Tuesday 7 September Revised

Yo

The final day. An idea of J's last October has not only come to pass but has been completed. We'll forgive him a teeny bit of smugness. If only it were teeny!

The plan today is to go to a local school and then to Colombo, gather, and then drive in convoy to the finishing point, the Cinnamon Grand Hotel.

It was a loooong drive downhill from the hotel, so N took the wheel.

Last day start

At the school we all helped plant some trees to make up for our carbon emissions during the challenge. I told you these Large Minority people are sickeningly good about about this sort of thing. But the morning was charming. It was the first day of term and all the school lined up to greet us with lots of hand-shaking and ayuboyans.

Waiting for us/me

There was even a school orchestra.

H signed them up

First, we all sat in the classroom whilst there were speeches and singing of the national anthem.

Centre of picture?

Then we went out with the children to plant trees. This was hard work for me so I muscled my way, exhausted though I was, into some of the piccies.

The real workers

Some shared glory

A sea of planting

Some of the girls spotted a rock star.

Another autograph?

And then we were ready for the off. Our tuk-tuks waited patiently for us

Talking about their drivers?

And off we went.

It was just over 100km to Colombo. Mercifully on main road - no off-roading today - and gathering to prepare ourselves for the final parade. We tarted up our tuk-tuk.

Starring you-know-who on the front with balloon

Our driving team - one of them stealing my glory - typical

Then it was down the esplanade to the Cinnamon Grand.

Lots of cheering and waving. We must have made quite a sight. Twenty-eight tuk-tuks being driven by foreigners through the middle of  Colombo.

Here we come

And here we four are

WE'D MADE IT!

There were jubilations and much picture-taking at the finishing post.

All the drivers, Julian, Robyn and Juan at the front, J & N back right

And, for any unbelievers out there, here are piccies of the milometer at the beginning and end of the challenge.

Start at 14185

Finish at 15474

One thousand, five hundred and sixty kilometers. A small ripple for the chaps, please.

There was general revellry and prize-giving in the evening. H fitted in well.

Mine's a small lemonade

J & N didn't look too out of their comfort zone, either.

The brothers Smug

My boys came fourteenth out of twenty-eight (in the top half, at least) but DID win the prize for the most money raised for charity - for which we would like to thank you all.

It was quite a experience. We saw evidence of the tsunami of six years ago and the constant presence of troops in the north-east reminded us how recently the civil war had ended. Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with lovely, smiling and generous people.

A HUGE thank you to the organisers, Julian, Juan and Robyn, and their back-up team, for all their hard work and creativity.

J, Mrs J and I are going to the South Coast for a few days R&R. Don't worry, I'll be writing about it so you won't all have withdrawal symptoms; H & N are getting back to reality in Colombo for a day and then heading back to Blighty on Thursday. Get the winter clothes out, chaps.

To those of you who have been, thanks for reading about our experience and, again, thank you to our donors. You'll make a huge difference to the lives of some lovely Sri Lankan children.

Talk soon

OLIVER THE BEAR