  Sri Lanka
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 3584 Sri Lanka Tips.6365 Sri Lanka Photos.0 Sri Lanka Videos. Sri Lanka Pages by alycat
| Page Views: 1,192 Last Visit to Sri Lanka: December, 2005 | Beauty....Skin deep!!! by alycat - last update: Feb 6, 2007 |
A planned trip that was waiting to happen for the past 6 months. Our anuual trip to Goa was cancelled as it was sacrificed for the sake of my married buddies, kicked in their asses like they were by their wives, and if not that the usual emotional blackmail. So hence started my first backpack trip alone to neighboring SL. I finished work early for the evening flight. Some last minute shopping for a lone traveler, fags and a highly recommended Zahir by Paulo Coelho.
Ayobowan, the beautiful Sri Lankan airhostess greeted me in the traditional manner with folded hands. I wished her back the same way and she was surprised!! She might have thought this nut is gonna be a pain till we land. My vacation had started cos I always believed in the saying "Work hard and party harder" .....ummmm its paying off and Im feeling good already..and ya I was definetely a pain for her cos I drove her nuts with queries on in-flight shopping and also made sure I ate all that was served and that too twice the quantity!!!
The Serendip, Emrald Isle, Teardrop Nation, they said it was, and sure it was and a lot lot more, and after 10 days, 4 different modes of transport, over 7,000 kilometres travelled, 20 hours in transit, amazing mosques, churches, and temples, half a dozen diffrent cuisines and all for under $200, Sri Lanka's great.
So should you come to Sri Lanka? The answer is: Good Lord Yes!!
You should come without misgivings. No one will expect you to keep politely quiet about the tsunami, or gloss over it awkwardly: nor will they expect you to spend any of your time looking for good works to do. It is enough that you are there, and later you will go home and speak well of the place, and while you are here you are spending something. It might seem nothing to you - it should seem nothing to you - but the 150 rupees (about 50p) you spend on sweet roadside coconuts, hacked open by machete, for a party of five will wreath the vendor with smiles: his family eats that night.* |
|  | Some of my firsts!! 1. I landed before I cud finish my meal.
2. I saw a Gujrati eating a non-veg meal.
3. I fed an elephant in Pinnawala.
4. I was taken round Colombo in a chauffer driven Jaguar.
5. I did snorkelling at Hikkaduwa.
6. I slept on the Unawatuna beach for a whole day doing nothing, absolutely nothing, not even swimming.
7. I got an authentic body massage done at Unawatuna. |
Some of the most generous Sri Lankans I met!! Sri Lankans as people are warm, helpful and always cheerful. Lincoln De Silva, a chauffer tourist guide, told me being humble is a virtue most common amongst Lankans. Even if the guy has made it big and is in the big league, humility is what he displays. Lankans being helpful is what I noticed first hand. So my thanx to...
1. Mr & Mrs. Norman Gunawardene - Consul for New Zealand in Colombo.
2. Faiz Bhai from Colombo. He guided me about me the different train and bus routes for travel in Lanka, and....invited an absolute stranger like me for dinner at home!!!
3. Naman Gunawardene from Seagreen Tours (Mob-0094-777-626571, Tel-0091-91-2242754) Galle.
4. Lincoln De Silva (birdman@slnet.lk) tour guide, with whom I shared some very interesting conversations. (Tel-0094-11-2957729 Mob- 0094-077-6016046)
5. Jayantha Kumarasinghe the aeronautical engineer from Kandy. He made my train ride from Colombo to Kandy lovely. Can you believe it, the second person to invite me home for dinner !!
6. The unknown old man who vacated his seat on the train for me from Colombo to Galle.
7. The young kid Tharanga, at the airport restaurant who gave me all the goodies to eat at staff rates, half the price, since I had to laze in his restaurant all night since my flight was for early mornin the other day. | | | PINNAWALA ELEPHANT SANCTUARY |
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| Pros: | "They all smile back at you...amazing!!" | | Cons: | "A poor country ravaged by Mother Nature and politicians" | | In A Nutshell: | "Go traveler go, the economy needs U and it isnt a bad deal!" |
alycat's Sri Lanka Travel Tips
 Comments for alycat about Sri Lanka | | | | |
toonsarah Wed Jun 27, 2007 09:39 UTC
Nice overview and helpful tips. I like the way you've thanked all those people personally. But why no photos on your tips? You obviously have a good eye, it would be nice to see more! |
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