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Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
  • Angela Lynn
  • Mike Lynn
  • Angela Lynn
  • Mike Lynn

Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas

Mike hung up the badge, turned 50, and traded sirens for sea breezes! We’re celebrating this next chapter with a month-long adventure through Sri Lanka and the Maldives — from tuk-tuks and tea plantations to overwater bungalows and turquoise lagoons. Leer más
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  • Inicio del viaje
    24 de octubre de 2025
    Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    1
    Creatine ... not a "roofie"!1Watch until the end ...1Pinky up! Like drinking a Twisted Tea!212

    Travel Day Part I - S.F. —> Singapore

    25 de octubre de 2025, Singapur ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Landed in Singapore about 7:30pm local time, which is 4:30am Cali time. Crazy to think we’ve spent a day on a plane but hey … Singapore Airlines makes that do-able.

    Pod-life is theee life! Food was excellent and service was top-notch. Eat, nap and repeat. Gave me a glimpse of what it’s like for Payton and Ms. Marley … each meal we sat all prepped and patient, waiting anxiously for our meals to be delivered (and then the “Amen”). Once we were done, plates were cleared and treats (aka dessert) followed like clockwork. Then … another nap.

    It was then it hit us … no cooking or cleaning for a month (or 25 days, to be specific - Mike 😉). One could say we are getting a taste of the pup-life!

    Our final destination — Colombo in Sri Lanka … so for now, Singapore lounge to brush teeth and to grab a bite for us … until wheels up in a few hours.

    Travel Hack (pending): Creatine for jet lag. The hypothesis is to drink lots of water with Creatine to help with jet lag. I’ll keep ya posted. Struggle here is water intake … Now, if Mike slips some of that in my coffee, we may be onto something. 😉

    Speaking of coffee … Hello Bacha!

    Hugs all! M&A    Leer más

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    Hot towel for the win!Add Mimosa = 🥰Safety first! (Not pleased)1"Are we there yet?" 🤣1Buzzed driving is apparently not drunk driving here ...112

    T.D Part II - Singapore -> Colombo

    26 de octubre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    WE HAVE ARRIVED! Literally … not in a self-discovery type of way but that could be too, I suppose. Over 30 hours from door to Sri Lanka. Current status? Showered and ready for 💤 at the Belmont in Negombo, Sri Lanka (about 20 mins from airport).

    Mike didn’t sleep much on the journey so he’s racked out as I type away here. Could have been the glasses of wine with meals, welcome mimosas and a Singapore Sling for the assist to help my slumber on the planes. 🤔 His sleep issues may have stemmed from the James Bond, Mission Impossible or John Wick flicks he watched. 😆

    Humid here and felt a lot like Guatemala when we got outside of the airport. Can’t really say how but our mission trip to Guatemala came to mind instantly with the smell of the damp air and bustle of people all around.

    Hotel + room is 👌🏼. Some definite night creatures 🐸🪳🪲that you can hear in one of the videos. Didn’t ask what it/they were … but they sing loud and proud. Even had a little lizard on our wall in our room. Going to pretend I didn’t see that 🫣.

    Showered and Sri Lankan breakfast ordered up! Send well wishes as we will have our first hopper tomorrow! Not sure what a hopper is? Stay tuned for tomorrow (or you can ChatGPT that biz).

    Goodnight! Hugs!
    M&A    Leer más

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    1111Name TBD1Name TBDSri Lankan "Yeti"2

    Day 1 - Negombo

    26 de octubre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Negombo is considered a beach town just outside of Colombo … so after a Sri Lankan breakfast (no Hoppers, 😞) , we took a walk to the nearby beach where we immediately bonded with our new beach dog, Ralph. Ralph seemed to mirror some Payton qualities… RBF, loves pets and quite particular on his choice of other furry friends.

    From the beach, we wandered and found a Zen coffee shop that juiced us for the BIG part of our day … Tuk Tuk pick up. Zen was pet friendly so lots of kitty cats for Mike but he overlooked that with the strong, delicious cup of Joe they served up.

    Onto to TukTukRentals to snag our whip for the remainder of the trip. Mike was hopeful we could swap the Tuk Tuk for the Landie but no can-doeee. We are locked in on this, drop-top 3-wheel chariot.

    After a few small hiccups and our “yeti” all packed, we were off! P.S. If you know of my Cabo ATV debacle, then the fact that I was open to driving this hog is HUGE. But nope … hard pass.

    After our Tuk Tuk (name TBD) was secured, back we went to the Belmont too rinse off for our massages and dinner at Secret Spa and Salt.

    Ayurveda is a Sri Lankan massage technique and Mikes been reading up on it. Supposed to wonderful for stress, headaches … all of it. So after massage and some herbal tea, it’s a miracle I made it through dinner. SO sleepy and relaxed. Wild! Highly recommend!

    Dinner! Well, I barely made it through … but so good. Finally had a hopper. I’d describe it as a light, delicate tasty snack. Filled ours with caramelized onions, fold and enjoy!

    Day 1 is a wrap!

    Tomorrow? Packing up and headed to Galle!    Leer más

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    112

    Day 2: Negombo —> Galle

    27 de octubre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    FIRST STOP —> Galle Face Hotel in Colombo

    Mid-travel day post … too much not to share as we ventured out with our first day with the Tuk Tuk (still waiting for Mike to name his whip, stay tuned).

    I think Mike summed the drive in our Tuk Tuk best by saying … “I didn’t see any of this on all the videos I watched” and classified driving around as a free for all. And I of course added “… with no seatbelts!”

    Lots to take in as we scooted around
    … dogs, people, potholes (even a random cow) and went through what I’m sure was the fish market (insert smell of fish 🐟🤢) and lots of Jesus statues! Amen. 🙏🏼

    Intense … but we made it to the Galle Face Hotel for coffee, toilet break (they use toilet, not restroom) and a sandwich. What a beautiful hotel! Such history here!

    The menu listed the many celebrities that have stayed here over the years … including the star from my fav movie. Name that actress? 😉

    And only $100/night to stay here. 🤯

    Weather is perfect! Overcast but warm … a little humid. Skin loves it, hair does not.

    The people between Negombo and Colombo remind me a lot of Peru and Guatemala. Homes are shacks, dirt floors, resourceful in using what they have to do what they need to do … and so on. Pics say a lot … Fishing being a huge market for them and bummed the video I thought I was taking didn’t turn out. Fish market was wild!

    With belly’s fully and Mike coming down from his hour and 20 min EVOC adventure, it’s back on the road.

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    11$5.28 for a half of tank! 🤩This guy deserved the break!Check out the tusks! Impressive.2I'll go ahead and pass ...Beach stop!1Another much needed pause ...1Hotel lobbyA "Welcome" popsicle never tasted so good!1Outdoor patioView from balcony.The Bungalow

    Day 2: Negombo —> Galle

    27 de octubre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    2ND HALF of Day 2: From Colombo (Galle Face Motel) we made our way to Galle Fort in Galle for the night.

    Let me set the scene … imagine sitting down to play Mario Cart for the first time and being so excited for what’s to come. You nestled in with drinks and snacks, and press BEGIN thinking you are so ready for what’s to come.

    Except you begin and it’s much more than a joystick and hoping to snag bonus points. It’s now the game of life! Literally. No turning back, can’t show fear and the only choice is to move forward.

    A bit dramatic but seriously! Some close calls and by far buses around here are no joke!!! Not to mention that rolling coal is definitely legal in these parts. Holy smokes!

    KUDOS to my chauffeur! He seriously navigated like a champ and made it look easy. Lord put us in a bubble and gave Mike the skills to bob and weave in and out of traffic like a pro-fessional! I can’t even begin to describe the experience that would even do it justice, so I won’t. I posted some videos, but they still don’t give Mike enough credit for his skills. Who knew he was such a gamer! 😂

    Highlight: A happy old man, riding in the back of a fruit/veggie truck waved and smiled as us (probably because we were definitely the only white people around and had a Hey I’m a Tourist sign on our back, I.e., TukTukRentak.com sticker). Then he motioned for us to get close because he wanted to gift us with something. Mike got super close and the old man was able to hand me the gift (mind you I’m in the back seat … all will driving! 😳) The gift?? A tomato! Perfect …. 🫩 Lol. It was fun though and he was so happy to give it to us.

    There were some stops along the way and we posted pics but to dive into details will have to be over dinner when we return. But great sights, history and memories made.

    After arriving in Galle and entering into the Galle Fort, we checked into our hotel —> Taru Villas. Immediately washed off the dust, exhaust residue and salty sweat, and walked (no way were we getting back in Winston - yep, the Tuk Tuk has been named), to dinner.

    Hotel is a boutique hotel with only 4 rooms, and is right along the water. Super old and as usual, Mike hit it out of the park with his choice.

    Dinner was at The Bungalow … #1 on TripAdvisor and it did not disappoint. We both had a pasta and topped off the poor choices with churros! Ambience was on-point and churros were a VERY close 2nd to Churros in Cabo. Belly’s full. ✔️

    Mike successfully completed levels 1,2 and 3 today in Mario Cart … heck, maybe even through level 7! And while we would always love an adventurous day again, we sure are hoping our venture is a bit more casual tomorrow as we head to our next stop … Dickwella (no that’s not a typo).

    P.S. Tuk Tuk named Winston = Named after Winston Churchill - reliable and bulldog-tough for the road.

    Hugs! M&A    Leer más

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    Mike jumping over ramparts and stuff ... that is how people get hurt. 😂Coastal PillboxLiving his best life ... RETIRED!All legit ... 💯2Theee hat ...Inside Ropewalk Bar1Ropewalk Bar2Carrying his murse ... 😂1My Type A cannot approve of this ...1Hotel breakfastView leaving the hotel ...

    Day 3 Part I: Galle Fort Rundown

    28 de octubre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Another day … another town in Sri Lanka. Today was an early start to get in all the sights in Galle Fort before it was time for us to head our next “home”. Mike and I got up with plan to walk to a coffee shop for a double-shot of whatever they were serving and then a stroll around the fort to check out the ramparts and bastions.

    Quick note: I didn’t know what either of those were so just in case you don’t either…. a rampart is the tall wall that surrounds the fort and a bastion is the part of the fort that “sticks out” (for lack of a better description) where fort-fighters (just made that word up because I’m pooped and can’t think of anything better) would post up with artillery and canons to blast away.

    Lots to know about the Galle Fort so I won’t bore you with all of that (unless you are interested, then read away —> https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/451/) ! Fun fact though … it was founded by the Portuguese so Mike said it was kind of my land. 😂

    Ok … so we have found (so far) that Sri Lankans are not morning people. Coffee shops don’t open up until like 8am! What in the holy heck?!? So Plan B was launched and we found an ice cream shop that also serves coffee (these are my people). Can you guess what happened next? ….. Yep! We had to have a scoop of the homemade mint chip ice cream. (Patrick would be proud… we had dessert before ANYTHING today.)

    All juiced up, topped with the unnecessary diary treat, we made our way to the rampart and bastions to take in the sights. (Hard not to teleport back in time to wonder what it must be like to live during the times where canons were a thing around a fort! Heck … who wouldn’t want a canon to ward off a-holes? (I did tell Mike it’s a no-go to have a canon … for now. 😉)

    A little toes in the sand and a Lion lager at a Condé Nast Traveler bar favorite … then that was that. Once all the shopping, ramparts, toes + sand was wrapped up, it was breakfast at the hotel and then packing up to head to our next stop … Dikwella (the “c” in the name is under debate).

    Other highlights? Mike snagged a vacay hat (lady promised him it was the only one of its kind) and we snagged a few “rare” coins from a vendor off the street. Solid buys … both purchases. 💸

    Part II of our Day 3 to follow …

    Hugs! M&A    Leer más

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    Fisherman Sticks ... done for the day. 🫤Me worried about our stuff ... 🫣Tabrobane (Private Villa)A little tight .... but a short cut!1Got my lock and key so we can leave our bags ... phew. 😮‍💨 (I have trust issues - Lol).1Coconut Tree Hill3Made it!1Who does this?? Cruel reminder ... 🫩1

    Day 3 Part II: Galle to Dikwella

    28 de octubre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ 🌬 29 °C

    All packed and off for our next stop … Dikwella (still think it’s missing a “c” but …).

    We left a bit later than we hoped with plans to stop at:

    - Stick Fisherman
    - Coconut Tree Hill
    - Parrot Island

    … before arriving in Dikwella. Unfortunately we missed two of the three but threw in a stop that was a value-add. 🤩

    Stick Fisherman were done for the day by the time we cruised through (but we got a pic driving by of all their sticks), and ChatGPT steered us wrong by saying that Parrot Island was after Coconut Tree Hill, so we zoomed right passed it at 40kpm without even realizing it. But once we did … we were so hot, sticky and ready to be at our hotel… we will decided to mark that as a miss.

    Coconut Tree Hill was a beautiful view! Got there just before the tour bus of Euros arrived so 🙌🏼 ! Ended that stop with cool refreshments and another beautiful view. We couldn’t stay for the sunset as driving at night in Winston is something we would like to avoid if at all possible. Not a level Mike needs to pass again, if we can help it.

    We also stopped along the side of the road for a coconut beverage, where we envied the beautiful private villa surrounded by the crystal clear water - villa was named Tabrobane (Ancient Greek name for Sri Lanka). Makes me think of Emerald Bay and the tea house … right? This villa is privately owned and sounds like it can be rented out from $1,000/night up to $2,200/night for the entire villa. It’s a beauty!

    We’ve noticed as we have continued to travel further south, the waters are growing more blue by the kilometer. And Mike affirms the routes are more like he envisioned on a Tuk Tuk.

    I posted some more videos of our travels in Winston and traffic … they don’t do it justice of Mike’s abilities and true patience with navigating! He is a master! So impressed.

    We arrived at Smeralda Beach Resort a bit after 5, and were greeted by the husband and wife who own the joint. Lovely surprise! He’s from Italy and she’s from Moscow but lived in Italy (how they met).

    Once settled in the beauty of a room Mike snagged us with theee best view … shower and dinner time. The owners (husband and wife) also own an Italian place down the way so we walked down for some a pizza and a sushi roll. I’ll let you guess who ordered what. 😉

    Met Tico the resident pup that made dinner feel more like home with his choice of seat. Tico got a slice of pizza pie (which P and Ms. Marley aren’t so lucky to enjoy). Tico! Good boy!

    Side Note: So far we haven’t met a local who has given us high fives for our Winston tour. All have replied with a face of 😳, and in one way or another called Mike “brave” in which Mike responds “Or stupid”. Hahahaha!

    Time to call it a day. Mike and I are looking forward to letting Winston rest up the next few days as we explore all Dikwella has to offer.

    Hugs! M&A    Leer más

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    Smoke & Bitters
    1111Toro!!!Marley's brotha from another motha.Walk to dinner at Smoke & BittersSippin' Gin 'n Juice for the win!1"Home"

    Day 4 - Dikwella

    29 de octubre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    Mike and I did some math and crazy enough … we are already 1/3rd through our tour of Sri Lanka. Wild!

    Today’s activities did not include Winston but they did include …

    - Turtle Beach (monkey included)
    - Lounge lizards (aka M&A on lounges)
    - The Massage Shed
    - Smoke & Bitters

    Turtle Point was a perfect beach walk down the way; down our beach … through another hotel … down at the end of another beach. The goal here was to swim/snorkel with turtles but we failed to pack the snorkels and didn’t feel like using any hanging randomly from a stick so we watched from the shore. The giant turtles were so close you could see them so it worked.

    At the actual point… the waves put on a show, as they forcefully hit the rocks with a Vegas-like finish. We tried to capture but no luck … gave it a good ol’ fashioned try though! As we walked closer to the rocks, little waterfalls were many, providing a constant flow of water down the rocks, like Plinko.

    At lunch, we snagged words of wisdom from my Lion lager, while Mike had a beautiful poke bowl. The visit from a resident monkey was also a treat. Check out his/her tail! Remind any one of someone we know? 🐶

    Mike brought his drone along so on the trip back, we stopped for some aerial footage before continuing to meet a fella that just caught an octopus with a spear! His name escapes me but let’s call him Toro because why not.

    Toro was so excited about his catch that he pulled the Octo out of his bag to show us. Naturally I then asked for a picture. Then … not sure why … but he knelt down next to Mike for a pic with Mike! (please make note of Mike’s face and that this guy actually hugged one of Mike’s LL’s 😂) The whole thing was awkward but Mike handled it well.

    P.S. Saw a Ms. Marley pup playing in the water! Made me miss her a bit. But just a bit!!!!!

    Back at the hotel… we lounged on a cabana for a few hours and dipped into the pool before showering and heading to Hiriketiya (surf/beach town down the way) for massage and dinner.

    The one task Mike entrusted me with was to schedule us a massage. Place? The Massage Shed. The massages were cheap but reviews were good so I went for it. #2 on TripAdvisor after all! In short … my massage was excellent. However, Mikes not so much. Nuts!

    All slicked up and ready for dinner, we walked a short way to Smoke & Bitters for dinner. I’m not much of a foodie, we all know that. Grill up beef and give me any variation of a potato and I’m one happy lass. But Mike loves flavor and sauces! He is an amazing cook and has tried many foods around the world. So for him to say the flavors of this food were nothing he’s ever tasted before, says a lot.

    Dessert was a delightful trifecta of vanilla ice cream, chocolate, toffee cookie delight. And the big WIN for the night? Sippin’ on Gin ‘n Juice - one of their signature drinks. I’m not a gin drinker but had to order because I LOVE S-n-double o-p. A pleasant suuuuprise!

    Dinner was a 10/10, from food/drink —> ambience —> service.

    Another full day taking in all Sri Lanka has offered to us and we happily accepted it.

    Tomorrow another day in Dikwellla (the “c” is silent)! Stay tuned!

    Hugs! M&A    Leer más

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    Beach Day!
    Morning coffee viewPlease note pup 🐶 in background enjoying his morning too!Headed to go shred some waves ...1Headed nowhere 😂Amigo is also headed nowhere.Proof I did move ...1Dots Bay House

    Day 5 - Dikwella (HiriKetiya Beach)

    30 de octubre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Last full day and night in Dikwella and the mystery if there’s a “c” had been solved. Answer? No “c”. 😒

    Typical morning in paradise. No big deal. 😉 A slight hiccup with coffee though … a bit delayed as the expresso machine at the hotel broke, so they had to go down to the other hotel to get one. Literally walked down and brought one back. Teamwork makes the dream work comes to mind here. But nonetheless… they made it happen so Mike and I could sip coffee at the water’s edge. Not a bad way to shake off the nights sleep and plan the day! Mike even flew the drone at our morning coffee date to try some new techniques he learned. Pretty amazing views!

    Today was agreed to be beach day so we hopped into a Tuk Tuk (not Winston, he’s still resting up) and headed to Hiriketiya Beach about 6 mins away from Dikwella. A hip beach with young, aspiring yogi’s so we figured we fit right in. We were right. Totally did. 🤥

    Hiriketiya = sounded out as “Here a kitty eee a”. Mikes favorite …

    But before we posted up on the beach, we had coffee (yes more) and some breakfast at Dot’s Bay House to fuel up for our plans to do absolutely nothing on a lounger on the beach.

    Our suspicions were confirmed that we would fit right in with the hip “kids” when we got a in-person invite to Dot’s pool party that was kicking off at high noon. We respectfully declined because we already had BIG plans.

    Overall … Hiriketiya Beach was a 9.7 on a scale of 1-10.

    Why not the perfect score? Mike said the waves just weren’t big enough for him. 🤣 He dabbled in some surfing today and caught some waves … in his words, he “pretty much crushed it”. However, he needs bigger waves next time.

    For me … water was a 10! I’m not much of an ocean swimmer but this water … PERFECT! Sand was perfect, water clear and clean, and the water was temp cool and refreshing but not too cold. Definitely recommend!

    After beach, it was shower and back to Here-kitty for a night market and dinner. Let’s say this night market was nothing like the night market in Bangkok we experienced. This one had four vendors and we were probably one of four couples there. Awkward!

    We politely purchased a few smaller items and headed out for a walk to dinner. After dodging dogs, potholes and open trenches, we decided to head back to Dots Bay House where we snagged Green Curry Chicken and a pizza. Odd pairing but both delicious!

    That about wraps up today! Tomorrow is another easy morning … and then it’s time to get Winston back on the streets to head to Tangalle.

    Hugs! M&A    Leer más

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    21111

    Day 6 - Dikwella —> Tangelle

    31 de octubre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Day 6 … a travel day but a short one so plenty of action to share.

    We slept in a bit today. All previous mornings we’ve been awake about 4:30am local time, so it was nice to sleep in to a more “normal” time of 7am. Still waking up way earlier than the Sri Lankans though!

    Goal of morning was to get up, head back to Turtle Beach with snorkels in hand. I have my own special-fitted snorkel now so I’m pretty much professional (or so I thought).

    There’s a saying … there is a fine line between life and death. Well I toed that line today with our turtle snorkeling adventure. Back to Turtle Beach we went first thing, excited to swim with the natives. Equipped with my own special snorkel (I have a tiny head so renting isn’t much of an option), Mike and I found a place in the beach, suited up and went right in. Had zero hesitation … water was perfect and people seemed to be seeing Lizza and Lilly (the two turtles) so I was excited. But this excitement and over-confidence over-rode my better judgment, and I failed to account for waves and the currents/under-toe (?). Before I knew it, I looked back and was a “bit” far from shore. Gave myself a pep talk that all I needed to do was “catch a wave” back and all will be fine. Well that didn’t exactly happen. I caught a wave alright … it was like taking one step forward and two steps back … and the shore seemed to be getting further away. Thankfully Mike caught my “tone” and saved the day! He calmly rescued me and guided me back to shore. Not before scraping my foot on a rock though … all and all, I escaped with only a few scratches and Mike saved the day! This guy! ♥️

    Did we ever see Lizza and Lilly? Negative. But the ironic this is … once we got safely to shore and cleaned up my wound (and sipped a Lion lager -it’s 5 o’clock somewhere), one of the shelled ladies was swimming along in shallow waters. Go figure! They were close the whole time! 🫩

    After that turtle debacle, back to Smeralda Hotel to pack up and head to Tangalle. A short Winston ride for a one-night stay. But a big goodbye for Mike and his new amigo!

    We arrived in Tangalle to a heck of welcome show! From the peacock, to horns and singing … I was speechless and almost paralyzed with thoughts. I’ll let the videos do most of the talking for the rest of this post as my words cannot do this place justice. Stupendous!

    Video Disclaimer: Many videos this time. Sorry! So much to share … And Mike has found his calling too! Maybe new face of LCP?

    Videos consist of:

    - Depart from Smeralda (double hand wave goodbye)
    - Welcome to Anantar Peace Haven Tangalle
    - Mike’s version of my MTV Cribs touring our villa (got a solid upgrade upon arrival)
    - Lots of monkeys around our villa (grooming each other)

    Wonderful evening capped off with an Italian dinner at Il Mare, with a photo shoot around the hotel before heading back for an evening dip before bed.

    Highly recommend this place for not just couples but families too! Very family friendly and lots of activities. It’s on our list to stay longer next time we find ourselves in Sri Lanka.

    Tomorrow off to Yala for a few safaris!
    Hugs all! M&A    Leer más

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    Day 7 - Tangalle —> Yala (National Park)

    1 de noviembre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Day 7 was another day full of surprises and adventure. Today’s plan of attack?

    Breakfast —> Check out —> Load-up Winston —> Arrive in Yala at Leopard Trails for an afternoon Safari in Yala National Park.

    All went as planned, with only a few minor hiccups like my cankles that apparently joined our travels. 🫣 The heat and humidity, and probably salt from food is all coming together “nicely” …

    As we departed Anantara in Tangalle, we were blessed for safe travels as part of a Sri Lankan tradition. Another unexpected moment of taking in the entire experience at Anantara, immediately shifting back to a mindset of gratitude.

    Stopped for fuel and oil check in/for Winston, then it was off and running to Yala!

    Not too much excitement with the drive to Yala. Landscape changed from ocean to rice fields, and no signs of many tourists (if any) in the small towns we passed through. Easy cruising which was probably a good thing given all the excitement we had on our safari with Leopard Trails after we arrived.

    Leopard Trails does not only offer safaris but accommodations as well. So upon arrival, Winston was shown his accommodation for the evening, while we were as well. Another amazing place for the night! Another plunge pool and beautiful patio, for outside enjoyment to be one with nature. So much so that a whole family of monkeys welcomed us by sippin’ on our pool water and being a bunch of Curious George’s. So entertaining… I could watch these monkeys for hours. One was so curious, that while the others split, he would keep a close eye on us.

    We had a Sri Lankan lunch on our deck, Mike flew the drone a bit and then it was time to go check out some Raptors (but I probably wouldn’t recognize any 😂).

    Disclaimer: No raptors in Yala. Jurassic Park reference a little here.

    When we left for our evening safari, our guide Yohan, said the “big three” to see in Yala are elephants, leopards and a sloth bear. He kept expectations reasonable by telling us that leopards are far and few between, and sloth bears are super rare and hard to see.

    Well … our safari score today was:

    5 elephants
    2 leopard cubs
    2 sloth bears

    Mike and I pretty much slayed this safari stuff! Too easy! 🤣

    We did have a close call with Tiki — the first elephant we “met”. Apparently this gentle giant hangs out alongside the road of Yala NP and if you stop to allow him to approach, he navigates his trunk right around searching for some treats. For us … he was really interested in Mike’s back-back. 😳 Thankfully ‘ol Tiki released the back pack which had Mikes drone, money clip and other valuables that would have been a big bummer to lose. Thankfully we can all chuckle now.

    Yohan shared with us that Tiki has some other tricks up his trunk … He will stand in the middle of the road and not move unless he’s fed a treat. So people that actually know this about Tiki will purposely pack fruit for him in the case he’s there and open for business. Genius! Tiki isn’t all looks!

    Another M&A adventure it was today!

    Tomorrow it’s off to Ella for a couple days in a tea hut. Stay tuned!

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    Ella Tea Cabins
    Sunrise Safari - Yala NPChello quenching his thirst.Chello strutting 🐆Water buffaloPride Rock (Lion King ?)Buddha leaving Leopard TrailsTici ... this guyPotty stop ... is this necessary ... ?1Arriving at Tea Cabins1Walking up to our cabin ...Cabin view1Shower ... opens to the outside. 👌🏼Loft ...1View from loft12A little more rain to end our travels ...

    Day 8 - Yala —> Ella

    2 de noviembre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Almost everyday of this M&A adventure, the landscape and surroundings have changed. From city —> to fort —> beach /surf town —> beach / bougie —> safari and now … tea fields.

    Yala kicked off early … we saddled up and out of camp by 6am for our morning safari with Yohan. Hard to beat yesterday’s outing so Mike and I packed zero expectations and actually contemplated playing hookie since we thought we saw all we would see yesterday. So glad we rally’d!

    Yesterday we safari’d in Zone 5 (that’s Tiki’s area). Today we entered Zone 1 … different landscape than Zone 5. More brush and smaller trees. Lots of peacocks, crocodiles, more spotted deer but the BIG win??? A male leopard that Yohan calls Chello. Video of this guy is a must watch. He got so close! If you zoom in on his eyes … piercing! So confident and dominant. He wins!

    After we returned from our safari, we put’sd around a bit at the camp before loading up Winston and waving goodbye to Leopard Trails! (Wonderful experience. Highly recommend and ask for Yohan!)

    The travels between Yala and Ella were rather smooth sailing. We rolled right by Tiki … said what’s up and ✌️ … no problems for much of the trip.

    I’d say Mike entered his next “level” as we got closer to Ella. Roads got a bit tighter, a bit curvy (let’s call it), a bit more steep and the sun seemed to play hide and seek, bringing some cooler air into the mix. Things were getting real! But the good news is … Mike and Winston have been training for this now for over a week. They’ve bonded, Mike knows what makes Winston tick so no problem. And it was no problem until … the roads became tiny, curvy and steep to get us to the Tea Cabins (our home for the next 2 days). Oh and did I mention it started to rain. Big. Heavy. Drops. ☔️ Videos are a must watch to catch how this adventure ends.

    Spoiler alert … we and Winston made it. 💪🏼

    The Tea Cabins were better than the pictures. Amazing view, plunge pool, lots of lights (Mike “loves” to play the light game and he has his work cut out for him with this place) and a quaint loft that is breathtaking. Once we got settled, took a quick dip … the real rain started. As Mike showered, I walked outside and found such peace with each raindrop and roll of thunder. Still surreal to think we are so far from home …

    Early night for us, as another early morning tomorrow as we explore Ella!

    P.S. We had a whole “Cribs” video for you all but it’s too long and WiFi isn’t the best here so photos it shall be. 🤷🏽‍♀️

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    Up before the birds ...Nobody needs to know we hiked the mini Adam's Peak, do they? 🤣11Lady in the blue had the kindest eyes ... notice ... no shoes. 🤯Ella Flower Garden CafeTell me you are retired, without telling me you are retired.Stand By Me (anyone?)1Pup Train!2Taste testing...Ella Town

    Day 9 - Ella (Trails, Trains + Tea)

    3 de noviembre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Today was filled with trails, trains and tea!

    Our morning started early with a Tuk Tuk to Lil’ Adam’s Peak for about a mile hike up and back for sunrise. The elevation and steep stairs put us a bit winded (I’m sure it had nothing to do with our current athletic status) but the trip up was worth every huff and puff.

    As usual here in Sri Lanka, a resident pup joined us on the hike. Must be a distant relative of Payton because this pup loved to sleep but hated the drone. Made us feel at home for a quick minute. On the way down, we bumped into a few ladies picking tea in the tea fields. Which sparked us to explore a tea factory tour later (if possible).

    After the hike, it was time for tea (our first tea in Sri Lanka, if you can believe that) at the Ella Flower Garden Cafe with a beauty of a view. ⛰️

    From there we made our way back to the Tea Cabins for breakfast, before gearing up for the 9-Arch Bridge visit with a plan to catch the last train of the day. About an hour of waiting and watching the loads of fuzzy foreigners all hoping to catch that viral shot for the gram … Success! The infamous bridge was as Mike expected it to be. Architecture at its best and a piece of history that has stood the test of time. 🚂 It really has him even more pumped for our train ride tomorrow.

    Last stop of our Ella tour for the day?? A tea factory tour! Mike found a 40-min tour that fit our schedule, so up the mountains we went. The tea factory we visited has been in operation since 1917, and the petite ladies that work there actually come to work barefoot!!! Definitely no OSHA happening in Sri Lanka. Also … fun fact … oxidation of the tea leaves is what determines if the tea is black or green tea. Green tea = no oxidation so keeps the leaves filled with 98% anti-oxidants that are helpful for sleep, blood sugar and lowering cholesterol and 2% caffeine. Best for bedtime. 😴Oxidation for black tea swings it the other way where tea leaves then have 92% caffeine and 8% antioxidants. Best for morning. ☀️ Pick your “poison” people! An interesting tour and loved the history of Sri Lankan tea!

    The remainder of the afternoon was taking a dip in our “dip” pool and laying on the loungers soaking in the fresh air until it was time for dinner.

    Dinner was in Ella Town at a place called Chill Cafe, where I’d say wasn’t our best experience. The atmosphere was opposite of “chill”. Food was tasty but a bit too much activity for us to enjoy the rest of what it had to offer.

    Tomorrow we pack up Winston early to head to the train station where we then head to our next stop … “Little England” or Nuwara Eliya for high tea.

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    Until next time Tea Cabins!2So hard to say goodbye! TTFN! 👋1Let it begin ...Mike working his angle ...1Hip!21111

    Day 10 —> Ella to Nurawa Eliya 🚂

    4 de noviembre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    TRAIN DAY! 🚂

    Mike has been looking forward to this train for longer than I can remember. Probably since he started dreaming up this dream adventure we are currently living.

    Up early for some English breakfast, to pack up Winston and then off to the train station to meet up with the Tuk Tuk rental folks. As we head to Nuwara Eliya on the train, Winston will be on his own journey to greet us when we arrive at the other train station.

    The handoff of Winston was silky smooth. Mike held onto the keys a little long in the transfer but I assured him Winston was in good hands. 😉 Off went Winston … and off we went to board the Podi Menike train or “Little Maiden”.

    Ok … the BIG thing to do on the Little Maiden with the “hip kids” these days, (for the “gram”) is hanging out the rail cars as they fly by the dramatic lush green scenery while someone else snaps their photo. Looks unreal when you see pics but let us tell you … it’s legit! So legit that I actually approved of this shenanigan.

    Mike perfectly selected the seats so we would not only sit on the side with the best view but that windows to our train car opened and we’d have a chance to experience what all the “hip kids” are doing too. As Little Maiden departed, anticipation for the photo shoots began and before long doors were open, and people hanging out all along the sides …

    But our “train guy” in our train car had us on lockdown. Mike was less than pumped. He sat a bit but mostly wore out the carpet (not really carpet in the train) pacing up and down the car trying to figure out how he was going to persuade the “dream-crusher”. Then he saw his opportunity … He chatted it up with two young traveler girls, telling them the whole story how the grumpy guy won’t unlock the doors, calling the train guy the “fun-stopper”, “train police” and just plain “stupid” … he told them they could try to see what they can do. And voila! Doors open! Pics and videos taken. Dream = reality! ✔️ and ✔️.

    Side Note: The guy actually ended up just having a RBF and actually hooked us up with not only photos but some live footage. Mike tipped him too so in the end, they were 🤞🏼.

    Was it scary? Actually it wasn’t! It was amazing and felt so free! I mean … I wasn’t doing any tricks but I still feel like Big Ang was really living life!

    After we proved we were “hip”, it was time to relax and take it ALL in with the calming chant of the train rolling down the track. The beauty of the Sri Lankan landscape is continuous so very hopeful the pics and videos bring to life this entire experience.

    Once we arrived by train, Winston was resting after his journey but ready to head up the way a bit to our homestead for the evening in Nuwara Eliya (meaning “Little England”🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿) @ the Westbury Palace.

    Entering this quaint hotel … it time warps you back to when the British ruled Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka). All the rooms are named after past Ceylon Governors and the lush grounds of the place were definitely getting me excited for high tea time.

    Even though this place would have been more than suitable for high tea, we were starved and made our way to the Grand Hotel for Thai food. Yep! Thai! It hit the spot and was a nice change of food. After a tour of the grounds at the Grand, it was high tea time. Super fun experience and they even had a fiddler! Not quite like the infamous French fiddler in LaQuinta but he really was the cherry on top to enjoy our tea and savory —> sweet.

    After high tea … back to Westbury for some billiards. Started as a friendly game between Mike and I, but then ended up playing with the two fellas that work here. We took an “L” so I’ll be sure to dock a few stars and make note of this in our TripAdvisor review. 😂 Jk. (kinda). After our loss, I took my ball (or in this case beer) and went to our room. You know what they say about losers … 🤣

    Another adventurous day is in the books and off to Kandy (with a K) tomorrow.

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    1Please don't judge the food or my outfit ... 😂Aerial of Westbury (our hotel).Common veggie stand ... beautiful colors and so organized. 👌🏼Mike buying his lady some flowers from this kind soul. Dalia's are huge here and they bunch them 👌🏼Tuk Tuk life!Entry to stairway to heaven (aka tower).Mike and his fellow LEO pal. "Service with Concern" is their bond.🤔 Pretty sure this wouldn't fly in the US.1C'mon Xmas!View from our room in Kandy (with a K)1Mischievous monkey warning ⚠️21Behind the scenes ...

    Day 11 - Nuwara Eliya —> Kandy

    5 de noviembre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Let me start by saying breakfast is something else in Sri Lanka … they don’t mess around. We had a Sri Lankan breakfast one day but each day after that, we’ve opted for English breakfast which we have found to include coffee/tea, fruit, toast, egg, sausage and what I believe is ham but I’d say looked a bit more like SPAM.

    Today’s breakfast at Westbury before we left was on the “juice” if you know what I mean. Take the standard English breakfast noted above, add apple portage (Sri Lankan signature health drink, which makes sense with M&A being all about “healthy” eating - 😉) and oatmeal + pastries and you have two full Lynn’s … (insert “oink, oink” 🐷).

    But that breakfast is what we needed to fuel us for the trek ahead to the Ambuluwaawa Tower and then onto Kandy for the afternoon/overnight.

    Mike and I both agreed that the travels down from high tea land, aka Nuwara Eliya, were by far the most consistent with beauty and prestine tea fields yet. We probably could have stopped at each turn for a photo op but we refrained for many reasons. But trust us when we say … this side of Nuwara Eliya was stunning! Air was so cool and fresh, whipping my cheeks as we floated down around curves … Mike and Winston, in their element, wild and free, enjoying God’s country and gravity.

    The biggest “adventure “ for us today? This had to be our visit to Ambuluwaawa Tower. The tower itself is quite the feat to climb (see tower pic of the white tower with spiral stairs to heaven - almost) but we didn’t have any idea what it would take for us to actually get there. Wooo eeee!! Winston was a noble steed like always, and in first gear … we took it slow and easy … up, and up, and up … until we couldn’t go up any more. Upon our arrival, I found the Foreigners Wash Room (🤔 , guess I’ve been using the locals one this whole time?) and then we pondered how we planned to tackle these stairs we didn’t train for. 😂 Spoiler alert, we didn’t do the entire climb to the peak. Just to the big platform. Lots of people at the temple/tower today for a Buddhist holiday, Full Moon Poya Day. Not a whole lot of wiggle room on those stairs so we passed, and got a coffee instead. Lol. And … what a pleasant surprise to find some Xmas 🎄 spirit! Coffee and Christmas = 💚♥️

    (Pssst … Hey kids! Send those Xmas lists …
    Xmas is coming!!)

    You are probably thinking … that doesn’t sound adventurous! It really wasn’t but the ride up was. Winston was a champ and maybe you can hear his effort in the video? About half way up … a local LEO flagged us down and asked Mike how long he’d be driving a Tuk Tuk (answer 12 days … maybe?) warned us of the even steeper climb ahead and strongly urged us to keep it in first gear and don’t stop. Mike said “challenge accepted”, took a pic together. thanked the kind LEO for his “service with concern” and off we went.

    Not going to lie here … going to tell you the truth … Mike was eager for the challenge and I was more like maybe we should park and walk. Especially when the LEO said we could slip off the side or get in an accident then we would have to deal with legal stuff. 😳

    Mike was right again!!! No way we could have made the walk up and his faith in Winston prevailed.

    After that “high” … back to gear gravity down and down … for another hour drive to Kandy (with a K) where it’s back to city living. Streets were packed and bustling. Culture shock to go back to the jockeying for positions and all buses the rolling coal but it was also exciting to pull up to a beautiful hotel (Grand Serendip) for a hot shower before sapphire shopping! 💎

    Sapphire shopping was interesting… first had theeee best Tuk Tuk driver to get us across Kandy. Had to be like some sort of professional Tuk Tuk driver because he navigated through all the streets and traffic with precision. Mike got to sit back and relax, and Winston had covered parking for the night. Win-win!

    The first sapphire place we went had us watch an educational video on how sapphires are mined and it was 🤯. So unsafe!! But incredible how resourceful they are with what they have to mine these precious stones in the mountains of Sri Lanka. We didn’t make a purchase, however. Just didn’t find the perfect gem for the right price. We are on a fixed income these days, ya know! 😂 #retiredlife

    Back to hotel for dinner at the rooftop bar and then off for spa/massages at the most interesting spa we have ever been too! Laama Spa downtown. Mike needed a recharge given the trip ahead tomorrow to our next stop, Sigiriya.

    Not sure how to explain the spa young man, except big dark eyes, super sweet and very verse on US culture and sayings. Hahaha! Examples … “No skin off my back” … told Mike “Semper Fi” when he found out he was a LEO … a lover of all Marvel movies … wants to travel but “economy is struggling” … but he went above and beyond for us by actually driving us to our hotel when no Tuk Tuk was to be found after our treatments. He said Kandy (with a K) closes down at night and if you are out late, and run into someone they are probably “drunkards” and that’s “not good”. 😂

    Long but good day … to bed for us … all relaxed and grateful for the travels and wonderful people of Sri Lanka.

    Off to Sigirya tomorrow!

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    Temple of the Tooth
    "Off Road Master"- SurgicalBuddhas tooth (replica) rides in this on the back of an elephant for the paradePeople come here to tie white clothes for blessings.The Prince and Princess of India that saved the "tooth".Golden Buddha from Thailand, other Buddhas from Indonesia and Malaysia.Buddhas tooth in there ... all secured.Flowers as offerings to Buddha = good luck."Mitch" + MikePacked up and ready to rock!Look who came to say goodbye! Off Road Master and his family!Coffee stop!21

    Day 12 - Kandy —> Sigiriya

    6 de noviembre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Back-to-back travel days for us and Winston … not much time in Kandy (with a K) but we definitely made the most of it before Winston was loaded up and off to Sigiriya.

    Today’s low-down …

    Woke up to a rainbow 🌈 and later double-rainbow 🌈🌈 (anyone else remember double rainbow guy from Tosh.O?)! With that, we knew today was going to be a day we didn’t have to use our AK (i.e., a good day ~ Ice Cube).

    Off early with our new personal Tuk Tuk driver (the “off road master”) to the Temple of the Tooth.

    Now we all know Mike is big into dental hygiene so this temple is BIG for him. There were some debates if Buddha also had good dental hygiene or if his tooth was going to be a bit yellow’d. Read on to find out if 🦷 was 🤍 or 💛.

    The Temple of the Tooth was probably my favorite Temple visit yet. And not just here in Sri Lanka but compared to Thailand as well. It wasn’t due to the temple size, architecture or that it housed Buddha’s tooth but because we were “hand selected” for a private tour of the temple (aka we got pegged as fuzzy foreigners and an easy target for quick cash by a local). This older gentleman (let’s call him Mitch) guided us around and shared fun facts as we went along. The knowledge and time taken to really explain the details and history made it mean so much more. Much of what we saw and pics taken would have never happened without Mitch.

    Fun facts from Mitch (that I remember or jotted down):

    1. 1600 years ago, Buddha’s tooth traveled from India to Sri Lanka hidden in the hair of a Princess from India to save it from being destroyed.

    2. Buddha’s tooth first arrived in Colombo before moving to Kandy.

    3. The original Kandy temple for the tooth was built in 1852. Then the temple around the original tooth temple was built in 1987 to protect the original.

    4. Buddha’s tooth is not displayed to the public but is encapsulated within many gold and gem covered “caskets” … 7 actually.

    5. Every year, there is a Buddha tooth parade; July 30th - August 8th. Where an elephant has a replica of the tooth on its back and parades it around Kandy, along with 74 other elephants.

    So … after all of that, no answer if Buddha was a twice a day tooth-brusher like Mike or not. 🫩

    After the Temple of the Tooth, we headed to do a little more gem 💎 shopping but at a different place. Much better feel here and think we did well! The negotiations were like buying a car (which I’m the WORST at) so I actually excused myself to call the hotel so I didn’t blow Mike’s approach.

    Once Mike closed the deal, we were headed back to hotel to pack up, eat lunch and head to Sigiriya.

    Today we hit the first real rain in Winston. Had to drop and latch the sides to keep us dry but talk about a sweat box. Humid city! And a few spots in the drop top were compromised so a sporadic drops on my lap, and shoulder were pretty cool. So once the rain stopped and seemed clear, we rolled the sides back up and let Winston air out. Total drive time in Winston with minimal stops = 3 hours.

    The real fun was right at the tail end of our drive when anticipation was high to get to Jetwing Hotel (a hotel brand here) when Google took us to the wrong hotel… I mean one would seem NBD but it kind of was. We were already deep off the main road and on a dirt road, so the re-routing shortcut was “smooth sailing”.

    I held all questions as to “what next?” since I could feel the tension in the throttle as Mike had Winston wide open and took to the path like moto-cross. Good news is that we made it and the place is another level of peace and beauty.

    The Jetwing Vil Uyana are individual villas or bungalows 🤷🏽‍♀️, on a lake. The main part of the hotel is surrounded by water as well, and the place screams tranquility (if that’s even possible to be bolth).

    Long day equated for shower and dinner, then snooze. Up early for a big hike up to Lions Rock bright and early!

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    1Lion's foot ... entry to palace.Ladies love Winston!Tallest Buddha in the world (they say). 100 meters high.Did. Not. Make. It. But we found the way!Overhead view of our lake view villa. Ours is with the light on. 🥰

    Day 13 - Sigiriya (🦁’s Rock)

    7 de noviembre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Talk about “leg day” … we’ve been known to miss a leg day, or two, in the past but today we most definitely did not miss and probably made up a few days.

    Why? Our “gym” today was a journey up to the top of Lion’s Rock. They say it’s a total of 1,200 steps up but felt like a million. All I know is … I almost quit at least 3 times and my un-lady like profanity would have been embarrassing to any truck driver. 🫣 JK … it wasn’t that bad (at least what actually exited my mouth wasn’t).

    There are a few stops along the way to catch a breath and some sights but I didn’t want to stop too long, as I wasn’t sure I’d get going again. We pressed on. The stairs got steeper and much more narrow as we approached the top. It was a mind-challenge to remind myself to not look down and not to acknowledge I’m walking on a narrow, iron staircase full of other eager climbers … only drilled and “secured” into this ancient rock (with probably minimal building codes). But I think the burn of my thighs, buttocks and calves (all of it) and the fear that any minute my legs may just become a can’t-doer and block traffic (no shoulder to pull over) … kept my mind focused off of all of the safety concerns and was the push I needed to get myself to the top. God works in mysterious ways, eh?

    So why did we do this? Not for the gram or to check a box … but for the sunrise. 🌅 Absolute perfection!

    To get up there in time and see this … we woke up Winston before the Roosters, and hit the dirt running about 5am. Gates opened around 5:30am and the climb commenced. We stayed with the flow, so total climb time was at least 40 mins (probably more) of climbing/stairs. Think of the 1990 Stair-master, on a #10 incline for the duration. Yep. That!

    One photo op spot (that we did on the way down) was the lions paws. At one time, it was a big stone lion and one would enter the king’s palace through the mouth. Today, only the lion’s paws remain. Fun to imagine what it must have been like thousands of years ago.

    The history of Lion’s Rock is a bit of a Buddhist sandwich. The rock’s caves started as a Buddhist monastery but then King Kasyapa made it his new capital during his reign (in the 400’s AD). That’s a lot of what you see remaining today. After his death, the rock and area was returned to the Buddhist monastery until the 14th Century.

    As we made our way back down and to Winston … we found that Winston had some admirers. Monkey’s???? Nope. Actually two young ladies who thought he was “gram” worthy (who wouldn’t?) and snapped some photos with him. Winston will probably go viral … Mike and I just waited in the distance and let Winston have this time. 👯‍♀️ + 🚙 = 🤍

    Upon return, we had breakfast and relaxed, and then thought it would be a great idea to go take on another temple. That was mighty courageous of us, as this was the Dambulla Cave Temple, which includes more stairs. Well … let me tell you this … we made it mid-way up but then needed a ticket that required us to go back down, hike to a ticket office and then back up to where we were, only to hike more stairs to take in the sight. We threw in the towel …

    Remember the video of Winston doing his very very best to climb up the steep hill in Ella at the Tea Cabins … but petered out? Just replay that video to get a visual of me. Thankfully I didn’t slide backwards but had to draw a line as Mike didn’t need to haul me out on his back. Not a good look and I wanted to keep what pride I had left intact for the time being.

    Afternoon and evening were quiet … massages and dinner, then bed! Up early again tomorrow for hot air balloon ride over Sigiriya!

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    Day 14 - Sigiriya (Hot Air 🎈 Ride)

    8 de noviembre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Another early morning … another adventure! This morning it was time for a hot air balloon ride over Sigiriya. ☀️🎈

    It was a real feat to roll out at 4:40am again this morning but once we were up and moving, the fresh morning air and anticipation got us moving. Plus the promise of a nap later helped!

    Winston got to sleep in this time around so he was pleased … Instead the hot air balloon peeps swooped us up and delivered us to the launch pad. We arrived to some pastries and bananas, and tea/coffee as we awaited the balloons to be prepped. Then it was time to load up and be off.

    I = nervous / Mike = excited. We were the last to load in the box. Once we (meaning I) got used to the whole floating feeling, it was relaxing and peaceful to float with a bird’s eye view of the area. (Except for beeping that made me a bit nervous, but the crew seemed cool, so I went with it. I mean what was I going to do at that point? 😂). The landing was interesting … we landed rather softly in an unplanted rice field to be greeted by locals who came and took pictures with us (they loved Mike!) and the balloon. Then it was unload and champagne to celebrate the first flight of the 2025/2026 season for the crew. 🍾 Overall … an experience that I’m thankful for. Oh and our “Cheif Pilot”’s name was Topac so that was pleasing.

    Upon arrival back to the Jetwing, we came upon a ceremony/celebration of some sort. We weren’t exactly sure how to approach it, but just as we were walking by, we were welcomed in and asked if we would be apart of it. What were they doing? Sowing seeds for the start of another rice growing season.

    Twice a year, they plant their rice. And twice a year they do this blessing. Sri Lankans have two rice seasons; the Maha (big season) and the Yala (small season). Today they were doing a blessing ceremony for the Maha season. What luck! We felt so honored to be welcomed in with the farm workers and the staff of Jetwing. But just when we thought we couldn’t be more welcomed, they asked us if we would honor them in throwing out the first seeds!! I truly didn’t feel worthy … I only grow succulents (and that’s touch and go) so for me to “plant” seeds for their Maha crop was dicey. They insisted so we humbly accepted.

    They outfitted us in the traditional farmers attire (a bit different than the pearl plaid button downs with jeans and boots that is the farmer uniform of Yolo County). And then handed us the seeds to start sowing. Surreal … honored … humbled …

    Not to get too preachy here … but with each toss of future “life”, my mind and heart were open to the word God was planting in this 🖤.
    The literal act of the sowing of seeds here in Sri Lanka was from God’s lips to my heart. As I tossed, I wondered … What kind of seeds am I sowing? What legacy will I leave? Lots to reflect on, especially as we re-enter reality here in a few weeks and our next phase of life. 🙏🏼

    2 Corinthians 9:6
    Matthew 13:1-23

    Ok back to the adventure … I got my nap and felt like a million bucks as we headed out to the tiny town of Sigiriya for some shopping. Stopped and had an amazing coffee and a non-alcoholic old fashioned, that was an Ayurvedic mystery drink to help with digestion, along with a shot of another Ayurvedic mix also for digestion. Both were interesting but seemed to help my belly!

    After shopping it was high tea on a little island they have at the hotel, night-walk looking for a Slender Loris (pic has details on these allusive little creatives - saw one - nailed it), and then quiet dinner by the pool for our last night, kindly set up by Dessa (dee-sa) our butler. Butler sounds bougie, I know … and it totally is but it’s a thing at these resorts and Mike was able to shelve being my G.E.M. 😂

    G.E.M - Guest Experience Maker

    Bedtime now! And back to Negombo tomorrow for our last trip with Winston and in Sri Lanka.

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    Day 15 - Sigiriya —> Negombo

    10 de noviembre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    And … we are back where this adventure all started … Negombo, after 4.5 hours of travel.

    That brings a total of 938 kilometers (or 583 miles), round trip, in Sir Winston for us. 😳 Average KPM was probably 40.

    WOW! Mike did it! He navigated the island like a local, getting us back in time to head to the Maldives without a scratch, but loaded with memories, some serious QT and solid stories to share.

    NOTE: Mike will correct me here and say “we did it” but nope! I cannot take any credit for the success here. He was (and is) the superstar! I bailed on driving the Tuk Tuk for everyone’s best interest.

    Today’s travels felt long … I mean they were long but I think we both were anxious to be back to Negombo, to prep ourselves for the Maldives, so that the last stretch drug on a bit. But still not horrible and plenty to take in as we swapped observations of the island and started to wonder what it will be like for us when we get home.

    Quick run down of today …

    - Purchased a painting on wood that is a rendering of a tile at the Temple of the Tooth (The artist’s daughter studied at Georgetown in the US and still lives there. Very proud of his work and daughter).

    — Captured an elephant bathing 🐘

    — Stopped for a “health snack”; we’ve found the pastries here are delicious!

    — Dinner in Negombo at an Italian place for pizza and pasta. Right up my alley!

    Sri Lanka will have a huge place in our hearts! The people … SO kind and welcoming to us everywhere we went. Hard workers … their life is NOT easy. Deep culture … Truly, I’m still processing the last 16 days and all we experienced so I’ll have to table further comment until I can really soak it all in.

    Maybe I’ll have some time in the Maldives??? 🥰😉

    Wheels up to paradise manana! Can’t wait to be greeted by a “tattoo”!

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    1What I envisioned for arrival ... 😂
    Bye Sri Lanka! 🇱🇰Hahahaha!Arrived in Male ... waiting for transfer to sea plane.Walking to the Flying Turtle 🐢Theeee Flying TurtleBoarding ...Boarded ...Taking off ...An atoll ... as we fly along.Taking it all in ...Other resorts ...Barefoot and ready for r&r!Our mode of transportation for the week! Please note our initials. Perfect touch!Sip Sip - Beach Club and RestaurantPillow SelectionYum!🥰

    Day 16 - Negombo —> Maldives

    10 de noviembre de 2025, Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Ok … I’ve been looking forward to this last leg of our trip since Mike said “Maldives” was on his itinerary but was not prepared for the pure beauty of what was to come. He prepped me with pictures + videos, but this??? One can’t describe or properly photograph but we sure will try!

    Up and out at 8am to head to the airport for our 11:15am flight. They suggested 3 hours ahead so we heeded the warning. The ironic thing is … we almost got into an accident on the way! Wouldn’t that be something … make it all around the island in a Tuk Tuk and then end up in an accident on the way to the airport with a local driver. But happy to report it was only a close call. 😰

    The flight from Colombo —> Male (capitol of Maldives) was interesting in that the safety video captured all types of nationality’s and cultures (not PC at all — full of stereo-types) … Mike and I really appreciated the one we posted (guy smoking a big ol’ cigar for the No Smoking on flight instructions). There were others but we are tight on space so we will gladly have to share all the others at another time. Overall … an easy flight on FlyDubai. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Six Senses who then got us all settled in with our tickets for the Flying Turtle, I.e. Six Senses sea plane, to take us to our “fantasy island” for the next 8 days. Quick stop in their lounge, then it was time to load up.

    First time for me on a sea plane so I gathered my nerves and my super excited husband, and trotted down the dock to load up. Not much time to ponder anything that could go wrong … we literally sat down, clicked our seat belts, was informed of the location of the life vest and they closed the doors. You know it’s going to be a relaxed flight when the Captian is flying in flip flops 🩴 and the flight attendant had no shoes at all. Mike told him what a great job to have where shoes aren’t required (coming from the guy who just retired 😂). Up we went and it was incredible … the view of the atolls and islands felt fake. And the landing?? Fun! A big ol’ splash and we were there! 60 min fly time … no refreshments, which was more than ok!

    As I eagerly awaited to be greeted by “tattoo” … I also just took some time to take in the fact we were completely on the opposite side of the world, so far from home from friends and family. Crazy it’s been so long! Miss ya all!

    But that was cut short as we landed in the waters just off the island Laamu and were swooped up by the Six Senses boat. Here we gleefully forfeited our shoes and sipped lemonade, to really take in the “barefoot luxury” that this resort is all about.

    I do love words … but I am at a loss to describe this place. Top to bottom … front to back … perfection. The variations of blue of the water is unfiltered. It really is that perfect.

    Six Senses have G.E.M.s (Guest Experience Makers), so Mike has been officially relieved of his Sri Lankan GEM duties. Our GEMs name is Fahundh, no Tattoo in a white tux but he is wonderful! After a tour for the lay of the land, we were free to explore Laamu!

    Our villa is an ocean-view villa on Jetty B with theee best clear view of the ocean. Our GEM is really knocking it out of the park with his choice of villa for us. View out our windows … 👌🏼! Like we are all alone …

    Posted some general pics of the place but Mike gives a full run-down of the joint here:

    For the full Cribs video click here: https://share.icloud.com/photos/056K7KLLZ9Lgztn…

    Once settled in, we ordered up some pillows, freshened up and hopped on our manual hogs to head to dinner at the Chill Bar. Food and ambiance = A+.

    Saved the BEST news for last … They have all you can eat ice cream! So many flavors for us to try. Thank goodness my wardrobe is 80% cotton and I’m embracing this new middle-aged body. I’m sure I’ll get some ice cream pimples too but when in the Maldives, must have ice cream!

    Mikes choice = Burnt Milk and Mango Sorbet
    My choice = Mint Chocolate Chip

    Hopped back on our cycles and back to the villa to complete our first night on this fantasy island!

    Hugs all!
    M&A    Leer más

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    1Sunset Cocktail Par-tay!
    2Really embracing retirement ... tiger robe engaged... first sunrise in Maldives.Our morning "alarm".Mike on the move for some tortugas aka turtles 🐢 First snorkel off our villa.Morning dip! You dip, I dip ... we dip!Equator is only 265km away ...Breakfast of champs!View from breakfast areaDocLay of the landMassage welcome juice and cold lavender towel. Getting too used to this!Nordstrom of the Maldives… with ice cream?!?New hat!1

    Day 17 — Laamu (Maldives)

    11 de noviembre de 2025, Maldivas ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    The first full day on Laamu in the Maldives is complete.

    Disclaimer … posts going forward may be a bit more Groundhog Day as Big Ang has taken over the schedule so be prepared to be bored. 😂 I love a routine and I think we both are ready for the “lose track of time” schedule and fly by the seat of our suits kind of days.

    We continue to wake up without an alarm around 6:30am … which here is perfect given the sun rises right outside our villa about 6:51am, giving us just enough time to wipe our eyes and clean out the “sleepies” to take in the big “good morning” from the Man upstairs.

    First Dip 💦 … We took our first dip in the turquoise blue waters before breakfast (weather was like 82 degrees … same as it was when we went to bed). Refreshing and quite buoyant! So much salt and no current so we could float and float, and move only a smidge. Given my last snorkel “dip” this was welcoming and assuring I wouldn’t need Mike to come out of retirement (again) to save the day. 🛟

    🍳 Breakfast 🥞 … the trend of BIG breakfast continues … but here it’s not just English vs Sri Lankan. Here it’s a breakfast buffet on roids which includes whatever you can dream up, including a wine cellar of meats, cheeses and sushi (for M), and a made-to-order pancakeee / waffle station (for A).

    🧘 After breakfast … I headed for Facial
    Yoga. Yep! Yoga positions for the face, and face massage techniques to help with eliminating toxins, adding blood flow and to help with sleep. It was interesting but definitely worth the 30 mins to get a few tips and tricks to cut down on any future nips and tucks. 😉🙏🏼

    Consultation 📈 … At high noon, Mike joined me for a Ayurveda consultation with a visiting practitioner from England: Suraj Varma. He was interesting and seemed to peg both our “pain points” without us really even saying much at all. We took the bait and scheduled some treatments so stay tuned!

    Here is some more info to read up on this type of medicine: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness…

    Massages in the late afternoon (probably the best we have ever had) … 50 mins was complimentary and we elected not to pay for longer. I feel like they pulled a trick out of a drug dealers playbook by giving us a little taste for free to keep us coming back for more. 😒 Clever!

    Ice Cream🍦and flippers … Needed some flippers so naturally it seemed fitting to stop for an afternoon treat while I was fitted. Nordstrom doesn’t even provide such service when shoe shopping!

    Mike selected two sorbets: peach and pomegranate. I went for Fruit of the God’s (chocolate) and Burnt Milk. So good!!! But must eat it quick. Don’t want to miss one delicious drop.

    Cocktail 🍹 Beach Party … The evening kicked off with a beach cocktail party for all guests, with requested attire being their local attire known as a Feyli. Mike was extra pumped to put this on, as you can imagine, but I think he made it look good! Agreed??? Sadly we had to return them (insert Mike’s sad face 😔).

    From here … back to the Chill Bar for a chill dinner and another ice cream. 🫣 Fruit of the God and Mint chocolate chip for us both.

    Thank goodness for 🚲 rides morning, noon and night!! 🙏🏼

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    Doesn't disappoint!#1975. They just don't make them like they used to. 😍Afternoon snack. 😆1We have a "who wore it best?" situation. See next pic ... 😆So ????? Mike does make the hat look good! That guy. #winningCreeping in on other villas. lolMovie time! I actually put on makeup! But still opting for natural fuzzy hair ... island life.Proof of barefoot luxury after here.After dinner ... in route to ice cream.Mike loves to document my happiness! No shame. 😂Damn it!Two can play this game ...😂😍

    Day 18 — Laamu (Maldives)

    12 de noviembre de 2025, Maldivas ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    As promised … not much excitement for the day. Big Ang = lots of ☀️ and 🧘🏽‍♀️.

    Sunrise and an early breakfast … insert pancake pics. Anyone else impressed?

    After that … Mike kicked off the day a bit different than me … he kept up the adventure-side of things with a 2-tank morning dive. Not many people on the dive with him (which isn’t always a bad thing). But the couple that were diving with him, he enjoyed! They were from Madrid and he works for the hotel management company that manages the Six Senses hotels. What a gig, eh? This trip though … he brought his wife so it was more play vs work for him this time around. He gave Mike some insight into the background of this resort, tips and opinions on other resorts around the world (I can tell Mike’s wheels are already turning for where to next 🫣😂) and suggested a few things that are a must while we are here. I’ll get into those later.

    While he was swimming with the fishes (literally, not mafia style) … I spent 90 mins with the ol’ doc trying to get this middle aged vessel back flowing and not all “stuck”. Sounds crazy but this guy was amazing! I’m less puffy, feel energized and also getting my neck line back after just one session! First time after a massage I feel more awake than when I went in. My goal here is to really stretch my spine and get things straight again, and to get into a routine for morning and afternoon stretching … all trying to avoid Mike being married to a troll. 🧌 Talk about a true bait and switch then if that happens. Hahaha!

    If you haven’t read up on Ayurvedic medicine yet, please do. All about balance of the systems. For me stress … and while I thought I was handling it ok … it has quietly caused havoc with any balance I may have had previously (meaning not sure how balanced I was before)! Anyway … whether it’s real or not, I’m going to embrace the energy and change I have at this moment.

    Mike and I met back up to swap stories and catch up … especially since it was the longest we have been away from one another since we were wheels up weeks ago (crazy, right?).

    Catch-up sesh was at Sip Sip, a beach bar restaurant. Beautiful view, lovely pool and hammocks in the water. Naturally we gravitated to those and enjoyed the natural sway of the hammocks from the waves. There was also a little fish that followed Mike everywhere! Even the fish love this guy! 😍

    After all that swimming in the ocean (aka floating in a hammock), it was a little bike cruise to explore the island and then ice cream time! Doc said ok for ice cream! Just no carbs or cold water. 😊

    A’s Choice = Mint Chip and Chocolate
    M’s Choice = Mike copied me and got the same. 😂

    From there it was back to villa to get ready for a documentary on the Maldives Reefs and dinner. They filmed it here on a local diver/researcher named CoCo about the reefs and the research being conducted here at Six Senses:

    Link to the website if interested:

    https://owenbornhorst.wixsite.com/owenbornhorst…

    It was amazing! 20 mins filled with information about the delicate reefs here in the Maldives, the MUI and how if the reefs are not protected and secured, Maldives is in great danger of erosion and being swallowed up by the sea. Mike said his new pal indicated without preservation of these reefs, the Maldives may be under water in 15 years. 😳

    What does that mean?? You all need to come visit here asap!

    What’s also cool is the first night we were here they actually had some reef spawning and when we were nosing around as to why the lights were on the water, a young intern from NY called us over to look at all the reef eggs! We had no idea what a big deal that was until we watched this film. So if you have time, find it and give it a watch!

    After the mooovie … dinner time! We had lunch so not super hungry for dinner (no carbs or wine/beer) but there was ice cream!

    NOTE: Still no shoes! Even no flip flops since we arrived. Glorious!

    Evening Ice Cream:

    Mike’s choice = Vanilla and Oreo
    A’s choice = Mint chip and chocolate (again - if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it).

    Also … after I was about 75% done hammering down my ice cream cone… I realized … carbs … damn it! 🫩 Oh well!

    Looking forward to what tomorrow shall bring. Hugs! M&A    Leer más

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    Quiet time at the villa ... after some snorkeling 🤿Yoga Pavilion1After Yoga ride back to villa...Olive Ridley ProjectOutside Leaf11

    Day 19 — Laamu (Maldives)

    13 de noviembre de 2025, Maldivas ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    The day today consisted of a whole lot of going with the flow …

    Slept in past sunrise today which was a first for us on this entire trip! We peeked our eyes open to catch God saying hello via his sun beams but then like a child ignoring their parents that it’s time to get up for school … we rolled over and went back to slept for a bit longer.

    Morning breakfast was well documented with the sushi, meat and cheese room. This time I accompanied Mike to keep him on track but found myself also deep in the weeds with all there was to offer (except for the sushi). Mike was flying solo there.

    Got my pancakees and tea (becoming quite the tea drinker) … fueled up … it was time to start the flow!

    At 11am, I headed to Suraj for my attitude alignment (lol - jk but actually it’s helping that too!) and Mike chilled out at the room. He had his first appointment with the doc after mine so I tagged him in and headed back to the villa.

    After a little relaxation, we headed to the Yoga Pavilion for some beginner Yoga. It was a perfect stretch and breathing session to keep this flow. We are pretty much mind/body/yogies now. NBD. 😂 (Actually… My flexibility is less than ideal. It’s a wonder I can tie my own shoes.)

    After we mastered Yoga, we tackled the afternoon ice cream (🫣) and then back to the villa to get ready for a turtle presentation and dinner at Leaf.

    Ice Cream “fit’ check:
    A — Oreo + Chocolate
    M — Ice Spice + Peach Sorbets

    The turtle presentation was superb! They covered all the different kind of sea turtles, life cycles, etc … and what is super exciting is there is a turtle nest on the island now! And the baby turtles could hatch any day now!

    Sad fact … 1 out of a 1,000 baby turtles will actually make it to adulthood. They hatch and scurry to the sea from the sand but if they pass through that gauntlet, many are eaten by other fish and prey when they hit the water. They don’t get their protective shell until like 2-5 years. So the turtles we are seeing are true survivors!

    Olive Ridley Project is one of the turtle rescue projects happening around here so we posted a pic with info if you want to check it out.

    Now for dinner … Six Sense is all about sustainability and Leaf (that’s the name of the restaurant) is a visual representation of that, with the gardens surrounding the place full of future nutrients and some words of advice for guests. Let’s also note the quaint rope bridge that brings you the entrance.

    Meals were delicious but choices were slim. Their menu changes daily so they keep dishes to one fish, one meat and one veggie. The meat for the night was lamb so that was my choice and Mike has the fish. We passed on dessert (naturally) as who would pay for dessert when there is an all you can eat ice cream parlor just a short bike ride away?

    Night ended with ice cream (duh):
    A - Oreo + Chocolate
    M - Blueberry Cheesecake + Burnt Milk

    Word to sum up today? Content. ♥️
    Hugs! M&A    Leer más

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    Sunset - Headed to "class" before dinner.
    BreakfastMore breakfast ...Reminder ...1Turtle sighting off villa ...head pops up and back down. He's kind of our pet.Sunset 🌅MUI - Maldives Underwater InitiativeInstagram account 👆🏼1Random pick of the urinals in the common area "toilet"... Mike's dream for home just FYISip next to dip ...View from dinner ...2Blue Planet EP52

    Day 20 - Laamu (Maldives)

    14 de noviembre de 2025, Maldivas ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    I warned you … Groundhogs Day posts were coming. 😀

    Morning sunrise — ✔️
    Breakfast — ✔️✔️

    After we handled that biz … it was my last session with the ol’ doc Suraj and Mike’s 2nd session. So we tagged teamed hanging out at the villa while the other got all aligned.

    After that, it was “ice cream thirty” so we we hit the ol’ ICE (that’s the name of the place, btw … different than US ICE. 😉).

    Afternoon ice cream “fit”:
    A — mint chip + chocolate
    M — same (copied me 😂)

    Then it was snorkeling off our villa — Green turtles + sea rays + tuna + weird long spiked fish …

    At 6:30pm, there was another educational/ informational presentation so Mike and I geeked out on sea grass before dinner. Super interesting and shocking to hear that many resorts are actually killing or removing sea grass to provide the instagram “worthy” clear turquoise water that tourist seek. The impact isn’t just effecting the ecosystem and all that depends on the sea grass but sea grass converts more CO2 to O2 more than the rainforests! WHO knew?!?!? We sure didn’t. Six Senses resorts are top of educating other resorts that actually the sea grass is home to many different species and, for tourism, it’s actually better to keep the sea grass for better snorkeling experiences. Pass the word! Save the sea grass! 🌊🌱

    After our brains were fed … time for a little sip next to the dip before dinner.

    Dinner … oh man! Out of hand! My cotton was like … challenge accepted!

    We didn’t do the best job documenting this Asian Street Buffett. It’s hard to carry plates of food and snap photos too. Promise. We tried!

    So whatever comes to mind for Asian food, it was there and made right in front of your eyes. I had some stir-fry noodles with beef, and satay, with a little dim sum (for Richard 🤍) and a Sapporo brew to wash it all down. Mike well … he partaked in more adventurous Asian Cuisine but also enjoyed some Dim Sum and stir-fry noodles. The picture doesn’t reflect 2nd plates. 😳

    Note: Our waiter gave me an ice bucket for my brew. Why? Mike likes to remind me that I have a drinking problem aka, I don’t drink fast enough or finish my drinks. 😂 He and the waiter ganged up on me but jokes on them! I got to sip my Sapporo nice and slow… and it was still frosty so … 👊! I’ll be requesting an ice bucket for my beer from here on out. It’s actually genius!

    Dinner included a large and in charge dessert spread so while the goal was ice cream x 2 day, we had to skip the ol’ ice cream this evening after we put down a variety of desserts at dinner.

    The planned finale for the evening was a moooo-vie under the stars. All jazzed up for Blue Planet EP5 … we settled in at 9:30pm (which is already pushing my bedtime) on some loungers, eager to geek out more on this blue ocean stuff. As the feature started we were lost … it was in Russian! The ol’ Ruskies strike again! We thought we left them all in Sri Lanka. 🫩 Subtitles were cut off so to follow the pictures and random word that would pop up was ruf … we put in the effort but had to tap out. By the time we left, we were the only ones still there. Wonder if they thought we understood it. 🤔

    Per our GEM this morning, apparently who ever was in charge of pressing play made a bit of the mistake. Oh well! It was late anyway and my various pillow options were calling.

    Bedtime … but after we lathered up with fresh aloe to tone our “glow”. 🌟Thanks GEM!

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  • Tuk Tuks, Tea + Turquoise Seas
    Hello gorgeous! ☀️She's back! 😂 FYI: We have the same ice cream gal everyday.Mike's favorite time for pics ... 🫩 Ice cream after snorkeling... well deserved.SHELL update for the day!This is the Laamu Atoll ... we are on the island circle in yellow.We are here ...How Atolls are formed ... who knew they were once volcanoes?Going to dig up ... a nest! 😂Sunset ... headed to turtles!Turtles have arrived! They just climbed up and out of nest.Explaining what is happening and was is about to happen.Me and my new friend! 🐢1Sip Sip Bar and Restaurant at sunset.1

    Day 21 - Laamu (Maldives)

    15 de noviembre de 2025, Maldivas ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Boy … what a “turtlely” awesome day! A day full of new life … new marine life that is. No Groundhog Day with today’s activities.

    Breakfast as usual … except I should have known today would be juiced up when I started with Rocket Fuel! What is Rocket Fuel? Oh man … it’s “fuel” all right. It is a feat if you can finish a small glass as the main ingredient is apple cider vinegar. I added some sparkling water (Mike’s suggestion and a good one!)

    In case you want to go to the “moon” …

    Rocket 🚀 Fuel Ingredients:
    Apple cider vinegar | Onion | Orange | Lemon or lime | Fresh ginger | Fresh turmeric | Garlic
    | Fresh herbs (like thyme, rosemary, or tarragon) | Bay leaves | Black peppercorns | Optional: raw honey

    While it tasted horrible … it may have been what I “needed” to survive another snorkeling event.

    Today’s snorkeling was off the House Reef, guided by two marine biologist interns. Easy enough, I thought! Group snorkel … close to main hotel area … what could go wrong? 😑

    Well nothing really went “wrong” but let’s say the route was much further out than anticipated and beneath me was dark blue abyss. Add in a choppy day with more aggressive ebb and flow waves vs outside our villa … I got a wee bit nervous. Then when my snorkel pinched (I assume that is what happened) and could not get a breath from my mouth and nose… it was on. Poor Mike. He’s so calming and patient with me. Good news is I finally swallowed my pride and took a rest on a floaty they brought out, gained my composure, solved my snorkel issue and went on to see a black tipped shark, Green Sea turtles 🐢 (one snoozing on a reef) … lots and lots of fish … so
    worth it! Always is!

    The sea amazes me … the world under the big blue ripples is so untapped and the symphony of life that happens down there is remarkable. This trip has taught us much about ourselves as we journeyed in these foreign lands but to learn about and experience the marine life here at Six Senses Laamu is irreplaceable.

    We kept the learning going by doing a SHELL tour of their research facility. Can’t lie … it was a snore fest. Lots of info and all good stuff but he literally read off the information that was there. Nothing new or exciting nuggets for us. But guess we are still glad we did it. It can’t all be amazing, right?

    Mike and I are on the countdown to returning to reality (Btw … Mike is doing ok with that 😉) and a prayer of mine to the man above while we’ve been traveling is for Him to show me/us what I/we need to see. He sure delivered today.

    Today we not only witnessed the release of the fertilized eggs from the coral spawning event that happened the night we arrived at
    Six Senses Laamu but we were able to witness the start of many baby turtles journey to the unknown … from nest to ocean. Serious Nat Geo stuff! The babies will have a full life of plush sea grass or will be nourishment for birds, crabs or fish. Of course … 🙏🏼 for sea grass!

    Quick background … when we arrived, we were told there was a turtle nest on the island that they were waiting to hatch. They thought it hatched two days ago in the middle of the night and today was to be an exploratory excavation to see if any baby turtles didn’t make the climb out. Instead … the nest explodes with babies! There is a video where my new marine biologist friend (who loves turtles) explains it all. What an event! Everyone was literally rooting for them as they scurried down the sand slope and made it to the water.

    After the last baby turtle made his/her way into the ocean and things died down a bit … I captured my new friend having a moment by herself. She stood at the water’s edge … her back to the sand and just gazed off into the sunset. I can only imagine the thoughts and emotions that were flooding her. And I even teared up a bit witnessing her passion and love for those little tortugas. To be so young but so clear as to what she is passionate about … I envy that!

    Me? Lately I’ve been passionate about my ice cream selections! 🫩 Maybe this is a nudge to get serious and find my passion. And it’s not ice cream! Even though … I do l-o-v-e it!

    Which reminds me … ice cream “fit” today:
    A — Chocolate and Strawberry x 2
    M — Blood Orange + Pomegranate | Coffee + Mint Chip

    After all that excitement, we enjoyed what was left of the sunset at the Chill Bar before dinner.

    Dinner tonight? Italian! See menu pic. The head chef for the resort is a fellow Italian so we knew we were in good hands. I’d say it was theeee best risotto I’ve ever had and the Tiramisu was unique and super delish as well! Main courses were exceptional too but these two were HR’s for this gal.

    After dinner … bedtime for us! Fully bellies! Full hearts!

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