Colombo,Sri Lanka, 29 March 2019.

The ship had laid on a shuttle bus to  the centre of town, some 8 km away,but as always I thought I  knew better and could easily walk the distance.It was 9.30 in the morning,the temperature outside good 26 C and rising.What is a km or two when  I have my lemon water in the bag and  a pair of comfortable sandals on a pair of good legs?  So I walked through the  industrial port,no sign of life except  the odd car stopping offering  me a lift,a taxi or two offering  service, one

insisted he would take me for free, I must have looked such a pitiful sight, a motorcycle stopped,then returned and said - madam,please, I am very safe.Even a bicycle man with a huge smile  and no teeth thought I would be better off  with him than walking!  But no, I had to do it my way,And after about 3 km  there was life,people, shops and the beginning of two most unforgettable hours  where in a street after a street I was the only European face,where a smile  got me  a wave  in return,a wish of good morning,a permission to take a photograph of a sacred temple. That was my reward for my  aching feet and sweat pouring down my face and my back,as the temperature was now at least 32. And when I had no energy to walk any longer I hailed a tuk-tuk [a motorised three wheeler] to take me to the Hilton hotel,a ride not for the faint-hearted, the ramshackle rickshaw  weaving in and out of traffic, the seat moving precariously underneath me,I had to grip tightly whatever I could to stop me from  falling out.The driver was talking and talking and asking questions,but I understood little,his accent strange  and English poor. The ride cost 150 rupees,a pittance, really. I gave the driver 200 and two individually packed  biscuits from the ship.[ I had twenty  and handed them all with some money to the men sitting barefoot in old rags on the ground by the entrance to every temple.] And I was inside the beautiful,immaculate,massive,cool lobby of the Hilton.Standing there for a few seconds  I was aware of the most awful stench enveloping me.And I was the stench. My top reeking,my hair reeking.I had soaked in the smell  of the streets.
I did have a clean top in my bag to change into,but was too tired to look for a restroom and to my left I could smell coffee, glorious coffee. Latte was excellent, a massive jam doughnut delicious, wi-fi instant and strong and the smelly me was soon forgotten. Bliss.
And as I was sitting there comfortable and content, a thought crossed my mind-wouldn't it be wonderful  if I  did not have to return to the ship and could stay in this lovely establishment for a week.
I made a decision there and then that one day I would come back.