bread followed by watermelon. It was such a great experience seeing how they go about their everyday life.

Getting back to the minibus was another experience; tuktuk monsoon style! Ours had the most impressive sound system so momma enjoyed a mini rave!

Dinner time = more curry and pudding from what can only be described as Willy Wonka’s cupboard!

We’ve arrived in Negombo!

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Our flight to Sri Lanka was particularly fragrant (in the words of Santa; does it smell a bit pissy on here) but when you get gin, curry and actual metal cutlery you soon forget about it! I am still incredibly jealous of those with the skill (Tilly) to fall asleep bolt upright for the duration of the flight. It’s something I’m yet to perfect so spent my time having broken sleep and playing games on the ‘entertainment system’. Thank God for being a shift worker and having a knackered body clock anyway!!

A short drive from Colombo airport brought us to our first hotel in Negombo. As you’ve probably guessed, yes I am the youngest on the tour by at least 100 years. It’s a stunning hotel with a 100m pool (which yes I managed but then ended up with a rash šŸ¤£) and posh sunloungers (no plastic blue here!) The bathroom is even outside!

Whilst most people went to relax, I had other ideas and dragged Santa for a kayak on the lagoon before watching the most incredible sunset. I’ve been lucky to see many sunsets around the world, but this was definately up there with the best.

Dinner was of course; curry šŸ˜ Santa found the local beer and I enjoyed a very strong Mojito. Momma had her usual tipple of diet coke.

I’m off outside to do my teeth; what an absolute treat.. then bed before a day of temples and caves tomorrow.

 

Iceland day 3 – Roadtrip to Vik

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We started off the morning with a final visit to my Grandparents before they head off again on Azura. The sound of an all day buffet makes me want to try out cruising šŸ¤£

The drive to Vik is a long one, so we obviously had to stop off at Bonus in Hveragerdi to get car snacks.

The first stop was Seljalandsfoss; the waterfall you can walk behind. Its pretty big so you can see it along Route 1 before you actually get to it and it’s such a thrill being able to go behind it, but my god it’s freezing. There’s also a hidden waterfall just along the path; however there was a large tour about so I was unable to wade through the stream to get to it #gutted Ā I did however get a very nice Icelandic hotdog for lunch #winning

Next up was Skogafoss; the waterfall you can walk above (we were hoping to stop at the Eyjafjallajƶkull visitor centre located between the two falls to learn more about the famous ash cloud but unfortunately it was closed.. boo hiss boo) The views from the top are amazing but you need a decent pair of legs to get you up there as it’s one hell of a climb up some rather wobbly steps.

Onto DyrhĆ³laey and for this one you need a decent pelvic floor if you plan on visiting the top car park. It’s a very very bumpy ride but the views (if it wasn’t covered by rain and mist) would be amazing. We however stood at the top wishing the mist to go, which it didn’t, so only caught a glimpse of the famous arch #soggy Ā We drove down to the lower car park to see what that had to offer, and we managed to see some puffins!!

The final stop was Reynisfjara beach, better known as the black sand beach. Again the weather wasn’t on our side but we were still able to appreciate the beauty of the dramatic landscape. It’s been voted one of the top 10 most non-tropical beaches so is an absolute must if you’re visiting Southern Iceland.

The drive back to Reykjavik was rather ‘twitchy arse’ as the rain cams down harder making visibility very poor. Tea tonight was a cone of sweet potato chips with my new favourite sauce; sweet mustard #fatty

Iceland day 2 – Reykjavik

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Today was spent exploring Reykjavik as this meant I got to spend the morning with my Grandparents šŸ˜ they have been travelling in style on their cruise and docked this morning.

Unfortunately a lot of the city is under construction, so getting a photo without a crane proves quite a challenge, especially around the harbour.

We have eaten well today! This morning we started with pancakes and pastries at Sandholt bakery. The long wait for food was worth it because it was delicious. We also enjoyed some fish and chips and Santa necked a few pints at the Frederiksen Ale House. Again a long wait for food but the fish was so fresh and the batter was melt in the mouth.

Tonight was all about the midnight sun, and it was beautiful. The sun set around 23:45 and we decided to take in these views at the sun voyager. As I’m typing this (00:30) it still isn’t dark outside; Iceland you really know how to play with my head!!