Traveling on an Empty Stomach

The traveler sees what he sees, the tourists sees what he has come to see.  ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA

December 26 & January 3, 2015

Manning Market

Colombo was a starting and ending point for our road trip around hill country and the south of Sri Lanka.  I arrived with very little expectations.  What I had read about Colombo left me unimpressed.  Sometimes this is a great thing because you can be easily surprised and delighted by the unexpected.  After a full day of wondering the city in search of good eats and interesting places I was left feeling confident that we made the best decision to stay only one night in Colombo.  My lens is very narrow and I am sure I missed a lot of what Colombo has to offer but if one place doesn’t have an initial draw, why wait to be convinced?  Life is short.  Move on.

Colombo (The Beginning)

Lodging: Decoco Guest House

Food:  Pilawoos (Hotel de), Sponge Bakery, Arpico

Drink:  Castle Hotel 

Explore:  Manning Market, sunset at Galle Face Green

Lodging

Guest houses are a dime a dozen in Sri Lanka.  Decoco Guest House was a nice place to stay for a night.  Was it fantastic? No…but it was certainly fine.  The owners were very accommodating and helped us with a few unusually difficult situations that we’ve never had to handle in another country.  Other than that I would say this guest house was quite average.  The location is hard to find on your own and also hard for drivers to find; if you are choosing a place based on location, I would suggest you skip Decoco.

Food

After settling our things at the guesthouse we headed out to explore for the day.  When staying in a city for as little as 24 hours, you have to decide wisely on how to spend your time.  Food was our number one must do, especially after so many endless hours in flight and in airports.  One of my favorite ways to experience food, culture, and the people of a new place is to visit the city’s markets.  We started our journey by heading to Manning Market.  It’s Colombo’s wholesale fruit and vegetable market.  It is cheap, if that is what you are looking for.  After roaming for nearly 45 minutes, everything seemed unappealing.  We left hungry but I knew just the place to brighten our spirits…

Hotel de Pilawoos…not a hotel but a 24/7 joint that serves the city’s best short eats.  We sat down and devoured two huge plates of kotthu roti.  This is hangover food at its best and is the meal everyone should have after a long flight.  Get the kotthu with cheese, I promise you, you will like it.  Spicy, with loads of texture from the chopped roti and a bit of creaminess from the cheese.  Dig in!

Kotthu Roti at Hotel de Pilawoos: 417 Galle Roada

Although we had plenty to eat, Jonathan always manages to find room for something sweet.  A short walk down the street from Pilawoos and we find ourselves in Sponge bakery.  Another miss.  But that doesn’t stop him from finishing his plate.

Passion fruit and yogurt cake at Sponge

We had plans to meet up with some friends who were having an unfortunate stay at the hospital so for dinner we headed to a grocery store with the hopes of finding some easily transportable edibles.  We went to Arpico which reminded me of a super Walmart with more interesting groceries.  I mention this because if you find yourself in need of anything from snacking cheese to perfume…you will find it at Arpico.

Exploring

With a little guidance from Lonely Planet, we decided to walk toward Galle Face Green.  It’s recommended as a fantastic spot to indulge in some treats from street vendors and to watch the sunset. Jonathan and I have fun just about anywhere and Galle Face Green was no exception but I wouldn’t recommend it as a place for street food or to see the sunset (unless it’s an unusually clear day).  However, it was nice for people watching and there’s something worthy of your time if you take in a bit of the culture here.  After an hour of lounging on the wall by the beach, I began to gather how connected Sri Lankan families are.  There were so many families walking or playing together.  Everyone seemed happy and enjoying their time connecting with each other and the outdoors. This seemed to me like a daily pleasure rather than a family vacationing together.  A lesson our society could stand to learn, where the couch and television are too often the centerpiece of the evening.

Galle Face Green

Drinks

Intrigued by Lonely Planet’s description of Castle Hotel (a misnomer at best) as a “timeless boozer offering up cheap drafts” and located in “once-posh surroundings”, we headed that way; other options were nearly all overpriced cocktails in locales swimming with tourists.  Upon arriving, I sensed this moment was going to be a game changer for me. Something about the looks I received upon entering, the dim lighting and lack of any appeal to the interior had me on guard.

Priding ourselves on our ability to face discomfort in the eye, we proceeded to find a table and order some drafts. It was quickly evident, a female in this bar was not a typical or likely occurrence. We were offered a seat in a different section of the bar when we entered but turned it down to be in the main area where it seemed more lively.  I think that was the first hint we overlooked, the second came when our table was approached by a man who took our order without ever looking at me.  He would only address Jonathan until I finally spoke up on our second or third round. He wasn’t unfriendly by any means and eventually gave me a kind smile. Uncomfortable as I was, the cold drafts were quite welcoming. I always hope to be considerate of others’ beliefs and customs yet never apologetic for being a female.  So I sat with a bit of uncertainty.  At the end, I withstood the initial desire to leave and rather enjoyed the hour or so at Castle Hotel.  I would return again…next time, without any trepidation.  In fact, I highly recommend it.  From this post, it appears that it may not exist much longer.

Castle Hotel

Colombo (The Ending)

Lodging: Cinnamon Grand Hotel 

Food:  Beach Wadiya

I have to say, by the time we were headed back to Colombo I was very sad, and not because I didn’t fully enjoy it the first time.  I was sad to come to the realization that our travels were quickly coming to an end and we were also having to part ways with two of our best friends.  The country blew my expectations out of the water.  It was absolutely one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.  I would go back in a heartbeat to experience the rest of the country we were unable to see.  I look forward to sharing the next steps in our Sri Lankan journey.  Up next, two nights in Kitugala. Stay tuned!

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