The following is a list of quick notes, thoughts and experiences I jotted down during a recent trip to Sri Lanka. They follow the timeline of the visit and are not ranked in any sort of hierarchical base.

-Tight connection in DOH!
-Good luck Rod strikes again: Free upgrade to business on Qatar Airways
-Alcohol, delicious food and a 180 deg bed: FTW!
-Sri Lanka is one of those few places that is at a non-integer difference from the Greenwich meridian
-Landing, nice weather ahead!
-My electrical plug converter does not work here
-Agriculture is a main component of the country´s economy

-Lots of Flags on the road:
-White: somebody died, people paying their respects
-Blue, green, red: political parties
-Yellow / orange: monk has died
-Big and cheap beer

-Safari
-Lots and lots of elephants, beautiful sights, and more elephants
-Long conversations with Gerard (guide)
-A bottle of Arrak (34% alcohol), fried chicken, and pleasant conversation
-Early wake up call
-Morning hike to the Top of of Sigirya Rock. Lesson: cardio at the gym is useless
-The German Buddhist monk at the top o the mountain
-Why did you become a monk: “to try to be happy […] Everything we do, we do it to try to be happy”
-Have you found happiness? “Yes, some. You can never be completely happy […] but I have. I wouldn’t be here for 20 years if I hadn’t”
-If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people what would it be: “Happiness is inside you”
-Fell in love with a backpacker at Dambulla temple, or maybe I’ve lived in the kingdom for too long
-Sri Lankan driving will freak you out a little bit
-One question to the hotel manager: In 30+ years of working in the service industry, what have you learnt? “Satisfying people is the most difficult thing.

-Jewellery and wood workshop visits
-Herbal garden: one coca plant! Did not expect that!
-Mining in Sri Lanka is done the old fashion way!
-Curry and chicken
-Drive to Kandy city
-Kandyan dance, it resembles a some Mexican traditional dances
-Lion lager and ginger beer

-Last day
-Lots of people at the Temple of the tooth
-Botanical gardens, lots of huge bats!
-Beautiful orchid garden
-Tea factory, engineering is everywhere
-The ride back to the airport
-One last beer with Gerard
-At the airport, 17 postcards were sent
-Question: What is the most important thing in life? “What I feel is, to be an honest person and help as much as you can with a good heart”
-Time to fly home
-Last beer in the business lounge
-No free upgrades this time
-Back home at 4:20 am, work-haul bus at 6:20
-A shower, a shit, some breakfast and I’m on the way

See you all somewhere else in the world!

Addendum:

If you can get a credit card with priority pass benefits, do so!