“Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.” Paulo Coelho
Correction: In my last post, the link to Luca’s Instagram was incorrect. You can view his avant-garde art, here!
What a day! It was full of unexpected surprises, experiences, and fun with a new friend.
Today, Ingeborg from Norway, my new traveling gal pal in Sri Lanka, and I hung out all day finding little adventures around the city. It’s our last full day in Colombo. Tomorrow, we take off (hopefully…you never know) for Trincomalee.
We didn’t leave our hostel until after 11 am because we were enjoying a lovely conversation about life and traveling while munching on our breakfast and lost track of time.
Ingeborg is so much fun. You guys would love her. She is full of spunk and gusto but she is so down to earth, responsible, and (hallelujah!) a planner. She is an ICU nurse so she can handle anything and is another superhero just walking around without a cape. Plus, she is a Sagittarius like me so we’ve hit it off like a house on fire. 🩷
We started our day in a Tuk Tuk headed to the Pettah Market. Funny to us but not funny for our driver, his Tuk Tuk called it kaput on the way there so we had to cancel our ride and find another one. We felt bad for him and the situation so we gave him a big tip and a mighty push to hopefully get him going again. It’s never good when your tools don’t work.
Once we got to the market we discovered that they were closing most of the shops because of a Muslim holiday, Ashura. So we did a quick walk-through and discovered this incredible, and I mean incredible, salesman hocking the latest item, hot off the shelf…or maybe the back of a truck. Minor details. It was a little contraption that turned your iPhone screen into, somewhat of a mini TV.
A nice guy and spectator of this event explained that the item typically cost LKR1,300 ($3.94) but today he was selling them for only LKR500 ($1.52).
Steal. Of. A. Deal.
This guy was such an incredible salesman. He had everyone eating out of the palm of his hand. I didn’t even know what he was saying or selling and I was about to give him my money. He needs his own time slot on QVC. “He could sell chocolate popsicles to a lady in white gloves,” as my grandmother used to say.
This guy reminded me of several people I’ve met throughout my travels and I’ve thought, “Man, if they just had a better opportunity in life to share their gift, they could move mountains.” Sometimes, life just doesn’t seem fair to me but the world is littered with mysteries.
After the market we went to the Gangarama Seema Malakaya Buddhist Temple. It’s situated on a small lake and it is absolutely stunning. It feels so calm and peaceful even though you are in the heart of the city. You don’t even notice the honking or smog from the city center. Everything just seems to disappear.
The religious statues surround the temple but if you look outward you see a wall of modern-day buildings, from the Courtyard by Marriott to a shiny gold building.
While we were walking around the grounds, we saw people praying in silence but we noticed one young woman on the phone quietly crying…more like sobbing but in a quiet way to be respectful of others…even while she was suffering. Either someone passed away or she had just been dumped. Either was her heart was broken. It made me realize again that it doesn’t matter where we live, what we look like, or what language we speak, the heart and heartaches are really the same no matter where you go. Sending her some good thoughts to heal her wound. ❤️
Next we decided to grab some lunch. I had read about a restaurant online that served their meals in banana leaves. It said it was an authentic restaurant located not in a non-touristy area. They were right, it was not in a touristy area but sadly it closed a year ago. Someone needs to update Google Maps.
We noticed some nicely dressed local men, standing and chatting nearby and asked about a good place to eat in the area. They recommended a place just a few doors down. When we got there, we were a little nervous. It was not in the basement per se but a level below the street and FULL of locals. We were intimidated and decided that maybe this wasn’t the place for us. Suddenly, the guys who recommended it were standing behind us and encouraged us to go in.
The staff and other diners could not have been more gracious to have us as their dining companions. They helped us pick out the food, Chicken Biryani – not too spicy, handed us some coco-colas, and even brought us a cup of boiling water with spoons in it. For those of you who don’t know, it’s custom to eat with your hands in Sri Lanka, but they kindly provided silverware for us foreigners. They really wanted to make us feel welcome and comfortable.
A guy at the table next to us struck up a conversation and asked us where we were from and about our lives. He said he was originally from Kandy (in the central area) and asked if we are going to attend the big festival that’s happening in a couple of weeks. Another holiday we were aware of but it looks and sounds amazing so maybe we will get to attend and I’ll write about it. Stay tuned.
It was so hot in this building, sweat and mascara was running down my face while I ate but the chicken was delicious and the rice had a fun little kick to it – probably making me sweat more. I’m really thankful to those guys who gave us a little push to go inside and eat. It was out of my comfort zone but ended up being a great decision and a true Sri Lankan experience! And so far, my stomach has been okay with the food. Fingers and toes crossed it remains that way.
After the yummy meal, we walked towards the sea to see the view. I noticed a nice hotel not far from where we were standing and told Ingeborg that I was going to see if I could use the bathroom in the lobby. Well, the bathroom break led us to an AMAZING rooftop experience! Who knew?!?
We sat in the sunshine with a lovely breeze to keep us cool, drinking fruity drinks and taking in a gorgeous view of the city and the sea. It was fantastic. It was so quiet and the nagging of the world felt miles away.
Ingeborg had her swimsuit in her bag and even jumped in the infinity pool with the hotel guests! Haha! I told ya she is spunky. I read my book like a nerd..but I was a happy nerd. 🤓
After our fancy afternoon, we headed to the market for one last try to see it in full swing. We made it and the place was abuzz. It was electric!
We noticed a ton of locals packed like sardines into a little restaurant/food kiosk, not sure what you’d call it. Food was flying off the shelves. Since we are now pros at the local food scene (not at all but we are trying), we stopped in to see what they were eating and try something for ourselves. But we were late to this party too and all they had left was the fried vegetarian thingy (yes, that is the technical name)…but it was delicious! The guy gave us ketchup for dipping sauce. He could see we can’t handle the heat.
Ingeborg made a hilarious comment. She said, “you know, you’re an American woman, who looks Swedish, and is speaking in Italian. You’ve definitely got them confused.”
My brain still has not switched languages. I continue to say, Ciao, Grazie, Bellissima, and Sí.
We were actually getting hungry so we decided to go back to the Galle Face Mall where we ate yesterday to have some Chinese noodles before headed back to the hostel.
We walked by a movie theater in the mall. It was having a Barbie movie party and it looked like everyone was having fun. Plus, they have interesting movie advertisements. It states which language and subtitles are used in each movie.
This might be my favorite photo so far. I watched as three Buddhist monks slowly walked into a shop lit up with neon lights, selling modern day trinkets & gadgets, prepackaged food, and lotto tickets. All positioned under an advertisement for caffeine and sugar. The old ways compared to the new. The chaos versus the calm. It was mesmerizing.
Goodnight and much love & gratitude from Sri Lanka! 🇱🇰
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