Finally again!

Sunday, it's 5:00 am and our journey begins. We take the S-Bahn to the airport. The sun is rising over Munich and it's slowly becoming spring. At the airport, everything goes quickly. We checked in online beforehand, so we just need to drop off our luggage at the counter. After 10 minutes, we're already at the gate. Flying from Munich is always so relaxing, with short distances to walk and everything easy to find. Our journey starts with the A380. It's always exciting to see this double-decker plane take off and glide in the air. I love the feeling of freedom. The six-hour flight to Dubai is uneventful. Mom ordered the vegetarian option and is really impressed with it. That'll probably be my first choice on the next flight as well. For now, I decide on 'Beef'. We'll have plenty of chicken in the coming weeks. I love flying. The world looks so peaceful from above, and this perspective is breathtaking every time. Even though I'm always nervous beforehand, as soon as the plane is in the air, the vacation and freedom begin.
As we approach Dubai, the sun is setting. Unfortunately, it's very sandy and the beautiful skyline can only be seen vaguely.
There's not much to do during the three-hour layover. We change terminals and have a small snack. Traveling makes you hungry – even though there will be a warm meal on the next flight, a snack in between is very satisfying. Ever since I had stomach problems, I always make sure to eat enough, especially when things get exciting.
It's now 10:00 pm and we experience the flight from Dubai to Colombo completely in the dark. I manage to sleep for a few hours, but it's not really restful. I'm too excited about what awaits me on my first trip to East Asia.

After four hours, we land in Colombo. We had booked the visa for Sri Lanka in advance, and in addition, a welcome card is required, which you have to fill out at the immigration counter. We don't have a pen in our carry-on luggage, so we borrow one from someone in line to fill out the card. After 30 minutes, we're through and head towards 'Domestic Airport Ratmalana with our luggage. A taxi for 3500 Rs takes us through the traffic jam of Colombo, and after 45 minutes, we arrive at the tiny airport. It's now 6:00 am and the sun is slowly rising. The tiny building of Helitours, a small local airline, is no bigger than a 100 sqm house. Our luggage and we are searched by a woman, and at the check-in counter, we are weighed so that we sit in the right place on the plane for weight distribution. Behind the next door is the waiting area with 30 chairs. Sri Lankans, a handful of tourists, and policemen are there next to us. Through the window, we see our small propeller plane and the sunrise that colors the sky red. During the waiting time, we catch our breath and have small fits of laughter with Mom about past trips and what we've experienced so far. At 7:30 am sharp, we start our flight with the small plane for about 60 passengers. From Colombo, we fly across the island towards Trincomalee. From up here, we get a good impression of the landscape that awaits us. The stewardess amuses us, during the safety instructions she shows us a part of the seat that can be used as a life vest. I've never seen that before and can barely suppress my laughter. I'm really glad we chose this way to 'Trinco'. After 30 minutes, we land on a tiny runway in the not much larger city. Only a handful of passengers disembark with us. The rest continues flying north. The luggage is unloaded from the plane and rolled to us on foot. Everything with the simplest means. When we get our luggage, five tourists realize that theirs is not included. And then two flight attendants come and explain the problem. They weren't supposed to disembark at all. It's not their final destination airport yet. Things happen ;)

This is followed by my first tuk-tuk ride. Right next to the runway, there are already a handful of tuk-tuks. Mom negotiates the fare down to 1800 Rs and off we go on a wild ride. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the small town, one can feel scared and anxious. Cars, people, cows, dogs, bicycles, chickens, or children everywhere, left and right. Mom brakes diligently, and I am simply amazed. The small B&B hotel we are heading to is quite hidden and further away than we thought. Our driver has to ask for directions twice. Behind Nilaveli Beach, at kilometer stone 18, we turn off the main road into a small sandy side street with many potholes. We continue towards the sea, and after another two kilometers, we reach our destination, and both our driver and we are visibly relieved to have finally arrived. We are greeted by a small man with two welcome drinks and settle down in the small lobby. First, breakfast – it's only 9:30 am here in Sri Lanka. We have been on the move for 24 hours now, it would be 5 am in Germany. There is toast bread, scrambled eggs, jam, and fresh fruit. A wonderful start. When we can check into our room, I can hardly believe how beautiful it is here. The property is no wider than 12 meters but relatively long. From the gate, a small path leads to the beach. To the right and left are first two double-story houses with two rooms each, then the open lobby with breakfast room, kitchen, and reception. It is followed by two more pavilions, each with a beachfront room and a room facing the lobby. The right pavilion belongs to us, with a large glass front facing the sea. It's a little paradise here on the east coast of Sri Lanka, and we are completely happy to have chosen this place for our start. There are almost no people on the beach, and I can fully enjoy the sea and the amazing salty air. It's incredibly green and sandy at the same time. Just perfect. I think back to Lake McKenzie on Fraser Island. The last time I was as happy as in this moment. Indescribable. Thanks to my dear Cyn, who also visited this place three years ago and gave us the tip.
But now it's time for a nap on the beach lounger under the palm umbrella. Amazing!!!
I can't think of sleep, I just want to feel the water on my skin again. It's wonderfully warm and so soft. Walking on the white sand is great. It's an incredibly beautiful feeling to finally be here. A little walk to the neighboring resort and we treat ourselves to a freshly squeezed mango lassi. At seven, there's homemade fish curry. In the Sri Lankan style, with many small bowls for mixing yourself. It's delicious and very spicy. Just as I imagined. #nowordsneeded. At half past eight, we happily fall asleep.