Twice around the world in 40 days

[Pushka]

Were you exhausted when you returned? You have done so much exploration I’d be knackered.

 

[RooFlyer]

Pretty much . I get home, collapse and say "Never again!" .. then a few days later start planning the next one

I get so much exercise on my hols I've suggested to my health fund that they should sponsor me, as 'preventative health'.

 

[Cossie]

Were you exhausted when you returned? You have done so much exploration I’d be knackered.

I was going to post something similar, way more stamina than I have, also love the photos.

 

[RooFlyer]

Well, today, my last full day in Sri Lanka, is an almost do-nothing day.

Leisurely brekky on the front porch of the hotel. They say they have the best coffee in Fort, and its not bad, but still only so-so.



I asked for an 'egg hoppa' for breakfast which cashew curry . The hoppas are the half-domes of sort of thin pikelet mixture, somewhat chewy. Torn in the hands and used to either collect the other components, or to mop up juices.



Went out for a saunter much the same route as the prior evening.



Wedding pics are on again. The fort sea wall, with the lighthouse under renovation in the distance. I go there later in the day.



How's this for tenacity! High tide and any sort of sea will be breaking right over this rock.



Lovely little Dutch church just about completed the loop.

 

[Milboo]

If you’re going to do some gem shopping - I had a ring made by the jeweller opposite the lighthouse. Name begins with L. Was very happy with it.

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks but I'm home now and in any case not a gem shopper ... (not much of a shopper for anything, really ...)

 

[RooFlyer]

I wanted to check out a couple of bookshops in the town, so off I went, through one of the two land gates out of the fort. Outside is the fish market and some fishing boats:



Even though it was late morning, the market was still going strong, and some were still at it just off shore:


Downtown is a bit busy but not too bad. The bookshops were hopeless, so back I went to the fort:




My hotel doesn't have a pool, so they have an arrangement with the Jetwing Hotel up the road. My hotel gets you a tuk-tuk there and back.




@Major if I'd known this was 'my' pool, I would have come up the day before! (Major and I missed each other by just a day).

Back along the fort wall and a G&T at the hotel.


It was still early, but I felt like dinner. None of the several places I was going to try were open yet, so I headed back to Hoppas. A local brew and a 'cheese hoppa', again with a prawn curry.



Totally satisfied!! Unfortunately, It had started to , er, rain. biblical-style!


Boy, it rained. And showed a flaw in the hotel design! (It is off-season, after all).

 

[RooFlyer]

Next day, Lucky picked me up mid morning and we drove straight up the expressway to Negombo, north of Colombo, where I was staying at the Pledge3 again, prior to flying out early the next morning. There isn't an expressway connection around the Colombo end of the expressway, and Lucky decided to take a 'new' way around the city. I wasn't that fussed, but it took a lot longer than I was expecting.

Anyway, arrived at the Pledge3, said farewell to Lucky, checked in and went to the 'lounge'.



I was till in the hunt for a 'genuine' Sri Lankan hot curry and consensus was that 'Lords Restaurant Complex', about 20 mins walk away, would be it. I didn't explore the 'complex', but the restaurant on the street front looked OK, except for the garish lighting!! Not shown in the menu pic was that each dish came in 4 grades of 'spiciness' - the last being 'fiery Sri Lankan'.





As I mentioned up-thread, I'm not great on really chilli-hot food, but when in Sri Lanka, I had to see what it was all about.

The meal was terrific - prawns and then a chicken curry. Yes it was quite 'hot' - but not fire-extinguisher stuff.

 

[craven morehead]

Food looks good RooFlyer but I'm with you on the lighting.

 

[RooFlyer]

It was a 7:30am departure CMB-SIN, so up at 5am for the free hotel transfer to the airport, abt 20 mins away after a high speed job on almost deserted streets.

BP/ticket check on entering the terminal, large bags x-rayed inside and personal pat down; then through a second security point with another pat-down, then you manage to reach check-in. Then exit immigration; industrial action on apparently, so 10 mins to get through there.

Got to the Sri Lankan Airlines Serendip Lounge 20 mins after arriving. Its a bit gloomy and maybe small for their flagship lounge but I guess its appropriate for the size of the airline.



Breakfast offerings are mainly Sri Lankan and I try a few but not finished and I'll wait to the flight for the majority of brekky. RH pic - sigh - they are everywhere.



At 6:45 the flight is called in the lounge - for a 7:30 departure. Its at-the-gate security for carry-ons, hence the early-ish call. Then its a scrum to board.

Sri Lankan UL302, A330-300 in J, seat 2A. Cathay-like cabin, foot well is quite small, so lucky its a daytime flight.




As with my flight BOM-CMB the crew were experienced, friendly and worked efficiently. Menus:

 

[RooFlyer]

Took off over the exact approach we made to Negombo by car, when Lucky was on his 'experimental' route. We went through some very 'back roads'.



Breakfast per the menu posted above. I chose the vegetarian option. Nice enough; something different! Flight was uneventful and we were soon on approach to Changi. I could have flown Sri Lankan CMB-MEL direct, but I had a sector 'left over' in my DONE4 and of course there were more SCs, points and a ~ going via Changi and then QF to MEL.



Arrived T3 about on time at 1:55pm, then went across to T1 and the Qantas lounge. Had to wait 20 mins until it opened at 2:30pm. Its been years since I had been here - ever since Qantas started flying to Europe via DOH. In its uncrowded state, its a great lounge; I was so impressed I started this thread, which got turned into a 'lounge overcrowding' thread, with title changed my a moderator. That wasn't really the purpose of my starting the thread. A few pics of the dining area, but didn't do the lounge justice; the food was well presented, good variety, well managed and the seating also had good variety and plenty of power points.



As I had a very long transit, after lunch, I headed off to the swimming pool. S$17 to enter, but it was worth it both for the novelty value, killing time and well, having a swim to cool off! There are lockers that will take a standard carry-on.



After the swim, I wandered around some more just to get the legs moving, then headed back to the QF lounge at about 4:30pm. It was already filling up and, as I posted in the referred thread, the bogans had started infiltrating. Loud and already boozy, so I decamped to the EK lounge. The QF Singapore lounge is now way too small with the airline re-commencing flights to London via SIN. On this trip I was SG and I didn't realise I would get access to the EK lounge until I was at CMB and checked. of course it was very nice. I could see my QF ride out the window.



No a la carte, but the buffet was very good and regularly replenished. I decided to have my main meal here, hoping to settle down to sleep soon after QF departed.

QF36, now an A380. Nothing very interesting happened here; am posting the seat view and menu just out of interest to some.



Arrival in MEL on time abt 530am and immigration was already filling up, but OK. To the QF Dom J lounge for breakfast, then on QF 1011 MEL-HBA and home. That last flight was my 4th QF flight so I ticked over to WP just as we hit the ground in HBA.

Which means of course I have to start planning something to take advantage of it.

That's it for this trip. Yes, it was quick and pretty tiring, but I think I got great value for the cost of the J RTW fare. I got to some remarkable historical sites. I think the highlights were Ajanta and Ellora in India, followed by the whole Sri Lankan experience. Birmingham was a pleasant surprise. Israel was a bit of a disappointment - the history was great but the hotels and general tourist atmosphere were not welcoming. That said, I didn't do what people had told me was the best experience - the coast, beaches and food & wines.

Follow-up: I'll have to return to Sri Lanka to do some wildlife spotting and more resort relaxing.

Next trip in contemplation is Korea and Irkutsk/Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia.

 

[Steady]

Thanks RF, an enjoyable TR

 

[craven morehead]

Another cracking TR thanks RooFlyer. Sri Lanka now firming as a place of interest.

 

[kermatu]

Wonderful report. Thanks for taking the time.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Thanks RF, enjoyed the report immensely.

 

[Pushka]

Thankyou. Im exhausted.

 

[drron]

Well done.A very nice TR.
I have to find cruises around Sri lanka and India-only way mrsdrron will do it.

 

[RooFlyer]

Well done.A very nice TR.
I have to find cruises around Sri lanka and India-only way mrsdrron will do it.

I understand, although one can easily avoid spicy (ie hot) food. Maybe a trial of few days at the Oberoi in Mumbai and a week at Galle and around that area might be the way? @Pushka stayed at a place out of Galle that sounded kinda swish.

 

[tgh]

Great tr .. thanks for sharing.
I get to vicariously see a whole lot of stuff I would like to visit, but never will...

 

[Pushka]

I understand, although one can easily avoid spicy (ie hot) food. Maybe a trial of few days at the Oberoi in Mumbai and a week at Galle and around that area might be the way? @Pushka stayed at a place out of Galle that sounded kinda swish.

Very swish it was, on the beach. Lots of gorgeous important weddings take place there and the PM was a guest at one while we were there.