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| The Sri Lankan flag |
Tea and cricket. As far as I am aware these are the two things that this country is most famous for, apart from a couple of recent disasters. It was hit badly by the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004, and suffered a prolonged and violent struggle with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE ) separatists , more commonly known as the Tamil Tigers, until they were soundly defeated in 2009. Both of these episodes caused major social and financial upheavals from which the place is only now beginning to recover. I have only been here a few days, so am not really in any position to judge much yet. However......notwithstanding....
My first impressions of Colombo were mixed. The place has a rather faded, crumbling and dilapidated appearance. The streets are well swept, but in need of considerable renovation. It is hot and humid and fairly choking with exhaust fumes. Many of the shops and buildings look rather run-down but, in amongst it all, are some jewels and, from what I have experienced, the people are delightfully helpful, smiling and keen to make tourists feel welcome.
Like Malaysia, Sri Lanka has been under Portugese, Dutch then British rule. Actually the British were the first to control the whole place because up until 1815 the Kingdom of Kandy was it's own master with it's own, rather brutal, king.
Their are two languages spoken; mainly Sinhalese and, to a lesser extent, Tamil. I am not fluent in either. Fortunately most of the people speak good English. The currency is Sri Lankan Rupees ( LKR ) of which there are about 111 to the US$. Divide the rupees by 10 and you can't go wrong.
I booked into hotels, one reasonably smart, the next less so on Galle Road running south out of the city. It seems as though hotels are pretty full up at this time of year, which is why I had to change, and are not particularly cheap either. I also discovered that, unlike Malaysia and most other Asian/Oriental countries, they tend to charge quite a lot for internet services and, more irritatingly, have adopted that cursed USA tradition of adding a mandatory 'service charge' and 'taxes' onto bills ( plus plus! ) which, in effect, increases the listed price of things like restaurant and hotel bills by about 30%!
The architecture is a mixture of dilapidated Dutch and British colonial style with a majority of locally designed ramshackle shops and houses, plus a few modern concrete and glass edifices. There is no way you could describe Colombo as being an elegant city.
The place is seething with three-wheeler mini-cabs ( as seen left ). They sort of resemble smaller down-market Bangkok tuk-tuks. Wherever you, as a tourist, are and stop, they are around you like a cloud of midges on a Scottish moor on a summer's day. "uwantaxi" being the war cry. They are actually, even at tourist rates, remarkably cheap and useful. 100 rupees ( less than a $ ) is normal for any local run. I asked what the local name is for these vehicles, but apparently it is just 'three-wheelers'. How unimaginative. However, I quickly discovered such places as The Cricket Club ( off Galle Road ) which is a splendid bar and restaurant in the olde worlde British tradition serving good old fashioned British fare like Shepherd's Pie and Steak and Kidney Pud, all named with a cricketing theme. There are many cricketing mementos like signed bats, sweaters and other kit hanging around the walls. The service, as I have found everywhere so far, is excellent.
Likewise the Galle Face Hotel ( right ). This is perhaps the Colombo equivalent of Singapore's Raffles. Build by the British in the 19th century it retains much of it's colonial charm.
It is on the sea front and features a decent swimming pool and various bars ( nobody would dare swim in the sea near Colombo. If you are not dragged out by the undertow you would die of pollution ).
Right: The Veranda Restaurant with a decent bar of the faded fly-blown fan-cooled Graham Greene style at the far end. Talking of which, I was persuaded to try the local tipple, Arrack. This comes in various differing guises and is made from coconuts. I couldn't make out a similarity in taste to anything I knew. I settled for a solution of whisky mixed with cleaning fluid. If it is an acquired taste, I don't think I'll bother to acquire it.
In the foyer there is a large decorative board listing all the famous people who have stayed at the hotel. Emperor Hirohito and Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark to name but two ( not sharing a room as far as I understood ). There is also a bust of Colonel Uri Gagarin ( left ), the first man into space in 1961, who visited Colombo shortly afterwards. Perhaps he was coming to have something done to his teeth which look rather alarming here; perhaps shaken loose on re-entry.
Right: Another view of a street scene. I have forgotten what the rather interesting looking building is over the road. I was staying a couple of days here in Colombo to plan my further travels with an agency recommended to me. They have proved most helpful ( www.classictravel.lk if you are interested ). They are also sorting out my Indian visa. Travelling in any form of comfort around Sri Lanka, I discovered, is not easy by bus or train. They come in varying degrees of serious discomfort and danger. There is, however, the recent introduction of a 'first class' carriage on a train from Colombo to Kandy which features lots of mod-cons and is unique to the Sri Lankan rail system.
Left: The Fort ( central ) Station in Colombo. I had booked myself onto the 1st Class carriage to Kandy ( 2.5 hours @ $20 return ). Most rail tickets in the class which includes hanging out of the doors and on the roof cost pennies, so $20 is an unheard of price for locals.
Right: This is the driver. I shall report back on the voyage.
Next stop the hill town of Kandy. I shall be there for a few days.
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