Jan 29 Day 15 Kandy Travel

Its a 4.5 hour journey so I catch up on this blog. Pete is slowly going crazy next to me. He’s in front of a big fella on the bus whose knees are in Petes back..

The 4.5hr trip takes 6 hrs. Turns out the bus is split across two hotels and we are the second drop.

Also turns out Amaya Hills Hotel… well it’s in the hills and the bus can’t get up there.

So we are offloaded to a shuttle bus which takes another 25 mins to get up the hill.

The hotel is lovely, bit dated but big rooms and we have a balcony with great views across the valley.

We decompress by the pool and then eat in the hotel bar. I have vegetable byriani… except there are no vegetables.

Jan 30 Day 16 T20

We head into town on a tuk tuk. It should take 20 mins. It takes 40 as Kandy is a very busy, very polluted city.

We manage to get our picture taken with the Cricket T20 World Cup. The world Cup starts in February and is in India and Sri Lanka.

We get a tuk tuk back up the hill. Google takes the driver on a foot path/ goat path. I seriously think we’ll die. My heart rate goes to 98 on my watch!

The coach to the T20 leaves as 4.30…again we need a shuttle. The Cricket ground is actually outside Kandy. It takes us over 2 hrs to get there.

Then rain delays play. In the end we get 17 overs instead of 20.

We do well and are winning when rain stops play. We are declared the winners by 11 runs.

Its pouring and the coach is 1.5km away, everyone is soaked and its a miracle we didn’t leave anyone behind.

We get back to the hotel at 1.30am.

Jan 31 Day 17 Sigiriya

We are going to the Lions Hill today. Its a 2 hrs walk up. An arranged tour that picks us up at 8.45!!

On the coach again for another 4 hrs. We definitely didn’t do our homework here!

We stop at a Spice Garden for the loo, no coffee in sight. We do manage to avoid the chat and sales pitch.

Lunch was a luke warm buffet affair – tastier than it looked.

The Sigiriya Fortress is a good hours walk up steps and metal, rusty looking staircases.

It’s very dramatic and the views are great. Lots of monkeys and puppies.

This was the original Kingdom and included a pool for the king.

Its a 4 hour drive back. But was worth it.

Feb 1 Day 18 T20

There’s a Kandy bus tour and visit to the Temple of the Tooth. Which is just that – one of Buddahs teeth.

We dont go, but look it up on Google. Couldn’t face the travel again and the pollution.

We lounge by the pool. Its a Poya day, a religious day aligned to the full moon. No booze today.

Except the hotel host a 🔒 in the ball room and we have a BBQ and a beer!

I don’t want to go to the T20.. its forecast for rain. But Pete drags me.

Its a fast start for Sri Lanka and they smash through their 20 overs.

England make a slow start… then it rains. It takes over an hour for the covers to go on and off again.

No beers!

When the rain stops its 17 overs and much to my surprise we win.

The Sri Lankans are loving the party – even in the rain they jump around like crazy to their local hits.

I get a man-spreader next to me.. hes loud, young and screaming alot to get on the camera. It’s not the best.

1am finish…again. Up again for the safari and an all-dayer in the coach… again.

Feb 2 Day 19 Safari