Colombo, Sri Lanka

We are in Sri Lanka for 2 days, arriving yesterday. We had no tours planned for the day, but there was a row of shops along the pier, so of course we shopped. I got yet another elephant thing-a shirt this time. It’s a pretty long tunic of very lightweight cotton.. Bunny found sone lightweight pants that are plain color, just what she was looking for.
Last night we had a dinner cruise on a lake in the city. When they told us it was a pontoon boat, we both thought of the ones we see on lakes. They certainly wouldn’t be big enough for 35 people. It was a huge 2 story boat with a flat bottom because the man-made lake is so shallow. First we had cocktails on the second floor. It was wonderful. The sides were open and there had been a heavy rain shower earlier. They served a fruity lemonade that was delicious.. Drinks were also available but I just had a second lemonade. Then they came around with several types of hors d’oeuvres. I only tried the spring rolls because they had passed out cashews and potato chips when we sat down. We had a trio playing music for us. It was 3 Sri Lankan men playing an accordion, bongo drum and guitar. They played American rock and roll. They were actually pretty good. Before long everyone was singing along with them. All this time we were circling around the small lake. We had a great view of the Lotus Tower. It’s a tower with a restaurant and observation deck on the top. At night it’s lit up with LED lights that change color. There were also several skyscrapers all lit up.
‘We went downstairs to a huge buffet. It was a mixture of spicy and non spicy. I ate lasagne, made with macaroni, rice, a bit of salad and a roll. I don’t want to get sick before we leave for India next week. The food was good. They had an array of desserts that always look better than they taste, but there was fruit and a huge bowl of a hot chocolate cake with cashews on top. Of course I had that with my fruit. The band was playing during dinner too. It was a lovely evening being out on water with a cool breeze blowing. We didn’t get back until after 10:00. By the time my photos uploaded, I was falling asleep so decided to wait until today to write. We have a Tuk Tuk tour this afternoon so I will finish this later. Tata for now.

It was another hot day in the city. I got my hair done first thing in the morning. It’s a bit darker than usual but will have to do. Our Tuk Tuk tour was at 1:00, in the heat of the day. We boarded a bus at the ship and drove to the pick up point for the Tuk Tuk. Fortunately, they were covered so we weren’t in the brutal sun all afternoon. But the cover also prevented some photos and a good breeze from coming through. We drove in a caravan all over the city. We stopped in a park with a big statue of Budha. When we got off the Tuk Tuk we saw a man with a cobra wrapped around him. It creeped me out but I did get a photo.. We walked through the park. We saw some horses. Other groups saw elephants. Wish we had seen them too. We went to meet the Tuk Tuk and were off for more riding through the city. Our driver spoke little English but was very nice. He would slow down for us to take pictures. We made another stop at a Freedom Shrine. It was a beautiful open structure with columns. There was a very nice breeze blowing through the Memorial. When we were getting back in the Tuk Tuk, a man came by with a Capuchin monkey on his arm. I took a couple pictures, then he asked me for a dollar. Very smart guy. We made our way back to the bus and rode in cool comfort. The guide asked if we wanted to walk around town a little. We all said NO! So we got a short ride around town, then back to the ship. Bunny rested and I went for a swim. The swim was ok but getting out in the breeze was wonderful. We saw a hawk circling over the harbor. Maybe he was looking for fish. He didn’t stay very long.
‘We went to dinner in the Italian restaurant with Betty and Rudy. Beryl said they were going too. Bunny and I got there early to see if we could get a table for 6. Turns out their reservation is for tomorrow night. So it was the 4 of us. I had a very delicious pork chop.

We went to see the singer who does Elton John and Billy Joel songs. He had the band behind him tonight and was much better.
‘Tomorrow is a sea day. We need to pack for our overland India trip. They will pick up suitcases tomorrow night to load them on the bus early the next day. We’ll take the lightest clothes we have. We know it will be hot and humid. We survived today so we can survive India!

Photos: sunset night before last; our boat for the lake cruise dinner, the dining area of the boat ,the trio who played for us, Colombo skyline over the water, the Lotus Tower, an observation tower and restaurant. Our friends went there for lunch and said it was fabulous. Next is us in the Tuk Tuk with our driver, a crowded market street, a Hindu temple, an elephant statue made from car parts next to a very tall statue of a man. I took a photo of one of the cranes in the port. You don’t realize how massive they are til you see them up close.