Day tour to Galle

 The hotel is old and not flash, but everything is functional and the food and service is good, a lot better than you would expect for a cheap hotel. Breakfast was spicy omelet and a spicy fish roll unusual but tasty.

After a couple of days touring in both a tuktuk and car I realise that driving a tuktuk is not going to be a simple matter. Like India the roads are madness with vehicles moving in all directions,  but I'm up for the challenge.

Today's tour to Galle was good. Excellent driver, spoke good english and did the things that we wanted to do. There was the almost mandatory temple visit. But after that we traveled down the coast visiting various attractions turtle sanctuary, a herb farm where when asked if I had any pain he took some balm (sandalwood and 22 other ingredients) off the shelf and massaged my sore back. Moonstone mine, beachside restaurant.

We then visit a memorial for the victims of the boxing day tsunami, I didn't realise that it had hit the West coast as well, very sad. there are many houses along the road that are just left from the tsunami as there is no one left to claim them.

Further south we visit the beach where the Stilt fishermen fish, and stay here for the sunset, then one more stop at a scenic lookout and then hit the highway for Colombo, where my driver also offered to take me to a Sri Lankan takeaway to get some dinner as it was past 9pm before we got back.

evening 14th April

Good evening out touring colombo, taking in the sights and tasting the different food. I tried to remeber all of the names of the food, but failed. the thing I enjoyed most was the tea tasting, with a good description of all the differnt types. getting late and being 2.5 hrs behind Perth, Ive had a long day.

 Arrived ok but my back is quite sore, hopefully it will ease up as I get going. 

Got through airport ok, new SIM, change money and got on the airport to Colombo bus. 1 hr, I Think they ripped me off a little by charging an extra fare for my bag. Total 650 r = $3.25, so not too worried about that, taxis were asking US$20. Bus isn't too flash but what do you expect for $3.25.

Checked in to the Columbo Grand Oriental Hotel, which isnt as grand as it sounds, built in 1875 and modified a few times since, but the room is ok for a couple of nights, resting up a bit before my evening out for my Sri Lankan food tour.

Sri Lanka Tour

 Next week I'm off again, my Sri Lanka adventure will start with a Local Food Tour tasting many of the local dishes in Colombo, then a Day tour south to Galle. Next will be a train trip to Sigiriya, where I will be joining a 9 day tour driving my own Tuk-Tuk. It starts with an afternoon of training in Sigiriya before heading out east to Arugam Bay, looping back west through the hill country "The Best of Central Sri Lanka" before heading towards the end of the tour on the western coast in Kammala, with new experiences, cultural immersion and hopefully a lot of fun.

Update After Trip

Well my ankle is actually broken... I was lucky that it was a clean break of my fibula and that I was able to walk on it, (it was a bit more like a hobble), and was able to see Victoria Falls.

It was still a great trip on which I covered over 5000 km much of which was on sandy dirt roads, admittedly I would not have taken on this trip had I known beforehand that there was so much sand, but I was not the only rider who hadn't ridden on these types of roads before, and the guide gave us much assistance and instruction on how to tackle these roads, we were eased into this sort of riding and by the end were confidently travelling hundreds of km each day on these crappy roads.

here are a few additional photos from the trips last day

1 JUNE 2024 - THE END OF MY AFRICAN ADVENTURE

 So I've come to the end of my African adventure, Its been a great experience, and maybe I'll come back again sometime to see some more of this incredible country.

I'm on my way home, only one thing left to be said, my motto, what's next, could be anything.

Do whatever you can, when you can, and while you can,

as there will come a time when you will not be able to do it. 

30 MAY - DAY 22 EXPLORE VICTORIA FALLS

This is the last full day of my trip as tomorrow I start the long journey home via Johannesburg where I have to stop overnight. So today I headed off to see the falls close up. It is worse than Bali wandering the streets, so many venders all selling the same wood or stone carved objects, they actually make it impossible to actually just look, which I'm sure puts some people off buying. 

So what can I say about Victoria Falls, apart from the exorbitant price to get in, incredible, fantastic, amazing, words are not enough to describe this, Livingston said in his diary, "No one can imagine the beauty of the view .. scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight", after he first saw the falls. 

The sights and sounds of these are so immense that it is impossible to take it all in. Although there is a paved walk all the way around the park it and the park could be better maintained with better facilities for visitors as they are certainly getting enough money for it. at the south end of the park I stopped to watch the local monkeys frolicking with some wild dear. I continued along the path all the way along the top of the canyon opposite the falls, with the mist rising from the falls to form clouds above, it was difficult at times see or photo the falls, eventually coming to the north end where you can see the bridge crossing the outward flow of the falls. after that I stopped for a bite to eat at the cafe at the entrance and found that the food was not only good but surprisingly cheap. 

monkey video link   https://www.facebook.com/share/v/FkWachN5mtzh7n7o/?mibextid=qi2Omg

in the evening I went for a sunset cruise on the Zambesi river, where we saw the spray from the mighty falls and then some more hippo's. Later I went to see the Simunye African dance theatre show.

Well I think this is the end of my African Travel Blog, unless something happens on the way home.