We finally arrived into Colombo last night after a long journey.  We boarded our Air India flight from Heathrow to Delhi on Monday afternoon; our business class seats were classed as suites but they were more of a cubicle, although it was nice to have a sliding door for more privacy and blocking out other passengers’ lights and TVs.  The seat transformed into a nice long comfortable bed; service was outstanding and food delicious.  After an 8 1/2 hour flight we arrived into Delhi at 3.30 am local time and had pre-booked a room at the Holiday Inn Transit Hotel a few steps away from the gates where we would board our flight to Colombo at midday on Tuesday.  

All was going well with the flight to Colombo - we taxied out to the runway and the engines roared in preparation for take off but then the engines died.  The pilot came over the tannoy to advise that “we have left a passenger behind at the gate and need to go back for them”.  I don’t know who the “we” was that he referred to but we were astounded that a plane would turn round and go back to the gate (and we’ve been victims on more than one occasion where we’ve missed a flight even though the plane hasn’t left the gate).  It turned out to be an old lady in a wheelchair that needed the lift up into the aircraft.  Once she had boarded, the plane then had to re-fuel and more than a dozen ground crew were in and out of the cockpit with clipboards until we eventually got under way nearly two hours later.

At Colombo Airport there were no other planes landed so we were through immigration at the speed of light and our luggage had been fast tracked and was already waiting for us in the baggage claim.  After an hour’s taxi journey we arrived at the Galle Face Hotel for our two night stay.  Our train tickets for the next two legs of our travels had been delivered to the hotel.

This morning we had a delicious breakfast overlooking the sea (hoppers - a sort of crispy bowl-shaped pancake with a fried egg inside, and idli’s - rice patties that you dip into a curry sauce).

We ventured out for a walk along the seafront when we were caught up by one of the chefs in the hotel restaurant who recognised us from earlier who was on his way to the railway station.  He recommended going to the Gangaramaya Temple as it was a special occasion being full moon.  He asked a nearby tuk tuk driver to take us and before we knew it we were being whisked away round the streets of Colombo.  

The temple was impressive with more Buddha statues than you could shake a stick at.  The tuk tuk driver then drove past The White House - the local government offices which is an imitation of the White House in Washington.  Then on to a large park.  Whilst walking around the park one of the gardeners spoke to us (and proudly announced he studied at Kew Gardens 30 years ago) and showed us the local trees etc.

We then asked the driver to drop us at a local Mall where we found somewhere to have lunch before walking back along the seafront to the hotel.

We arrived into Kandy and checked into the Queens Hotel on a busy road by the lake before heading out to a local eatery for a masala dosa (crispy lentil pancake filled with potato curry served with pickles).

We have had a couple of days around Kandy, climbing up to the Big Buddha (not that far but incredibly steep) but the views from the top were worthwhile and climbing up to another viewpoint the other side of the lake, again short but steep.  It seemed obligatory to do a circuit of the lake which is about 3 km.  it was surprisingly full of wildlife, mainly birds but also monitor lizards and what looked like a family of turtles trying to exit the lake but hindered by a pelican blocking the way.