So long Lanka

We spent another day in the Adam's Peak area (can't remember the name of the town) to recover, then set off for Colombo. We've never booked accommodation is advance, we've always just arrived and found somewhere easy. Sometimes there are touts waiting and you get a good price. Because Colombo is the capital I expected this but it didn't happen. So we spent hours walking around the city, which is massive, with our backpacks on, sssssweating! We're not used to these high temperatures after spending ages in the hill country.

We couldn't find anywhere cheap, it was all massive hotels. The cheapest price we could find was £28 per night, and when you're used to paying £4.50 it's a big increase. In the end we went to stay at the YMCA. except it wasn't fun to stay there, you couldn't get a good meal and you couldn't do what you feel - there was a 9pm curfew, FUN! Even that was £15, and surely you can't stoop any lower than a YMCA?

We're in the airport now. Our flight to Hong Kong is at 7.20am Sri Lankan time. Check in opens at 4.20am, so by the time we would have had to have left for the airport there'd have been no point in paying for a room, especially at those prices. We're just going to mooch around the airport and if we get tired have a kip on the chairs for a bit.

Check-out was at 12pm today, so we had to try and waste as much time in Colombo as possible. Wasn't really hard, it's such a big city. We decided to buy some more shit here whilst everything is cheap. Mainly toiletries; toothpaste, deodorant etc. Printed off our flight tickets. I would have completely forgotten, I'd have just showed up to the airport expecting to check in without a ticket. We went to an internet cafe and googled where McDonald's was, haha. Walked about 30 mins there and 30 mins back for it. HELLO BIG MAC!!! Lee says that he's off the fast food and take aways now. My ring piece is he! I give him a week max. I said I'd put it on here so you're all my witnesses.

After each country we're going to do a summary of the good and bad bits, so here goes!: (balls, looks like Martinez might be manager, ooer don't think am too happy with that. Ok anyway..)

Highlights:

1. For me a real highlight was when we got talking to a man who after saying we were from England he started to say how nice English people were. He said that after the tsunami people from Liverpool went and help build him a new house. I butted in to say I was from Liverpool and he kept on thanking me saying how lovely I am and how lovely my people are. He says they painted a Liver Bird on the side of his house and how much he loves it. Eventhough I did absolutely nothing, I was still so proud of the Liverpudlians and I was really proud to be from Liverpool for that moment. It really touched me, so that was nice.

2. When we went to the Matara ground and we met the coach and got the Nowotny badges. Whilst it was still one of my highlights, this one is Lee's more so, his obsession with football extends beyond mine. Plus he had some odd bond with the coach, it looked like they were in love. They swapped numbers and all sorts. Wit woo!

3. Releasing the buba turtles. This was so cool!!

4. Riding the elephant, obviously a highlight.

5. Climbing Adam's Peak!!!

Lowlights:

1. Being swollen generally (me). Had swollen ankles still two weeks into the trip. Burning my face and having a swollen alien head.

2. The aftermath of Adam's Peak (me again). Calves aren't half givin' me jib.

3. Being too hot!!

Likes:

1. The people (the ones that aren't utter bellends)

2. The lack of health and safety. Want to ride your 1 year old child on your motorbike handle bars? Swing off the side of a moving bus/train? Work on building sites in just your shorts and flip flops with no steal toe caps and hard hat? Come to Sri Lanka.

3. The food. It's a bit samey, but Rotti's are nommy, and so is the chicken curry the first 142648 times you eat it. After that gets a bit boring. Lee hearts devilled chicken (basically 'hot as fuck' chicken).

Dislikes:

1. The people (the ones that are utter bellends).

2. The sound of horns.

3. Tuk tuk drivers. You can't pass one without them asking you "you want tuk tuk?". You say no thank you and then they just change the order of their sentence, "tuk tuk, you want?". Next they start asking the same question but in a different tone. No, your offer for a tuk tuk doesn't sound any more appealing when you do it in a ladies voice. When we get fed up we ask them for a tuk tuk ride to ridiculous places. "How much to England?", "how much to [insert name of building we're standing outside of]?". The best bit is when you see their brain ticking over then they realise it's a joke. Most of the time they actually give you a price.

4. No personal space. Lee has a phobia of horrible skin, it makes him cringe when people touch him, and boy do people love touching you out here. Not in a touchy feely way, but like they have no problem sitting on your knee despite there being enough space for two bodies. They make no effort to move their arms if you're touching say on the bus for example, HATE that.

Ok so thats Sri Lanka! That month went fast. All in all had a boss time. Can't wait for our next adventure to begin. Bring on Hong Kong!