Day fourteen in Sri Lanka. Another day in paradise.

We are back in Colombo.  I am making this post before the end of today as we are to attend an engagement party later tonight.

We left our hotel, but again some drama had to take place.  We were meant to get a large taxi to take us as we have a bit of luggage.  I can condense it so that it is not as bulky, but my wife told me this would not be needed.

But the receptionist who this has been discussed with yesterday did not tell the whole truth.  Yes large taxi’s are available but they either have to be booked, or taken up in the early morning as otherwise, they leave on excursions.  Which is what happened.  We were lucky enough to get a taxi that was able to fit in the cases, but we had to carry items on our laps and with three in the back, it was a tight fit.  And our taxi driver did not know where we were to go, so we had to direct him.

We got back in time for a trip to a temple.  Two years ago, we obtained blessings for my son for the eleven plus.  While he did not pass, I hope that the path he is to follow is a good one and that he can become the person he is meant to be.  And we returned there to give thanks.

But we are now back at Hotel Janaki.  My wife at this moment is getting her hair done and as my son who has no clean trousers, his grandmother has taken him out shopping for some.

Day three in Sri Lanka

Remember those sandals that I bought yesterday? They are already broken!  I woke up early and went for a walk.  It was raining lightly which was no big deal with it being warm.  On my way back to Hotel Janaki, I noted an issue with my right one.  The sole was no longer attached properly.  It lasted until I got back to the hotel room, but my receipt states that there are no returns!

Anyway, my wife had to leave again to sort out her documents and I ended up sleeping loads.  The kids, who had been in bed until about ten themselves entertained each other.  Until I was woken up by my son claiming that his sister had punched him.  She denied it, and I was left with the dilemma of who told the truth and who lied.  When I was younger, I was a horrible sibling and frequently beat up the older of my two younger brothers.  He would bruise easily, and there was no point denying things as in general, I had hurt him.  But my kids are more subtle.  They know that I will not tolerate one being physically violent to the other.  Or telling lies.

Does anyone have any hints to solve this?

Day two in Sri Lanka, shopping and other things

My wife took my son with her when she went with her mother to get some official things sorted out.  I was expecting them to have a terrible day, and sadly I was proven right.  Due to a series of mishaps and errors, none on her part, she is probably to do the same tomorrow.

I went for a walk with my daughter instead as we were to head off to a shopping mall to get my son and I some sandals.  The kids now have the same sized feet, so essentially they are interchangeable.  We did not get far before the heat and humidity started to sap our energy.  So we returned to the hotel to change into something more appropriate before heading out again, this time by Tuk-Tuk courtesy of Uber.  The app makes life easy for people like me who cannot speak any Tamil or Sinhala as the destination pops up on the mobile of the driver.

When in the shopping mall, we found sandals for me, not my ideal ones to replace those that died in Rhodes.  But my daughter wanted to return home and I felt too unwell to argue.

We met her uncle and later her grandfather too us our for lunch.  She got to decide what kind of food we ate, which was Japanese.  I loved it, and would return, but it have to be without the other two who did not like the food there.

After falling asleep again, I went with her wife to her pedicure and then later we all went out for an amazing Chinese meal.  Anyway, time for bed before midnight (here).

Planes, trains and automobiles. Our first day in Sri Lanka

We are relaxing in Colombo.  Well, I am.  My daughter is freaked after encountering tropical wildlife, in her bed.  Or the bed that was going to be hers anyway.

We left yesterday flying from Stansted to Dubai, arriving there this morning.  On the way, I watched Toy Story 4.  We, by which I mean my wife and I, have watched Toy Story since before the kids were born.  As enjoyable as this was, it was not as good as the original and while a good film, not the masterpiece the others were.  After this, I watched the end of Yesterday.  My wife and I had watched it before, but she asked me to sort some things out while it was on, so I never actually got to watch the end of the film.  A lovely feel good film, one I would watch again if on the telly, possibly.

Arriving in Dubai, we relaxed ate food but left it a bit late to get to our flight,  in fact, when we got there, the flight had finished boarding!  Fortunately, it turned out that it was not our flight, but the down side was that we had a short time to get across to the other side of the airport to make our flight.  My daughter and I raced ahead and got there after it started to board having jumped onto trains and into lifts just before depths sliding doors closed. We let them know that my wife and son were on the way and was expecting them to be a while.  But my wife had managed to get some of the airport police to drive her and my son in a buggy and they took the airport shuttle bus to get to the flight.

Once we had all calmed down, it was them the next part of the flight and during this, I watched X Men, Dark Phoenix.  I had heard bad reviews of the film, but both I, and my daughter who was watching it at the same time as me, both liked it.  Much better than films like Wonder Woman!

Anyway, we are now in the Hotel and are to rest.  Good night!

Day 17 in Sri Lanka

Just a quick and hurried post.  We checked out of that amazing hotel today to journey to Hotel Janaki where we collected our other luggage, packed, talked to friends and got ready for our flight.  However our taxi did not arrive on time or at all, which meant another taxi had to be called and our trip to the airport has not been as relaxing as we would have liked.  But we have finished shopping and are waiting for the call to board.

The kids during the day had fun as they were taken shopping by their grandmother.  She had been advised to order a car to take them about town, but did not, and found it hard to get a taxi, so they ended up taking a Tuk-Tuk, otherwise known as a mobile tin can of death, not once, but twice.  Other than my daughter being on the part with no door, they loved it.

Day two in Sri Lanka

Today has been interesting.  After breakfast with the favourite cousin of my wife, while my wife, her mother and my daughter went to get things to look even more amazing, my son and I were dropped off at a shopping Mall.  It was suggested to us as it is indoor, and there was the chance of catching more Pokémon.  In the UK, when we are at large shopping Malls, there is the option to walk from one Pokéstop, or Pokégym to another and catch Pokémon.  The was not the case at Liberty Plaza, and my son did not appreciate it when his iPhone started to glitch when there was an awesome Pokémon to catch.  Needless to say, this did not put him in that good a mood, but we continued to walk around the Mall.  The escalators are intended to draw you in, and finding a way out was possible, but was not easy, which should be the design of any good mall.  I ended up trying to convince him that the place was a trap that lured people in and turned them into mannequins, but he did not believe me.

My friend, and cousin of my wife picked us up later, after he had completed what he was up to, and had kindly agreed to drive us about when my wife, daughter and mother-in-law arrived.  They had got things ready to journey to the temple, the trip planned for tomorrow and did not know that we had just been picked up when they pulled in behind us in a taxi.  We ended up squeezing into the car, and after a trip to the Galle Face Hotel, we returned to Hotel Janaki.

We picked up my father-in-law and then journeyed to the golf club in Colombo where they treated us to an amazing lunch there.  My son made a friend there who taught him the basics of golf before we journeyed back.  I accompanied my father-in-law to a few places in Colombo before returning back to the hotel where the kids had stayed.  I was knackered, I think because, I have come down with sinusitis (possibly).  But after some rest, the kids and I played a game before having dinner with my wife's cousin.

It was great seeing him, his wife and two children.  We are very lucky to know him.

All in all, today was another good day.  The only downside was that I did not get to take my son swimming in the Hotel Janaki pool like I had promised.

Day one in Sri Lanka

Our trip to Sri Lanka has been an interesting one.  My wife and I both were at work in the morning.  While we were happy to see our friend David on the weekend, it did mean that we did not get time to pack as we might otherwise. Saying that, it was a sacrifice that was worth it as it has been too long since we last saw David (and he fed us and looked after our son).  And I am not sure how much we would have been able to do as we were meant to have travelled to London on Sunday, and having time at home meant we able to do more.  

Basically, this meant that we had not had the time to pack as we would prefer. So we packed after I had collected the children from school.  I went to collect my daughter first who took ages to be collected and then we went to get my son. In hindsight, I should have done it the other way round.  So after packing, we went by taxi to the airport. I have to admit to feeling nervous when we hit traffic but our journey was in essence, uneventful other than a game of I spy where my daughter was, as usual, a very good player.

When at the airport, after a bit of shopping, we had food and drink. We let the children have what they wanted, and although my daughter wanted to have a coke, after I explained that it would ruin her food, she opted for juice, trying tomato juice (she did not like this) while my son was glad that Pikachu got to have a drink.

When on the plane, the kids have loved it. My son has enjoyed playing the games available and has been watching Captain Underpants.  I have taken the opportunity to watch Alien Covenant, Dunkirk and The 300.  

Alien Covenant was a disappointment. Not the worst of the Alien films, but no match for the first two.  For those who love the Alien films no matter what, this has all the core essentials, a strong female role model, lots of death and also an android.  The Red Shirt's though were not as memorable as in the first two films where most deaths were important.  With this being a prequel, the issue of the face huggers and the implanted embryo needing less time to gestate than in the original film bugs me.

Dunkirk was brilliant.  It conveyed the despair of leaving and sacrifice well.  I only watched parts of the BBC series and I am not sure that it compares well to my memories of that, but it was the best of the three films that I watched on the flight.  I loved how it explained the main problems and challenges being faced in that evacuation in a way that most can understand. And of course, it was a war film, so that sold me as well.

The 300 was a film I have wanted to watch for a long time. Like many who have heard about it, it fascinated me I have mixed feelings about it.  As a film about war in the times of ancient Greece, it does not match up to Troy (even with the many flaws it had at the end of the film).  I guess, I would have enjoyed it more when I was a teenager, but I do not appreciate the analogy of war being beautiful now I am older.  Probably more because almost everything else was ugly.

Anyway we have now arrived at Hotel Janaki where we are staying for about a week.  And we have had a great lunch and are to rest and recuperate.