We had an amazing day today, my boy and I. We really are doing some proper travelling, albeit a lot better funded than the ten dollars a day variety I cut my teeth on with his dad all those years ago. It’s dusty, it’s dirty, it’s as hot as hell, and  we’re spending many hours on the road dodging highly decorated trucks and tuk tuks, tooting our car’s horn regularly to affirm our collective desire to survive.

This morning we climbed to the summit of Sigiria, a six hundred foot high rock fortress. One thousand two hundred and two steps to the top, in 32 degree heat at 9am: that’s how to make a redhead’s face turn the colour of her hair.

Along the way Cody bartered for his first Sri Lankan treasure, a wooden book with three secret compartments.  At the same time we spotted the biggest hornets nest in a nearby tree, we saw a sign urging us to keep the noise to a minimum so as not to disturb them. We saw the snakes being charmed by a man with a flute and I got to be draped by a python which I loved. (Cody declined the opportunity).

We looked at master carvers at work, finding elephants within massive blocks of wood;  we learned about Ayevedic herbs and their miracle powers; we were both slathered in sesame oil and massaged within an inch of our lives, then encased in steam baths with just our heads in the light.  We came home tired and dirty and happy to Villa Rosa, a beautiful small hotel high in the Kandy hills.

At dinner, I asked Cody which part of our incredible day he loved the most.

It was our guide Pradeep’s enthusiastic reaction to Cody sharing his hand sanitizer with him.

He loves it all, my boy. But it’s the humans he loves the most.