Having been woken unacceptably early by an unwanted political party's policies being broadcast by a loudhailer on the back of a pick up cruising painfully slowly up and down the main street we met Charlie and Hattie on the roof top for breakfast. Having demolished the coffee, cereal and toast, accompanied by some worryingly liquid peanut butter, we spread out the maps and guidebooks on the big table in the bar and started planning! Charlie had the framework of ...

We came in to land close over the Indian Ocean and could see the array of pristine islands and vast ships waiting at anchor in the wide blue bay. Immigration was mercifully swift and resulted in some more passport stamps and a lighter wallet before we were spat out into the arrivals hall which was a much more comfortable temperature than Sri Lanka had been! It didn't take long to realise that we were miles from anywhere and that grabbing a 'quick bite to eat' w...