Martina and Eliska...

I believe these girls deserve a special mention. They gave me everything I wanted from travelling and more.

After waking up in Dalhousie I spent the day exploring the village, swimming in the river and watching monkeys dance through the trees. I began to feel more comfortable as I talked to travellers staying in my guesthouse. A Tamil woman cooked me roti straight from her stove and it was the most delicious thing I tasted in Sri Lanka. I ate dinner under a mango tree at a stunning guesthouse run by a Christian family. Dalhousie is so beautiful, tranquil and remote, and well worth the difficult journey to get there.

Dalhousie

I began my adventure climbing Adam’s Peak at two in the morning, setting out underneath the moonlight. This gave me a good four hours for a comfortable uphill climb to the summit. It was the strangest and most exhilarating climb. You could see the path of lights snaking around the mountain. Small groups were making their descent, tourists and locals alike. The tourists in full hiking gear, the locals in saris and flip-flops. It was very companionable, chatting to an English couple who had climbed Adam’s Peak twenty years ago, and seeing statues of Buddha along the way.

Adam's Peak at sunset

About halfway up, a man waved at me from the top of the steps. Him and his wife were sitting with two Czech girls, Martina and Eliska, whom they had met in Kandy. They shared their snacks and we talked about what had brought us to this place. I continued the climb up the mountain with them. You could feel the drop in temperature as we entered the sky. We stopped at shacks where there was hot sweet tea. I swear tea has never tasted so good. I remember that first conversation I had with Martina, the exclamation in her face as I told her my age ‘Twenty! Only twenty!’ Martina and Eliska are sisters, who moved to London from Czech when they were young adults. They are the most genuine, welcoming and caring people. I am very lucky to have met them.

Tea in the clouds

We reached the top of Adam’s Peak; at this point I got separated from Martina and Eliska as the crowds were growing. I stuck with the French couple. We climbed over the gated walkway and onto a rock that we had all to ourselves. There was not a more perfect spot to watch the sunrise. There was complete silence amongst the crowd of people. I am lost for words as how to describe how awestruck I was, how peaceful and momentous it was to be in the clouds, watching the black sky give way to pink, then orange and see that first chink of light. It blew my mind. See as many sunrises and sunsets in your life as possible, best advice I’ve ever received.

My favourite sunrise of all time

We descended down the mountain as the sun grew baking hot. I moved to the guesthouse where Martina, Eliska and the French couple were staying. It was called The Greenhouse, painted in the same hue with plants everywhere, run by a Tamil woman and her family.

The Greenhouse Garden

The French guy had a great knack for making friends and tremendous energy for adventure. He had befriended some locals and we drove in the back of their van, speeding down winding roads, watching the hill sweep behind us. Originally, the plan was to go to the lake, but the sun quickly vanished and rain fell hard and fast. We ended up in one of the group’s homes, drinking Arack – a coconut liqueur, and singing in loud drunk voices, banging away on makeshift instruments. Martina has a very dignified video of me singing Buffalo soldier, conducting my band with a lit cigarette. Think Bridget Jones in that scene in the Thai prison.

Eliska, Dalhousie

Martina, Dalhousie

The next day we left Dalhousie, I travelled with Martina and Eliska to Ella to see tea plantations and waved goodbye to the French couple as they went south. The best thing about travel is altering your plans depending where the wind takes you. After Ella I went to Arugam Bay with the girls, a place that is simply paradise, where I have never felt so happy. These girls are like magnets, Martina has the most incredible skill of making friends and connections with people that endure, and Eliska is so thoughtful and kind. Since meeting, the past two summers we have had our holiday in Devon. Which is how I’ve also met Ilona, a friend of Martina’s, who is so warm and charming. The four of us surf, eat, drink and talk and reminisce on that miraculous encounter that formed our friendship. Travel doesn't just open doors, it gives you doors. It opens your world up in a way you couldn't imagine and stays with you long after you come home.

Imogen

Martina, Eliska, Ilona and I in Devon