Sri Lanka

The day started off well when the bike that was supposed to be delivered at 8 o’clock turned up at 8 o’clock. Looked fine. Old, but fine. We went to the bird sanctuary to see flamingos, and quite soon we could see flamingos, or at least we thought they were flamingos. It was a bit […]

…on the Mannar express. Doesn’t really scan, but you can’t have everything. Not much of an express either, though that’s what it calls itself. True, it’s pedal to the metal on the long straight bits, and we fly through the trees at what must be a good 60mph. But in and around the inumerable towns

..and welcome to your day from hell. Well, not hell, I guess. A sink estate on the outskirts of Loughborough perhaps. Had a lazy morning hanging around Delft Village, chatting to other guests, fondling the cat, reading books, then headed off for the ferry. We’d already decided on a venue for our farewell lunch: a

Still on the island. It’s just so chill! Said goodbye after breakfast to our young friend from Belfast, who’s out here digital nomad-stylie, working from two till ten every day, otherwise just enjoying herself. She was on a Zoom meeting last night – we wondered what her clients made of the palm trees and Bob

After the madness of yesterday we decided to make today a chill day. Ish. These things are relative. We love Delft. The island is proper special, with a wildness and a peace and a calming vibe like nowhere else we’ve been. And in truth it actually doesn’t hurt that there really is bugger all to

Day got off a really bad start. Which is to say, it started at 5.30 am. We needed to get up at sparrow fart because there’s only one ferry a day to Delft and it leaves at 8:30 in the morning. Our host had arranged a taxi for us, and we set off into the

In truth, there’s not a great deal by way of ‘sights’ in Jaffna. There used to be a lot more. I learned from Google that before the civil war, Jaffna was Sri Lanka’s second biggest city; it’s now its 12th. The Sri Lankan army destroyed much of the rest, and even now, 17 years after

Another farcical start to the day. Google said we needed the 57 or the 87 to go to Jaffna, (the train is another one that’s been taken out by the typhoons, or we’d definitely have gone that way) and the bus stop was by the police roundabout. Just as we were leaving, our host kindly

Only kidding, but…there comes a point where a little voice in your head mutters ‘…and if I see one more reclining Buddha…’ But you can’t come all this way and ignore sites like a stupa so enormous that an early guide book calculated its bricks could construct a nine foot wall from London to Edinburgh.

I think Virle’s suffering from a bit of Buddha overload; she’s definitely itching to get back to the beach. As am I. But I managed to persuade her that it can be swimtime soon, but we can surely find a bit of time for a visit to the cultural cornucopia that is Anuradhapura.  So we