Paihia

The bus journey to Paihia is a fairly long one, and we arrive at our hostel in the evening, after the office has closed. There is, however, a welcome note with our key tapes to the door. We decide to have an early one. The next day I meet Brian, who runs the hostel with his wife. We chat about our plans, which is to get on a boat around the Bay of Islands. Brian seconds a recommendation we've already had, which is to do the 'Cream Trip' which lasts the entire day. Heidi did now have a great nights sleep, and the boat leaves at 9.30, so I book it in for the next day.

Whilst Heidi catches up on her sleep, I take a walk. A map I got off Brian suggests there's a walk that starts not far for the hostel, and goes along the coast. When I get to the start, however, there is nowhere to walk. I have to go along the road for the first part, until hitting the road, then up the side of a small cliff. The scenery around Paihia is very pretty - the Bay of Islands consists of roughly 140 individual Islands and you can see a few of them from here, as well as a big chunk of mainland. Nice boats and yachts pepper the view. Despite being a holiday destination of choice, we're here just before the season really kicks off so it's fairly quiet.

When I get back to the hostel, I get Heidi up and we decide to get the ferry over to Russel, a small town which is on the mainland, but on the other side of the bay. It's very pleasant, to the extent it almost feels fake (it isn't). I then head to the top of a big hill which has a bush walk down it. We sit on a bench watching some oldboys scan the beach with metal detectors. The plan is to wait till they find a big treasure chest, then make our move. But they don't seem to have much luck so we hop back on the ferry.

On Russell Beach

Bush walk

Russell from afar

Back in Paihia, we go the supermarket to get some food. We've been cooking our own food since Walkworth, conscious of our rapidly decreasing funds. Cooking whilst travelling requires you to make meals with as few ingredients as possible. It's one of those examples where limitations actually make you more creative, like special effects in 1910's cinema. The supermarket here, fortunately, has a lot of discounted meat so we pick up some sausages for tomorrow's lunch.

We board the Cream Trip boat at 9.15 the next day. Despite thinking Paihia is quiet, the boat is packed. I imagine in summer you have to book this more than a day in advance. We are given a map of the Islands we'll be passing by, and we're given a commentary by our skipper. The area is brimming with history, Russel was basically the first capital of New Zealand. We pass by many Islands with just one or two houses on them. "What if you hate your neighbour?" I think. Bet that's awkward. At one of the Islands, someone on the boat passes a lady on the pier a large bag - this person has their post delivered by the Cream Trip.

For an extra 15 dollars you can pay to swim with dolphins on this trip. It's something we decided not to go for (this time) and opt for the bird's eye view instead. Not long into the trip, our skipper hears word of some dolphins and changes course towards them. However, she warns, they have their young so there will be no swimming with this lot. What follows is quite incredible. I can't say how many were in this group (is it a school?) of dolphins, but it was more than a few. It sounds like projecting, but they do really seem quite thrilled by the presence of the boats (there's another boat, which is a tour specifically more marine wildlife) as they jump up alongside them. Later we see a few really jumping high out of the water, which is a sign of showing dominance. Trying to get pictures is very difficult, so eventually I just let the moment happen around me. There's genuinely a bit of magic about it.

My best dolphin photo

At lunch time we stop off at one of the islands to have lunch. We eat our sandwich's, then climb the very steep hill on the mountain for some incredible views of the islands. Once again, the panoramic mode on my camera comes in handy.

See?

One of the big attractions of the Bay of Islands is the Hole in the Rock. Unlike the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, the Hole in the Rock is exactly what you think it is - though it is a rather impressive display of natural scenery. As we approach, our skipper warns us we might not be able to go through the hole, as it depends on the tide and winds, and what have you. Then we go through it. (Alright, Stephen King I ain't but it's quite difficult to fully articulate the tension one feels between being told you might not go through a hole in a rock, and going through a hole in the rock. I guess you had to be there.) Shortly after this our skipper takes us to a cove where she claims we may see some more aquatic wildlife. Like a seafaring Poirot, her hunch is entirely correct and we come across what I can only assume was a family of seals. I say family because there were two big ones and a baby. One of the big ones was frolicking in the seaweed whilst the other two sunbathed, and wondered why a boat full of tourists were so interested in their day to day lives. 

The aptly named Hole in the Rock

On our way back the boat speeds up and my cap flies off my head off into the Pacific Ocean. I'm a bit annoyed, mainly because it came from a fishing hut in the Middle of Nowhere, Chile, and therefore not easy to replace. I have a bit of a sulk but try and not let it ruin the day. 

The next day we try and do some admin - our original plan was to go back to Auckland for the weekend, but it's a public holiday and Australia is playing the All Blacks in the city Saturday night, so we struggle to find a hostel. Instead, we book a few more nights at Brian's place, which is fine because it's the nicest hostel we've been in thus far.

We had a fairly chilled week in Paihia - which is my way of saying we only really did a few more things worth writing about. One thing you tend not to see on travel blogs is the sheer amount of admin and time killing that, I can only surmise so far, is fundamental to long term travel. Either that or I'm doing it wrong. Part of it, I guess, is travelling with someone else. You can't wake up and decide you want to move on, it has to be a joint decision. This is, so far, actually working to my benefit because by bouncing ideas and talking about the plan, you actually end up with a better idea of what you want to do. 

On Friday I was chatting to a gent in our hostel who recommended going up to the Waitangi treaty grounds. This is 'New Zealands most historical site' for reasons you can Google because I'll only botch it up here. It was something I had read about, but I assumed it was beyond walking distance. Not only this, but the price for entry, plus a 'culteral performance' is $40 each. However, my new single serving friend informs me it is only a 40 minute walk from the hostel, and after a quick look online I manage to book discounted tickets for Saturday. Our uneventful week is turning around. 

The walk up to the grounds is a great one along the beach, and when we get to the grounds it's around 11.20, and our guided tour is booked in for 12. We walk round the museum which, as far as museums go, is actually pretty good. (We've been pretty lucky with museums so far). The museum covers the Treaty of Waitangi, again please refer to the Internet if you are interested, but rest assured it's an important piece of NZ history. What I personally find interesting is that when the British came here it's a slightly more complicated narrative than the usual "Empire coming over to conquer and wipe out the indigenous people". (though there is a bit of that) Partly this is because the Maori people aren't indigenous to New Zealand, and partly because there does seem to be a lot of effort in creating a working relationship between the two peoples, though it didn't always work out (The treaty is actually still in dispute some 170 years later by some Maori).

We're taken through the grounds by a tour guide who gives more history and laughs. After the tour is the cultural performance. This starts with the selection of a chief, which I was warned about. Luckily, an oldboy in the centre of crowd started edging away from our host, which is as much volunteering as walking forwards. We found our chief - Chief Jeff.

After the welcome ceremony, which involved Cheif Jeff accepting a gift from a Maori 'Warrior' we're ushered in to the building for the performance. What follows is traditional  Moori singing and dancing, and of course a haka. When it's over, everyone is offered to take pictures with the performers, but I always think that kind of thing is a bit weird so we give it a miss and have our picnic in the sun. We finish our Saturday at the local pool bar to watch the rugby, luckily New Zealand thrash the Wallaby's!

War Canoes

Sail away, sail away

Next - Auckland Part 2

Auckland and Workworth

We fly from Singapore to Sydney overnight, then hang around in the airport for a few hours then it's another 4 hours to Auckland, so we get into the city in the evening. We find our hostel easily enough and, after a steak I was craving, settle in for an early night. We're woken up a few hours later, however, by people in the room's common area at around 2a.m. We were aware there was a pub crawl tonight. The next day we're both pretty tired, but we have a new place to explore and a few things to do. We walk around and make some purchases before heading back to the hostel. Chilling there, we meet a British lad called Gary who is very friendly, if a bit loud. We meet a few more people and get some tips - a lot of people have been n the country for months.

We have another early night but are once again woken up in the early hours. This time I can't get back to sleep. My tablet's out of battery, so I head to the common room where there are many books people have left or swapped out. I'm about to give up as nothing is peaking my interest until I see the last book on the bottom shelf - The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pick-Up Artists by Neil Strauss. It's something I've wanted to read, plus I have it on Kindle so I can continue it if need be. I sit down in our common area, thinking that after a chapter or two I'll be tired enough to go to sleep. Several hours of reading and speaking with fellow insomniacs and other nocturnal beings (plus a 5.30am trip to burger king) I finish the book. As a result, Saturday is a bit of a write-off. We go out in the morning for a wonder and to buy a few things but when we get back at midday, I fall asleep for a few hours.

I'm curious as to what Auckland's nightlife is life, and so I find a Techno night on the Saturday at a club called Neck of the Woods. I head out around 10pm, and when I get there there's not many people. I grab a drink then take a seat. After a while I head to the toilet, and when I get back two guys are at my table. I manage to spark up a conversation, the two are actually part of a group of five, and we get on quite well. We start dancing as the dancefloor grows, but just when I start really enjoying myself, one of my new single-serving friends is ejected out of the club for having a line of cocaine in the toilet. Gutted. 

I dance for a few hours then head back to the hostel. Pre-empting another sleepless night I stay in the common area until everyone goes to bed. On Sunday we have a busy one starting by the big walk up Mount Eden. This is the previously volcanic mountain just beside Auckland. We walk up and get some great pictures of the city - you can see for miles from here. The crater in the centre, considered sacred, is also very cool. In the afternoon we go to watch the UFC in a nearby sports bar which is great. We round the day off by heading a bit out of town to the Stardome Observatory. The museum bit is free but we pay to see a night show, both of which are very interesting. I can't remember any fun facts, sorry.

Big City, Cloudy Skies

Crater

By Monday we're just killing time so we go to the cinema to see Pete's Dragon, which is pretty great. Monday night I have another jetlag/insomniac experience and this time read Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale. In case you didn't see the DiCaprio film, it's about the world's greatest impostor, who posed as a pilot  (amongst other things) and made hundreds of thousands of dollars in cheque fraud. Once again, I read it cover to cover. The common theme between the two books is perception equals reality. Or reality equals perception. Or something.

On Tuesday we are moving north to our first WWOOFing experience. WWOOF is an organisation that allows hosts, mostly organic farms, to advertise placements for work in exchange for accommodation and often food. We are staying with Jo, a British woman with a multi-faceted business - It's a health clinic, horse riding centre, accommodation and art gallery. She needs some help painting the inside of her house. It's in a place called Workworth (pronounced walkworth) which is described by our guide book as someway you stop on your way somewhere else (I'm paraphrasing, but not much). Also staying with Jo is Pauline, a french lady who is having horse riding lessons from Jo.

We get to work shortly after arriving at the house and do a few hours. The next morning we do the same and it's clear I'm coming down with some cold I've caught, presumably from the hostel. Jo then takes us for a tour of the area, including a bush walk where we see an 800 year old tree, the first cement works in New Zealand, plus an organic food shop where we buy some 'healthy' cakes.

The next day my illness has gotten worse - It's full blown manflu. We work our normal 3 hours (with a generous tea break) then I crash out. In the afternoon we head out to McDonalds. This might sound terrible, but free, unlimited wifi here is rare and McDonalds provides. We do a few things online then head back.

View from our lodge

This photo was actually taken at night, that's the moon in the background

After another day of working and chilling, we go out for some pizza's at a real nice place called the Saw Mill. Heidi and I have the Big Ben, which has roast beef on it. It's pretty marvellous.

On Friday, we're painting Jo's bathroom. During the tea break, it's clear that we won't finish it today but Jo asks us if we want to finish it, and she'll pay us for our time. We agree and we finish before 2pm. Later in the evening, I find a note from Jo saying that the painting is all done now and we can leave either tomorrow or Sunday. This is a bit surprising as she had originally suggested the work would take 10 days, but Heidi and I accept this as the life of the WOOFer and decide we need to make a plan tomorrow.

On Saturday Jo takes us to the farmers market in Matakana. This is pretty cool, and again the focus is on organic food. We buy a super healthy smoothie to walk round with. After a lengthy chat with the lady selling a huge variety of loose leaf tea (we don't buy any because we'd need an infuser!) we meet up with Jo and Pauline at a cafe. After this, we go back to the organic food shop from the other day because they're having a launch event. We get some free samples, buy some curry powder, and are dropped off at Mcdonalds on the way back. Here we make some bookings, then walk back to Jo's in the rain. 

We're leaving in the evening on Sunday, so in the morning I ask Jo if there's any jobs Heidi and I can do. Heidi focuses on getting our room and kitchen clean, whilst I move some logs and wash Jo's car. Jo drops us off at around 4 and we wait around for our bus to take us north....to Paihia!

Singapore 2

Whilst researching more things to do here, I come across the ArtScience Museum. This is the one that looks like a giant metal flower. Initially, I'm put off the price but the exhibitions on are so interesting to me I eventually decide resistance is futile, and on our third day here I head there by myself giving Heidi a chance to have a lie in. The museum's open when I arrive, so I take some rather good snaps on the Helix bridge (named because it looks like a strand of DNA).

I love my camera's panoramic mode

The three exhibitions were as follows:

1) The permanent exhibition which was all about how art and science intertwine. This was less interesting as it initially sounded, and consisted mainly of cool interactive pieces like projections that would react to you touching them and stuff. A lot of stuff geared for kids here.

2) An exhibition on big data. This was more interesting. This was a simultaneously a history of our information age to the present day and a collection of art pieces that use data. I learn quite a lot here, including how Singapore is attaining to be the first "smart city" using live data feeds to improve people's lives.

3) An exhibition showcasing original works of M.C Escher. You know Escher, right? The guy who did crazy stairs? I don't know a huge amount about art but I know I like him so this was a big win.

Flight plans around America in a single day

TMI

Self-reflexive self-portrait

I head back to the hostel to get Heidi and we head back out to the Botanical Gardens. Botany is not an interest of mine, but we soon see why it's such a draw for tourists and locals alike. First of all, it's HUGE so it would never be difficult to find your own spot to chill. And it's also very pretty. On our walks around we see several fairly large lizards also out for a jolly. The gardens is free except for the orchid gardens, but we've been told they're worth the 5 dollar admission. I would agree, albeit just.

Chillin'

I take my botany selfies a bit more seriously than Heidi

We were looking forward to chilling at the gardens some more, but they are quite far out of town and we need to get back as we want to catch a light show that we missed the night before. We also want to check out Orchard Road, which is the main shopping street here. There are 30 individual shopping malls here. It rivals Dubai.

We go back to Marina Bay Sands Mall which is nearby the Gardens, and also contains the DC Superheroes cafe. Unable to resist, we shell out and get some ice cream and a drink here. This is our dinner. Whilst waiting, I read a Batman comic because it seems appropriate.

The service wasn't so Flash-themed

When we eventually back to the Supertree Grove, we don't have to wait long until the show. The show changes on a monthly basis, and this month the theme is musical theatre, so the trees light up to the sounds of Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, et al. I'm not usually impressed by this kind of thing but I had a smile on my face the whole time - The Supertree Grove is Super Impressive.

Trippy

When we purchased our zoo tickets it included 4 separate parks - The main zoo, the river safari, the night safari and the bird park, so on our final morning we decide to hit the bird park. Like the zoo and night safari, a tram takes you round but there are places to walk as well. The variety of species is once again vast, from flamingos to owls and some seriously big birds of prey. 

Pingu

Too many E numbers

Heidi and a giant bird

Showing off

I know it looks like this owl is winking at me, but actually I woke him up by accident.

We were hoping to see Chinatown before leaving but our next flight is in the early afternoon so we have to give it a miss and head straight to the airport. We both loved Singapore and know there is so much we didn't do - The Battlebox, Chinatown, Little India, Sentosa Island...but we agree that we will have to come back some day.

Next Stop - Auckland!

Singapore 1

We land in Singapore in the evening. Learning from our mistake in Dubai, we catch the metro to the stop nearest our hostel. The hostel is in Kanpon Glam, which is the Arabic area of town. It's a pretty happening place on a Saturday night, when all the restaurant seating floods out into the street, as does a market. We check into our hostel, we're staying in what is advertised as a 16 bed dorm but is really two 8 beds next to each other. We go out and, as we're in the Arabic area of town, eat at a Turkish place. We order Lahmucun which is a Turkish pizza - the tomato sauce base is replaced with ground meat. It's pretty tasty and very filling. We decide to hit the hay shortly after.

The next day we wonder round the city. It's a pretty amazing place. We eventually find ourselves in Raffles Place, which is a mall. My parents had recommended the food court. The food court is impressive, with just about every Asian cuisine you can think of on offer. We have a Thai meal which was pretty good if a tad small. We then head out to Singapore Zoo. The zoo is one of major attractions here as it prides itself on having completely natural enclosures and no cages. It's also huge. We walk around for a few hours, there are animals here I've never  heard of (the only names of which I can remember are the sloth bear). We also head to the 'River Safari'. We didn't really research this, and thought it was a boat trip. It turns out to be an additional, slightly smaller river-themed zoo. We manage to get the last boat ride but we don't see anything on it. We see a little bit more of the river safari, including a large aquarium with manatees in, but we have to cut it short because we have booked in a 7.45 slot at the Night Safari.

The Night Safari is yet another zoo, but as you might guess is nocturnal. Low level lighting allows you to see another large variety of animals. The main route is via tram but there are trails you can walk through. We do the tram ride then a few trails, but tiredness takes over and we skip the last few. On reflection, we probably should have started the day at the main zoo (you could easily spend a whole day at the zoo) but it doesn't matter too much - we've had a great day. We've seen thousands of different species from all over the world in just a few hours.

Best Sign Ever

Simples

Oh, the huge manatee!

The next day we get up a bit late, probably due to all the walking we've done. We haven't done a museum yet during the trip, so we head to the highly recommended (via tripadviser) Asian Civilisations Museum. This is in a great spot right by the river, and turns out to be well worth it. We see a few exhibitions on religion (we're both Religious Studies graduates) plus an exhibition showcasing artifacts recovered from a 9th century shipwreck only a few years ago. It's most Chinese porcelain, which is all in pretty good nick considering it's been in the ocean for over a millennium. I was a little disappointed they didn't have any parts of the wreck, but maybe I just need to manage my expectations better. Elsewhere in the museum, they are two large 3d oval shapes, one white one black hanging from the ceiling. A security guard walks over to me and asks if I am hungry. Confused, I say no. He then asks me if I know what the oval things are. I also say no and he points me in the direction  of the description on the wall. Turns out the shapes are two massive grains of rice. I now get the joke.

Ricely done

Down by the river

We have a quick drink and Heidi decides to go back. I want to explore a bit more, so I do a walking route suggested by our guide book. This starts at a large church we have seen before, and goes past the Parliament building and a bit more of the river. During the walk I head into 'The Arts House' because there's an exhibition about Chairman Mao's cultural revolution which, luckily, is free. The exhibition is full of photos taken by Li Shenzhong, who was hired by the government as a photographer but was also taking pictures for the underground resistance. It really is a chronicle of human misery, with pictures of people being walked through the streets will placards round their necks listing their 'crimes'. There's a huge photo of the hundreds of thousands of people who attended Mao's funeral - this being the man who had more people killed than Hitler. 

My walk ends up at Merlion Park, where I get a great view of the Artscience Museum, which looks like a metal flower, and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, which looks like a boat parked on three skyscrapers. I head back to the hostel to pick Heidi up and we go out to Lau Po Sat - a food court in the centre of town. The building feels like a Victorian Train Station and the choice is even more overwhelming than at Raffles Place, but generally has a less corporate vibe. We eventually decide on a stall called Wok OK and each have a really tasty, and cheap, stir fry. After dinner we go to the Gardens by The Bay. 

Gardens by the Bay aren't just gardens by the bay - although there is a bit of that. At the heart of the gardens is Supertree Grove, a collection of giant energy converting structures that light up. We take a convoluted route into the gardens (including a long stretch where we didn't see anyone else). When we reach the supertrees, we find that we've missed the last light show at 8.45. The trees are still impressive, mind. We walk around the gardens a bit longer then head into a mall that we need to go into to get to the metro. It's in this mall I spot the DC Comics cafe. As the name suggests, this is a cafe (and shop) populated with DC Superheroes merchandise and themed food and drink. It looks like it's just closing up so we note it for later.

ArtScience museum and Marina Bay Sands Hotel

A big, floating baby

SuperTree Grove

Nerdgasm

Next time: More Singapore! 

#4 Unawatuna, Kandy and Colombo 2

Unawatuna is a beachy area that Rehan recommended, though it's so close to Galle we didn't really need to book a different place to stay. We take a tuk to our new guest house from the centre of Galle. When we arrive, a pretty huge iguana is trundling down the track. The tuk driver has to chase him down the drive and into the garden. Every time I walk through from now on, I try and spot Iggy again so I can get a picture but he does not reappear. After a bit of confusion with the room (we seem to have booked two rooms...) we get upgraded to a slightly nicer room with a view and a fridge.

We head out and explore Unawatuna. The beach, the central focus point, is beautiful. It's populated with restaurants and bars which each have tables and chairs, and loungers, out on the beach front. We walk around in the scorching midday heat until finally deciding to have some lunch at a place right where we started near the guest house. Inclined to 'do something' we ask about taking a boat ride around the place. It's a little pricey at 3000 rupees (about 15 pounds) but it turns out to be very cool. The sea is pretty rough here and so it occasionally feels like we're going to capsize. I hold on to my camera fr dear life. We then stop for a drink on a lounger, and I decide it's time to take a plunge in the Indian Ocean. Making sure I'm no-where near the boats I jump into the cool water and begin swimming towards some pretty large waves. This lasts a knackering 20 minutes before I let myself get swept back to shore. We chill out on the loungers for a little longer before heading back to the guest house.

There's one thing we've been told we must check out here - The Japanese Peace Pagoda. These are large monuments modelled after the 'stupa' that can be found in Buddhist temples, but on a much larger scale. There are around 90 in the world, and this one was built during the civil war here as a symbol of peace. We ask a tuk driver to take us up the hillside to get there. The tuk struggles but makes it. Our driver is very friendly and walks around with us, telling us a few interesting facts. We just manage to catch the sunset on top of the hill. I also take some pictures of Galle. Our driver then has some more ideas of places to take us. We agree to go to a spice garden. When we get there, we're given a list of products they make there and ask if we want to try anything. Awkwardly I ask if we can just walk around the gardens. We get a small tour around and get to smell and taste some spices, but our tour inevitably ends back in the shop. When prompted, we give a small donation for the tour then head back into town. We finish the day with a candle-lit dinner on the beach.

Peace pagoda. Looks small in this pic, isn't

Clouds try to thwart my photography efforts once again

Galle and Unwatuna are both really nice place, if a little touristy. I'm no travelling hipster (yet) but when it's a struggle to find traditional Sri Lankan cuisine it's a problem. Food is one of the things I was most excited about for this trip! Most places here will have one 'Traditional Sri Lankan Curry and Rice' dish, and the rest will be Western, Chinese, etc. I've tried to stick to course (so to speak) but I can't be having the same thing for lunch and dinner every day.

The next day we know will be a struggle. We're travelling from Unawatuna to Kandy. On a map of Sri Lanka this may seem fairly simple, but direct trains from Galle to Kandy are sparse so we have to go via Colombo. Getting back to Colombo was fine but the next stage was a bit harder. We were told to get reservations from Colombo to Kandy but we forgot, and when we get there we find only 3rd class is available. We considered this but thought we'd check in with a tourist information places beforehand. The gent there recommended getting the bus, which after a bit of food we did.

The coaches here have an extra seat that folds out into the aisle, making each row 5 seats. whilst this is an effective use of space it makes for a slightly claustropobic ride. Moreover, the journey is long and, truth be told, a bit boring (I've never been able to read on a road vehicle). When we get to Kandy it's dark. We get a tuc to our new guest house, but when we get there there's no sign or anything. We ring the bell and a young lad asks me if I'm Heidi Scott. He lets us in and takes us to our room downstairs. Our guest house is clearly underneath a family home. after settling in, we head our for some food. We're knackered so we go to the first place we see which is a restuarent attached to a hotel. I ordered the chop suey and half of  my clearly instant noodles were uncooked. Hallfway through eating there's a sudden thud - a lizard had dropped from the ceiling to the  floor. This was a culnary experience to remember for all the wrong reasons.

Kandy is Sri Lanka's second biggest city and is perhaps most well known for the Sacred Temple of the Tooth - where one of the Buddha's teeth is kept. We've since found out that there are multiple temples that make this claim - the one in Singapore claims it's the same tooth and the origin is identical. But I digress.

When we arrive we're greeted by a spritely young man who introduces himself as a tour guide. He asks if we would like him to take him round. I don't feel as if we've learnt much on our trip so far, so we take him up on it. He turns out to be well worth it. He takes us round and teaches us about the origin of the tooth, a little about the temple and a little on Buddhism in general. The tooth is kept in a golden casket, which is kept enclosed within it's own little chamber and only brought out for special occasions. I wonder how many tourists complain that they don't see the tooth (we read ahead so our expectations were managed). After the tour, our guide tells us about a cultural dance show that happens every night, and he shows us where we can buy tickets.

Nearby monastery

Outside the temple

We have some lunch (more curry and rice) then decide to head to Kandy's tea museum. We take a tuk up the mountain path and have a fairly interesting tour around the converted tea factory. It ends with a cuppa which is nice. On the way down from the mountain the tuk driver doesn't start his engine and coasts for quite a while. Another example of Sri Lankan efficiency. A few minutes later he asked me "Do you like Tuk driving"?" At first I assumed he was asking if I enjoyed the mode of transport, but he was actually offering for me to drive the tuk. I'm not one to let opportunities to pass up, so I hop in the front seat next to him. He retains the control of the break, which was probably wise given that we were on a winding mountain road, and I controlled the acceleration and gears (both controlled at the handlebars). It was pretty great despite the fact I couldn't go too fast. After I clearly demonstrated I didn't understand the gears, he gestured it was time to stop. He said I was a good driver but I suspect he was just being polite.

The last thing we did in Kandy was the cultural dance show, in the city hall. There are several different performances including plate spinning, etc, but the thing I (and, I suspect, most people) was anticipating most was fire walking outside the hall, which happened last. I have some great clips of the performers breathing fire then gingerly treading over the hot coals. I can't currently upload videos on here but I will see if I can in the future. After the performance, we grab some 'short-eats' (Sri Lankan pastries) and head back to the hotel. We have an early start to get back to Colombo, so we hit the hay early.

Our journey back to Colombo was a far pleasant one, as we had managed to book first class back in Kandy. We go straight back to Rehan's and decide to have a quiet one to recuperate. We both have an afternoon nap and only head out in the evening. I'm a little tired of curry and rice so I ask for Rehan for a recommendation for somewhere to have a good burger - he says "Sugar Bistro". There I have a burger appropriately entitled the 'Big Daddy". 

Next stop: Singapore!

#3 Colombo and Galle

We arrive in Colombo and whilst cooler than U.A.E it's still somewhere in the low thirties. We're staying a few nights with a friend of mine from university, Rehan, in his home in Colombo. We're not actually expecting to see him when we arrive, but he is there to welcome us before going out later. We have a catch up and talk about the week ahead in Sri Lanka. Rehan is a film director, working on commercial projects to fund his own endeavours. He shows us three short films he co-made about Colombo, which focuses mainly on the bars an restaurants in the various districts of the city. We decide to book ourselves into a restaurant featured in one of the videos, The Gallery Cafe.

I want this to be a blog of honesty and whilst I won't be detailing every single event of conversation, I do want to mention some of the challenges and 'down moments' travelling brings. So whilst I'm not proud of the following, the below is a retelling of how I lost my passport.

We unpack in our room in Rehan's beautiful home and I notice my jacket is missing. I had put it at the top of my daypack because we has read a weather report suggested scattered showers in Colombo (side note: not a drop) but it is no longer there. It is a total mystery to me and one that was pretty annoying, to say the least. Later, Heidi asks me where my passport was. This  especially odd as she is unpacking my day pack further, and that is where I thought it would be. We search the bags and the room but it soon becomes clear; I no longer have my passport with me. 

I am, obviously, very annoyed with myself. After all, your passport is the one thing you are not meant to lose. The one thing! We make a plan to make a few calls in the morning using the landline, but I want to ask Rehan first (plus I may need his help!) so we continue out to dinner.

The Gallery Cafe is one of Colombo's upmarket restaurant. It's really nice, mostly outside seating with a canopy. I have the black pork curry, which I know will be hard to beat (and homemade ginger beer to wash it down with!). Despite the great atmosphere I can't relax or take my mind of my passport. Heidi then has a brainwave - during the taxi ride from the airport the driver wasn't sure where exactly to go. I tried to help and took my tablet out of my bag to get a map up - but to get to the tablet I had to dig through my jacket and...my passport case. Certain this is where I had left it, I felt a huge sense of relief wash over me. Heidi even kept the receipt of the taxi so we'd have a phone number to call. With a plan in place I could sleep (relatively) easily.

The next day we head out to Gangaramaya Temple (Just the two of us, Rehan let us know he would probably be up late). This is a Buddhist temple founded by an eccentric monk who is something of a hoarder. The temple is full of stuff, from old watches and spectacles to Rolls Royces. It really is an odd collection of things. I try and work out what the connection is between the assortment and a religion that practises non attachment to things and teaches the transience of everything, but I can't come up with everything and we don't have a guide to ask. We then try an find a smaller temple located on Beira lake but end up getting lost, and head back to Rehan's.

When I can, I try and phone the taxi company. There's no reply. We have lunch, a very tasty beefy curry with potato curry and salad on the side, and I try again. I get through and the gent on the line knows who I am, and why I'm calling. Our driver found my stuff whilst cleaning his car the night before. He says he can get him to us in an hour. When he arrives, I feel I can't thank him enough. I pay him the fare from yesterday again, plus extra. "Now it's been sorted, I'm allowed to be mad at you" says Heidi. I guess she's right.

Drama over, the three of us head into town. We go to a bar/cafe where there is some live jazz. It's very nice, just relaxing in the sun with a drink and some music. We then meet one of Rehan's friends Zack, who came over from the U.S a year and a half ago. The four of us chat some more about the week ahead, Zack and Rehan giving us some good tips (mainly on where to eat and drink).

After the bar we go to Galle Face Green to watch the sunset. This is a long stretch of beach right next to the city, and the atmosphere here is akin to a family festival - everybody seems to be out this Sunday evening to watch the sun set over the sea. There's a pier which seems to be the hotspot for pictures, so we head up there and take a few of our own. Unfortunately some clouds obscure the sunset, but when they eclipse the sun it still is pretty, and makes for some good photos.

We head to Galle Face Hotel for another drink. This is one of the most upmarket hotels in Colombo, with a terrace which looks out towards the sea. We chat some more then the guys recommend a place for us to have dinner. We go, and I have a pretty tasty squid curry, but in truth I preferred Heidi's dessicated prawn dish, which was dry.

Us and our amazing host Rehan

Sunset off Galle Face Pier

A classy place with some classy people

The next day we head to Galle, on the south coast. Galle is famous for having a fort built by the Dutch. These days a lot of the town is located inside the fort, including our hostel. after checking in we begin walking around the fort. Galle is a really nice place to walk around, but it is very touristy. I'm no travelling snob (yet) but when it's a struggle to find a good choice of Sri Lankan cuisine, it's a problem. A lot of places here have one Sri Lankan curry and rice option, alongside pizzas and pastas, etc. We take quite a few pictures around the fort and of the sea which stretches out before it. We eat dinner at a cool rooftop cafe and call it a day.

I really fort this was a nice place

Timed that well

The next morning I wake up very early for some reason. I check the time, it's around 5.45. I try and get back to sleep. As I'm dozing, I hear a sudden, low sound, which is followed by the hostel shaking for about a second. In that instant, I assume there's been an explosion because that's what it sounded like. I quickly rationalised that it must have been a tremor. I eventually get back to sleep but when I wake up I have to look it up to ensure I didn't dream this. Heidi slept through it.

Didn't make it up

Next time - Unawatuna, Kandy and back to Colombo!