2018 "Song of India" Adventure - Day 10 - Colombo, Sri Lanka

Day 10 – Thursday, March 1st – Colombo, Sri Lanka

(Steve writing) Today began with some shocking news from my office: one of my most beloved co-workers, Suzanne Konecny, died on her 58th birthday this past Sunday. She wasn’t in ill health, and the death was sudden. Suzanne and I shared a lobe, as it were, and hit it off famously from the first day we worked together, September 29th, 2014. I remember the date because she started the day before my work anniversary. She was very musical, and if she started a song lyric, I’d finish it. She and her husband Ray would attend the SMC shows, which I always appreciated. I hadn’t worked daily with Suzanne for about a year and a half when she went to another position in the organization, but we always maintained that closeness. It’s as if a part of me were suddenly taken away, never to return.

I was absorbing this news as we slowly docked at the bustling seaport of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The weather remained sultry, and we were positioned among the large container ships in this part of the harbor (there was no passenger terminal). One thing I’ve noted on this trip: the container ships in these parts ride very low in the water, filled to the brim with cargo. They only ride higher after they’ve unloaded their cargo in U.S. ports. Indeed, we seem to export far less than we import. At least via the sea.

We had breakfast in Blu, and then met up with Bobby and Michael to start our sightseeing day in Colombo. From the port, the city’s skyline was a mix of some tall office buildings, many low-rise structures, and the new Colombo Lotus Tower winning the award for tallest structure on the horizon (1,150 feet/350 meters). We debarked the ship around 9:30 and took the shuttle bus to the port entrance (we were not allowed to walk, and it wasn’t close).

The port entrance was a hodge-podge of military/police officers and tuk-tuk drivers. Lots of tuk-tuk drivers. Tuk-tuks are three-wheeled motorized vehicles: room for two passengers in the back and not much else. They are noisy, stinky, and offer a rough ride. Imagine your lawn mower engine powering a rickshaw, and you have the right idea. Here’s a video from a ride we took later in the day:



Our goal was to get to the Dutch Hospital Shopping Centre to meet our guide at 10:30. Despite many attempts by tuk-tuk drivers to give us a ride, we walked the distance along the perimeter of the seaport until we were able to duck into the lovely air-conditioning of the Hilton Colombo Hotel. The décor was beautiful, Michael exchanged some money (USD $1.00 = Sri Lankan Rupee 155.00) and we admired the beautiful baked goods on display (truly works of pastry art).

Hilton Colombo lobby ceiling

Brilliant cake execution - Hilton Colombo
I found it curious that there were so few pedestrians, so little traffic, and so many closed shops. It turned out that today was Madin Full Moon Poya Day. It marks Buddha’s first visit to his hometown following his enlightenment. While that made getting around easier, I would have enjoyed seeing a little more liveliness in the city. For comparison, think of New York City on Memorial Day. Eerily quiet.

(Our walk from the Port to the area we were to meet our guide somehow reminded me of our visit to the old walled part of Cartagena, Columbia two years ago: brutally hot and humid walk down very old streets but with a tang of excitement and anticipation for something new in the air! – AFK)

Nevertheless, we made it to the rendezvous point with our guide, Harold, who is the owner and sole guide for Colombo Walks. He offers several walks a day, and came highly recommended on Trip Advisor. He turned out to be a delightful fellow who studied in the U.S. and was interested in viewing the current day situation from a historical perspective. By the way, it’s called the Dutch Hospital because it originally was a Dutch Hospital in the late 17th century (Harold said the first official dated reference to the Dutch Hospital was 1681 – AFK).

Dutch Hospital Shopping Centre, Colombo, Sri Lanka

The history of Sri Lanka (Ceilão as the Portuguese called it in 1505, or Ceylon as it was known before independence from England in 1948 and official renaming in 1972) is one of conquerors conquering the previous conquerors. First the Portuguese, then the Dutch, then the English, a pattern repeated elsewhere in the world. The island nation was always desirable because of its indigenous supplies of spice (cinnamon and black pepper, to name just two) and tea. It was also along the trade routes between Europe and Asia, making it an ideal place to establish a major trading port.

The Dutch Hospital looked anything but traditional Dutch: it appeared more Spanish, with a red-tile roof on a rectangular structure with a large courtyard. At the time it was built, the sea wasn’t very far away and the breezes would help those convalescing. We learned from Harold that natives weren’t treated here: only the foreigners. Now, the whole thing has been revitalized into a high-end shopping and dining center.

Our group of four grew to nine as we were joined by two other couples from the ship, and a delightful young German man who had just arrived in town the night before and was starting a two week visit to Sri Lanka.

Our guide, Harold, in the red shirt

The first place Harold took us was the Kingsbury Hotel, a beautiful modern property overlooking the sea. We went up to the baking rooftop terrace for some nice views down the seaside promenade toward the south, and views of the busy port to the north. Alas, the seaside location is already disappearing as the Chinese are funding a 300 acre addition that will have hotels, casinos, shopping, and a convention center. Huge sand acreage reaches out to a new sea wall. In a way, it’s sad, and in another way, futile: the seas are supposed to rise during this century. Why add more acreage at sea-level??

The view south down the promenade

The view north toward the port (that's the Constellation on the left)

From the hotel we walked toward the Presidential Palace, stopping at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka which had suffered a terrorist bombing by the Tamil Tigers on December 31, 1996. 91 people died after the driver drove his truck into the lobby and detonated the explosives. You wouldn’t know that today, as all traces of the incident appear to be removed.

The Presidential Palace was a large structure, painted white, originally built by the Dutch. Like our White House, it’s surrounded by a fence and a great deal of security. It certainly looked attractive. Beyond the Palace, we continued down Janadhipathi Mawatha street as it curved and featured handsome 18th and 19th century buildings in varying states of decay and renewal. One thing about buildings in this latitude: if you don’t keep them up, they fall into disrepair very quickly.

A building dating to the Portuguese colonial era


The next stop was the Grand Oriental Hotel, whose heyday must have been the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its location across the street from the city’s main pier made it a favorite with visiting tourists. Today, it seemed tired, with a lobby that was far from glamorous. (I beg to differ. I thought the lobby of the G.O.H. was charming. A little bit shabby, but still charming. – AFK). We went to the top floor (4) and enjoyed tea (both hot and iced) as we viewed the surrounding area. 

View of the old pier from the Grand Oriental Hotel

The lobby of the Grand Oriental Hotel - shabby gentility

The restaurant was getting ready for a large luncheon party, and we headed out soon after they arrived.

The group proceeded east from the hotel along several blocks of construction until we arrived at the next part of town: Pettah. This section is known for its shopping and markets. The streets here were certainly more crowded than where we had been (the area called Fort). Did I mention all the handsome men? Because there were plenty. There were also plenty of merchants who would have been more than happy for our business.

From the main drag, we went down a side-street to see the Sammangodu Sri Kathiravelayutha Swami Hindu Temple. Sri Lanka’s largest religion is Buddhist, followed by Hindu and Muslim. The exterior of the temple was very picturesque, with dozens and dozens of figures crafted in the concrete (it was built in the 20s or 30s). We were unable to go inside. (At the beginning of the tour, Harold had handed each pair of us large automatic umbrellas to carry and use in case we had long periods of walking – or worse, standing in the hot sun. Standing there across the street from the Hindu temple and up against the high, hot wall behind us the sun was punishing. Even with the umbrella I could only remain there a couple of minutes else I would have sizzled into the sky… - AFK).

Sammangodu Sri Kathiravelayutha Swami Temple - note how all the figures are looking out, not down

A few blocks away was an even more impressive religious site: the Red Mosque (or Red Masjid). It was built in the early 20th century, and on the day it was dedicated in 1909, the architect was killed. It didn’t appear to be your standard design mosque (central prayer area and minarets to call the faithful). It seemed jammed into the middle of a city block. And the exterior was all patterned in red and white (hence its name). Again, we were unable to go inside.

The Red Masjid, from the Main Street side
We continued walking down Main Street and then turned south toward the markets. First there was a stop for fresh coconut water. The seller whacked off one end of the coconut and provided a straw. It wasn’t anything to write home about. The narrow streets were lined with many small stores featuring produce of all kinds. Several stores had baskets and baskets of dried fish. At one point, we interrupted a few teens playing cricket in the middle of the street.

Harold led our group through a very busy produce market, and then through another market with a lot of non-produce items: clothing, toys, electronics. It was hot and noisy and crowded, but oh so full of life!

The fruit and vegetable market, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Harold put our group into three tuk-tuks where we were taken to our next destination, a restaurant called “The Curry Pot” which featured local cuisine in a very unpretentious atmosphere. There was a long sink to wash your hands, and the family at the next table was eating without utensils. Harold put together a number of plates for us to sample: rice, lentils, jackfruit (really spicy!), chicken or fish. It was tasty and plentiful.

The staff serving up bowls of spicy yumminess at the Curry Pot
At this point our tour was officially over. The cost was US $27.00 per person, plus tip. It was a great experience, and after hearing what other people did during the day, I think we managed to see quite a a lot at ground level (rather than viewing it from a bus).

Our foursome decided we wanted to do some shopping, so Harold called a taxi to take us to a shop called “Barefoot” in another part of town. Our taxi driver drove like a madman, avoiding wandering tuk-tuks left and right. Unfortunately, he wasn’t crystal clear on where we were heading, and called Harold to get some clarification. The driver was nice enough to stop in the middle of the street to allow us to get some photos of elephants, and at one point pulled over to the side of the road, got out, and asked a shopkeeper where “Barefoot” was. He didn’t get much satisfaction and called Harold again. Second or third time was the charm, as we finally came upon the store.

Barefoot's colorful wares

Bobby described the place as a “Cost Plus” or “World Market”. It was a very nice multi-level store that featured local textiles, crafts, and products of Sri Lanka. We spent about a half-hour there while our driver patiently waited (he did manage to move the taxi off of the sidewalk and on to the street).

Our last destination was the famous Galle Face Hotel, along the water at the other end of the promenade from the Kingsbury Hotel. This very grand and colonial-style hotel was built in 1864, and was one of the oldest hotels east of the Suez. When we arrived, a large wedding party was crowding the drive. Large and exquisitely dressed. Did I mention the handsome men…again?

Sea view balcony at the Galle Face Hotel

While our driver waited (not on the sidewalk this time), we toured the interior, looking for the museum that Harold had told us about. We wandered around, discovering a beautiful sea-view balcony, and admiring the beautiful woodwork, before we stumbled on the museum. There were items in glass cases from its storied history, as well as photos of many of the famous people who’ve stayed there (from Che Guevara to Indira Gandhi to Harrison Ford). In the middle was a vehicle that once belonged to the Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Phillip). (I always love meandering about in these storied old hotels, like the Broadmoor in Colorado. I’m not sure what it is that I’m so smitten with about them, but I truly am. Probably the quiet elegance about them – and possibly the lack of screaming children ;-) – AFK).

Former vehicle of the Duke of Edinburgh
After a long and hot day, we had the taxi take us back to the port entrance where we caught the shuttle bus back to the pier. A number of vendors had setup shop there, and we spent a few minutes looking at their wares. Allan was determined to get a gem stone, and eventually ended up with a beautiful .25 carat padparadsha sapphire, pinkish-orange in color. Quite a nice souvenir from our day in Sri Lanka.



Back on the ship, we had tea and refreshments before heading back to our stateroom. The ship left the pier around 7:00PM, and eventually we made our way to dinner in Blu.


I think Sri Lanka is deserving of a return visit. The countryside is supposed to be beautiful, with a mid-island mountain range that on a clear day lets you view the coast about 200 kilometers to the south.

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