With our internal time-clocks being in a state of disarray, we arose at 06:00 and after a leisurely start did some washing, started on the diary and then headed for breakfast where we met up with Frances who’d arrived yesterday afternoon.
The Galle Face Hotel was built in 1846 and although it’s been somewhat modernised it retains its colonial splendour with the Victorian charm of large paintings covering the walls within a huge mahogany stairwell. There are wooden sculpted elephants and other animals and display cases featuring artefacts from the 19th century era. The whole feeling is that of a museum and one feels that W. Somerset Maugham will be around the next corner smoking from a long cigarette holder.
Jak & Frances, Galle Face Hotel
In the mid-morning we strolled along the waterfront towards the Fort area which has many buildings of historical interest encompassing times from the Portuguese, Dutch and British occupation periods.
Promenade looking back to Galle Face Hotel
Promenade looking towards reclaimed area
The sea was rough with quite large waves breaking against the embankment throwing spray onto the pedestrian walkway. The water was churned up and very muddy and looked anything but enticing as a swimming location. The amount of plastic waste in the water was also a cause for great concern.
The Chinese government is presently involved in a massive project in the reclamation of a big section of the waterfront area for future use as wharves and container storage. Vast amounts of sand and gravel have been dredged from the surrounding ocean floor and brought in to create a reclaimed area of about 25 hectares.
As we strolled along we were continually approached by tuk-tuk drivers wishing to show us the local sights for a comparatively cheap price. We preferred to walk and do our own sight seeing using a map provided by our hotel. Then the skies opened up and for a brief period it poured with rain and in the quarter hour of downpour we managed to get pretty wet.
We returned to the hotel, dried off and waited for sunshine and this time caught a tuk-tuk to the Fort part of town.
The buildings in this area are either old colonial structures or multi-storey high rise office blocks. A number of the old buildings are in need of restoration although many of the government buildings such as the Parliament, Town Hall, National Museum and the Dutch Hospital are elegant and architecturally impressive.
Dutch Hospital
Waves on Promenade at Galle Face Green, Colombo
Galle Face Green & Galle Face Hotel, Colombo
By early afternoon our whole group of nine had now gathered. This group of travelling friends first met up twelve years ago when we all spent six weeks crossing Asia on the Trans-Siberian Railway. We have subsequently had trips together along the Silk Road, Ethiopia, Jordan, Hungary, the Balkans, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. A close and delightful friendship has thus developed over these past years.
Our group meeting with Nipun from Best of Lanka, Galle Face Hotel
As our afternoon’s activity we had a four hour guided tour of Colombo travelling in the back of three old army jeeps. Our friendly drivers gave an interesting commentary along the way and cold drinks were provided to add to the merriment of this open-air travel in warm sunshine
Group boarding jeeps, Galle Face Hotel
We stopped off at various locations to take in the scenery and the harbour view from the fourth floor deck of the Grand Oriental Hotel was amongst the more memorable.
The jeeps being open top vehicles meant that we were visible to the public as we journeyed through the Colombo streets. Many people waved and smiled as the jeeps wangled their way through the high density traffic which seemed to be utterly chaotic. Numerous low speed “near-misses” were experienced especially as tuk-tuks weaved in amongst the cars and pedestrians. After sunset the situation was exacerbated due to the generally low level of street lighting.
Our group on jeep city tour
We viewed old churches, mosques, light houses, pagodas and arenas before leaving the streets and venturing along a dirt track adjacent to a bird sanctuary. This was a bit of a disappointment although pied and azure kingfishers were seen fleetingly as well as two or three species of herons. A small crocodile was seen in the distance asleep on the muddy river bank.
Our group at Aththidiya Bird Sanctuary
We returned to the hotel at around 19:00 and after our evening meal all headed for bed as tomorrow we move on to Habarana some five hours away.