Original posting 20 Feb 2012
An easy journey in theory leaving home by 37 bus to bus station and then on a 202 to Heathrow but the 12.16 bus 37 did not come that day and 30 mins or so we got a taxi. Lucky the 37 would n have taken so long as we still arrived in plenty of time.
One of the last flights from Heathrow Gulf Air 21.50 to Colombo via a three hour delay to change flights at Bahrain. Found ATM in Colombo airport virtually hiding behind the banks with queues and then purchased a taxi fare to Colombo 2 on desk in arrivals foyer around 2200rp and taken to taxi. An hour later through a continuous built up area indistinguishable from Colombo we were at the Lake Lodge we had ordered and a pleasant place it is, no wonder there are never any vacancies! The price of 60 pounds over the Internet included two pleasant breakfasts on the verandah.
Next morning we had a stroll around the lake Beira then took a tuk-tuk with a driver we had been talking to to our new hotel Renuka not far away. More expensive this was 70 pounds without breakfast with no advantages over Lake Lodge, which was full, except a good restaurant, the Palmyrah specialising in Jafna food (Tamil) where we ordered a Sri Lankan meal with help from the waiter who explained that the dishes were enough for two but that we needed to order several to share as normal in Indian or Chinese restaurants - seems little help but it was very much appreciated at the time.
We took a regular bus to the train station for the vast fare of 12rp each only to confirm what our tuk-tuk driver had already told us, there was no train to Galle since the track was being relaid to allow the trains to run faster. The bus station was not much further the state buses on one side of the street the Bastian private bus station on the other side. That was divided conveniently into platforms each one with several sections many offering normal bus size and intercity a/c mini buses, we found the location of the minis to Galle for use the following day.
We walked around the Fort and Port areas and decided to take a cup of tea and a rest in the Grand Oriental Hotel, once the finest hotel in Colombo, at the militarised dock gate, here we were also introduced to the desert Wattalapam. The amazing thing it was actually far cheaper in this luxury hotel than in any other hotel we had been.
Noticed Rugby was being played on the sports field opposite Lake Lodge which was a surprise, later we came to the conclusion that several private schools taught Rugby. Cricket though was clearly the main game.
End of Holiday
Before leaving Lake Lodge we booked two nights (11&12th March) at Lake Lodge, our last two days in Colombo, the 12th March would be underused because we would have to leave for the airport at 1.30am, leaving little time to enjoy the bed. The first night soon after arrival we ate at the Palmyrah again which was a little disappointing, given a our high expectations. The Next day we had a private taxi tour firstly a three hour stop at The National Museum which was excellent. I took a huge series of photos as we walked around, both of artefacts and the written descriptions which should allow me to reconstruct a more accurate picture. Luckily I had at Joan's insistence bought a ticket for use of the camera and when approached by a very pleasant girl curator could produce the same. Joan's point was that one could never contribute too much to such museums, which provided lots of information almost for free. For the record museum entry was 500rp each and the photo ticket which was found nearby in a safe (indicating how seldom they were sold) were just 250rp or say 1.50 pounds.
Then Independence Square with its memorial building, the Sri Siva Subharamaniya Kovil Hindu Temple, though it was closed but reopened for the evenings at 5pm, finally to an excellent but expensive Internet site in the Cinnamon Grand Hotel Complex where I caught up on the Ancient Cities for lack of usable Internet access whilst we were there. We must bring a small computer or tablet with WiFi next time it would be so much better given the widespread availability of WiFi and the paucity of decent Internet cafes.
We had hoped that the final event would be the taking
of High Tea at the famous Galle Face Hotel though thanks to Gulf Air the Tamarind Tree Motel was to make a relaxing finish to our tour. Hurrying from the Internet at 4pm we walked to the Galle Face Hotel (now no. 1 in Colombo) for tea as previously promised to Joan. It was a fabulous hotel, elegantly redesigned by their top architect Geoffrey Bawa, its status obvious from its use for wedding photographs for traditionally dressed parties with a backcloth of the beach and sea. High tea, there were a few hot offerings though the major feature was an inviting range of cakes and deserts, was only 1050rp/person (£5) self service and you could have made a full meal of it but we indulged on the cakes well aware that we had booked a full Sri Lankan Curries of Chicken and the other Prawn (guess who had which!) for early dinner (6.30pm) at Lake Lodge before getting early to bed. The curries were excellent.
An easy journey in theory leaving home by 37 bus to bus station and then on a 202 to Heathrow but the 12.16 bus 37 did not come that day and 30 mins or so we got a taxi. Lucky the 37 would n have taken so long as we still arrived in plenty of time.
One of the last flights from Heathrow Gulf Air 21.50 to Colombo via a three hour delay to change flights at Bahrain. Found ATM in Colombo airport virtually hiding behind the banks with queues and then purchased a taxi fare to Colombo 2 on desk in arrivals foyer around 2200rp and taken to taxi. An hour later through a continuous built up area indistinguishable from Colombo we were at the Lake Lodge we had ordered and a pleasant place it is, no wonder there are never any vacancies! The price of 60 pounds over the Internet included two pleasant breakfasts on the verandah.
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| Temple on Beira Lake |
Next morning we had a stroll around the lake Beira then took a tuk-tuk with a driver we had been talking to to our new hotel Renuka not far away. More expensive this was 70 pounds without breakfast with no advantages over Lake Lodge, which was full, except a good restaurant, the Palmyrah specialising in Jafna food (Tamil) where we ordered a Sri Lankan meal with help from the waiter who explained that the dishes were enough for two but that we needed to order several to share as normal in Indian or Chinese restaurants - seems little help but it was very much appreciated at the time.
We took a regular bus to the train station for the vast fare of 12rp each only to confirm what our tuk-tuk driver had already told us, there was no train to Galle since the track was being relaid to allow the trains to run faster. The bus station was not much further the state buses on one side of the street the Bastian private bus station on the other side. That was divided conveniently into platforms each one with several sections many offering normal bus size and intercity a/c mini buses, we found the location of the minis to Galle for use the following day.
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| Pensions and rights for the self employed |
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| New Year's Party 'Sinsational: Seduction is a way of life |
We walked around the Fort and Port areas and decided to take a cup of tea and a rest in the Grand Oriental Hotel, once the finest hotel in Colombo, at the militarised dock gate, here we were also introduced to the desert Wattalapam. The amazing thing it was actually far cheaper in this luxury hotel than in any other hotel we had been.
 |
| Joan at The Orient Hotel |
End of Holiday
Before leaving Lake Lodge we booked two nights (11&12th March) at Lake Lodge, our last two days in Colombo, the 12th March would be underused because we would have to leave for the airport at 1.30am, leaving little time to enjoy the bed. The first night soon after arrival we ate at the Palmyrah again which was a little disappointing, given a our high expectations. The Next day we had a private taxi tour firstly a three hour stop at The National Museum which was excellent. I took a huge series of photos as we walked around, both of artefacts and the written descriptions which should allow me to reconstruct a more accurate picture. Luckily I had at Joan's insistence bought a ticket for use of the camera and when approached by a very pleasant girl curator could produce the same. Joan's point was that one could never contribute too much to such museums, which provided lots of information almost for free. For the record museum entry was 500rp each and the photo ticket which was found nearby in a safe (indicating how seldom they were sold) were just 250rp or say 1.50 pounds.
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| An Elephant Light |
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| High Tea at Galle Face Hotel |
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| A Wedding party, note white umbrellas to diffuse lighting |
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