Posted in Colombo, Sri Lanka, tagged Colombo, Sri Lanka on July 6, 2012| 1 Comment »
That title sounds so dramatic. Of course I’ll be back in Sri Lanka! I’m just not sure when. And I guess this was possibly the last Colombo sunset while living there, which makes me sad and teary. But I have such beautiful memories of my time in Sri Lanka. And the thought of those makes me happy.
Posted in Colombo, Sri Lanka, tagged Colombo, Sri Lanka on July 5, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Like the Fort, Slave Island has so much to discover. It’s also an area that is targeted for massive renovations, but there are a lot of families that live in this neighborhood so I hope they are taken care of when refurbishment starts. Fingers crossed.
Nippon Hotel & Manning Mansions. This has so much potential, at least from the outside.
Treasures on a side street.
(Thanks to my walking buddy for suggesting I take this pic!)
The Castle Hotel. It also has so much potential, and I’ve even seen the inside of this one!
Malay Mosque
Bus Stop!
Posted in Colombo, Sri Lanka, tagged Colombo, Sri Lanka on July 4, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Ok. It’s time to speed through my last bits of Sri Lanka so I can move on to other adventures. I want to post these last pics so that I remember my adventures.
I loved my walks in Colombo. They were hot and not always pleasant. But I always made different discoveries. Back in December 2011, the Dutch Hospital finally opened. It’s located in the Colombo Fort area, or Colombo 1, and is part of an effort to make Sri Lanka more tourist friendly. It was a welcome addition as it expanded the restaurant options in Colombo by about five. Score! Long before it opened (maybe a year ago?) I stumbled upon it being refurbished. It’s such a pleasant place and one not to miss if you are in Colombo.
Outside the Dutch Hospital
Inside the Dutch Hospital, prior to refurbishment. With the World Trade Center in the background. Modern vs. Old. Nice.
With the opening of the Dutch Hospital, Colombo’s Fort area is rapidly gentrifying. I believe it’s only a matter of time before the area returns to its glory days.
Cargills in the Fort. Soon to be renovated?
Colombo Fort Police Station. With the World Trade Center in the background. Modern vs. New. Again. Cool.
Farther into the Fort, you’ll be in Pettah, the market area, and stumble upon more interesting sites. Like the street devoted to dried fish. Smells amazing, lemme tell you. I believe this area is actually Colombo 13, but I’m not sure.
This is definitely Colombo’s most interesting mosque.
A peep inside of Colombo’s most interesting mosque.
Beautiful Church Doors not too far away from the mosque.
Posted in Colombo, Sri Lanka, tagged Colombo, Sri Lanka on October 7, 2011| Leave a Comment »
One of my most popular posts is a picture of the Colombo skyline. That was taken a little over a year ago and Colombo has changed a lot since then. Time for an update.
Oceanside
Landside
Posted in Colombo, Sri Lanka, tagged Colombo, Sri Lanka on September 11, 2011| Leave a Comment »
I love taking walks. Even in Colombo where it can sometimes be harder to walk because of the heat and not great walking paths.
This is my favorite house in Colombo. It reminds me of the houses you read about in novels like The Hamilton Case that feature colonial and post-colonial times. (Incidentally, I didn’t like The Hamilton Case until I talked to some Colombo friends. Then I gained a whole new respect for the book. No matter what, it’s a fun book that features Sri Lanka and Colombo.)
House on Dickman's Road
Fried manioc chips are soooo tasty. My co-workers know that I like them so much that they bring them to me as a treat. And sometimes I even treat myself to them when I take a walk on Galle Face Green.
Manioc Chips
Just after Galle Face Green you can keep walking along the ocean. You’ll pass by some Navy barracks, a lighthouse, and at the very end you reach the Buddhist Temple in the sky which welcomes you to Colombo Port. This area used to be cordoned off in a high security zone, but it’s been open to the public for a few months now.
Buddhist Temple by the Port
Posted in Colombo, Sri Lanka, tagged Colombo, Sri Lanka on June 26, 2011| Leave a Comment »
The Galle Face Hotel is Colombo’s most famous hotel. The website says it’s “vintage,” which is certainly true given that it’s one of Colombo’s oldest hotels. It’s colonial, if you will. It’s also one of the most well-situated since it’s right on the ocean and Galle Road, Colombo’s main drag.
Supposedly, enjoying sundowners (translated: drinks at sunset) or staying at the hotel is on some list of 1,000 things to do before you die. Good thing I’m able to enjoy this quite regularly.
Galle Face Hotel
P.S.–I’ve never been able to get a good picture of the front facade, but you can just look at that on the web.
Posted in Colombo, Sri Lanka, tagged Colombo, Sri Lanka on March 27, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Sri Lanka, like much of the rest of the Commonwealth, has been gripped by Cricket World Cup fever. Sri Lanka had a huge victory last night over the UK and are now in the semi-finals, along with India, Pakistan and New Zealand.
I attended my first cricket match last week–Australia vs. Pakistan–and I am pleased to say that I now understand the rules of cricket thanks to my Aussie friends. (Sad for my friends that Pakistan won–it was a big upset!) Cricket is much easier to understand that I though it would be and already knowing the rules of baseball helps a lot. Perhaps I, too, have been gripped by cricket fever?
Friends Supporting Both Teams
The flags and the teams before the start of the match.
Posted in Buddhisim, Colombo, Sri Lanka, tagged Buddhism, Colombo, Sri Lanka on March 26, 2011| 1 Comment »
Ok…time to wrap up the Colombo Perahera Parade.
The parade is full of elephants. About a week before the parade and a few days after, Victoria Park is full of them along with their mahouts. One friend counted at least 75 elephants in the park and during the parade. That’s a lot of elephants!
I don't think this is Tusker, the elephant who often lives at Gangaramaya Temple.
Then throughout the parade you’ll see the elephants wearing elaborate outfits like these.
They also sometimes carry electric Buddhas. It's so South Asian. I love it.
Podi Hamuduruwo. Or in Sinhala, "Little Monks."
Nearing the finale….
Another Electric Buddha
And the Grand Finale: Flame Throwers!
Flame Throwers on Stilts, no less!
Colombo Perahera is a quintessentially South Asian experience with so many different sights, sounds and colors. Apparently, this year’s Perahera in Colombo was the largest it’s ever been. Does this mean I can skip Kandy Perahera in August? Hmm….
Posted in Buddhisim, Colombo, Sri Lanka, tagged Buddhism, Colombo, Sri Lanka on February 27, 2011| Leave a Comment »
A few weeks before the Colombo Perahera, the Seema Malaka Temple, which is now part of Gangaramaya Temple, but built by Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka’s famous architect, is wrapped in lights.
Seema Malaka Temple
The Perahera is essentially a parade of Sri Lankan customs, culture and traditions and it lasts a long time.
Kandayan Dancers feature prominently in the Perahera.
Kandayam Drummer
Top Spinners: These guys spin tops on very tall sticks. Impressive.
Cane Dancers: they spin around in two different circles with long canes.
Cane Dancers running around--VERY Impressive
Posted in Buddhisim, Colombo, Sri Lanka, tagged Buddhism, Colombo, Sri Lanka on February 25, 2011| 2 Comments »
Last week Colombo celebrated the Navam Maha Perahera. While not as well known as Kandy’s annual August Perahera, Colombo’s Perahera was still cool and interesting. I’ll probably cover it in several posts. Gangaramaya Temple, which I’ve written about here and here, organizes Colombo’s Perahera and they started preparing weeks in advance.
Chinese Lanterns
Buddhist Flag
Chinese Lantern, Buddhist Flag, Buddha
Adventures in Serendipity 