Departure Berlin-London-Sri Lanka

The sun is shining on the day of departure and I can sleep reasonably well.☀️

Charlotte takes me there. Together we take the train in a relaxed manner.

Before that, she sets everything up for me on my mobile phone.

Check in, boarding pass, contactless payment.

She is more excited than I am and wonders why I haven't done that already.

Yes, why not? 🤔 Because I am so relaxed and even surprise myself.

Either it's because of my age or because for a change, I only have to take care of myself.

We are now at the airport and we have plenty of time to say goodbye. It seems that I am the first one to check in my luggage.

It's a little creepy, as I'm not always the most punctual person.

Now she is going to leave me alone soon, my dear. But first we'll have a cappuccino at Starbucks and eat a croissant. (Ilse, do you remember when we did that on New Year's Eve in Berlin?)

Strange, every time I'm about to travel, I think to myself that I don't have to do it, because Germany is also beautiful, I mean, on the day of the journey, I would prefer to stay in bed. 😉

Well, kisses and goodbye, I have to go through with it now. 😘

I also have to go through the security check. Take off everything, put it down, be scanned. Phew, it worked. 😅

Now I'm already at the boarding gate very early. But the sun shines through the large windows and one could easily forget about time.

And actually, while sitting and dozing off, I realize that I still have to take care of which gate the flight takes off from.✈️

That is now also taken care of and there is still plenty of time to watch people.

Everyone is doing something. Of course, the first thing is to look at their phones, followed by eating, reading, filing nails. One person quickly measures their hand luggage, only to realize that it probably won't fit as such. They quickly throw away what can or must be disposed of. Bed linen, towels, etc.

Funny, until the moment I realize that it could also apply to my hand luggage. 😬

Strange, I am still so relaxed that I don't care.

Here we go.... and everything is going well. My trick, I just smile at everyone. 😊

The seat on the plane is very small and I sit tight for one hour on my seat.

My neighbor on the right looks at their phone and to my left they watch a movie.

A conversation in my best English does not come about, not even when I offer them a "mentos".🤔 (I got it from my dear colleague, Steffi. Thank you again for your enduring empathy, for seizing the right moment to approach people.🙏🏼)

Well, I try with the flight attendant using my English. After all, I need to know which is the best way to Terminal 3.

I understand a lot of purple and indeed, the directions there are exclusively in this color. I cannot help but think of "purple rain" by Prince, who also died shortly after Maik's death. Back then I was very sad, as Prince belonged to our time of getting to know each other and definitely to our youth, but now I actually have to smile. Life just goes on whether you want it to or not, and it is definitely easier to bear when you let joy back into your 💓.

In the one-hour flight from Berlin to London, the attraction is particularly strong. I really need to use the bathroom, even though I haven't drunk much.

After using the onboard toilet, I disappointingly realize that having sex on it would hardly be possible. (You sometimes see that in movies) it's too small and too crowded. Although, on British Airways, everything is cramped. There is hardly any space to put your backpack in front of you. There is also not enough space for carry-on luggage.

We land in Heathrow just in time. And look, the description of how to get to the individual terminals is very clear and in purple. But just to be safe, I hang on to an Australian who is also waiting for the bus. He was working in Berlin and is looking forward to Sydney, but would rather travel to Sri Lanka with me.

Meanwhile, I have reached my terminal and I go to the next security check. This time I unfortunately have to give up your cherry juice, Lotti. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I have no idea why. I suggest to him that he quickly drinks the juice, as there is only 100 ml in it. However, he does not want to be persuaded. I don't dare to offer him a "mentos". 😬

When it comes to space, things are completely different with SriLankan Airlines. I can comfortably stretch my legs. I could have left my cuddle blanket and pillow at home.

They even have a screen attached to the back of the seat to watch movies.

But I definitely won't do that. As soon as my neck pillow is in place, I fall asleep. I will definitely skip the meal. Good night and have a nice flight, Kristine. 😌

No, I didn't....

The smell of delicious curry finally wakes me up.

It is exactly 11:30 PM. But before that, there is one last Gin Tonic for the next 3 weeks. 🍸

It's so strong that, as a Gin Tonic drinker, I have to order ice. 🤣

For dinner, I choose chicken with curry, very spicy.

The cake afterward was yummy, the coffee just hot.

It is now 1:00 AM. How much time remains when the clocks are set forward 4.5 hours as soon as we reach Asia?

Maybe 7 hours.

But now for real, seat reclined, sorry behind me, and sleep well, Kristine 😘

But before that, I put on my sleep mask with ✨. Who can take a picture of me? 🤣

I just thought of something, Steffi. I think I'll also watch "The fast and the furious". The guy in front of me is watching it right now and I'm watching it with half an eye.

And the guy in front seems to be a fantasy fan, but that's not for me.

By the way, the man doesn't seem to like it either. 😅

See you tomorrow. 🥱

With an hour's delay, we finally land in Colombo.

Now I'm talking to my seat neighbor. Great, before, everyone wanted to be left alone. 🙄 But once again, I tried with "mentos", Steffi. 😆

She tells me that she visits her family here every year. Well, you can tell by her outfit.

She is already wearing a summer dress and sandals. So she is well prepared for the temperatures here.

I can't do anything more than store my coat unfortunately.

30 degrees hit me as I exit. 😎

Now first of all, present the visa that I applied for, pick up the luggage, and exchange money.

Then it gets a little exciting again whether someone will pick me up from the accommodation.

Actually, I recognize myself on a sign.

I am relieved, exhausted, and happy. Quickly take a photo with the young man and my sign, and then I think we are going to my accommodation.

But it won't be that fast.

I am handed over to another man who seems to be my personal driver.

Aha, I think, there are even jobs just for holding signs.

The driver's name is Hamnet and we finally have a conversation in English, even though I'm pretty tired at the moment.

Hamnet is not only funny but also a risk-taking driver 🚖 and single, as he tells me later. But more on that later.

It will take us 2 hours to get to my accommodation. But that is mainly because Hamnet only drives at 80 km/h. But I quickly realize that this also has its advantages.

Because every time Hamnet wants to talk to me, he has the habit of turning around.

So it can happen that he opens up a third lane on the highway and drives on the hard shoulder, because a car on the second lane is about to overtake. Very crazy, but I like it and I trust him. 😅

All the while, honking is happening constantly and everywhere. After the 2 hours, I will understand the traffic system better.

Hamnet tells me that there are liars in the government and that 30% of the population are very poor.

He earns about 3,000 Rupees per day, which is less than 10 euros. With the money, he can barely make it for 2 weeks, as the inflation compared to the previous year is 48%. He lives in a house that he no longer has to pay off and his three children are already married. And that at the ages of 20, 28, and 30.

So get moving, Maxi. 😉

Hamnet is very concerned about me, and so am I. He tells me more than he drives and asks me if I'm thirsty. I confirm and it doesn't take long until we stop to buy some water for me. I want to give him money for it, but he politely but firmly refuses. I feel a little uncomfortable, but I'm too tired to argue.

Hamnet is 58 years old and he enjoys his single life, he tells me. I do too, but keep it to myself. 😉

He tells me that he thinks Germans are nice and that I am very social. However, he finds Indians and Pakistanis strict and arrogant. Well, it's a good thing that my original plan to go to India didn't work out.

Despite his driving style, I am overcome by tiredness and doze off a bit. Suddenly, Hamnet pulls over to the left (we have left-hand traffic here). My door is opened and Hamnet hands me a coconut-like fruit with a straw. A power drink, as he says. I am very grateful to him, as my water bottle is already empty and my thirst is not yet quenched.

However, I realize too late that the coconut contains at least a liter of liquid and that once I have finished drinking it, I will certainly need to use the bathroom urgently.

We are currently passing through a small town. There are no sidewalks and there are lots of auto-rickshaws, also known as Tuk Tuks.🛺

A motorized form of rickshaws from Japan and mostly with three wheels.

According to Hamnet, traveling with this form is extremely dangerous. Well, if everyone drives like him, this is understandable. 🤪

Anyone who makes even the slightest wrong move towards the road or drives too far to the right gets honked at.

Finally, I see the sea.🌊 It is on my right and within reach. Huge waves break at the shore.

To my left, mangrove forests rise up. These form a natural buffer against cyclones and prevent seawater from flooding and salinizing low-lying agricultural areas. Mangroves also contain a huge carbon store and prevent climate-damaging carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. The forests also host a great diversity of species. Many fish and crabs have their nurseries here, and birds and mammals feed on them, and the Bengal tiger is at the end of the animal food chain.🐅

So here is my accommodation. 😬

I say goodbye to Hamnet, I give him 10 euros and greet Lachma. 

A very nice and helpful man who, as the name suggests, always smiles.

Lachma gives me a melon juice and I actually experience this magical moment when entering the lobby.🥹

But more about that tomorrow...🙋🏼‍♀️