March 2024

I downloaded a special rideshare app called PickMe for our visit to Sri Lanka. It’s like Uber, except you can also book tuk tuks and motor scooters.

Thus prepared, we stepped off the ship. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to connect to any cell services in Sri Lanka. Larry occasionally got one bar of service, but the app was all set up on my phone, so we couldn’t use it.

We wound up booking a tuk tuk the old-fashioned way, when a man approached us and asked if we needed a taxi. Larry negotiated with him and off we went.

I’d never been in a tuk tuk before, and it was a blast! Despite the hot day and heavy traffic, I wasn’t scared. Our driver, Indika, knew how to maneuver that little machine, with the open air providing a much-needed breeze.

I don’t really enjoy over-crowded cities, but our tuk tuk trip turned it into a fun whirlwind of sights, sounds, and smells.

I didn’t realize that even the police use tuk tuks. At one point, we even saw a couple men handcuffed together. One of them sat on the other’s lap as they were taken to jail!

After wandering through a historic cemetery for a couple hours, we were ready for refreshments, so Indika took us to a lovely coffee shop where Larry bought drinks and pastries for the three of us.

At Indika’s insistence, we dropped by Victoria Park to see the elephants. L&I found it a rather sad scene, however. The mahouts were shooting rocks at crows with slingshots for fun, and laughing cruelly anytime they got close.

We could have fed and pet the elephants, but I didn’t want to tip those mahouts, and was sad to see that the elephants there had both their front and back legs chained.

I was excited to see a brightly colored kingfisher there, and rather puzzled to see a crow with a pack of cigarettes…

I’d rather expected our tuk tuk ride to be scary, dirty, and hot, but was pleasantly surprised, instead. I’d definitely book a tuk tuk again!Read more