Colombo, Sri Lanka (7-28)

Monday morning at 6:30 I left Pokpak’s apartment to go to the airport for the flight to Colombo. The time in Sri Lanka is 1.5 hours behind Thai time; so I woke up at 4:30 AM Sri Lanka time. Too early!

At the Colombo airport I hired a taxi to take me to the hotel. I like the pre-paid, set fee taxi services at many airports. When the driver delivered me to the guesthouse, he hung around for a few minutes before leaving. I realized later that he was probably waiting for a tip, but coming from China where tips are not expected and being very tired, I didn’t thought about it. In the evening I looked up tipping policies in Sri Lanka and learned that I am indeed in a “tips are expected” country again. I’ve enjoyed being free of that expectation.

Having gotten up so early and had the time change, I was tired when I arrived and didn’t think I’d be able to do anything that afternoon. However, after resting for an hour, I was ready to venture out to the national museum, which is near the guesthouse. The man gave me directions to walk there. At one multi-street intersection where I wasn’t sure which street to take, a man joined me and started to chat; so I told him I was looking for the street to the museum. He offered to take me there, as he works at a hotel and likes to speak English. After a few minutes, he got a tuk-tuk, which surprised me because I had understood that the museum was quite close. We went way up the street and then back on the parallel street, as they are one-way. The man could have walked me up the street faster than the ride took. We chatted and it felt like the several times in China when someone walked out of their way to make sure I got where I was going. When we arrived at the museum, he told me that the tuk-tuk was 8800 rupees/$66, which would be the cost for several hours. I knew that was way too much for the ten minute ride and realized that I’d fallen into a scam. I refused to pay that much, telling him I knew it was too much and was a lot more than I had paid—2900/$22—for the hour-long trip from the airport. When he asked me how much I’d pay, I offered 500/$3.75, thinking that was probably still too much but I was willing to pay that much for my naivety in trusting the man. The man said I could pay 5000 and he’d pay the rest. I still refused. Later he showed me that he didn’t have any money to pay the driver. Too bad. After I handed over the 500 rupees and walked away, the man asked about something for him, which I didn’t acknowledge hearing. He could share what I gave the driver, who may have been his friend/accomplice. This was a harsh reminder that this country is different and I can’t just trust everyone. I don’t like not trusting people who offer to help, but I will be more wary here.

The museum is a huge 19^th century colonial building that is in the process of being renovated. 

I enjoyed becoming acquainted with Sri Lankan styles of art. I always enjoy noticing the different styles around Southeast Asia. 

Sri Lankan Buddha statues have a flame on top of his head.

I was also fascinated by the paintings and seeing how the images are different from ones in other countries. 

After eating at the café at the museum, I walked through the nearby park.

Tuesday morning I took a tuk-tuk to buy a train ticket for Wednesday. The man at the ticket window said there isn’t a train to Dambulla and I should take a bus. I could buy a ticket somewhere across the way; it wasn’t clear to me where that could happen. After walking for a few minutes, I came to a travel agency and decided to ask them. The man explained that they only do tours. But he made a phone call and another man gave me a map. They explained that I had to take a train to a different city and then get a bus. So I went back to the train ticket window where I was told to go to a different window inside. After asking three people, I found the correct window and emerged with a train ticket. I still like being able to do these things successfully.

After purchasing the ticket, I decided to walk for a while. In the market area outside the train station, when I looked at a pair of pants, the man found some in my size and I ended out buying a pair. I’m working on phasing out my too-short Chinese pants. Then he took me to a few other stalls to look for a shirt, but I didn’t see anything I wanted. I did buy a length of fabric that can be used as a sarong or made into something. I wasn’t going to buy it; so when he pushed for “how much you pay?”I offered a third of what he had stated, thinking he would refuse and I could leave without purchasing it. He said it was too little, and I said I knew that but I didn’t really want to buy it. Then he agreed to my offer; so I have fabric for someone in Thailand.

I was trying to get back to where the driver had left me off in the first place, but I never got there. I ended out in another area where I enjoyed looking at the local shops and the homes down the alleys between them. Buildings and some old trees have Buddha statues or small altars. 

Then it was time to get a tuk-tuk to the Gangaramaya Temple, an important Buddhist temple. The temple includes a museum as well as the main hall and several other rooms. 

The main hall has very colorful statues. 

I was fascinated by the painted palms. 

Another area has sitting Buddha statues up a hill to a stupa. 

There’s a really old bo/bodhi tree with an old Buddha statue. People tie coins in cloth and tie them to the tree roots. This was the first time I'd seen a bodhi tree. 

The ticket to the temple includes Seema Malaka, a small temple on the nearby lake that has an assembly hall for monks. 

The assembly hall is surrounded by sitting Buddha statues. 

On another island there is a Buddha under a bo/bodhi tree. 

There are four guardians in small closets at each corner. Only three were open. The contain statues—two females and a Ganesh— that are very colorful. Two women were at the fourth closet for a long time. When they left, I returned to see what is in that closet, but it was closed, which made me wonder what statue is in it that is so special.

Next I walked to the coast. The map showed a church, and I decided to check it out. Saint Andrew’s Church is a very basic Christian church. 

From there, I walked to the green area, a promenade along the seaside that is a popular place for local people. I sat on a bench and watched and listened to the waves for a while. 

As I walked back, people were arriving and standing on the sand so the waves would reach their feet. Many looked like they hadn’t done this before; so perhaps they are tourists from another part of the country or from India.

When walking down the street, I had seen a small café and decided to eat there: chicken biryani that was quite nice. Then it was time to head back. After eating, I wanted to walk. Outside one of the big hotels, I encountered a man who told me about a festival I should go to at Gangaramaya Temple that was once a year and happened to be that night. The man Monday had also told me there was a festival I should go to after the museum that was only once a year and was that day. So I was a bit leery. I guess it’s possible that there were festivals at two different temples, but my trust level was low. Then a tuk-tuk driver followed me after I left the man and wanted to take me to the temple. It may have been fine, but the experience on Monday had left me wary. Later I came to a Hindu temple with interesting statues. After walking for a while, I took a tuk-tuk the rest of the way back. It’s nice to have that option so readily available.

That was my experience in Colombo. I was a little surprised that I enjoyed walking around the city. I had thought I’d hire a driver to take me around. Several offered to give me a one-hour tour for a good price, but I didn’t want to just drive past places. I still enjoy walking and seeing what I see. That’s what I do. I found people to be friendly. Most would smile if I smiled or nodded to greet them. But a day and a half in the city was adequate. When I took out my paper for the guesthouse in Dambulla, the dates were July 30 and 31, not 29. I was mystified. Then I checked the paper for Colombo and realized I’d booked three nights there. Since I was ready to leave, I quickly made a reservation for the 29^th at the guesthouse in Dambulla.

Money: In less than a week, I have gone from $1=6 yuan to 34 Thai baths to 133 Sri Lankan rupees. Where 100 used to be a lot, it’s now not much. It took a few days to readjust my thinking.

Motorcycle drivers and passengers wear helmets.

Driving is on the left side, as in Thailand.

Crossing the street: There are yellow striped pedestrian crosswalks. When people walk there, traffic stops. The first time that happened I was so astonished that I almost froze. But it happens consistently. It seems so civilized after constantly having to be extra vigilant in China because cars did not respect pedestrian crosswalks.