Never having been here before, I was excited to have a look around and decided to do that as soon as we docked yesterday. How hard could it be to take the shuttle to the gate of the port and walk into the capital of this little island nation? Pretty easy as it were. We managed to make it through the gauntlet of tuk tuk drivers assembled feet from the gate who double as tour guides for “best price … cheap.” We strolled along, map in hand, quite proud to have said a succession of no thank yous and to be on our own. With our defenses down we took little notice of a nicely dressed man who wondered it we were American and lo and behold, we had something in common: he works for the American Embassy! He announced this with a grand gesture to a large, impressive building to our left which we later learned was a hotel. He doubled down by flashing his embassy ID safely tucked behind plastic. Anyway, before we knew it he had chosen a reputable tuk tuk driver for us, negotiated a $10/hour rate, and off we were sent to the city center to attend the gem festival where there was “a steal on unique treasures … 50% off.”

Riding in a tuk tuk is like sitting on top of a noisy lawn mower. Besides being loud we were right at exhaust pipe level which left Dan a bit queasy. We zigged and zagged and weaved in and out of traffic like we were in some kind of hurry. We decided to lean into the experience and actually enjoyed the view close to the pavement.

We did make a quick stop at a jewelry store, presumable a stand-in for the gem festival, but spent most of our time at a fabulous, colorful temple. Our bossy driver/guide escorted us through shoe removal and then walked us efficiently around with a steady refrain of “come … come.” He told us what to look at, when to look, and where and how to take the best pictures. He often took the photos himself once he told us where to stand. He made sure we were in line to get a string bracelet and a blessing from a saffron-robed monk. We did as we were instructed and chalked it up to a fun and funny experience.

An hour and a half later in the pouring rain we were dropped back at the gate to the port. The friendly, lively experience shifted swiftly to our driver a) needing local currency, b) insisting we agreed to $10 per person per hour which he rounded up to “let’s say $30,” and c) mentioning his family as well as the spike in his expenses lately. Just as he had Dan in the palm of his emotional hand, I gave him $15 plus $1 to pay for bank charges to change currency and nudged Dan to make a quick exit before he sped off with us captive. The ole bait and switch as well as the “I work for the American Embassy” must be common scams since another couple we met ended up paying $50 for two hours after the ‘embassy employee’ found a tuk tuk for them too. All in all a fun and interesting adventure with no harm done.

Today we had a five-hour tour around the city. Unlike the two port cities we visited in India, Colombo is impeccably clean and tidy with beautiful public parks, landscaped roundabouts, statues in public spaces, and interesting architecture. Similar to India, the rich and poor intermingle in public spaces and modern architecture influenced by colonial occupations neighbor ancient temples, old marketplaces, and small kiosks selling everything from soup to nuts. My biggest surprise was a snake charmer sitting on the sidewalk with a snake (a cobra?) in each of two baskets and a small monkey on a leash.

We made three stops. The first was to the National Museum which is on large manicured grounds. We enjoyed King of Kandy’s regalia; Hindu and Buddhist bronzes; and a nice collection of cultural artifacts including masks, loin cloths, and a throne dating to the late 1600s. I rushed through so I’d have ample time in the gift shop I assumed would greet me at the exit. NOT. (Sad face)

Our second stop allowed us to visit Asokaramaya Buddhist Temple with its stunning gold, marble, and bejeweled statues of Buddha and Gangaramaya Temple with a floor-to-ceiling Buddha and his worshipers painted in vibrant lacquer. A highlight of this temple complex is a sacred fig tree. Off to one side were a number of small stainless steel vessels for worshipers to use in offering water to the tree along with their prayers. I chose a vessel, filled it with water, and thought about my good fortune while slowly pouring the water on the base of the tree.

Between these two stops we were offered refreshments in the Galle Face Hotel, a still lovely 18th century hotel.

Entertainment these two nights was interesting. A female magician from the UK did the usual impossible magic stuff with the show stopper being getting out of a straight jacket while hanging upside down. And a troupe of young Sri Lankan dancers performed in elaborate traditional costumes to the accompaniment of six drummers.

… For What It’s Worth …

The Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) is the legal tender here.
1 LKR = $0.0031 / 327 LKR = $1.00

Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, has two official languages: Sinhala and Tamil.
It’s about the size of West Virginia.

Sri Lanka is officially a Buddhist country, but other religions are also practiced.

Just like in India and Thailand, driving is on the left side of the road.

Sri Lanka produces 80%-90% of the world’s cinnamon.

Sri Lanka’s Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage maintains the largest herd of captive elephants in the world.
Orphaned and disabled Asian elephants are cared for and protected here.
Established in 1975, it is the first initiative of its kind anywhere.

The blue sapphire in Princess Diana’s engagement ring, now worn by Kate Middleton, came from here.

In July 1959 Bandaranaike became the world’s first female prime minister.