On our way home

We are now on the train back to our home in France following an enjoyable week in Broadstairs with Helen and family.

Ernie was at school while we were there, but Lenny was availabilie for going to the park and our for walks, usually in his pushchair, but increasingly for him to walk, meaning that it is necessary to watch him all the time! Fortunately, the promenade provides a car free zone.

iPads are a firm favourites with the boys, although screen time is limited. Len hasn't quite got the hang of 'limited' and can spot an idevice with ease.









We have a couple of weeks at home now, before our next short trip.


- Pat and John on tour

Male

We returned to Male on Sunday, ready for the return trip to Gatwick and on to Broadstairs. The ferry left Huraa at 8am, so we were up and ready for our breakfast in the morning. Mark took us the short distance to the port in the golf buggy where the ferry was waiting.

The port




And one of the playgrounds on Huraa


The ferry



The return journey was direct and took just over an hour. The sea was relatively calm, which helped.

We arrived at Male and the walked round the island to the hotel we had stayed in 6 days earlier, pausing for cups of tea on the way. At times it was difficult to get by because of the parked motorbikes which are all over Male.




We passed the fish market where the fish were being prepared.








We were staying in the same hotel as on our way to Huraa. It is not grand, but is clean and convenient for the ferry port to the air port.

In the afternoon, we visited the museum, which we had not seen on our first visit. It was an odd collection with random historical objets from the 9th to the 20th century, the police museum and a stamp museum.

This was the first CPU on the Maldives





A camera used by the police in the 90s which had a floppy disc drive built in



9th century coral carving - little is known about it.



In the evening, we found a pizza restaurant and then packed up for the flight.

We are now in our way to Gatwick where we expect to arrive at about 6pm, the on to Broadstairs.



- Pat and John on tour

Huraa

We are staying on the island of Huraa which is just under 2 hours by ferry from Male, the capital of the Madives. Our 'hotel' has 3 bedrooms and three owners plus some other staff who look after us well. Some of the owners also work on the next island, a stones throw from Huraa, at the 4 seasons resort, so they know all about customer care.

The island has a small friendly indigenous population; naturally, all the little ones enjoy saying 'hello'.

There is also a line of shops, where the owners are anxious to get us in to spend money and offer cash exchange, should you need it.

There is a public beach, where women should be covered up and a tourist (or bikini) beach, where the dress code doesn't apply. It is easy to get to the reef to see the fish and we now have a growing bank of photos.

This is the beach looking towards the next island with the resort




There is some shade, fortunately, but it didn't stop Pat becoming rather red, despite the factor 50 .... some things never change!




We hadn't properly prepared for the beach, having left our snorkelling gear in our room. This didn't stop John from going out to see whether the waterproof camera was still water tight, while Pat amused herself with zooming out to sea.













The camera was watertight



























A tiny island made of sand is not the best place to grow vegetables or keep animals, so the menu is limited. Everything (except fish) has to be imported with the result that menus (especially vegetable) are limited. Fish is sometimes available and was good. The staple fish is tuna (presumably frozen).

We had found a 'bar' where they make a very good apple drink from apples, ice cubes and water, so we have somewhere for an 'apero'.

Tonight's sunset




- Pat and John on tour

On to the Maldives

We left Colombo on Sunday evening, having spent some time at the airport. Our flight to Male was 75 minutes, so it was a rush for the cabin staff to feed us a snack in the time.

There were the usual formalities at immigration and then we took a ferry from the airport island to Male and found our hotel. Fortunately, a nearby restaurant stayed open until midnight, so we were able to eat.

In the morning, we walked around Male and then collected our bags and set off for the ferry to take us to Hurra, where we will spend 6 nights.

Views of Male

The minaret.


A cemetery



A coconut milk before we left



Loading provisions at the docks




On the ferry



There was plenty of trafic as we travelled towards our island, sometimes in a choppy sea.

One of the owners of the hotel was waiting for us as we landed, with a wheel barrow to take our cases.

We ate some local fish in the evening and then went for a walk and to bed.


- Pat and John on tour

Colombo

By now, we have come almost full circle and will spend out last two nights at the Mount Lavinia hotel close to Colombo. The hotel was built in 1806.by the then governor of Ceylon, Sir Thomas Maitland. once the residence of the governor. Lavinia was the name of his fiancée, who was Portuguese/Sinhalese. A tunnel still exists between the hotel and where Lavinia lived.

The journey from Galle to Mount Lavinia was uneventful. The hotel is impressive and the food has been good. We were staying in the older section of the hotel, in a large room with views over the public beach.

Some photos of the hotel
















We were not at the hotel at the right time to see the tunnel, but did manage too see the start of it from the hotel end.

On Saturday, Tissa took us to see Colombo. The traffic there is frightful, so not unlike other capital cities.











A ride in a Tuc Tuc completed our trip





Then it was dinner and packing ready for the next day.

At the moment, Colombo airport is closed during the day for work on the runway. It opens only in the evening, so our flight to the to the Maldives is delayed until after 8pm, so we will be picked up at 2pm amd then there will be a wait at the airport.

- Pat and John on tour

Galle

We left Cinnamon Wild after breakfast and drove along the coast to Galle. Being on the south coast of Sri Lanka, Galle has had a number of changes in management of its fort including Dutch, Portuguese, British before independence.

Seen on route, a stork








Yet another sleeping crocodile








We stopped here for lunch








After lunch, we continued on the Galle. It was time for the children to leave school, so we were held up for some time. This little girl was waiting in a Tuc Tuc.








For a while, we were travelling along the coast, where we saw these colourful fishing boats.









Our hotel for the night was the Fort Printers at Galle, an historic building which is now a hotel, but changed little in structure because of local regulations. There are 13 rooms available and all are large. Headmaster's is over the kitchen and looking out over the courtyard, so noisy when people are eating. Unfortunately, we didn't get to dinner there; we were both very tired and not at our best, so we just went to bed and slept despite any noise.

Our room






The corridor outside.






Tissa took us on a walking tour of Galle, now a world heritage site, explaining the different periods that have influenced the city, Portuguese, Dutch and British.

Galle had been a port since the time of the Greeks and romans but the Portuguese arrived in the early 16th century and built the city in the late 16th century and lost in to the Dutch about 70 years later. The British took the fort at the end of the 18th century and stayed there until independence in 1948.

Today, the city is a blend of all the cultures with Dutch churches, British official buildings but just a little Portuguese architecture.

This gate is Portuguese, although the crest, which was added later is Dutch.







Similarly, this gate is Portuguese, but the crest is British








Lighthouse







And fortifications.






By the morning, we were rested and ready for the drive to our next and last hotel, Mount Lavinia near Colombo.

- Pat and John on tour