Colombo, Sri Lanka...Part 1

Our trip to India has come to an end which meant that our next stop was Sri Lanka which will be our last country to visit on this trip. 

The map shows our route through India, to Nepal and then on to Sri Lanka...

We covered a lot of ground in India but still much to see in this most interesting and diverse country.

We both agreed it was one of the best countries we have ever visited and to think we almost didn’t come!

However we were now looking forward to visiting Sri Lanka, an island country just off the tip of southern India and only a 50 minute flight.The airport is actually in Negombo an hour or so outside of the capital Colombo so we took a taxi in to our next accommodation which was located in a posh residential area... outside our homestay.

Our first impression of the city was that is was very green and hot!

The streets were wide and we did not see the garbage that was common in many parts of India. The buildings were quiet lovely alamost always surrounded by beautiful gardens...

This courtyard was located in a shopping complex which was in walking distance of our homestay and it was quite beautiful...

It is located in a refurbished complex that used to house an old government building and was a project of the Ministry of Defence and the Urban Development Authority. It took the Sri Lanka Army and Navy two years to demolish the former buildings and reconstruct this one.

It is located very close to the Independence Memorial Hall which is a national monument in Colombo built for commemoration of the independence of Sri Lanka from the British rule with the restoration of full governing responsibility to a Ceylonese-elected legislature on February 4, 1948. It is located at the Independence Square.

It is quite a large structure with a beautiful interior as well...

Loved the sign...

Colombo was very hot and humid so we took every advantage of shade to escape the heat...

Our first contact with the tuk tuk drivers in Colombo was not very positive as they are very aggressive so we took to using Uber to get around the city. It was reliable, inexpensive and no hassle! 

We visited a number of Buddhist temples with the first one close by where we were staying and this was most beautiful and quiet with only one other lady to be seen...

Some of the Buddhas were quite large...

The reclining Buddha...

The statues were so colourful and detailed...

Across town in a Uber to Gangaramaya Temple which is over 120 years old and quite a large complex with lots of tourists...

No shoes allowed and your shoulders and knees must be covered.

This temple contains many objects that devotees over the years have gifted to it so there are a jumble of things as here as well as being a place of worship.

The keeper of the museum showing Don how to pray...

Many examples of Buddhas from all over Asia...

There were lots of school groups here and these boys were escaping to be with the Buddhas...

And of course what would be a Temple without a monk...

And a stuffed elephant...

There are four main religions in Sri Lanka; Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity with  Theravada Buddhism being the majority religion with about 70% of the country's population as followers. To be continued...

Colombo, Sri Lanka.....Part 2

Another day we took a walking tour in the heart of the city Colombo Fort, the group turned out to be small with only ourselves, an Australian girl and our guide Harold. 

We met at The Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct located in a building was originally a hospital during the Dutch occupation of Sri Lanka, and is considered to be the oldest building in the historic Colombo Fort area. The Dutch ruled Sri Lanka from 1640 -1796. They were ceded some territory by the Portuguese, the rest came through conquest.

.It was also used as a police station and an apothocary, before it was finally converted into its current role in 2011. The building is centred around two courtyards, which sometimes host live music. It has a few cafes, restaurants, shops and bars. 

The Dutch built their structures with low ceilings, thick walls, and covered porches to take advantage of the cooling breezes. They are quite lovely buildings.

While we were waiting we stopped for tea which is one of the things that Sri Lanka is known for, in this case iced rose and hibiscus tea...

Some of the sights on our tour...

A statue of the last king of Sri Lanka who was an Indian that was outed by the British in 1815.

Some sculptures...

This one is located outside the Central Bank building which was the site of one of the deadliest attacks carried out in Colombo during the 30 year war. It occurred on January 31, 1996 and was nearly destroyed by a massive bomb carried on a truck that drove into the building.

Large fences are now erected around buildings in the area...

The old Fort area of Colombo is a mixture of old and new architecture...

Lots of buildings from the British era...

We stopped for tea at one of the old hotels in the area, here our guide is explaining something to Don and Jessica...

The view of the port of Colombo...

Another view of the waterfront from the top of a hotel...

As in many waterfront cities there is a pedestrian walkway along the shoreline as well as many 5 star hotels.

Another view of the Port of Colombo...

And this is a view of a Chinese company building a new island in the harbour which will be quite large and cost 18 Billion US dollars...

This is a picture of the proposed development, I was quite amazed at this project...

The main commercial area of Colombo is called Pettah and is quite crowded...

Right in the middle of this streetscape is the Red Mosque which was built in 1908 and is quite an interesting building, both in color and design...

Some details...

It looks like it is made out of Legos!

Pettah also has a bustling market...

The fruits and vegetables here are varied and so tasty!

Not so with the beer, yes it is tasty but not too available. Most of it is sold in large hotels at a premium  price which we were prepared to spend because it was so hot and we were always thirsty! We enjoyed the ones we had here in the terrace of the Galle Face Hotel, one of the oldest in Colombo...

Overall we enjoyed our stay in Colombo even though it was not one of our favourite cities. It was so hot and humid, temperatures in the 40s that we were looking forward to leaving for cooler places.