Just a week after landing back from a fantastic tour of New Zealand and Australia—and with just enough time to head into the office for a briefing and collect my itinerary—I always find myself getting a bit excited. The first thing I look for is the list of clients travelling with us. It’s so nice to see so many familiar names of people who have travelled with us over the years and to know we’ll be reconnecting again.
After the meeting, all that remained was to sample a good pint of bitter, repack, take a deep breath, and it was time to fly to Sri Lanka.
Colombo: Galle and the ODI Series Win
After landing in Colombo, I was greeted by our ground handlers, who placed a garland of flowers around my neck. As we left the airport, a slight smog was evident, which I don’t recall noticing on my two previous visits. Still, the warmth more than made up for the rainy, cold weather back in the UK.
Our first day is always a free day. Ed and I acclimatised ourselves to our hotels and headed out in the evening in a tuk tuk—which are great fun and usually cost under a pound—for dinner and a beer.
The following morning, the tour really started to kick in as we met our guests at the airport. That evening, I spent time getting to know as many of them as I could; the group numbered sixty in total. Later, we gathered at both hotels for welcome drinks—catching up with old friends from tours around the world and getting acquainted with new clients.
The next day, the cricket began. The match itself wasn’t the best I’ve seen. On an awful wicket, England lost, but they did go on to win the ODI series 2–1.
Exciting Excursions
We had a very packed programme, which included Galle, the medieval capital of Polonnaruwa, and a safari at Minneriya National Park. I think everyone enjoyed seeing elephants in their natural environment, along with an abundance of birdlife. We also visited the cave temple, the botanical gardens in Kandy, the Temple of the Tooth, a tea plantation, and Sigiriya Rock.
Having visited all the historical sites on previous trips, the one I always enjoy most is Sigiriya Rock. It does take some climbing. I remember the last time I climbed it I was very comfortable, but this time I hit two points where I needed to stop and take a breath. The remainder of the climb was fairly easy, and it was well worth it. Our final excursion was to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.
Travel Events
The two cricket events we held were extremely successful, with great support from our ground handlers. It goes without saying, I was on the losing side again. Trophies were handed out to the best batsman and bowler, with medals for both teams. I think I’ve only been on the winning side twice—one of those being the famous sticky wicket in Antigua. It was an honour to play there, on a used wicket where England had played the West Indies in a warm-up match just the day before.
Our Q&A event with Cam Ponsonby and Steve Harmison kicked off a great evening, accompanied by an excellent buffet at Mount Lavinia. The night finished with Ed and me enjoying a game of heads and tails.
Kandy: T20 Series Win
Last night, the group witnessed a thrilling T20, with England getting home by 12 runs. On a slow, turning wicket, 128 looked a competitive total to me. As I left to prepare for our departure, a clutch of wickets fell. At that point, Sri Lanka looked all but over the line—just goes to show, in cricket the game is never won until it’s won.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who travelled with us. I hope we met your expectations. It’s always a pleasure catching up with old friends, and particularly special to make new ones.
All the best,
Gary
FANCY A TRIP TO SOUTH AFRICA THIS YEAR?
