POSTCARD FROM UAE AND SRI LANKA 18 December 2017– 7 January 2018

I had smooth and painless journey to Abu Dhabi on Monday 18^th although BA were very unimpressive.  We had a new plane which even the stewardesses had difficulty in getting to grips with.  I had a beautiful room in the Park Hyatt and enjoyed a quiet day by the pool.  The weather was like an English summer’s day in the seventies and very pleasant.

Late on Tuesday 19^th I left for the airport and eventually took off for Colombo at 11.30pm.  It was a rather uncomfortable 4½ hour flight.  Business seats that did not enable you to lie down at all, in fact very uncomfortable even to sit in!  I got to Colombo at 5.30am in a torrential rainstorm, and eventually to the hotel by 7am.  Sadly, the first day was cloudy with rain showers although I did manage a couple of hours by a cloudy pool. The next day was OK in the morning with sun and cloud but the rains came back in the afternoon.  By Friday it was a lovely day. I spent the morning by the pool and in the afternoon had a delightful tuk tuk tour of Colombo in a very smart tuk tuk.  Although I have visited Colombo before, it was interesting to see the new “Lotus Tower” as well as all the new hotels, apartments and even temples that are springing up in Colombo. I spent my last day in Colombo this time around beside the Cinnamon pool in glorious weather.

At 11.30 on Sunday 24^th December I set off for Galle by car with a bottle of bubbly courtesy of the management. As many Sri Lankans were already on holiday the roads were quite good and I was in my hotel room by 2.30pm.  However I was very unhappy with the room as it looked straight out onto one of the pools so everyone could see my every move.  Thankfully they were able to move me to a higher room so all was well.  I went down to the gardens by the beach for a quiet afternoon watching the waves and having a nice swim in pool number two. The gardens were alive with birds and squirrels which kept me occupied!  Went to the Christmas Eve dinner – a huge buffet - in the evening which is not my favourite meal of the year! So back to my room for some bubbles before an early bed.  Christmas Day was relaxing in the garden overlooking the Indian Ocean with lots of swimming, watched by some egrets and iguana!  No alcohol allowed in the evening so I took dinner in my room with some more bubbles!

Boxing Day was another lovely quiet day in the gardens by the pool but a rather emotional day for the staff – 13 years since they lost so many of their families and friends in the Tsunami that washed the area away.  The following day the management of the hotel took a strange decision to close half of the gardens for a wedding or some such event.  Guests were not informed until we tried to get into the garden to lie by the pool.  We are then all pushed into the small pool area – a bit of a nightmare!  I was not alone in complaining!  Was sent some chocolate cake to sweeten me up.  My final day in Galle was very peaceful by the ocean enjoying the pool.

On 29^thDecember I was driven to Yala – a four-hour journey but comfortable enough!  Settled into a strange room there – the shower area has no roof, not good for mosies, so I got well bitten that night!  The next morning I set off at 4.30am on my first safari with my delightful guide, Chamara, and I was lucky enough to see a leopard, even if it was a little distant.  Also saw a few elephants, buffalo, wild boar, a crocodile and the rather beautiful Painted Stork.  The afternoon safari was very good for elephants, buffalo and storks!  The next day I was lucky enough to see a leopard in the morning and the afternoon; the morning one was clear and close but walking through nearby bushes so a photo was impossible. The afternoon was distant but I got a distant photo! 

 New Year’s Eve was an early night and at 11am on New Year’s Day I set off for Colombo.  Thankfully, being a holiday, it was a relatively easy journey and only took us five and a quarter hours instead of the usual six and a half!  My evening in Colombo was spent enjoying quite a lot of the bubbly stuff, courtesy of my hotel!  The next four days were spent peacefully by the pool before returning home via Abu Dhabi on Saturday evening.  A rather long and tiring journey.