Gary Hills

There’s also a mediterranean restaurant but the name escapes me, have a google

Had the best haircut and head massage in Negombo today. €4 all in.

My friend used to live there and I remember a good tapas place, something like Olé Tapas. Was really popular and busy.

So handy to have a Tecso Express opposite the hotel.

One of the frustrating things about being travel-delayed is Simon Calder having an opinion about EVERYTHING.

Tonight’s sunset. Can’t moan.

Exactly that. Colombo hotel.

Someone has to be in control, D.

Seriously Rob, it's mental. All the far Eastern airlines booked solid with folk coming back from Oz. We are lucky compared to others so I'm not moaning.

It's a big hit financially A, but we're safe and content. Better this than being stuck in Doha. P can work from here, so all's well. Sick of my suitcase contents though!

That witch hat thing was lethal. Go for the bumps!

Good news, we’ve found a Singapore Airlines flight to Paris. Not so good news, it’s for 16 March. Good news again, we’ve booked a beach hotel for the two weeks.

I saw that at the Royal Court, mid 70s. David Hare's Teeth 'n' Smiles. Think Anthony Sher was in it too.

It's all down to us. Looks like we're going to have to go backwards to Singapore then onwards to Paris.

29° apparently.

Hello Indian Ocean. A relaxing place to be as we scrabble to find a way home later this week that doesn’t involve Qatar Airways or Doha 😬

Flat white at 2000 metres.

Or simply don’t piss on the floor

It’s rare to see such a bizarre hotel notice.

Up into the mountains tomorrow to Ceylon tea territory. Our driver warns us it gets very cold up there. Just looked … 19° 😄

Fruit bats doing their thing

Hotel balcony door warning about monkeys.

Hotel balcony door warning.

Sunset on the Lion Rock in Sirigiya, Sri Lanka.

Sunset on the rock we DIDN’T CLIMB.

Rosdside cafe in Sri Lanka.

Clay pots for a buffet.

Clay pots for coconut water.

Buffet lunch stop in Sri Lanka. Chicken curry, rice, quinoa salad, pickled beetroot, butternut squash, deep-fried river fish, coconut water. Four quid all in.

What fantastic work, love it.

You've convinced me (didn't need much convincing).

I ain't doing it. We went up 364 steps today to 160m to see some (mercifully fabulous) Buddhist cave temples.

Have arrived in Sigirya. Looking at the Lion Rock from our room terrace. There’s the ruins of a palace up there, just deciding yes or no to 1200 steps in 33° humid heat 😬

When I was teaching at Hanover Primary in Noel Rd, The Island Queen opposite was our local, I loved that pub. On Fridays we all went over for lunch apart from the stalwart who volunteered playground duty. Even the dinner ladies took the custard jugs over to fill with ale. The 80s were different.