Friday was a 300 km local bus trip to Oslo, Norway's capital and a 3 night stay at the Hotel Anker. The bus was super smooth & comfortable & we arrived to a warm 28 deg. afternoon. After lunch & a quick check-in we took our usual guided orientation walk to get an understanding of the layout of the city to best plan the rest of our free time. The main landmarks seen among others were the Royal Palace, Parliament, University & the National Theatre. Next day was hot again. We bought a 24 hr Oslo Pass which allows free admission & transport to numerous museums & other attractions. First off we caught a local bus to museum island. Although technically not an island 5 amazing museums are located within walking distance of each other on ... read more

Arrived into Copenhagen mid afternoon to a hot 29deg day. A 25 hr trip but pretty good & not too tired & then a short train ride to our starting point accommodation, the Hotel Cabinn City, a little bit basic & no AC. Apart from a supermarket trip, no time for a city walk before an evening briefing and a meet-up with the rest of the group. The tour has a full group of 12 supported by a leader/guide. The group dynamic is very diverse in age, gender and geographic home & a group dinner was a nice way to get to know everyone. Some will only do stages of the tour and we will pickup new people along the way. Another hot day expected and we started with a morning bike tour around the wide ... read more

After a beautiful red sunset last night we had a 2 hour electrical storm with heavy rain overnight, the first for the tour. Fortunately our riding finished yesterday as traffic conditions are now too chaotic. Mirissa was a lovely beach break to wander around despite the overcast but humid conditions. Like all the coastal towns in the south Mirissa is now undergoing rapid tourist development but some traditional beach shacks remain . Mid afternoon we had a short drive to Galle exploring the impressive World Heritage listed Dutch colonial town ending with a group dinner & return to Mirissa. The towns Dutch fort still has extensive walls and ramparts and many old buildings that survived the 2004 tsunami. We walked around the ramparts & fort late in the afternoon to avoid the baking midday sun and ... read more

A good recovery ride day for sore quads & calves with a flat 30 km cycle to Kataragama via back roads & a massive lake. The town is a multi faith pilgrimage destination with shrines & religious buildings for Buddhists, Hindus & Muslims alike and rivals Adam's Peak in terms of national importance. The God Mogra sect has history dating back to 200 BC & practice some strange religious beliefs but bring beautiful baskets of fruit as offerings instead of the usual flowers. During the afternoon we jeeped through the beautiful Yala National Park, home to elephants, leopards, crocodiles, and gorgeous birds of all descriptions. Each exist in a variety of eco-systems from dry semi arid, moist monsoon forests as well as fresh & marine wetlands. Late in the day, in pursuit of the elusive leopard, ... read more

Today was a huge 14 hr day, somewhat unplanned. We started in high spirits in anticipation of the iconic slow train journey to Hatton in the highlands. Rising early we departed Kandy railway station not in a wooden carriage but in a rocking & rolling old diesel. Initial views were typical city businesses leading to smaller villages between dense vegetation & introduced pine & gum trees. Halfway through the trip, at a small village, the train made an emergency stop & we were soon to learn that 2 of 4 teenagers had been on the line & were caught unawares & were tragically struck & killed. We were preparing to abandon our plans for the day expecting a lengthy investigation but after 45 minutes the train started again but with passengers in a more sombre mood. ... read more