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Follow along with our adventurous family of 6 as we travel the world to off-the-beaten-path destinations seeking adventure + culturally immersive experiences--life is better when we "Experience It Together!" ✈️ 2024: 🇵🇪🇲🇻🇱🇰🇦🇪🇫🇷🇪🇨🇺🇸

Day 17 (?) lol. Who is counting at this point!? We're in the MALDIVES!It rained on us today for a bit, but who cares! We...
02/08/2024

Day 17 (?) lol. Who is counting at this point!?
We're in the MALDIVES!

It rained on us today for a bit, but who cares! We embraced the rain and jumped in puddles and stayed out on the jet skis til they made us come in lol.

We explored more of the island today and went to a new cafe for lunch and met their pet bird who the kids are LOVED! this may be the place we come every day just because of the bird lol.

We discovered chicken burgers and more pizza lol. Food on the island is definitely not varied or very healthy. Which you would assume would be the total opposite right? Like I expected there to be an abundance of tropical fruit! but alas, that is not the case--they basically grow nothing and import EVERYTHING! totally bananas to me. Oh well, we may just all lose some pounds on this leg of the trip lol.

Of course we went out and snorkeled some more! the kids discovered they can jump off the boat and do that over and over and over out in the middle of the ocean!

the kids are all great snorkelers at this point and having the fins/flippers helps tremendously!

Day 14 ish, lol can't remember at this point but it's our first FULL day in the Maldives on a local island called Dhange...
30/07/2024

Day 14 ish, lol can't remember at this point but it's our first FULL day in the Maldives on a local island called Dhangethi. Our friends we had met in Egypt years ago and then re-connected with in Panama last year are the ones who told us about this world schooling opportunity with Elle at SB Luxury Travel/ Adventures and we are so thankful we decided to join!

Several families met up to explore the islands and the underwater world for two weeks. The Maldives has always been on our bucket list but I never really thought it could be affordable (especially since there are 6 of us) BUT staying on a local island (and not the overwater bungalows) and exploring with this group made it possible!

Everyone slept great last night in the AC! WOOHOO for air condition :) We had breakfast at the hotel and then went on a tour of the island (you can easily walk from one end to the other, most people walk (barefoot), ride bikes or mopeds!)

Most of the photos and videos from today are on the go pro because we went drift snorkeling along a reef! This is where the current is really strong so you don’t have to exert much energy at all just float face down looking at all the fish! The boat dropped us off at one end of the reef then met us at the other end to pick us up! We saw an eagle ray and tons and tons of fish. We bought a local pamphlet that tells you what fish they have and were going to mark all the ones we see. Cohen and the host family’s husband were snorkeling way out and ran into a black tipped shark that was about 4-5 ft long!!

Lemon is really good at snorkeling but stone prefers to not use the actual snorkel. Fox hates the fins but everyone else is doing great with them

ABU DHABI to the MALDIVESOur overnight flight was exhausting and we arrived VERY early to the Maldives...to a little bit...
29/07/2024

ABU DHABI to the MALDIVES

Our overnight flight was exhausting and we arrived VERY early to the Maldives...to a little bitty airport with no AC and lots of tourists! We found a spot in some AC a few blocks from where out boat was picking us up and the kids collapsed on the floor while me and Cory tried to figure out the wifi. Reliable wifi/cell service is our biggest headache usually because we both, but Cory especially, still has to be available for calls/emails while we are away (no matter the time difference! He is a trooper for sure!). We ended up buying two 100GB mobile wifi routers and fingers crossed that would last us out on the island.

After a few hours, we met up with some of the other families who we would be "world schooling" with at the Maldives Worldschool organized by Elle at SB Luxury Travel/ OTB Adventures and took a speedboat over to the local island which would be our home base for the next 2 weeks!

We checked-in to the hotel where everyone would be staying, the kids made friends quickly, we had a great dinner, and settled in for our first night!

ABU DHABI DAY 3We spent the day at Warner Bros. World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi and had such a great time! It was like Disne...
25/07/2024

ABU DHABI DAY 3

We spent the day at Warner Bros. World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi and had such a great time! It was like Disney World but all inside (it was FREEZING lol), it was themed so well and there were no lines! There was so much to do and the kids had a great time. They had character meet and greets, shows, and interactive spaces just like Disney.

Then, we had a late overnight flight to our next destination!!

First full day at the The WB Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection by Hilton we woke up and had a great breakfast in the hotel the...
24/07/2024

First full day at the The WB Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection by Hilton we woke up and had a great breakfast in the hotel then just walked over to the water park next door (we got free tickets just for staying at the resort...which we booked with CC points!)

We didn't take many photos because we rode every single ride there and got a cabana to relax in and have lunch. The weather is perfect!! It is interesting being in a Muslim country at a waterpark with tourists...there were all variations of swimsuits...fully covered head-to-toe mixed in with itty bitty bikinis and speedos lol.

DAY 7: TRAVELING from SRI LANKA to ABU DHABIWe had an early morning flight from Colombo to Abu Dhabi for an "extended la...
23/07/2024

DAY 7: TRAVELING from SRI LANKA to ABU DHABI

We had an early morning flight from Colombo to Abu Dhabi for an "extended layover" before we head to the Maldives! This was the "FREE" portion of our trip that I used points for and used the free extended layover that Emirates offered. We paid 30K Amex points per night for 3 nights for all 6 of us in adjoining rooms with a bonus transfer of 1000 = 2000 points to stay at the The WB Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection by Hilton

This is an all inclusive "resort" that also gave us one free park ticket per night per person plus a huge breakfast buffet.

Our hotel was a quick 15 min from the airport, and we had a private transfer organized from the hotel...the hotel lobby was huge and all the parks were literally a 2-5 min walk from the lobby. We planned on exploring the Water Park and the totally indoor Warner Bros. Park.

The kids were very excited for air conditioning, hot showers and "American" toilets, lol!

Snake Wrangling + Baby Turtles made for an epic last night in Sri Lanka!We went to the Dutch Galle Fort to eat lunch and...
22/07/2024

Snake Wrangling + Baby Turtles made for an epic last night in Sri Lanka!

We went to the Dutch Galle Fort to eat lunch and walk around, see the lighthouse and we stumbled upon a "snake charmer" and the kids all got to hold a BIG snake (Stone wanted no part of it lol).

Next, the sea turtle hatchery has been on my bucket list for years but everywhere we went, it was never the right season to see them hatch! BUT today it was! We each got to release 10 baby sea turtles, see the conservation efforts AND right as we were leaving, a nest started to HATCH! the kids each got to help one baby turtle out of the sand...it was very cool to see them just popping up out of the sand and trying to find their way to the ocean. Core memory for sure!

Sri Lanka: Day 6..Next, we headed over to an area where there were traditional "Stick/Stilt Fishermen"… you can even loo...
21/07/2024

Sri Lanka: Day 6..
Next, we headed over to an area where there were traditional "Stick/Stilt Fishermen"… you can even look on google maps and see it on the map labeled as such! Some of the locals still do fish like this, but these guys sit out here and fish just for the sake of tourists and so tourists can get a photo op. It was still cool to see and climb up onto the stilts...but the boys were bummed they didnt actually get to fish and honestly so was I...oh well, live and learn.

SRI LANKA: Day 6....Next up, after the cinnamon tour, but still on the island near where our boat was docked was a littl...
20/07/2024

SRI LANKA: Day 6....

Next up, after the cinnamon tour, but still on the island near where our boat was docked was a little old lady and this "Fish Spa" for your feet!! This was the WEIRDEST feeling ever but it was so fun! We LAUGHED and LAUGHED and LAUGHED. The fish swarm and nibble on all your dead skin (eww) and look at all those benefits (who knows if they're true or not though lol) Cohen and Stone opted out...Stone was too freaked out and Cohen was way more interested in fishing!

Last full day in Sri Lanka!Probably one of our most jam packed days...We started off my stopping at a local market--have...
18/07/2024

Last full day in Sri Lanka!

Probably one of our most jam packed days...

We started off my stopping at a local market--have I mentioned how much I love how colorful this country is? The market was VIBRANT and bustling and we were the only non-locals there.

Anytime we travel, I try to bring back something that is meaningful and not just a trinket or random typical souvenir....well as we walked the market, I saw sheets hanging up with Sri Lankan writing all over them (their writing is very ornate and "bubble letter-looking" IMO and I love it! It looks like art in and of itself.

I asked our guide what it said and he said it was a political protest sign that the owner of the temporary store front had put up in defiance of the government...(which made me like it even more lol). I asked him if I could buy it...and he thought I was crazy lol. He did, however, try to find the owner and offer him some money so I could take it, but alas we couldnt find him.

Our guide saw how upset I was and offered to write something for me on a big sheet!! I was so happy--we decided on a scripture...Proverbs 3:23, 26

Next, we hopped on a boat and headed out to "Cinnamon Island" where a local family grows and harvests cinnamon and sells it. The daughter and mom of the family showed us the whole process of how they grow it, when they harvest it, then they peel the bark off and it rolls up on itself--then it is put up to dry. Once it's dry, they leave it as sticks or they put it in a stone grinder and grind it into what we would call cinnamon. They also extract the oil and use it for cooking and medicinal purposes. We got to try some cinnamon tea and we purchased the cinnamon we helped make!

On the boat--we fed more monkeys but these were different type than the ones we had been seeing everywhere.

SRI LANKA DAY 5: We had to wake up SUPER early (5:00AM) to embark on a safari in Yala National Park -  Sri Lanka. You ca...
17/07/2024

SRI LANKA DAY 5: We had to wake up SUPER early (5:00AM) to embark on a safari in Yala National Park - Sri Lanka. You can tell from the breakfast photos who isn't a morning person, lol. Fox and Cohen are now tea afficianados and love drinking tea for breakfast and dinner.

We loaded up in our Land Rover packed with water, hats, sunscreen, and lunch...we knew this was going to be a long, hot day with no guarantee that we would even see any cool animals.

We bypassed the super long line of cars to get to the entrance (I think because of where we were staying?) and were immediately on the look-out for whatever we could find!

To be continued....

Ending the night by checking into at Yakadura Yala in Palatupana, Sri Lanka for an open-air safari tent/camp experience!...
16/07/2024

Ending the night by checking into at Yakadura Yala in Palatupana, Sri Lanka for an open-air safari tent/camp experience! This was one of the places I was MOST excited to experience. Sleeping under the stars in beds with just a mosquito net between us and the wild! It was wild for sure! We arrived at dusk and dropped our bags and went up to the main tent for dinner. Right before bed, the staff come in and use smoke to clear out all the insects and check for scorpions and snakes!!

Day 4: Ella, Sri Lanka (continued)Almost getting arrested in Sri Lanka....After our harrowing cave experience...we were ...
15/07/2024

Day 4: Ella, Sri Lanka (continued)

Almost getting arrested in Sri Lanka....

After our harrowing cave experience...we were now going the opposite direction...up high on a mountain to RAVANA Falls. We hiked up the 82 ft (much to the kids chagrin...they were asking for a Tuktuk lol) but the hike was well worth it! This waterfall was SO cool! We are used to hiking to see waterfalls, but at the end of the hike, we end up at the bottom of the falls...this time, you ended up at the very top of it!

Again, this would never fly in the USA...lol. There was no railing, no signage, no guards or forest rangers...just people having a good time exploring! We got to sit in the "pool" above the falls right before the water cascades over the rocks and plummets 82 ft down. Cory got the coolest drone shots here and we almost got arrested. (read all about that on the reel I just posted!)

There was one little opening in the rock formation that allowed all the water to tumble down and we got to stand RIGHT NEXT TO IT. The force wasn’t strong enough to pull you through the opening, so it LOOKED terrifying but it really wasn’t scary.

After the drone incident…we walked a little higher to another smaller waterfall that had a larger wading pool area and the kids got tossed around in the falls trying to climb it and slide down. Our waterfall guide was cracking up because they couldnt sit against the force of the water and just barreled down the rocks over and over—but they kept trying! Stone didnt stand a chance…lol.

Im BACK! Took a break cause I just got overwhelmed with social media...but I really do this so I can go back and see all...
14/07/2024

Im BACK! Took a break cause I just got overwhelmed with social media...but I really do this so I can go back and see all these memories and for our family and friends and if it helps others take the risk and go for these off-the-beaten path adventures, then thats just icing on the cake! So enjoy as we finish up our time in Sri Lanka!

Day 4: ELLA, SRI LANKA

We woke up at our homestay (which we definitely recommend...it was CHEAP and clean and had a magnificent view and good breakfast!) We decided to go spelunking after seeing it advertised on a menu at the restaurant we ate at yesterday. Our guide that is hanging with us had NEVER been and was outwardly nervous about it lol. He was excited but nervous--he was like your family is very adventurous hahaha!

To get out of the homestay area, it was a VERY steep walk, so the owner offered to drive us up...well the van could barely make it by itself but add us 6 in...we all had to LEAN forward and pray...the van started to roll backwards down the hill (with us in it) *see the photos below LOL. BUT we made it and switched over to our guide's vehicle.

Next we drove to the Nil Diya Pokuna Cave where we would be hiking over 800M underground to an underwater lake. We started off by getting fitted for helmets with headlamps and then we had two official cave guides accompany us to specifically walk and hold Stone + Lemon's hands. This is not like American caves that you can tour with handrails and lights...this is just a legit cave with rocks to scramble over, water dripping, bats, and birds and bugs. There was one wooden ladder and a rope at the very beginning...we had to go down the ladder (in a very tiny hole--Cory barely fit) into the dark. I was very anxious and just kept thinking about the soccer team in Thailand that got stuck in the cave.

They told us it would be a tight fit at the beginning for a few meters and then we it would be more open. I just kept telling myself that I couldnt have a panic attack in front of my kids or 800M underground in a foreign country and that Cory wouldn’t let anything happen to me lol.

The first few meters WERE SO TIGHT. Me, Cory, and Cohen and the guides had to turn sideways and duck and scootch between rocks for what felt like 15 min of walking. I just kept breathing and tried to focus on the kids being so ecstatic to do this.

The kids were amazing—they kept oohing and ahhing at every little thing…Fox said this was the coolest thing he’s ever done! We scrambled over big boulders, and had the best time exploring in total darkness. We hiked down just raw rocks—the kids were singing the SK rock song 😂—with just the lights from our helmets. We saw bats and birds and stalagtites inside and there were no hand rails or anything! It helped that stone and lemon both had a guide holding their hands too!

Then at the end was an underground POOL! Blue clear water but it was so dark. It was shallow at first then really really deep. We got to swim in it and it was super cold! We all swam to the other side over the dark pit and touched the other rock then swam back 😂 Such a cool experience!!

Once we all climbed back out of the cave, we walked and got fresh squeezed orange juice from a lady on the side of the road, and our guides noticed that Cohen had LEECHES on his legs! EEK. he started freaking out and grabbing them off and I said, WAIT, lemme get a photo haha and the guide stuck them back on Cohen! We all erupted in laughter!

11/06/2024

Only wish I would have started “point hacking” years ago 🤦🏻‍♀️ just booked our family of 6 flights from Venice ➡️ Houston for only 110,000 Amex points! The flight would have cost me $9500 USD out of pocket 😟😫 If I would have used those same points to “credit” my account it would have only converted to $660 USD!! Y’all! I could 🤮 knowing how many times I wasted points by crediting it back to my account 🙃🤦🏻‍♀️

🇱🇰Sri Lanka Day 3: (part 1)Today we woke up at a new place in Sri Lanka, Ella! We are staying at a very reasonably price...
21/04/2024

🇱🇰Sri Lanka Day 3: (part 1)

Today we woke up at a new place in Sri Lanka, Ella! We are staying at a very reasonably priced homestay that includes breakfast and we are all sleeping in one big room with an adjacent bathroom…no AC, but we have al the windows open for a nice breeze…its funny how you get accustomed to the heat, everyone woke up snuggled tight in the blankets, lol. I woke up early and just relaxed on our balcony alone for a while, soaking in the sounds of monkeys and bugs and the breeze…the view is incredible. When we booked this place, all we saw online was photos of the view and breakfast so we had no clue what the rooms looked like, lol. I can now see why—the view is the main draw here, and the family that hosts! They were SO nice, helpful, and breakfast was great!

We were so excited to meet up with friends we met at another world school in Panama…Jessica + Hunter…they are going to the world school in the Maldives as well and we both decided to explore Sri Lanka first and our plans overlapped here in Ella! It’s amazing what adding just one kid into the mix will do for their attitudes—the excitement! Our friends had woke up super early to go on a sunrise hike (which we skipped cause we were tired lol) but we planned to meet up at The Nine Arches Bridge and then go to a waterfall in the afternoon.

We started off walking into Ella to explore and eat lunch—we did what all the locals do and followed the train track to town. Off the tracks, there are little paths that lead to the locals’ homes, restaurants, and down to the main roads. We found the main road and walked and shopped (Cohen bought basically a new wardrobe and only spent $80USD lol, he loves the vibe here). We settled on a cute restaurant that had a long line (hoping that means it good, lol) and we were happy we did…some of the best food we have had and the vibe/aesthetic was great…they even had a list of off-the-beaten path things to do in Ella, Sri Lanka printed on the menu that we decided to send to our driver to potentially do!

After lunch, our driver picked us up and drove us to the drop off for the Nine Arches Bridge and then we started the 20 min trek to the bridge to watch the train come through the tunnel and us sit on the edge of the bridge as it passes! Eek! This is a big tourist attraction so there was all kinds of IG influencers down there in gorgeous outfits, lol. This would never fly in America, lol…people basically stand right on the train tracks taking photos on the bridge until a police man blows a whistle and then you have about 30 seconds to run off the tracks and sit on the edge of the bridge or the road and a train comes bumbling through! While we waited on the train, we took photos, Cory flew the drone and got some epic videos, and the boys ordered some coconuts to drink for $1 USD.

After the train came through, we ran to the front of the train and asked the conductor if the kids could hop inside to check it out and he let them! Fox took a selfie in the cab with him.

🇱🇰Sri Lanka Day 2: (part 3)We made it on the train, we had assigned seats in the seated cabin, but no one paid attention...
20/04/2024

🇱🇰Sri Lanka Day 2: (part 3)

We made it on the train, we had assigned seats in the seated cabin, but no one paid attention to their seat assignments and just sat anywhere—so we squished into a 4 seat section with window views and settled in for the leisurely ride. The train ride took about 2-3 hours…the cool thing about this train was that you could HANG OUT THE SIDE! The train was moving about 20-30MPH and the doors were totally open to the outside, no AC, and open windows. The views were great—lots of farm land, tea plantations, and rolling hills. We held our breath every time we went through tunnels (lots of tunnels!). This is also a local train, not just for tourists, so it made several stops at local towns and we could see locals and tourists alike congregating along the tracks, walking to town or work. The train even made a trip over 9 Arches Bridge which is a very old brick bridge built by the British during WW1.

When we got off the train, Cory was able to fly the drone and watch the train make its famous “loop” where it goes back under the train tracks…after leaving the train, we drove in the rain up a very skinny, muddy, bumpy road in Ella to a pizza place that Cory found on Google! It was actually really good and they had couch seating and a pool table. Fox played pool with the locals and won a round, while Stone flipped and flopped on the big couch like seating they have.

🇱🇰Sri Lanka Day 2: (part 2)Next, we drove just a few minutes up the road to a Ceylon Tea Factory. Tea is one of Sri Lank...
19/04/2024

🇱🇰Sri Lanka Day 2: (part 2)

Next, we drove just a few minutes up the road to a Ceylon Tea Factory. Tea is one of Sri Lanka’s biggest exports and they do all the picking by hand! We walked through the tea plants and they pointed out that black and green tea are made from the same plant but green tea isn’t fermented like the black tea. We got to go inside their factory and see step by step the process of how they prepare the leaves. All the machines were over 100 years old and imported from other countries—none of the machines used digital/computer programming, they were all very basic machinery that either shook, sorted, or spun the leaves. Afterward, we got to taste all the different types of tea they make in the factory—different levels on black and green tea and then a special gold and white tea that is made from the middle of a flower here and they dont export this tea…apparently China exports the tea but Sri Lankans dont and if you want to buy Sri Lankan Gold or White tea, you must come here to purchase it! The blackest of black tea was so bitter! Next, they showed us all the natural spices/scents they use to flavor the teas—they ranged from lavender, to cinnamon, to rose and lemon. Now, we’re on the road headed to the train station!

🇱🇰Sri Lanka Day 2: (part 1)We woke up early to make the most of the day and the Roo Mansala staff made us breakfast in “...
18/04/2024

🇱🇰Sri Lanka Day 2: (part 1)

We woke up early to make the most of the day and the Roo Mansala staff made us breakfast in “take away” boxes. We learned that no one here calls it “to-go”. We climbed into the van and made our way to the Ambuluwawa Tower.
It’s located right outside of Gampola Town in Sri Lanka and is 48 meters tall. The spiral staircase is very sketchy, very skinny, and has very low railings with spaces that are just a little too big for my liking (i.e. a kid could totally slip between them). We started at the bottom and it was fairly easy and regular sized steps, but when we got up to the skinny steps that only went outside the tower, me and the girls decided to hang back and let the boys finish the climb to the top! Even on the way down, we were gripping everyone’s hands very tightly so they wouldn’t slip.

🇱🇰Sri Lanka Day 1️⃣Part (3) Next, we drove over to Minneriya National Park. This is a great place to see wild elephants ...
17/04/2024

🇱🇰Sri Lanka Day 1️⃣Part (3)

Next, we drove over to Minneriya National Park. This is a great place to see wild elephants and we were SO excited! We met up with our safari guide and climbed into a Land Cruiser and lathered up with lots of sunscreen because the sun was blaring! It didn’t take long before we saw our first group of elephants and the kids loved that we got to stand up in the seats and hang on to the roll bars as we drove through the National Park. We learned that only 5% of Asian elephant males are born with tusks and we saw a baby one! The kids were so exhausted from the plane ride and getting basically no sleep, they just slept in the jeep until we saw an elephant and then we woke them up, lol. The cutest thing we saw was a baby elephant walk across the road in front of us and get into the lake with its mom—then it rolled around and played with the seaweed (threw it up with her trunk) and then the mom came over and Stone narrated a convo they would be having, lol.

We finally made it to our first stay in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka, Roo Mansala…it was AMAZING. We were supposed to have stayed here 2 nights, but with the airline fiasco we ended up only being able to stay one night. It was such a gorgeous property…a pool, we had two suites (one upstairs and one downstairs) and the view from the balcony was the rock we climbed earlier in the day! Dinner was AMAZING…it was like 5 star plating and so delicious. After dinner we all swam in the pool, took amazing showers and then crashed in bed!

🇱🇰Sri Lanka Day 1️⃣ (Part 2)After bathing the elephants, we walked down the street for some snacks only to discover that...
16/04/2024

🇱🇰Sri Lanka Day 1️⃣ (Part 2)

After bathing the elephants, we walked down the street for some snacks only to discover that there was about to be a large elephant crossing! It happens weekly where one of the big elephant sanctuaries walks all their elephants to the local river for bathing and they have to cross the main road in the city—so the policemen, the school children, and any tourists come out and line to streets to watch. We knew it was about to begin when the street vendors started bringing their goods inside and clearing the street so the elephants wouldn’t trample them!

Next, we stopped for a little break to get fresh fruit smoothies (there are little food carts everywhere) and to get some snacks for breakfast before heading to Pidurangala Rock for a hike. For the hike, because we were passing by a temple, I had to wear a wrap skirt around my legs until we passed the temple (we didn’t go in, but that’s an option you have). We continued up the rocky path, scrambling over large boulders and tree roots. There were sections where you had to really crawl over large boulders and duck under other ones. A few stray dogs followed us the entire way and Lemon named the friendly one “Jerry” lol but we (and the dogs) finally made it to the very top! We passed a huge shrine laying on its side. The view from the top was definitely worth it! In the shade it felt great, but in the sun it was blazing hot! Stone laid down with the dogs and took a little breather once we made it to the top. This would be a great place for a picnic at sunset but it may be hard getting down in the dark—the trek down was almost harder than the trek up just because of the terrain. However, Fox zoomed past us all and ran into a monkey on the trail! He just sat down and the monkey wasn’t phased—just kept eating and then it looked like a mama/baby/daddy monkey joined the big one on the road and the mom was nursing and the dad was picking bugs out of the mom’s hair! We sat and watched them for a good while until the mom monkey seemed annoyed at us so we moved on and hiked the rest of the way down.

🇱🇰Sri Lanka Day 1️⃣ (part 1)We finally made it to Sri Lanka and we didn’t have been more excited! Flight was hot, long a...
15/04/2024

🇱🇰Sri Lanka Day 1️⃣ (part 1)

We finally made it to Sri Lanka and we didn’t have been more excited! Flight was hot, long and with the new tickets they had separated our seats 🙁 I managed to get me and Stone next to each other way in the back of the plane, Cory + Lemon together near the front and after take off we finagled Cohen and Fox to be sitting behind Cory + Lemon. The flight attendants were really nice this go around and gave Lemon + Stone little bags with wooden planes and a wooden figure (toys) Stone got the plane’s chef—we actually saw him on the first flight! Then we prayed for good food and it’s actually good…no one threw up. We can already tell we are going to love this country…Made it thru customs; nicest people ever in the airport, stones visas was wrong or something so we had to pay $20 but other than that it was easy and fast we made it easily to our bags. Our driver/tour guide was waiting for us with a sign and we followed him a few yards to his van. It was a nice white van with amazing AC 🥶 we were so thankful!

We found our guide through a FB family travel page where he was recommended and we connected thru WhatsApp to plan out our week long adventure—he was amazing at altering the itinerary so we could squish as much as our original plan into the 5 days we had left. So we were set for 5 days of jam packed adventuring in Sri Lanka! Oh, and did I mention the steering wheel is on the opposite side here than it is in America? That took a lot of getting used to! I kept thinking we were turning wrong or about to hit traffic! It was 5:45AM by the time we got into the van and headed straight for the Millennium Elephant Foundation. I had tried to find the most ethical place that allowed you to bathe the elephants and we read great reviews about this non-profit but we did see them use the hook things to prod the elephant to do things but they had “bumpers” on the end so they weren’t being poked. We likened this to reins/spurs on horses…? First thing we did was go and change into bathing suits, then headed inside through a little museum that told you all about the Asian Elephants, what elephants they had on property now and an old elephant skeleton—we heard about what they eat, how they grow, how long they’re pregnant for (22 MONTHS!), and what happens when the male elephants are in “heat” (we stay away because they’re more aggressive). We started off my feeding the elephant some snacks of fruit—she would reach her long trunk out and sn**ch it from your fingers to bring to her mouth. Stone was nervous to feed her but ended up doing it with Cory’s help. The kids were surprised at how hairy the elephant was and how prickly the hair was. After the snacks, we took the elephant on a walk around the premises and passed a few male elephants that were separated from the herd so they didn’t get aggressive. Next, they gave us coconut shells to brush and rub on the elephants to give them a good scrub. She was a little hesitant to get down into the water but then she started having a good time, rolling around in the mud and splashing us with her trunk!

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