Two go wild in Sri Lanka - Part two

Next it was high tea country, beautiful, cool, incredible views of mountains with clouds beneath us. We stayed in the excellent Nilowin Guesthouse, and drank beer and gin on the balcony, constantly alert to the troupe of monkeys that like to join us and see what they could steal. Rebecca did a cookery lesson and we made friends with all her fellow students.

The next day was a 5am start to Horton Plains National Park for a 9km walk in the on the highest of Sri Lanka’s mountains. Warning signs of what to do if you saw a leopard were everywhere and as we found ourselves on a small, dark jungle path. I'm not gonna lie, we were spooked. Emagine Scooby Doo in the arms of Shaggy, with Rebecca being Scooby. Only we turned the corner to find about 50 tourists on a bird watching holiday. Needless to say no leopards were seen.

Ella was next, the true Las Vegas of Sri Lanka, a climb up little Adam's peak and here is where we chose Rebecca's new puppy that she's going to have brought back to the UK. Sri Lankan dogs are truly lovely, totally placid and all a similar size and colour, but I'll let her introduce you to her little bundle later.

Then off to the total sweat box which is Udawalawe national park, for another 5am start and a safari to see their famous elephants.  We were both rather nervous of our guest house room, her because we saw a rat on the roof while we were drinking gin from teacups to allay our nerves and me because I kid you not, the bathroom was a sauna, with pebbles on the floor and a tin roof with holes for the snakes, rats or spiders to crawl in. Terrifying. It was basically a terrarium. Anyway we survived, even thrived despite some creature banging on the roof all night, and we had the most magical day seeing incredible birds, water buffalo, monkeys, lizards and crocodiles. The stars though were the elephants. Huge beasts, gently pulling grass with their trunks. Incredible.

Then for a few beach days, hot hot hot, sitting in shade, commenting on anyone who came into our view from our sunbed and splashing out at the acclaimed Smoke and Bitters one night, eating what might have been an egg roti on the beach the next. Keen to spend as much time in the water as possible, we've now extended our beach days but coming to the east coast staying right next to the turtle sanctuary where Rebecca worked. Its stunning, and the first place we've had to share a bed. As regular trail hikers together we're used to this but nevertheless tonight’s gonna be cosy. She may even tell me a ghost story. And if the lights fail she’ll have the ENORMOUS head torch that Mark gifted her. I've taken the piss out of that torch for days but in the crisis of the power cut yesterday it was our saviour. Well done Mark!

Tomorrow off to Colombo to eat in as many of the recommended restaurants that Rebecca's friend Bala sent her. And then our separate ways, her for a month in Java and Sumatra with her lover and I hope soon to be husband and me back to work, and my long suffering husband. Although I’m keen to hear how the jungle camping and the river tubing goes – she showed me a picture of her watercraft over breakfast and I haven't stopped laughing at the thought of her in. Look out for those photos.

So Rebecca's friends, family, acquaintances and lover and exes, she's doing good and looking even better. She'll be back in Blighty albeit briefly in April, so book your catch ups with her then. She's been an absolutely pleasure to travel with, even when she made me get out of the sea this morning like a child because we had to get ready. I am grateful for her protection agaist spiders. But the star is Sri Lanka. The most amazing landscapes, people and food. Surely, we'll be back. We might be 80 and in need of a wheelchair, but we can make it work..