Janet's Journal

After a four month visit to England I have returned to Sri Lanka.  With Covid-19 restrictions gradually lifting travelling had become a little easier.  Heathrow Airport was quiet and with the plane only half full I was able to get a good night’s sleep stretched across more than one seat.

I left England in pouring rain and arrived at Bandaranayke Airport in torrential rain!  Immigration was quiet and well organised and in no time at all I was united with my luggage and leaving the building.  An ever hopeful porter told me that the charge was £20, when I sharply informed him that I lived here he apologised and accepted a very much smaller tip with reasonably good grace.

My choice of ‘Level One Certified Hotel’ for my 24 hour quarantine was the five star Heritance in Negombo.  All rooms face the sea and have small balconies to sit out on.  Everything about my short stay was first class, being able to use the swimming pool too was a bonus.

My return coincided with lockdown being lifted and now Negombo is coming back to life and looking for tourists to return.  It has been very touching how many local people in and around town have recognised me and welcomed me back.

The Army continue to sift the sand on Negombo’s beaches cleaning the remaining debris that is still washing up on from the ship that caught fire off the coast at the end of May.