Up early today with a 5.30 wake up call, though yet again I had been defeated by jet lag once again. We all met in the lobby for a 6.15am departure and a 2 hour bus ride to Pinnewala elephant orphanage. This orphanage was set up 40 years ago to help look after baby elephants orphaned at a young age, and those affected by landmines. We arrived at 8.45 in time to watch the babies being bottle fed, and then walked down to the riverside to see them being taken down f...

Up early today with a 5.30 wake up call, though yet again I had been defeated by jet lag once again. We all met in the lobby for a 6.15am departure and a 2 hour bus ride to Pinnewala elephant orphanage. This orphanage was set up 40 years ago to help look after baby elephants orphaned at a young age, and those affected by landmines. We arrived at 8.45 in time to watch the babies being bottle fed, and then walked down to the riverside to see them being taken down f...

After visiting Pinnewala Elephant Orphange, we got on the bus and headed up to Mihintale around 2 hours drive away. This is the birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhism and to reach it one has to climb 1460 granite stairs, but when one reaches the summit it is well worth it. However the last bit of the climb wasn't without its difficulties as one isn't allowed to wear shoes within religious places, so to climb up scorchingly hot granite stairs which had been worn away o...

Well, it's 4 in the morning, and jet lag has well and truly kicked in. Oh well, at least I can get my thoughts together about the coming fortnight. As you can probably imagine, I am excited at what I am going to see, but also as is common with me at this stage in the holiday, also slightly apprehensive. As I sit and type my thoughts here, am sitting on my hotel balcony listening to the wind run through the palm trees, (I suppose there could be worse ways to endur...

After having tossed and turned for most of the night, finally got myself up at 6.30am and headed down to reception to organise for a taxi and guide to take me into Negombo (a local fishing village 17km from the hotel) at 7.40. Whilst I waited I walked down to the seafront to watch the fishermen venture out in their canoes for the day. After a quick breakfast I was met by my guide Sidney who took me into Negombo where he sent the next couple of hours giving me a g...