Note: If you click on any image it "open" up larger and you can examine all images in that day's blog all in a row.
Printed boarding passes and am heading down for our last breakfast. Rich and Gayle Rediker, Richie and Bobi Steingart and Paul and Larainne will be heading to the airport at 11:00 and we will say goodbye to our driver Karu as we will no longer need the bus after they are taken to the airport. Maddu is going to come and collect Connie and I at 5:00 in a smaller vehicle for our trip to the airport.
Printed boarding passes and am heading down for our last breakfast. Rich and Gayle Rediker, Richie and Bobi Steingart and Paul and Larainne will be heading to the airport at 11:00 and we will say goodbye to our driver Karu as we will no longer need the bus after they are taken to the airport. Maddu is going to come and collect Connie and I at 5:00 in a smaller vehicle for our trip to the airport.
Our first flight is at 9:00 on Etihad going to Abu Dhabi. After a 3 hour layover we board our long flight home to Chicago. We are expected to arrive Sunday morning around 8:30 in the morning. Not looking forward to the cold.
We have a late checkout at 2:00 so we plan to sit by the pool and shower up. May walk around the old part of Colombo for a while and then off to the airport.
Update after we are home:
Maddu came right on time and gave us a quick tour of Columbo. We saw in the daylight much of what we barely saw last night in the dark! It was a LOT easier in the car I might add!
Colombo is also pretty chaotic but after a while we got on a highway and made our way to the airport.
We got there so early that Etihad was not ready to even check us in. That was fine - I would rather be early than late. Passed thru customs and spent our last Rupees on a bit of snacks and last minute gifts.
The plane pretty much was on time and 4 hours later we anded in Abu Dhabi. Also long lines and MANY security checks. We went thru security 2 times in Columbo and 3 times in Abu Dhabi.
TSA is on sight and you are actually screened and clear customs into the US right there in Abu Dhabi.
The 15 hour and a few minutes flight went really well actually. We slept for 4 or 5 hours initially and then spent the time watching movies or tv series. I was able tow watch Season 2 of Victoria over the course of coming and going!
Got home and immediately went to Portillo's for a beef. That is a tradition. After 2 weeks of curry you are hankering for a good Chicago beef!
Finished all of our laundry and I watched the NFL games while I did some bookkeeping on the computer.
Connie had a nap for a while. I will admit I am pretty tired right now. After almost 24 hours on or waiting for planes your body and mind is in a quandary.
Connie says she is going to go to work tomorrow. Somehow.....
Glad to be back. It's always good to sleep in your own bed.
The experiment of trying to do everything on the trip blogwise and Facebook wise on my iPad Peo had mixed reviews in my mind. I am bummed that I could not find a way to get to my images to post them in the blog. Also, it is MUCH easier to type into the blog on a computer that the iPad. It was really hard to get back to edit once your screen was filled in. I think I will experiment with writing in another medium and copying into the blog in the future.
I was able to quite easily post images to Facebook and I hope those of you that have access to them enjoyed seeing what we were up to. I enjoy the blog and will continue to do so in the future.
I would say that in the end Sri Lanka was a wonderful place to visit - the people were so friendly and interested to talk to Americans. Not too many of US get over there after all.
Good night to you all.
I plan to get some sleep.
We have a late checkout at 2:00 so we plan to sit by the pool and shower up. May walk around the old part of Colombo for a while and then off to the airport.
Out walking Colombo last day. Elephants at a stupa.
Lotus Tower - Keep it in sight and you won't get lost.
Along the boardwalk and the Indian Ocean.
Landfill - Chinese are building a huge hotel and casino project.
Crabs at a boardwalk vendor.
Cobra kite. Lot's of kites in Sri Lanka.
The old, the new and the Lotus Tower.
Old Muslim quarter and the tower.
Just past the Muslim quarter was this Hindu Temple. And....
My feet - relaxing at the pool for the last few minutes.
Back at the hotel - one last iced tea by the pool before we head to the airport.
Maddu came right on time and gave us a quick tour of Columbo. We saw in the daylight much of what we barely saw last night in the dark! It was a LOT easier in the car I might add!
Colombo is also pretty chaotic but after a while we got on a highway and made our way to the airport.
We got there so early that Etihad was not ready to even check us in. That was fine - I would rather be early than late. Passed thru customs and spent our last Rupees on a bit of snacks and last minute gifts.
The plane pretty much was on time and 4 hours later we anded in Abu Dhabi. Also long lines and MANY security checks. We went thru security 2 times in Columbo and 3 times in Abu Dhabi.
TSA is on sight and you are actually screened and clear customs into the US right there in Abu Dhabi.
The 15 hour and a few minutes flight went really well actually. We slept for 4 or 5 hours initially and then spent the time watching movies or tv series. I was able tow watch Season 2 of Victoria over the course of coming and going!
Got home and immediately went to Portillo's for a beef. That is a tradition. After 2 weeks of curry you are hankering for a good Chicago beef!
Finished all of our laundry and I watched the NFL games while I did some bookkeeping on the computer.
Connie had a nap for a while. I will admit I am pretty tired right now. After almost 24 hours on or waiting for planes your body and mind is in a quandary.
Connie says she is going to go to work tomorrow. Somehow.....
Glad to be back. It's always good to sleep in your own bed.
The experiment of trying to do everything on the trip blogwise and Facebook wise on my iPad Peo had mixed reviews in my mind. I am bummed that I could not find a way to get to my images to post them in the blog. Also, it is MUCH easier to type into the blog on a computer that the iPad. It was really hard to get back to edit once your screen was filled in. I think I will experiment with writing in another medium and copying into the blog in the future.
I was able to quite easily post images to Facebook and I hope those of you that have access to them enjoyed seeing what we were up to. I enjoy the blog and will continue to do so in the future.
I would say that in the end Sri Lanka was a wonderful place to visit - the people were so friendly and interested to talk to Americans. Not too many of US get over there after all.
Good night to you all.
I plan to get some sleep.
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