One Day In Sri Lanka » SriLanka_Roadtrip

Lighthouse Beauty

onedayinsrilanka — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 11:21:22 +0000

Here a few shots from around the Lighthouse Hotel (a Geoffrey Bawa designed hotel) which is just 10 minutes or so from Galle. I took them while Brenda and I were on a reconaisance mission assessing nice hotels close to Colombo that Mark and I might want to stay at. The Lighthouse is definitely one I wish to return to!

A Photography Tour of Galle

onedayinsrilanka — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 11:07:24 +0000

One afternoon when Brenda and I were staying at the Lighthouse Hotel, I decided to hire a driver and scoot about Galle to take photographs. I thoroughly enjoyed myself! The driver was great – he not only went where I wanted to but also suggested a few places that were perfectly visually appealing (not your typical gem or souvenir shops!).

Here are a few samples from that afternoon:

Hiccaduwa Private School

onedayinsrilanka — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 10:44:23 +0000

Brenda and I went down to Hiccaduwa on another one of our ‘crazy woman weekends’ last fall. Across from our hotel was a private school. I met the owner who walked me around the premises and allowed me to take photos. He explained that after the Tsunami, his school was lucky enough to receive some sponsorship

He explained how the tsunami washed across the road and right into the class rooms – there were visible signs of structural damage but he explained things were pretty much back to normal.

Made In Canada – Sold in Sri Lanka

onedayinsrilanka — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 05:39:50 +0000

Now that’s quite a switch – This vendor was selling utility bags that had a “Made In Canada” stamp on it. The bags were made of a strong woven plastic that came from Alberta (from what I could tell) and cost about 40 cents Canadian (40 Rupees).

Negombo Fish Market

onedayinsrilanka — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 05:36:45 +0000

We drove the short distance from the Street Pola to the Fish Market which we were told would be quiet because it was Sunday. Once there, we saw fish drying EVERYWHERE! across the wide expanse of beach. Mike wasn’t satisfied to just view from the van so he asked if we could go and check it out – next thing we know we’re shuffling through the sand, nothing but the stench of fish filling the air. We also received a warning to watch where we walk because the fishermen do not have washrooms (get my drift?…!!).

We found out that it takes about 2 days for the fish to dry and then it is sold right from the beach. Desima said the Fish Market is usually a crazy place – packed with people buying and vendors yelling out the prices for their catch. When we passed through There were a few stalls selling a meagre catch – I found it quite serene and civil.

One vendor had some fun with Mike, suggesting he not be such a wimp by holding up dead fish and squid… be a real man and hold up a CRAB!!…or so she seemed to be saying in her native tongue. Of course, it snapped him!!

Pola! Pola! Pola!

onedayinsrilanka — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 05:23:58 +0000

The Negombo Sunday Pola was loud, crowded, fragrant, HOT!, colourful, a cultural experience… I loved it!!

This guy was selling fresh fruit drinks (from what I could tell). He was quite the showman – a crowd pleaser, I believe, by the number of people standing around watching him. He wanted me to pay him for his picture but I don’t like to get into that kind of thing. Unfortunately, I don’t think my immmune system could survive a drink from him either.

Here’s a 1 minute video from my digital-still camera to help you get a better idea of the Pola:

Sunday in Negombo

onedayinsrilanka — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 02:58:11 +0000

On Sunday March 4th, we got a special treat of a trip to Negombo with Desima. Being her ancestoral home, we were able to visit Desima’s old homestead which included her second house that was changed into a two-level dwelling in miraculous style. We also met her in-laws, long-time Negombo friends and had lunch at Brown’s Beach Hotel where my mother and I had stayed briefly before heading to Kandalama on a trip 4 years ago.

Mark was still sick with a cold so he opted out but Mike came and seemed to really enjoy himself.

Negombo is only 30 kilometres or so from the centre of the city. With all the traffic these days, Desima said it sometimes takes two hours to get there. On Sunday, with the roads relatively clear, it took us about an hour of stop and go travelling.

On the way, Mike was entertaining us with elephant trivia and stories when we came up beside this….

Mike took these shots – He was in the front of the van so only he had access to a window that opened.

Desima pretty much had the day planned out for interesting things to see – I love visiting a place with a local since you definitely see a different side. She was happy to inform me that every Sunday there is a Pola – I had earlier said that I love to go to markets…so a Pola (something akin to a flea-market) was going to be great by me!

Dinner at the Queen’s

onedayinsrilanka — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 23:45:32 +0000

When we went to Kandy for the Perahera Festival, we had dinner at the Queen’s Hotel (this is also the location where we viewed the parade). The buffet was great and so were the sculptures of the food:

Leather Town – Another stop along the Road to Kandy

onedayinsrilanka — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 17:14:30 +0000

The Road to Kandy – Wicker Village

onedayinsrilanka — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:25:35 +0000

Although I prefer to take the train to Kandy, taking the road has its advantages. On our way to PeraHera, we dropped into two villages but passed by many others such as, Cashew Village, Fruit Village with Rambuttans, Leather Village, and Plastic Blow-Up Toy Village. Now, you may think that I’m making this up, but I think there’s some kind of Economic Development Co-operative-thing happening on the Road to Kandy and therefore, the villages have ’specialized’ and co-operated in not competing with each other’s special market areas. Well, at least that’s my take on it, anyway.

Here are some pics from Wicker Village:

My friend, Brenda says that the above items are very durable and practical… a great gift – Can you tell what they are and how they are made?

Although Wicker is light, it is also bulky and therefore doesn’t make the best plane cargo…we ended up not buying anything at Wicker Village. However, if I go back, I think I will take a second look at the salad spoon and fork made out of the same material as the third photo from the top. Feel free to put your orders in!