Tag: Travel

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 wildlife 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 🤣)

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!

Dambulla & Habarana

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We had an early start this morning as we had a lot of distance to cover. As we left Negombo we stopped at the dry fish market which was of course fabulously fragrant 🤢 but it was so interesting watching the locals at work.

Arriving in Dambulla meant one thing; cave temples. We had a very sweaty climb (in preparation for Sigiriya tomorrow) to the UN world heritage site and had our first introduction to Buddhist religion. The caves are beautifully painted and house over 150 statues. Don’t forget your socks if you ever visit here unless you have no feeling in your feet as the floor is incredibly hot! Also don’t forget to have shoulders and knees covered so whip out those patterned trousers!

Keep an eye out for all the local monkeys. One had it’s willy out and the other was breastfeeding!

We arrived in Habarana and had our first taste of monsoon. Practically swimming to the room was an absolute treat. Hopefully mother nature behaves and keeps away tomorrow so we can get up the rock dry (although I’m sure it will be moist from the shear volume of sweat)

We enjoyed another curry tonight although I accidently had an incredibly hot one… #ringsting

Santa is currently fast asleep in the lobby. Think he has had one too many beers!!

 

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 🤣) 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 😍 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 🤣

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  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 Eyjafjallajökull 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 Dyrhólaey 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  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 😍 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!!

 

Iceland Day 1 – The Golden Circle

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Today I’ve had the grand total of half hour sleep thanks to the most uncomfortable bed at the Ibis Budget in Manchester (I got SOB lying on my front because I was basically lying on a slab) so I needed to treat myself to a cheeky Giraffe airport breaky to keep myself awake for the day ahead.

Picked up the trusted wheels that’s going to get us around for the next few days, who we’ve named Tómas the Toyota. Never driven on the opposite side before; nailed it!

Our first stop was at Þórufoss. It isn’t officially on The Golden Circle but worth the stop as it’s very scenic and peaceful. The drive up to this is stunning as the sea of purple lupins take over the side of the road.

Thingvellir National Park was our second destination; home to some of the scenes in GoT. Unfortunately it rained the majority of our time here but it was still stunning, especially Öxarárfoss. The different shades and textures around the park make it such a special destination and it’s clear why it was given World Heritage status.

Gullfoss was up next and is thought to be one of Iceland’s top tourist attractions. The natural beauty of this place made us keen to return to be snap happy once again and enjoy the lush surroundings. Loaded up on a latte as the severe lack of sleep was starting to catch up.

As the rain clouds started rolling in we hopped into Tómas and made the short drive to Geysir. What could be better than the smell of rotten egg! Luckily the main Geysir ‘Strokkur’ erupts every few minutes so armed with the Nikon and the Tripod I was able to get a good few snaps.

Last stop for today was Kerið; a volcanic crater lake. The vivid blue of the water against the shades of reds and greens surrounding it made it such a treat and a lovely but windy way to finish the trip.

Back at the hotel and no energy to go out and eat, so we made do with some sandwiches and crisps from the local supermarket. Unfortunately we might have to hang around a few street corners to pay for it. They also don’t sell any alcohol.. what a shame for Santa!

As I’m writing this it’s 22:30 and still broad daylight.. so here’s to another sleepless night!!

 

Day 10 – Brønnøysund & Day 11 – Kristiansund

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So I completely forgot to do this yesterday!

Day 10 – We crossed the Arctic Circle again this morning and ‘celebrated’ with a spoon of cod live oil. It was absolutely horrendous and I could taste it all day. I even struggled to eat my tea because I felt to ill. Never again; I’d rather the cold water ceremony over that!! We did get a lovely souvenir spoon; anything for a freebie!

This afternoon we stopped off in Brønnøysund; known as the coastal charm in the middle of Norway. As it was Sunday (and everything closes on a Sunday) it was very quiet but the blue skies and still waters gave us some beautiful reflection photos.

Later that afternoon we sailed past the Torghatten mountain, or the mountain with the hole in the middle! It measures 160 metres (520 ft) long, 35 metres (115 ft) high, and 20 metres (66 ft) wide and was created during the ice ages. It’s pretty amazing when you get lined up properly and see daylight shining through. Luckily we were here during sunset so were treated to some some beautiful pink sky.

Dinner was a celebration of 125 years of Hurtigruten. Unfortunately I think my potato had been fried in cod liver oil and it took everything I had to not vom all over the dinner table 🤢

Day 11 – Our last full day on board. Today has been spent mostly travelling but we were able to have an hour in Trondheim again this morning. I really loved it last time so it was nice to visit again, with a little bit less snow this time. It was also nice to see the hustle and bustle as last time we were here it was a Sunday.

This afternoon we sailed into Kristiansund, also known as ‘the colourful city’. We weren’t able to get off here which is a shame because it looked really pretty. Lots of old and new buildings lined the harbour with plenty of sea birds about.

We’ve managed to get a few games of Scrabble in today. We’ve quite enjoyed our daily ritual of letters, coffee and watching the world go by.

 

Day 9 – Stokmarknes

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This morning we got up early to have a quick look at Harstad from the ship; it looks a beautiful place so gutted we couldn’t get off. Only there enough time to collect the fishy treats for the evening meals 🐠

This afternoon we were treated to gorgeous blue skies and sunshine again, I even had to wear the Oakleys! We stopped at Stokmarknes; the birthplace of Hurtigruten and where you’re able to see the old ship MS Finnmarken. It was a lovely little town full of the traditional red Norwegian buildings.

Later we sailed past the Trollfjord. The last time we were here we were watching Aurora dancing over the mountains so it was lovely to see it in the day as well. It’s a beautiful but narrow stretch of water below jagged peaks and mountain walls. We were lucky enough to be here during sunset this time; so Trollfjord is now always going to be a special place for me.

This evening more memories were made as we saddled up and rode Icelandic horses across a moonlit beach underneath the twinkling stars and Aurora. What an incredible experience it was and one I will never forget.

Aurora has been very well behaved again tonight making it the third time we’ve seen her on the trip.

Day 8 – Hammerfest

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We’ve reached the world’s northernmost town! A town completely destroyed in WW2 with the graveyard chapel the only building left standing. We opted for a bus tour to enable us to see as much of the town as possible. We were taken up high for the best views of the town which is blanketed with snow (much like back at home!) Back on lower ground and we were taken to the ‘Struve Geodetic Arc’, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve who determined the arc of the global meridian (all very sciencey!)

Other than that today has mostly been about sailing (and playing Scrabble) but we have stopped by some pretty fishing villages to pick up the fishy treats.

To brighten up our evening, we’ve just had a visit from two Norwegians to fix our rather stiff door 😉

 

Day 7 – Kirkenes

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Today we came within sniffing distance of Russia with a visit to the border and a World War II bomb shelter. Kirkenes is steeped in history with only 13 of its houses surviving the war.

Whilst at the border we came across the most fabulous dog; an Alaskan Malamute. He was gorgeous and I think we were all more interested in him than the border itself!

We also stopped off in Vardø in the extreme northeastern part of Norway. As with everything in this part of Norway, everything is the northernmost, so today it was the northernmost ‘star fort’ in the world, although I’m not sure if there are many others to compete with?? This photo was taken in the ‘blue hour’ which is literally what it says on the tin.

It’s been another very rough day on the ship and the travel sickness tablets have certainly come in handy. So much so that our whole room is currently vibrating and incredibly noisy.