Negombo vibes!

After about 23 hours of travel we eventually made it to our first destination. The flights worked out pretty well - we had to make a dash through Istanbul airport to make the connection to Sri Lanka. Our 15 minute technical stop in the Maldives turned out to be an hour and fifteen minutes and the entire business class section of the plane disembarked there. With the advent of rising ocean levels I fear for those islands future. Onwards to Colombo and the only fly in the ointment on arrival was the incorrect digit in my visa application. However 30 euros later the immigration guy had it sorted quick sharp.

Colombo airport is a funny old place. Arrivals consists of what looks like a duty free shop and twenty separate electrical goods retailers. We bought two kettles and a bottle of gin. Not.

In Arrivals I tried to buy a Sri Lankan sim for an old phone but it was locked to an Irish network. Boooo. Waiting for our driver I noticed some comedian that I've seen on lots of BBC comedy programmes with a full camera crew in tow. I must look his name up. I reckon he might be of Sri Lankan extraction. Our driver took us across lots of back roads and we drove up a quiet lane where we were greeted by a machete wielding local. It turns out he works on the pineapple farm next door to the place we're staying.

Hassan - our host - is a delightful chap from the Maldives. He and his English wife have two guest houses over here. A good friend of his is staying here for a couple of days so I've been having good chats with the pair of them. Yesterday the kids played in the pool for most of the day and we were treated to a wonderful dinner last night. Wonderfully fresh ingredients in everything that passed our lips. Harry also treated us to a soundtrack of his "chilled" tunes. All in all a lovely first evening here.

This morning it was a variety of local fruit for brekkie followed by a lovely Sri Lankan omelette. As I write the kids are back in the pool. We might take a spin into Negombo proper to have a gawk - we'll play it by ear. I haven't taken many pictures so I'll accompany this post with an obligatory pool pic. Laters.