Enterprise Worlds - Sri Lanka 2006 (PART I)

So, the preperation has finished, the flight there flown, the event done, the flight back slept through and here we are at the blogging of the whole 2 weeks... sorry that I didn't keep you all updated while I waz out there, I know I promised, but hey.. the hotel brochure lied (no internet access @ the Blue Oceanic) and the nearest web access had a sign that said "Broad Brand" so I wasn't sure that I cud trust it! This is therefore the after-the-fact sum-up of the whole two weeks, maybe a picture or two as well, but I'm running out of space on the wb site so ALL the digital pictures, plus hopefully everyones elses will be put up on the web somewhere else... U can find my pics on:

Enterprise Worlds -Sri Lanka 2006

Its a work in progress the site i'm using, though bloody good only lets you upload 50 pics at a time so its taking a while... once there all up I'll then go through and add some commentary to them all as well... THEN I'll try to work out how the rest of you can add your own photo's to the collection soon, then it'll be a proper full photo-log of the two glorious weeks....

So, lets start then:

Saturday 4th Feb 2006 - spent the day with my family, did a few jobs and basically prepared myself for 2 hard weeks without them all... James 'n Nat turned up around 3pm and 2 hrs later we were at Heathrow... it was cold and cloudy, typical UK weather.

Johnny, Jules, Alex and Youngy were all there already with our tickets and a hell of a lot of luggage. We sat and chilled at the terminal, waiting for the gates to open and for our other travel companions who trickled into heathrow (a bit like the rain)...

Soon enuff most of us were there, off to check-in, usuall problems with tickets, e-tickets and checkin in huge trophies, but eventually things were sorted and off we went to get on Sri Lankan airways big plane... just time to say night-night to my wife & kids before flying across the globe to sunnier sailing climes...

Because of the mad 10-desk check-in we were all pretty spread out on the plane, Kathryn was unlucky-enuff to get me as seat buddy on the way over to Sri Lanka... I think she coped! So off we fly I took my aspirin and sucked my mints, started going through the bag too quickly so they wer confiscated! Then came the drinks and although the pull was strong I kept away from the beer and stuck to non-alchoholic based beverages..yep you heard right! Put on a film, not sure what it was but I enjoyed it, next was evening meal..curry, the start of a 2 week long bad-breadth-athon me thinks! Still although the portions were crap it was tasty.. So now it was time to sleep, or try, god planes are uncomfortable I really struggled, had a few winks, listened to the ipod, watched sum crap telly, chatted to Kathryn, drank, eat, more winks.. arse number than its ever been! The 12 hours went pretty much like that..painful..

The Maldives looked damned kool from the air (see pics), although landing on what looked like water until the hard-stuff appeared at the last second was kinda unnerving... this was my first taste of a proper "hot country" we didin't get off the plane though, a little time to stretch legs before the final hour or so to Colombo, water looked great and the breeze was blowing nicely, starting too look forward to it all now...

Off we went then for the final leg with a few additional companions, not long later we could see land again, sure looked beautiful, can't wait to land and see Sri Lanka... landed, customs ok, wen to the loo and got stung for a "british pund" from the guy passing me a towel to dry my hands, shit I need to get my head screwed on if I want any money left by the end of today!! So it was late afternoon as we emerged from Colombo international airport with our weary party, our baggage and Lalin showing us to the hotel transport (Big bus)... slightly weird was the gun dugouts with Sri Lankan soldies and automatic weapons primed and scouring the people....... so onto the bus, avoiding those people trying to get cash off us and making sure we only paid the guys that DID help us with our bags! Off we rolled, it was hot, the sky was blue, a monmkey went across the overhead lines... we were in Sri Lanka, Colombo heading for Negombo... traffic was mad, the town was colorful and frenetic and my brain struggled to take it all in.....a while later, maybe 3/4 hour the houses thinned and we arrive din Negombo and pulled up outside the Blue Oceanic Hotel (with Tesco's opposite!)... the adventure had well and truly started now.. Aayu-Bowaam...

Part II - Sri Lanka "proper"...