Sad to leave our little idyllic haven, we hired another driver in the smallest car we had been in yet, together with luggage secured with a seat belt on the front seat. We set off back towards Colombo on the west coast to await the arrival of Kim and Louis the next morning. 5 hours later we arrived at Ging Oya Lodge which Heather had booked being 40 minutes from the airport so that Kim and Louis could relax for a couple of days and adjust to the time zone.

Ging Oya Lodge is owned by a Belgian couple who had been there 30 years, together with their pet dogs and rescued cow called Elodie. There were only 7 rustic "cottages" on a huge plot next to the river and a great swimming pool, birds and butterflies everywhere and totally peaceful. Once we had settled in, we had a beer and a swim, enjoyed the 3-course home cooked meal served in the open sided dining room and had an early night.

Kim and Louis arrived the following day and the next 2 days were spent relaxing by the wonderful pool which we had all to ourselves. We did take the kayaks out one afternoon for a paddle to the ocean and watched the sunset, but apart from that it was nice to enjoy the surroundings and for Kim and Louis to adjust to their new time zone. Although, the litre bottle of gin that Kim brought and should have lasted for a few days was demolished on the first night. Consequently, we were feeling a little worse for wear the next day (apart from Louis who sensibly abstained).