My travel to Sri Lanka started in 1998 already.
I met a nice person online that lived there and we became friends.
He told me about the beauty of his country and I got intrigued. But how to afford such a far away holiday?
I knew I needed to get away from the daily live, to take a break, to add some new energy.
That was the main reason I wanted to travel alone because that would be the only way to find myself and to find some rest after all the stress of the past year.
But traveling alone is usually more expensive.
My friend assured me he would take care for affordable hotels and he would guide me together with his friend and drive me to places.
I went to the travel agency and I found out I could book a rather cheap flight but I needed to take 1 week in a hotel. The room for 1 person was not extra charged during that Winter period! So I was soooo lucky!
Now I was left 1 week to go whereever I wanted to go!
I decided it was wise to book the hotel then for the second week. This way I was assured of transportation back to the airport and I had no idea how the first week would turn out!
It would be a long traveltrip. The flight was leaving at Schiphol, Amsterdam.
First I had to take a cab to the bus pick-up place in Antwerp near a hotel close to the highway.
My god! Lot's of busses where stoppig there and about none had any signalisation on it!
But as there were a few more people showing up with suitcases I felt more assured I was not going to miss it!
Finally an anonymous bus stopped... we had to ask if this was the one going to Schiphol. It was!
So every one put their stuff inside and hop we went for a trip of about 2 hours.
After 2 hours drive we were dropped at an empty airport.
Not even the desks were crowded.
None of us seemed to know where to go, the flight number was not correct, the destiny was not Colombo but the airport of the Maladives, the time was wrong!!!
What was happening here????
Finally we found a living soul to ask some information...
ah yes... the company just went bankrupted the day before! But those who bought a ticket from a travel agency were covered, others had to pay a new or additional price.
Due to these difficulties the chartered plane took off hours late and hardly filled (maybe 1/3?)
I had the 2 seats for myself!
But that left me with no companion to have some conversation with.
At least I could sit at the window (what marvelous views!!!) and I could stretch out my legs and sleep a bit.
The accomodation was not brilliant, the seats were put very close to each other and one Dutch lady had really problems with her long legs! Me? I was happy for once I was short!
There was no movie, no flight schedule and hardly choice of music... ]
The food was ... mmm eatable? and I almost got served the vegetarian dinner of the long legged Dutch lady. Lucky I noticed!
I don't mind eating vegetarian but I am sure she would have mind eating my meal!
After a long flight over Germany and Iran (most times we had to guess) we made a stop at Abu Dabi.
A marvelous airport but guarded with soldiers with wheapons and I think this still is a scary experience to pass such a heavy armed guard!
But once inside, what a luxure!
<center><img src="http://www.virtualtourist.c
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<p><font face="Times" size="3" color="#CC0033"><a href="http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/.144757/article/90/107/?s=B=a"target="_blank">Look at the airport!</a></font></p>
It looked real futuristic!
I felt like an alien amongst aliens :-)
All the impressions, the women covered totally in black walking around like ghosts, the different languages on the promotion bills, the foreign currency, the workers outside in a to me unusual working outfit....
I walked around like Alice in Wonderland!
About 2 hours later we could check in again and then we left to my final destiny: Sri Lanka!
I will never forget the view of the exotic vegetation, the palmtrees, I looked upon when the plane was descenting to land at Colombo airport.
The excitement is encarved in my memory for ever!
More info I will tell in my tips and my travelogues.
I hope you enjoy!
The travelogues will be more chronological set up, while the tips are well... just tips :-)
I had bought myself a little guide which came in very handy and still helps me now to reconstruct the trip.
I had to take USdollars with me and got them changed at the airport at the exit hall. You always need to ask a receipt. You need it if you would like to turn the roepies in again if you leave the country.
When I stepped further towards the exit, I saw different benches at the left side where people were waiting to pick some one up.
Suddenly someone came almost running into my direction!
Aaah it was my friend who was already worrying where the plane was and if I informed him correctly with the time schedule. So I explaned about the problems I had.
Outside the airport a lot of people are waiting for tourist to offer them transportation and good advice for good hotels, but I didn't needed any.
Chinthaka had his own car and would bring me away.
On our way we stopped to have a cup of coffee and to chat about the trip etc.
Now I felt my trip really had started!
<center><img src="http://www.virtualtourist.com/p/.144757/v@4_a-108-3-4323.jpg"></center>
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