I awoke early to ensure that I got to the airport in good time. I should not have worried and arrived with plenty of time to pack my bike. I posted my parcel at Mount Lavinia post office and headed back into the madness of Colombo past the twin towers of the Bank of Sri Lanka.

The route I chose was a little better than the one I took when I arrived and followed the canal towards Negombo for a short while. A last ‘plain tea’ and back onto the Colombo road heading North for the International airport. Oddly the airport appeared much larger than when I arrived and much more like Stanstead in the UK than the aerodrome from my first impressions on arrival. The bicycle was repacked in its plastic bag and I had no excess baggage charges to pay. I boarded a plane mostly filled with Indian passengers. There was spare space on this flight and with an empty seat next to me I could stretch out a little. The in flight vegetarian dinner was excellent.

I was quite sad to leave Sri Lanka. It is a beautiful country with a big heart. With so many structural changes following the civil war I wonder how long it will be before it is dragged down to the level of more ‘advanced’ countries. I have a terrible feeling that Sri Lanka’s soul will eventually be traded for the selfish world of modern consumerism.