Sri Lanka days 5-7 Colombo and Negombo

We left at 9am and drove about 6 hours to my hotel in Colombo.  We stopped to look at a few waterfalls.  On our way through Colombo, I had Savee pull over at a roadside store so I could buy a new suitcase.  I needed more room to put my Sri Lankan purchases – carved wooden boxes and tea J 

I stayed at the Concord Grand – I do NOT recommend it.  It seemed dirty and a little unsafe.  The door could have been kicked in by a 10 year old.  I went out walking in the evening.  The next morning, Savee picked me up at 10am to drive me to my hotel in Negombo.  It took 2.5 hours!!  Traffic was ridiculous.  The stay in Colombo was unnecessary and I wish I would have gone straight to Negombo.  I booked this hotel myself – Dickman’s Resort.  It is only for people over 21 and it looked like it was painted by a 5 year old who loves rainbows.  Each room/wall was a different color and it was awesome!!!  I was in the pink room right above reception.  Out by the pool, I saw there was a purple room!  The pool was lovely and the people super nice and helpful. 

My room was in the door at the top of the stairs

the pool

my welcome

I went walking in the afternoon and many tuk-tuk drivers stopped and offered me a ride.  One in particular talked to me for quite a bit and wanted to take me on a tour of Negombo city – I declined.  Several stores were closed even though it was mid day on Thursday.  I asked someone why and he said “tomorrow is big Friday”.  Good Friday!  There are a LOT of Catholics around here.  The next morning, I had breakfast at the hotel and went walking.  A rickshaw driver pulled up and said “Hello from US, but lives in India”  He remembered me from yesterday!!  This time I took him up on his tour offer.  He drove me around to several Catholic churches, a Buddhist temple, a fish market, a Portuguese fort that is now a prison, etc.  He knew lots of information and I learned a lot about the area. 

Hindu Temple

St. Sebastian church

They had the stations of the cross all around the grounds.

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 Many churches were preparing for Good Friday services and Easter Services.  Most of the Jesus statues in the city were covered up, which is customary on Good Friday because is in the tomb.  Except for this big guy.  No one wanted to cover him up!!!

This was the only Jesus not covered up on good Friday :)

This is the view from Jesus

Fishing market - It is hard to transport fish inland so they dry the fish here, then transport it.  They lay the fish out and dry it for 3 days then they put it under the tarps. 

He took me to an old Portuguese Fort that is now a prison.  There were people lined up to see prisoners.  Very little security for a prison. 

He told me how to tell the difference between sleeping Buddha and dead Buddha.  Dead Buddha has eyes half closed and sleeping Buddha has them all the way closed.  Dead Buddha’s feet are not stacked completely even, sleeping Buddha’s feet are.

circle of life - baby, child, young man, married...

circle of life - grandparents, old man

Dead Buddha - feet aren't alligned

Dead Buddha - eyes half closed

I greatly enjoyed my time in Sri Lanka as a whole, especially Negombo. 

Sri Lanka day 4 – Kandy and Nuwara Eliya

Sri Lanka day 4 – Kandy and Nuwara Eliya

Savee picked me up from the Vino Villa at 8:45am.  It was a nice enough place and had adorable seating areas on a balcony.  The bathroom was cramped though and the shower was a just a removable hose over the toilet.  They serve the same breakfast to everyone.  They brought out OJ, and plain egg omelet, and a big piece of sausage.  I was happy, then they brought out SIX pieces of toast and a huge plate of fruit (a whole banana, about 12 chunks of papaya and 12 chunks of watermelon and 4 slices of pineapple.  I hate wasting food!!  My parents were big on eating every morsel off your plate and being India heightens it.  I ate the omelet and sausage no problem and I ate all the fruit (saving the banana for later) even though I do not like papaya or watermelon that much, but I absolutely cannot get down 6 pieces of toast!

We drove around the upper lake shore drive (didn’t look like Chicago at all)  and stopped for some pictures of the views.  

We had to make a stop at the accommodation that he stayed at last night to get his forgotten ID, then we went to the Royal Botanical gardens – they were HUGE.  167 acres I think.  I like the orchids the best. 

People always say Sri Lanka is awesome and I knew I would see temples and ruins etc.  but there wasn’t anything particular I really wanted to see except for taking a train ride.  Sri Lanka is supposed to have the most scenic train rides in the world and today was the day that I was going to take the train from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya.  Savee took me to the train station, wrote down the name of the stop I needed and wrote his phone number down – just in case.  Thank goodness he did!  It was almost noon and the train was supposed to come at 12:31.  I sat outside in the shade and was reading on my ipad.  The train was late – didn’t actually leave until 1:10 without me on it.  about 12:40 I started to not feel well – sweaty, dizzy- so I rested my head on the seat rails and took some deep breaths.  So my vision was all grey and my hearing was dulled to where it sounded like I was hearing everything through water.  I was trying not to pass out.    I would lay my head down and it would get a little better, but then it would be awful again.  I looked around for the couple who were in line with me at the ticket counter – I knew they spoke English.  They were a few seats away from me and I staggered over there.  The guy went to have the station people call my driver.  I sat with my head between my knees desperately trying not to pass out. The train finally came! Augh.  She and another lady walked me over to a bench where I could lay down until Savee came back.  By the time he got back, I was feeling a bit better.  I was really disappointed that I missed the train.  There are Pros and Cons to traveling alone.  Con -when something like this happens you are alone.  Pro- when your plans get messed up like this, it doesn’t mess up anyone else’s plans.  I laid down in the back of the car for an hour or so and we stopped at a tea plantation and factory.  I have been to tea plantations in India, but never a factory where they make it.  It was the Glenlock plantation – founded by a Scottish man.  The lady was very knowledgeable – she showed how each leaf makes a different tea-the big one, black – the middle one, green – and the tiny stub, white.  Women (only women- usually Tamil women because their labor is cheapest) pick the leaves in the mornings and they lay them on these big machines with fans to for 12 hours to get 50% of the moisture out.  Then they put them in a machine that grinds them up and sorts the piece sizes.  The smallest pieces make the strongest tea.  One of the machines was a new one from Japan and she kept going on about how great this machine was and asked me “Why do Japanese make such good machines?” She was totally serious and curious as to what makes them so good at making machines J They gave Savee and I some tea, then I bought some. 

made for royalty!!

We drove the rest of the way to Nuwara Eliya – I can only imagine how beautiful the train ride was.  I am sooo disappointed.    It was cooler in this part of the country.  He took me to the lake park where a lot of the locals hang out.  There was a nice walking path around the lake, boats you could ride, street food to buy, etc.  

I stayed at the Heaven Seven hotel at the top of a hill.  It had great views, lovely people, and nice food.  I would definitely stay there again!!!