Day 1 Heathrow to Colombo to Dambulla
(via Negombo and Ranga's house)
OceanStars :: Sunday 23rd October 2011 :: This Story
Quick summary of day 1
Arrived Colombo international airport and sorted by 6 am, just as dawn broke.Driven by Suda, Ranga and Janaka to Paradise hotel for 630.
Breakfast for 700.
Shopping for some at 1130. Others straight to Ranga’s house for lunch for 1230.
Lunch of rice + 9 different curries: bean dahl chicken hot chicken spicy jack fruit cucumber and beetroot, other + more!. Dessert of banana fritters, ice cream and curd.
Entertained by Janaka and Ranga’s daughters, Chamaya and Rashni, singing songs in Sinhalese, Tamil and English.
At 230 viewed temple and coconut farm.
Left for Dambulla at 3.30. Off and on violent rain along the way.
Arrived at JC Village hotel at 6.45. Streaming monsoon rain. It was one thing just getting ourselves to our rooms, let alone our 22 items of baggage.
Dinner was rice and a range of curry sauces. All we really needed after 6 meals in a row without any sleep!
All sleeping in snatches at various moments during the day.
Up tomorrow at 6 for 6.45 departure to Grace children’s home.
Individual thoughts…
Lydia
All very clean at the airport and other places we came to. Surprised at how big the airport is. Good air con in the bus – grateful for that! Good to drop my toes into the sea at Paradise Hotel. Found it noisy outside airport and in the streets.
Dan
Nice temperatures [in the morning](but got hot later prior to the storm).
Maggie (for now)
Wow!
Janine
Feeling tired!
Loved swimming in the sea at Paradise hotel. Quite a nice team [only quite???]
Ranga’s family wonderful in inviting us all to lunch – very hospitable.
Very much enjoyed seeing Ranga’s Buddhist temple and the coconut industry by his house.
Impressed by the weather (!? We've had everything but hail and snow). Suda’s driving immaculate in the horrific conditions.
Kate
Lovely to be back for 4th time. Never seen rain like it. Lovely team. Looking forward to next 10 days.
