Blogs from Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka, Asia - page 6

Geo: 6.92747, 79.8484Just arrived in Adelaide (oops Colombo Sri Lanka) same odd 2.5 hour time difference. It's wet and hot but the flight and the crew were amazing. Definitely an up an coming big player in the international market. The cabin manager gave me a cognac after dinner which was lovely but wanted to ply me with me. No way, I needed water and sleep to adjust ongoing time changes. No photos to really show as its dark, wet and humid. Couple of hours and it will be time to put on our woollies when we land in horrible Paris. Pic from lounge.... read more

I can't believe I'm still awake. On the second leg of our journey from Dubai to Columbo I was so tired I felt sick, but the sunshine and sights since arriving here have put me in a great mood, although now I'm sat in bed in our lovely hotel room I can feel my eyelids start to droop. Better get on with it then! The flights over were fine. On time and no turbulence. I watched The Imitation Game and Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 and started listening to Bill Bryson's audiobook The Thunderbolt Kit, which I was really enjoying. Owen also watched the Imitation Game, some film about Nick Drake and that new Dumb and Dumber. Both planes were full but we were fine and - most importantly - ... read more

Returning to Colombo at the end of our holiday gave us a chance to catch up with friends who were themselves away on holiday when we arrived! The luxurious air conditioned coach from Galle had sped along an empty highway before dropping us off at the southern end of the city where a tuk tuk completed the journey to the Cricket Club bar where we had arranged to meet everyone. It was great to see Kaithe, Ted, Jenna and Lucy again after such a long time. After a great meal we went back to Lucy's flat which was to be our base for the rest of the trip. We were there to relax more than to explore, but with a short trip out to the southern suburb of Mount Lavinia, we were able to do both. ... read more

It was a long journey from Alicante to Colombo. We spent the best part of 24 hours on planes and in airports, changing in both Madrid and Doha (Qatar), before we emerged bleary eyed in to the humid heat of Sri Lanka's capital. We then pre-paid for a taxi to our hotel which avoided so much hassle. We had chosen the Best Western in Colombo for our first three nights simply because they had a great deal on offer and we needed somewhere comfortable to recover from the journey! $50 a night turned out to be a bargain looking at other options and we even got a free breakfast on arrival as we had a few hours to wait for our room to be ready. The rooftop bar where breakfast is served has wonderful views over ... read more

Geo: 6.91845, 79.8489Time Check: 0642 Local: Up and poking about organising coffee. Status: Both coughing and spluttering! What appeared at first to be a mild cold seems to have mutated into Bird Flu. Were OK but "popping" cold capsules and pretending that we are shaking it off! Recap: Yesterday (Tuesday) we arrived early into Columbo and after a 2 hour snooze we head out and get stuck into local life. Unlike India, we are at once struck by a clean, gentle and friendly City. Columbo is undergoing a transition. Old Sri Lanka is rapidly being replaced by upscale hotel developments such as The Shangri La and expensive seafront condos! Since the civil war ended in 2009 the Country is undergoing a transformation. It still has a 1970's feel with remnants of the British Raj era woven ... read more