Arrived in Colombo in one piece at 3am on Sunday after a ten hour flight......hadn't managed to get much in the way of sleep (got hooked on the computerised game of Solitaire on the back of the seat in front.....hadn't managed to clear a deck of cards by the time we landed, so I was all for turning the plane round and heading back for Blighty). A chap was awaiting me at the Airport exit with my name on a piece of paper, and I was whisked off to the Galle Face Hotel.....a forty-five minute taxi ride to the south. It being dark, I couldn't get much of a feel for the place beyond the half-built edifices and shacks that lined the route, but I could already sense the poverty.....pot-holed roads, puddles of stagnant water, copious wandering dogs and the occassional knot of locals idling away the nightime.
I managed to get four hours kip before breakfast.......my room was in the north wing of what must have been a very grand colonial estblishment in years gone by. It was sizeable, but pretty basic, with ensuite bathroom. They had recently refurbished the south wing, which was regal in comparison!
My sleep was disturbed by the very loud air-conditioning unit.....it didn't appear to have any controls, so I couldn't turn it off. Added to which, it made the room very cold, and being armed only with my M&S pyjama set and a thin white sheet, I felt the chill!
Breakfast was on the Verandha overlooking the Arabian Sea, and I tucked into the creamy potato curry, with Mung beans on the side, and a fried egg served in a bowl made out of a thin, slightly sweet pancake mix......yummy!!! I had seconds....
I had been warned about the touts that frequent the area by the staff at the hotel, but had to pop over the road to get some Sri Lankan rupees out of the cash machine....I brushed off a couple of approaches from dodgy-looking tri-shaw drivers, but hadn't got more than 50 yards when Roland introduced himself, saying he was the gardener at the hotel.....that's what clinched it! I presumed he would be as well-versed in avoiding these practices as his comrades at work, so instantly put my trust in him.
A Sri Lankan called Roland.....come off it!!!! Anyhow, he led me a merry dance, insisting I come visit his temple before finding me a cash-point....he flagged down a friendly tri-shaw driver, who was presumably in on the scam, and off we went. The temple was interesting, and Roland was obviously doing his best to make sure I was going to get my money's worth, bless him! I was shown the temple elephant, and met the tsunami kids who were being schooled there.....then it was off to his pal's gemstone shop, where they wanted $88 for a small piece of opal....I turned on my heel at that point, but the tri-shaw driver wanted $20 to take me back to the hotel. Not knowing where the hell I was, I had no choice. Roland then took his cut.....he was very insistent about it!!!! Welcome to the Third World!!!! I had to take my hat off to them.....they'd earned a month's wages in less than twenty minutes.....I'd lost the price of admission to The Madjeski Stadium....
Whilst in the hotel grounds I was approached by Mike, a youthful looking 63-year old who came over to commiserate.....he'd been conned outside, too! I spent the rest of the day mooching about, trying to get into the book I'd brought....Joseph Heller's Catch 22. Had a snooze in the afternoon, and met Mike for dinner on the verandah in the evening. He turned out to have been in the property business, and was now trying to set up a charitable development in Galle, where the tsunami had caused a lot of damage.
Got to bed around 10pm......had to be up at 2am to get the taxi to the airport. I was getting a bit worried by 2.30am, but he showed up, and we sped airport-wards. Had three hours to kill before the Goa flight boarded, so sat in the coffee bar. Had given my last rupees to the security guard at the airport, who asked me for them, very politely!!! Had to pay for my coffe in sterling, but got change in dollars! Still, should be able to use them on my way back home. Landed safely in Goa at 7.30am and entered another world!
I managed to get four hours kip before breakfast.......my room was in the north wing of what must have been a very grand colonial estblishment in years gone by. It was sizeable, but pretty basic, with ensuite bathroom. They had recently refurbished the south wing, which was regal in comparison!
My sleep was disturbed by the very loud air-conditioning unit.....it didn't appear to have any controls, so I couldn't turn it off. Added to which, it made the room very cold, and being armed only with my M&S pyjama set and a thin white sheet, I felt the chill!
Breakfast was on the Verandha overlooking the Arabian Sea, and I tucked into the creamy potato curry, with Mung beans on the side, and a fried egg served in a bowl made out of a thin, slightly sweet pancake mix......yummy!!! I had seconds....
I had been warned about the touts that frequent the area by the staff at the hotel, but had to pop over the road to get some Sri Lankan rupees out of the cash machine....I brushed off a couple of approaches from dodgy-looking tri-shaw drivers, but hadn't got more than 50 yards when Roland introduced himself, saying he was the gardener at the hotel.....that's what clinched it! I presumed he would be as well-versed in avoiding these practices as his comrades at work, so instantly put my trust in him.
A Sri Lankan called Roland.....come off it!!!! Anyhow, he led me a merry dance, insisting I come visit his temple before finding me a cash-point....he flagged down a friendly tri-shaw driver, who was presumably in on the scam, and off we went. The temple was interesting, and Roland was obviously doing his best to make sure I was going to get my money's worth, bless him! I was shown the temple elephant, and met the tsunami kids who were being schooled there.....then it was off to his pal's gemstone shop, where they wanted $88 for a small piece of opal....I turned on my heel at that point, but the tri-shaw driver wanted $20 to take me back to the hotel. Not knowing where the hell I was, I had no choice. Roland then took his cut.....he was very insistent about it!!!! Welcome to the Third World!!!! I had to take my hat off to them.....they'd earned a month's wages in less than twenty minutes.....I'd lost the price of admission to The Madjeski Stadium....
Whilst in the hotel grounds I was approached by Mike, a youthful looking 63-year old who came over to commiserate.....he'd been conned outside, too! I spent the rest of the day mooching about, trying to get into the book I'd brought....Joseph Heller's Catch 22. Had a snooze in the afternoon, and met Mike for dinner on the verandah in the evening. He turned out to have been in the property business, and was now trying to set up a charitable development in Galle, where the tsunami had caused a lot of damage.
Got to bed around 10pm......had to be up at 2am to get the taxi to the airport. I was getting a bit worried by 2.30am, but he showed up, and we sped airport-wards. Had three hours to kill before the Goa flight boarded, so sat in the coffee bar. Had given my last rupees to the security guard at the airport, who asked me for them, very politely!!! Had to pay for my coffe in sterling, but got change in dollars! Still, should be able to use them on my way back home. Landed safely in Goa at 7.30am and entered another world!
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