Showdown in Colombo

At 6.48am we took the morning train from Galle to Colombo Port. Ok it was finally 7.15am as trains in Sri Lanka are always delayed.
We had 2 full days in Colombo and first day a tuk tuk driver tried to scam us but we were good as a team, paid just the amount we thought was right and left him.
He had taken us to the biggest Buddha Temple in Colombo, the Gangaramaya Temple. It’s 120 years old and is an unusual mix of a Buddhist temple and a museum, home to not only a number of vintage cars but an enormous amount of materials of religious relevance, including gold, sapphires, sandalwood, elephant ivory, porcelain, Chinese statues, a cannon, stamps, watches, cameras, photographs, coins, two taxidermied elephants, stereos, shells, swords and other assorted knick-knacks. There were even an old Merceds and 2 Rolls-Royce’s. Many of these items were gifts to the temple. There is also a lot of specifically religious material, including a massive sacred tree in the centre of the complex. Nearby is the temple’s most sacred relic, said to be a lock of the Buddha’s hair donated from a temple in Bengal. After that he just wanted to bring us somewhere else which we didn’t want, he asked for a high amount to rip us off, we shouted at him, paid smaller amount and left. Then we were free and walked around the Pettah market. The Pettah Market is an open market in the suburb of Pettah in Colombo. One can find a wide range of goods right, from electronics to fashion accessories, and market vendors selling anything from fresh vegetables and fruits to meat and seafood. It’s a unique wholesale and commercial trading hub. Later the rain started and we relaxed with beer and food.
For the second day we did an organized tuk tuk tour to see compressed the highlights of Colombo. So we got an insight into the history of Sri Lanka when the Portuguese, the Dutch, the British came and finally Independency. We heard stories about the huge investment of China in Sri Lanka whether it’s airport, motorway, buildings, port or the big complex on the sea front where the Chinese want to create a place like Dubai til 2040 with loads of Skyscrapers.
We had late lunch in the Ceylon Curry Club located in the Old Dutch Hospital. Very tasty! Fish curry and vegetable Curry which was a Cashew Curry.
In the evening we met another relative of Junita, Rogger. Was a very funny and interesting conversation about life, family and Sri Lanka.
Next day we left by plane for Chennai in India.Read more