Please pass the tissues

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Geo: 6.91845, 79.8489

Time 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 into the fabric. An eclectic mix of Buddhists shrines, Colonial Churches and Mosques are prevalent. From the steps of the colonial Christ Church ( complete with brass plaques dedicated to British officers and families who perished young in the 1850's) we could hear the prayer call from the adjacent Mosque. Our guide and driver Lala is at pains to explain the history of the civil war with the Tamil Tigers lasting some 30 years and tragically costing thousands of lives. It effectively put outside investment on hold until 5 years ago.

Our walk around Columbo lasted about a two hours before retreating back to our local supermarket where Cathy (in her usual excited innocence) points out local delicacies such a Vegemite and Tonic Water!

Our Hotel has 7 restaurants and we opt for the "al fresco" option. Our friendly waiter seems surprised that we can tolerate spicy food. " Yes my man make it as hot as you like....we are from England you know" ......"kapuuuf whack fizzle".......the fish curry sends me into orbit.....but I don't flinch and ask for some extra chilli sauce just to save face. The night is spent quaffing water interspersed with "seafoody" dreams.......

Today is Wednesday and we are being driven by Lala some 5 hours to The Madulkelle Tea Eco Lodge, a tented camp set high in the remote "Knucke Ranges" some 30km from Kandy.

PANIC: I cant find my "MAN BAG" - a crisis lasting over an hour and two phone calls to Natwest!!!! .... it appears under my pillow.......put there by someone (not me) to keep it safe last night!!!

Breakfast: Lets go Native! No Full English for us. Instead a plate of chicken curry, Hoppers - what are Hoppers you may ask.......the white hatted chef pours a rice flour batter into a wok and a few seconds later appears a bowl shaped crepe contraption into which is put a poached egg! Served with lashings of chill paste we tuck in.......all set off with potato curry and grilled fish!

WEATHER CHECK: The BBC World weatherman - Thomas Shufflenuacker" cheerfully points to a pulsating purple and dark blue area of rain over Sri Lanka - yes it is raining and we are optimistically trying to pretend it does not matter as we head off through the heavy traffic on the main Columbo to Kandy Road. Tuktuks weave in and out as we pass a wealth of small roadside shops selling everything from fresh fish to motorcycle parts. School children dressed in smart white uniforms wait for buses, whilst sari clad women shop from the neat and well stocked vendors. Banana trees, paddy fields and other exotic flora jostle for position. This is a relatively unspoilt country and our guide is at pains to tell us how the government is trying to preserve the environment yet at the same time stimulate development. The literacy rate is about 90% and healthcare is for all. Each community has a midwife which has drastically reduced infant mortality. What a contrast to India only some 33k across the Palk Straits to the north of the Island.

Its still raining as well pull over for lunch. The roadside cafe sells an impressive range of local savouries and colourful rice based desserts. We truck in.......

Health Check: Feeling better or is this the medicinal benefits John Walker Red Label?

We press on and up through dense jungle......passing groups of Macac monkeys and rustic looking dwellings. The rain adds a sense of adventure as the mists and drizzle obscure the distant peaks. We are now at about 3,000 ft above sea level and the temperature has dropped to a refreshing 20C.

Our car cannot take us the last 4.5km up the steep tea planation tracks to the eco-lodge so we hop aboard a red tuktuk. Buzzing and bumping over potholes and small bridges we wend our way through manicured lines of tea bushes extending as far as the eye can see either side of our little vehicle which is clad in plastic sheeting to stop the rain.

At last we arrive and are greeted by the plantation staff who eagerly press us with cups of locally grown estate tea and hot towels. I spot other Westerners who have made themselves comfortable in the best seats and are irritatingly tapping away on their Apple Macs.

More to follow....

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