We’ve arrived in Sri Lanka!

Hello everyone and welcome to our Blog!

We are very excited to share our upcoming experiences with you. After several months of build up we have finally started our trip. Sri Lanka is first on our stop, then Japan, then bits of California, lots of Oregon, Vancouver, New York then home. Although we haven’t booked our return flight yet, so who knows..

We handed in our notices 4 months ago and both worked a 3 month notice and in that time decided on where we wanted to go, extended our time in Japan, deciding what would be acceptable duration of driving in the States and realising USA is massive. The most important job was to find people to rent our house and look after our two cats, Smudge and Wilson. Luckily we were able to recruit some wonderful Italians and an Aussie to do that. Although we are definitely going to miss having the same roof over our heads and seeing the cats everyday.

For our last meals before travelling we had an amazing Huntly chicken roast and massive apple crumble and then a Babajee multi-dish feast. You’d think Mama Babs was worried we wouldn’t be able to eat for 4 months!

The evening before we flew was mostly spent by Rachel packing and repacking for probably the 5th time! Packing for 30 degree heat in Sri Lanka and then snow in Japan is not the one. 

Arriving in Colombo to gorgeous 33 degree heat was wonderful. We are staying at Bunkyard Hostel near the National Museum. Our first car ride in Colombo involved many near death experiences but actually the driving “system” seems to work like a death defying dance, with no actual collisions that we saw... yet. Our first tuk tuk ride was the same but without any windows or doors to protect you. 

Tomorrow we take the bus to Sigriya. There isn’t a direct bus and at the bus station we got varying information about which bus and what time to get. So we’ll see what happens when we get there with our giant bags tomorrow. 

We had dinner at the New Palm Hotel suggested by lonely planet. The owner made us sit right by the entrance to try an entice more people in. The food was delicious; although we only ordered lentil curry, chicken curry, small rice. What we got was lentil currry, chicken curry, massive fried rice with fried chicken on top, potato curry with amazing coconut sauce, loads of roti all for less than £5. We are going to get fat.

Rach and Alex x