The Big Transit

Dateline Wien, Austria.   (Not Australia)

The big transit is over and we are back in the cold First World, where flushing the toilet paper is not a catastrophe.  It is even colder as the hot water system in our apartment is on the fritz.  That means no heat at the radiators and no hot water in the bathroom.  A cold-water shower in Sri Lanka is refreshing.  At 2 C. here in Vienna, a cold shower is not happening. 

We opted for a real taxi for our trip from the Mt Lavinia neighborhood to the Colombo airport.  Bandaranaike International Airport is 50 kilometers from Mt Lavinia.  There is a highway that starts  four klicks North of the city center, but it's surface streets from our quiet enclave through the maelstrom of Colombo's center. 

Fortunately this is not our taxi.  

We allowed two hours for the trip.  Yes, two hours.  Rush hour and tropical rain combined to paralyze the nonexistent grid.  The sheer number of buses, Tuk-Tuks, trucks, Motos and sundry vehicles overwhelmed the available space.  It is literally a slow motion ballet of steel, rubber and bravado.  

Here are several views of what it's like in the madness:

http://youtu.be/UA99xnin4U4

http://youtu.be/9qhCD7xhcnI

By the time I shot the second video, we were at the two-hour mark and the novelty of the ride was wearing thin. We did finally make it at the 2.5 hour mark.  Our driver was amazing and we tipped him well.  The final tale was 50 kilometers in 2.5 hours.  That's an average of 20 klicks or 12 miles per hour.  Brutal. 

10.5 hours from Colombo to Attaturk airport in Istanbul with a stop in the Maldives.  Then we had to clear customs and take a taxi van to the other Istanbul airport across the Bosphorus.  

Istanbul at 6:30 AM.  A lot speedier than Colombo. 

Crossing the Bosphorus.  Historic territory!  

Airports, more airports, some duty free cigars and then the final flight to Vienna. We had a nice view of the Carpathian Mountains and then the cold low clouds over Wien. Home at last.   

Hanging out by the little electric heater and waiting for the hot water repair guys, I admit to writing this post in a goofy state of sleep deprivation.  We left Sri Lanka at 9:30 PM local time after being awake all day. The final tally is 2.5 hours Colombo taxi joy plus 2 hours at the airport plus 10.5 flying plus 5.5 hours in Istanbul plus two hours flying to Wien and an hour home.  21.5 hours of travel and 33.5 hours of not sleeping.  

I can't wait to do it again!!!!   I'll try to put a cogent recap on this trip in a post to follow, but not tonight Friends and Neighbors.  Ciao for Now!!