A week in paradise

I got up and went to the gym on Sunday morning. It was a great way to start my Easter Day. 

Once we were all up, and the Tito-Nekeares were awake, we all headed to breakfast. We ate outside again Sunday morning, but ate in a section that had netting around it, which was to keep the crows out and away from our food. But apparently one of the crows missed the memo and while I was getting Millie some juice, that pesky bird took some of my food, forcing me to get a new plate. 

The men (David and Stuart) decided to go and watch the Al Ain rugby club kids who were on tour in Colombo, Sri Lanka, ironically enough. So the 'family' holiday got a little extended in nature. 

Apparently they surprised the teams and they were thrilled to see them. 

Leanne had to complain about their room because thier view was of a construction site and they had paid for an ocean view. As they were moving rooms, the three of us went to the pool and set up right next to the edge. 

And here is where we were most of the day, with an occasional splash to cool off. 

The kids had a blast, and they even had Easter activities for them. They had an Easter egg hunt, an egg and solo race, a a coloring activity. Jack and Xavier won big solid chocolate bunnies for winning the egg and spoon race. Millie was a little down when she didn't find one egg in the egg hunt, but Jack gave her one of his and another little girl noticed she was upset and also gave her an egg. 

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Here are Jack, Millie and Xavier getting ready for the big hunt. 

She was very sad because that one egg in her basket wasn't found by her, but given to her by Jack. Poor baby!

The egg and spoon race. 

The last shot of the day, poolside. 

We decided to call it quits around 3:30 pm and bring our little lobsters inside for showers. Stuart messaged me about 4:15 pm to let me know they were on their way back to the hotel. 

Once they returned we met up in the bar where the little boys played Minecraft on their iPads and the rest of us sat at talked about our days. Eventually, Stuart and David were off to their respective rooms for showers and to get ready for dinner. The kids went with their dads while Leanne and I stayed I the bar to talk. 

Dinner was a little bit of begging the kids to eat. They were exhausted so we didn't stay long. Millie actually fell asleep on my lap. We were back to the room just before 9 pm and off to bed. We had an early morning ahead of us. Our main event for Monday was a visit to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Everyone was so excited. 

As you would guess, Monday morning when the alarm went off we all could have used another 2 or 3 hours of sleep. However, the transport car would not wait so we got ready and headed to hotel reception. We picked up our packed breakfasts and we were off. Sri Lanka is infamous for its bad roads, grid lock traffic and long journeys. This day was no different, but was full of culture and excitement so it didn't matter. 

Before we drove off at 6:30 am, these beauties were in front of hotel. A wedding? At 6:30 am? On a Monday?  Must have been cheaper. 

We drove about 2 hours and decided we needed a coffee/toilet stop. We got a slice of cake, two sausage rolls, 2 coffees, and a bottle of Sprite for a whopping $4. 

Once we were back in the van we traveled for another hour and found ourselves at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. We bought tickets and headed to the river where the elephants were bathing. We bought some bananas and the kids fed the elephants. It totally freaked Millie out, maybe because the elephants were about a thousand times her size. 

Of course to get this close there was a cost. We paid a tip but not even close to what they asked for. 

We saw this random guy and his elephant walking down the road. 

It was muggy and the kids might have been a bit cranky, but there will still be 'happy' photos. Of course they were still thrilled because who gets to ever be this close to elephants. 

Many of the elephants were relaxing in the water. 

As we were walking back up to the orphanage, this was the view. Jack's chin was cut off, but you get the point. Spectacular. 

Elephants are massive creatures. 

Once we were back in the orphanage Stuart was over by this elephant, watching him take a bath. When the elephant laid down in the water he farted so loudly, the elephant, not Stuart. Of course Jack found this hysterical. 

Once we left the elephant orphanage and  bought some elephant poo souvenirs. Look it up, it exists. We headed toward Kandy, stopping at a spice factory along the way. 

Our guide through the spice garden was knowledgable about all the healing power of these many products. Naturally I bought banana and vanilla extract. 

Jack and I volunteered for a massage since no one else would. Sticky and sweaty massages are not the most relaxing, especially when others are looking on. 

Stuart involuntarily volunteered for the hair removal that claimed to semi-permanently remove for up to three years if used once a week for 4 weeks. Since Stuart was the hairiest, it made since. So now he has a bald patch on the bottom of his left calf. 

Once we had been herbally enhanced, we decided to keep driving with priorities to get a bite to eat and see the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (a Buddhist temple). We had collectively decided to skip the tea factory and the wood carving center. 

The rain started in the mountains and the traffic was atrocious. It explains why it takes 2 hours to move 50 miles. Just before we hit the temple, we stopped at what looked to be a 5 star restuarant. Well, after the humidity, heat and elephant dung, we decided it would be best to find a KFC. So we did. Unfortunately all KFCs are different and use different spices. So the 'original recipe' wasn't an option. It was either spicy or spicier. Everyone endured and Stuart and David salivated. Once the tummies were semi full it was off two kilometers to the temple. 

When we first arrived we were told no shorts allowed. We knew the women would have to have their shoulders covered, which is why Leanne and I wore out short sleeve shirts, but no one said anything about the men's shorts. At any rate, Stuart's ended up being long enough to cover his knees and Leanne had a scarf that David used as a sarong. He's from the islands and wears them all the time anyway. But conveniently enough, there were men outside the temple gates selling sarongs. 

Once inside the temple we saw people presenting flowers at the alter, Tibetan monks in prayer and at the alter, and people in ah of the sites of this place. 

I took this picture before I realized, or Stuart pointed it out to me, that there was a sign saying there were to be no posed pictures in front of the alter. Ugh! I figured damage was already done and it was a keeper. 

They sold these flowers in front of the temple to be presented at the alter. The air was very fragrant. 

Just before this picture, there was a man who handed this monk a flower to place closer/inside the alter. Maybe the belief is that the prayer is holier the closer to the monk and alter the flower gets. 

The gold on the alters was fascinating, and very real. Also, here's how uneducated I still am after all my travels, I thought Buddha was a fat chubby fellow. I was told by Leanne, more of a world traveler than myself, THAT Buddha is in the eastern Asian countries. Silly me!

This Tibetan monk was praying with these followers in the middle of the room. 

And these boys were using themselves as chess pieces just in front of the monk and his followers. They were quiet as mice. Their moves were so obvious that I immediately knew what they were doing. I could help but giggle inside. 

The ornate stone work around the temple was breathtaking. 

This was an outside pavilion on the grounds of the temple. 

These were the individually carved posts that held up the pavilion. 

The pavilion and the temple from the other side of the garden. 

Our selfie in from of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. 

My goofy, funny, and very well-behaved kids (at least this day they were). 

Our drive home was through a ton of rain and a great deal of traffic. No one gets road rage or impatient, they just beep their horns and weasel their way through an impossible gap. 

We finally arrived at about 9:30 pm, an hour late for our dinner reservation, which worked out in the end. Because it also rained on the coast, the outside area where we had booked was flooded and had dried out by the time we got back. 

We ate and then we were off to shower and get a good night's sleep. I turned off the lights and kissed the kids at 11:45 pm. Fortunately both kids had napped for a bit in the van, so not all sleep was lost. 

I was up early, about an hour after my alarm went off, and I hit the gym before everyone got up. Once I returned to my room at 7:30 am, I was shocked that neither of the kids were awake. Jack finally roused at 8 am, and Millie? Well we had to pry her out of bed or we would have missed breakfast. 

We ate breakfast and then the men took the kids for the day while Leanne and I headed to a place called Barefoot. I had only read about this place that had the textiles of Sri Lanka and art work. 

We went out of the hotel and got into a tuk tuk, asking the driver to take us to Barefoot. 

Selfie in the tuk tuk

The traffic wasn't too bad. 

I was under the impression it was about a 40 minute ride away, so when he pulled into an alley that looked like a parking lot, I said, 'I don't think this is it. The place we are looking for is a shopping place.'  He told us the shop was in the back, behind the cafe that we could clearly see in the front of the establishment. 

So we took a picture with the driver and headed inside to discover what would be an asthetically pleasing shopping adventure. 

This was a working loom where most of the bags, zip purses, and little stuffed animals were made. We couldn't take pictures inside, but we bought plenty of things to remind us of the beautiful colors. All of the items in the store were made in Sri Lanka. There were clothes, bed linens, table ware, oils, jams, stuffed woven toys, and art work. I could have spent so much more money.

Instead, we did our damage and then Leanna and I sat at the cafe and talked for about two hours. We had fresh juices and a bite to eat. Then it was back to the hotel for our massages. 

In the meantime, while we were out discovering our new favorite place in the world, the men were at the beach fighting off the waves with the kids. Stuart said the waves were way too rough and the undercurrent too scary to stay too long. 

As you can see, Millie doesn't look thrilled. She's more of a pool girl. 

Stuart said they went back to the room after the beach to get on dry swimmers and when they pulled off their wet swimmers a pile of sand fell out of their suits. They had sat on the beach right where the waves were crashing, and this was the result. 

We arrived back at the hotel to deliver some sunscreen for the kids. We had brought two spray cans and were already out halfway through the trip. We had looked to purchase some at a pharmacy on Saturday, but they strongest one they had was 35spf. On our way back into the hotel we stopped in at the supermarket and asked about sunscreen. The man running the place said the highest spf you will find in Sri Lanka is 35 because......and then I said 'because of your brown skin?' He nodded and we all laughed. I then told him my children were very white and needed it to be stronger, but we would just have to cope somehow. 

The delivery of the sunscreen took place as the kids were eating lunch. We then went to our massages. In the room we could hear the waves crashing and an occasional train whistle. The train depot was right next to our hotel. It wasn't the most relaxing sounds, but unique for sure. 

Once we were shipped out and relaxed, it was back to the room for showers and to get ready for dinner. We all had a fantastic day and culminated it with drinks in the bar before dinner, dinner that just happen to be an Arabic themed night, and about two hours of conversation afterward at the dinner table. This holiday has been so wonderful. 

David, Stuart, me and Leanne having drinks before dinner. 

We slept in until about 8 am, and headed to breakfast at 9. My mission for after breakfast was to find some SPF 50 sunscreen, snacks, and beer for our tuk tuk (took took) safari we were taking in the late afternoon. The safari tours you around Colombo, showing you the sites without you having to search them out yourselves. So I left breakfast, went outside the hotel, and had our tuk tuk driver from the previous day chauffeur me around to the many shops I felt I needed to accomplish my mission. Within an hour I was back at the pool with everyone else, all purchases made. It was a fun little adventure. 

Our little water bugs. 

Paradise at its finest. 

Okay, maybe this is my REAL paradise! 

We were truly chilling out by the pool, moving our deck chairs into the shade as it moved around. 

We spent most of the day poolside, had lunch there as usual, and got out to get ready for our 'safari' around 2:45 pm. 

We had two tuk tuks pick us up at 3:45 pm. We brought our own snacks and beverages, and we were off to see the city of Colombo. I equate it to a open top city bus tour, just a little modified. And if you know me at all, you know my favorite thing to do in a new city is get on a open top city bus tour. You get to see the city at a glance and know of places you want to go back and visit without wasting time on things you don't care to see. 

Stuart brought his music and we were able to hook it up to the tuk tuk's sound system, which none of the regular ones have. These things were kitted out for sure.

They are ready and Stuart has a king coconut in his hand, drinking the milk. Our first stop was a temple called Temple of Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam Kovil. It was a Hindu temple. The journey there was about 25 minutes too long for our tired kids as the picture tells, clearly. 

But once we arrived at the temple they perked up. Our visit and snacks afterward in the tuk tuk were all they needed to push through. 

The outside was magnificent, but the inside looked as if it weren't finished being built. I had never seen anything like it. It was a hodgepodge of building materials and chairs. 

These were separate monuments that represented different gods. 

Jack wanted to look like he was holding the temple on his back. And of course we had to take the selfie in front of the temple. 

Doesn't Millie look thrilled?

Back in the tuk tuk we went to our next site. We stopped at what used to be an old Dutch hospital. It is now, conveniently, a shopping and dining establishment. Naturally we had to indulge, in the shopping that is. 

This was one of the two courtyard where people were sitting and having a chat. 

Driving through the city was a treat in itself. The traffic was unreal yet people were patient and no road rage appeared to be going on. 

After we left the Dutch Hospital shopping district we headed through to the Galle Face Hotel, a posh hotel where the royal family of England have stayed and donated Prince William's first car. It was magnificent and has also seen guests such as Steven Speulberg and Harrison Ford when they were filming Indiana Jones and the Temple of Dome. 

The car! The Brit!

The hotel. The driver of David and Leanne's tuk tuk, Yogi Bear (or Roshan). Everyone loves little kids in Sri Lanka, especially the lighter ones. 

This was just outside the hotel and the ledge was exactly where it looks to be. Want to panic a tuk tuk driver? Have your four year old go running toward the ramp towards these tuk tuks. Yikes!

After the tuk tuks we headed to a part of town we would have never found without this tour. The main table, where we are sitting, was cleared and we were given the royal treatment. We were celebrities of sort. They fed us curry and egg hoppers. The 'bowl' is made of a light flower, put into a bowl shaped pan and heated to make the shell. Then an egg is thrown on and cooked. 

Everyone tried them, even Millie! (except me-gluten intolerance, stomach issues, blah, blah). 

Stuart and Jack were big fans!  Jack even had the spicy curry on it. 

The men behind Leanne and myself were the chefs, cooking everything as we sat there. He was making fried rice and chopping the bits as it cooked. The metal against metal would have given many a headache. It was super loud. 

After the food stop we headed to a Buddhist temple, where each of us was given a flower and were to put it on the alter of Buddha. As not to offend, we did as we were asked. 

This Buddha was gigantic. Jack and Millie's heads came to where the lights were. Crazy! When Jack saw the way the Buddha was sitting he whispered to me, 'I can sit like that!'  I just patted him on the head. When I looked around for him two seconds later, he was on the floor attempting to cross his legs like the Buddha. That's as bad as doing a cartwheel in the Grand Mosque, which he has also done. For the most part the kids were more well-behaved than I expected, so I can't be too hard on either one of them. 

Yet another Buddha. I didn't realize how many there were and what they all stand for. 

Now this is the Buddha I'm familiar with, or at least pictures of him. He's way more appealing because he's chubby and jolly, a little like Santa. 

There were random things around this temple. It look like a flea market (not trying to be disrespectful, just trying to give you a visual). Seemingly the items were either donated as a gift to Buddha or to the country and are housed in this temple. 

There were classic, incredibly valuable cars in the temple. Jack insisted on posing in front of this Mercedes. 

Then of course Millie found a pink, no so expensive or classic, motor scooter. She insisted on posing in front of it as well. And the below picture was what we got. There was no prompting from anyone and I actually snapped the picture just as she was doing this. Thank goodness no one was around or they might have seen it as disrespectful. 

Really?

We headed on to our last stop, which was the independence square. This was a building the Sri Lankans built when they were given their independence from Britain. 

It looked a bit like the Acropolis in Greece. It was just an empty structure, but very ornate. 

The obligatory selfie in Independence Square. Naturally, both of the kids can't just smile and have a normal picture. That wouldn't be any fun. 

We headed back to the hotel after a potty stop and were, once again, late for our dinner reservations. Thankfully most people don't eat at 9 pm at night. We have definitely worn out kids out, but have made the most of this trip for sure. 

Thursday morning I got up, went to the gym, and even wrote the date on the check-in sheet in the gym, and still it didn't twig that it was our 9th wedding anniversary. Once I was back in the room and showered, and Stuart had opened the safe in the room whose code just happened to be our anniversary date, it hit him and he wished me a happy anniversary. 

We had breakfast as usual, and then sat and talked until almost 11 am. By that time the pool had filled up so no umbrellas were available for us to find refuge from the sun. So Leanne and I decided to do some souvenir shopping while Stuart took the kids to a little cove where the waves were less fierce than the private beach. When we got back from shopping we went down and joined the kids and the men. Once the fishermen started throwing their hooks our way, we decided to get out. 

Once we were free of sand and salt water, we headed to Seafood Cove for our last meal with the Tito-Nekeares. The kids played in the sand by the tables and we just chatted away, mostly about rugby, and our next holiday, which will most likely be Thailand. 

They left for the airport at 5 pm and we headed back to our room for a rest. The kids played in the room and watched Animal Planet while Stuart and I sorted out the packing. 

The last sunset of our stay might have been the most beautiful. 

We headed down to the lounge area around 7 pm as not to go stir crazy in the room. Because we had such a late lunch, we ended up changing our reservations for dinner to 8 pm. We ate and we're back in the room with kids in bed by 9:30 pm. 

We were up for breakfast by half 8 and in the pool by 9 am. We swam for two hours then headed to the souvenir shop we visited the first day but didn't buy anything. He guy was not open again. Boo! Fortunately there was a little shop just up from the hotel that had the wooden elephants that we wanted. Purchased, had an ice cream that melted faster than the kids could eat it, then it was back to clean up and finish packing. We sat for about a half hour and watched  some more Animal Planet. We have learned more about the hunting and mating habit of tigers on this trip than I think I ever wanted to know. 

We left for the airport, in heavy school traffic, at 1:30 pm. We arrived just before three o'clock and got the kids Burger King for the highway robbery of $38. Really? Clearly Sri Lanka spoiled us with their cheap prices. 

Once on the flight we had meals and the princess slept for about 2 and a half of the 4 hour flight. Waking her up was quite the challenge. Off the plane and straight to the bathroom we went. The walk from the gate to customs was at least a mile and a half. The Dubai airport is so incredibly large and spread out. Cathy and Mandy were waiting for us at the arrival hall. They had spent the day in Dubai shopping. 

The trip home was uneventful except for the fact that once we rounded the corner to get on the freeway, one of our bags slid over and cracked Jack in the eye. Poor boy was tired and now his eye was sore. Mandy ended up changing seats with him and she sat in the back while he laid on me to sleep for the majority of the ride home. 

Once we were home the unpacking began. I started laundry just after I put the kids to bed. Millie was a bit of a challenge because she had slept on the plane for so long. They had briefly looked at the Easter baskets the Easter bunny had left for them. He didn't forget after all. He brought a new pair of swimmers for each kid, some money, and way too much chocolate, which of course pleased Millie. They really dug into them Saturday morning, when they could focus on the gifts. 

I went to get some provisions once we were all awake, which included muffins for the kids because even toast was too much of an effort. 

We sat around most of the morning finishing the 6 loads of laundry from our fabulous holiday. The downside of any holiday where you don't stay with family is the insurmountable laundry to be done when you get home. 

Because the kids were up at the crack of dawn, we knew they would need an early evening to regain some energy for the week to come. Although they wouldn't go back to school until April 10th, they still needed a great deal of recovery time because we really did run them raged while we were in Sri Lanka. 

The rest of the day was spent in recovery mode for all of us. I'm happy to report that I did get all of the laundry finished. 

It's now back to our real 'fake' lives.