Kandy, Sri Lanka
It's 5.30am when we are awoken by explosions and dogs barking. We fall back to uneasy sleep but all is serene at the hotel when we emerge for breakfast and Kingsley is waiting outside for us as planned.
For the first time ever, Sri Lanka's election has passed peacefully, no curfew has been imposed and the explosions we heard were fireworks announcing that the President had conceded defeat just before dawn. The counting is not yet complete but Mathripala Sirisena, the humble farmer's son who became former secretary to the previous president before swapping sides, has now become the new leader of Sri Lanka.
Having explored most of Kandy yesterday all that is left for today is a visit to the beautiful Botanical Gardens. They were originally created for the king of Sri Lanka but developed further for Queen Victoria when plants from all over the world were brought to fill the 150 acres.
Kingsley leads us round showing us the pond in the shape of Sri Lanka and pointing out plants and the trees full of bats, which take flight, screeching above us when disturbed by crows.
"Stand still," he commands Coman suddenly and taking out a key he brushes off a caterpillar that has fallen from a tree on to Coman's back. Apparently it's poisonous and the tiny hairs would cause painful rashes if it had crawled on to his skin.
Other than swooping bats and vicious caterpillars it's a delightful and peaceful place that we have almost to ourselves. We wander on to the suspension bridge over the Mahaweli river, stroll down the Royal Palm Avenue and through the Memorial Garden, with trees planted by visiting dignitaries such as Neil Armstrong, Yuri Gagarin, Marshal Tito, Prince Mikasa Of Japan, various Chinese leaders, Queen Elizabeth II and also a flourishing specimen planted by the future King Edward VII in 1875.
Around 11am, more fireworks boom out across the city as the election results are officially declared, and the transition of power is complete.
We finish with a visit to the orchid house and are back at the hotel by 12, where we spend a scorching afternoon by the pool and finish with dinner at Cafe C, their a la carte restaurant.
The next morning we say farewell to Kandy, noticing that the city has fully reopened for business with a huge increase in traffic and green ribbons everywhere, the colour of the opposition, hastily replacing the blue emblems that have previously been ubiquitous. Buses already have posters of the new president stuck to them, and a new chapter in the politics of Sri Lanka has begun.
