Colombo

So….it was back to the west coast today….a 6.5 hour bus ride to Colombo…a re tracing of the road back to Kandy and then straight across the middle.  We stopped for a buffet lunch - more of the same Sri Lankan curry…I opted for rice and Dahl as my tummy was feeling a little queezy.  It was uncomfortable on the bus for such a long haul…my legs didn’t fit sitting on the seat straight so I was constantly sitting twisted and have a 4 hour stint til lunch time…it was excruciating!

We arrived in Colombo late afternoon - it was relatively quietly.  A 15 minutes bus ride around showed us some sites…old building and a bit of a commentary.   

We did not walk….nor see some of the things on the itinerary such as the national museum, nor the fair trade souvenirs shop.  Again…disappointed.

We dined at the Dutch Hospital on the last night.  The food was great…I enjoyed Chicken skewers with roti, peanut paste…delicious.

We farewelled our Caroline during dinner…back to Ireland.

The next day it was a leisurely breakfast….Jo, Gwen, Peter and Liana all met up.  Four of us decided to walk up the Petta Market which was a great experience - we walked past the Fort Train Station and as we got closer to the market the streets became busier and more crowded with stalls selling all sorts of things.  we found the markets - an open air covered building that hosted many fruits and vegetables.  As it was still the holiday week there were many stalls closed but there were plenty enough for us to get the feel of things.   1kg Garlic was 120 rupees - 60 rupees for 1/2 kg of Pumpkin….all very cheep, very fresh and it was obvious that it is a healthy diet.  

We then wandered back to the hotel through some back streets - finding that the markets area is grouped by like products - there was the suitcase area; the shoe area, the clothing area - all where locals shop and we did not see any other white faces…it was a really good way to finish the tour as I had felt that we had been removed from local life on this tour compared to India and Nepal where there had been far more interaction.  

It was then an afternoon by the pool - refreshing swims, a cold drink and a book!  

I managed to snag a seat on a very full plane home.  Colombo to Sydney 10.5 hours - it was a bit of a long haul!