Good Night, Sri Lanka
From the taxi’s windows, we watched the Colombo night blur by. The few cars which remained on the highway had none of the breakneck urgency which normally characterizes Sri Lankan traffic. And though the unbroken chain of shops and restaurants still had their neon lights blazing, there weren’t many people on the sidewalks. It was 10pm, and we’d rarely seen the island in a deeper state of rest. We were headed to the airport, and putting Colombo to sleep…. Read More
May 01, 2012
Friend-Friends and Other Observations
Confusing slang, seat-snatching monks, bizarre Spanish phrases, indecipherable head bobbles… all just part of learning to live with a new culture! These are some of our favorite quirks and misunderstandings from three months in Sri Lanka…. Read More
Apr 30, 2012
The Best of Galle Fort
Though the crazy monsoon weather we experienced during our two weeks in Galle soured our moods and ruined planned excursions, it did give us the chance to explore the Fort neighborhood in full — particularly its restaurants, cafes and bars. Here were some of our favorite spots during our time there…. Read More
Apr 30, 2012
Tap that Toddy
We had seen toddy tappers at work a few times, high up in the palm trees around Jaffna and Trincomalee, collecting the liquid of coconut flowers into plastic jugs. The toddy can later can be distilled into arrack, but is one of the country’s favorite drinks even in its unprocessed state. And for nearly three months, we had traveled throughout Sri Lanka without ever trying it. We were being derelict!… Read More
Apr 30, 2012
Colombo Short Stay – Your Posh Condo in the City
With a magnificent setting in the 22nd floor of the Emperor Building, itself part of the five-star Cinnamon Grand’s complex, the luxury condo offered by Colombo Short Stay was an incredible place to spend our last night in Sri Lanka. Out on the balcony, with a bottle of red wine and a view that stretches out over the Indian Ocean and most of the city, we couldn’t have found a better spot to wrap up our journey…. Read More
Apr 30, 2012
The Rocky Southern Coast of Sri Lanka
A unbroken string of tiny towns and hotels stretches out to the east of Galle. The busy road which hugs the coastline passes through Unawatuna, Dalawela, Thalpe, Habaraduwa, Midigama, one right after the other; each offering tourists an insane number of places to stay and things to do…. Read More
Apr 28, 2012
The Jungle Beach at Galle
After visiting the gleaming white Japanese Peace Pagoda, from which we had a wonderful view of Galle Fort, we climbed down toward the true object of our desire — Jungle Beach. Not another person in sight, just twin stretches of deserted sand trapped between the ocean and Rumassala Rock. Having just experienced the soul-crushing lameness of Unawatuna, this beach was exactly what we needed. Peace, solitude and gorgeous nature…. Read More
Apr 28, 2012
Sri Lanka Reading List
Anytime we head to a new place, we’ll hunt for novels to satisfy our curiosity about it, and learn a little about the culture. Here’s what we’ve been reading during our three months in Sri Lanka…. Read More
Apr 27, 2012
Unawatuna
On our way to the beach village of Unawatuna, just a few kilometers up the coast from Galle, we saw a sign that read “Unawatuna: Tourist Paradise!” Which just goes to prove what we’ve been saying all along — Sri Lankans have a hilarious and darkly ironic sense of humor! Unawatuna, paradise for tourists. Ha! That’s a good one…. Read More
Apr 27, 2012
The Habaraduwa Turtle Hatchery
Sri Lanka is one of the world’s most important breeding spots for the endangered sea turtle, but heavy development of the coast has contributed greatly to their ever-declining number. To combat that trend, a number of hatcheries have opened along the southern coast. We visited one in Habaraduwa…. Read More
Apr 27, 2012
The Martin Wickramasinghe Museum
One of our first mornings in Galle, we took a bus to Alanthgama with the intention of seeing stilt fisherman — one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic images. But whether it was due to the stormy seas, the time of day, or the recently completed New Year’s festivities, the stilts were unoccupied. Foiled! Now what would we do?… Read More
Apr 26, 2012
Tuk-Tuking around Sri Lanka
“Why didn’t we think of that?!” “Our lives would be so much easier.” “It would be so much fun.” “Man, I’m so jealous!” These are among the sentences which have been finding their way into our conversations almost daily, ever since we met Marc and Carina at our guesthouse in Polonnaruwa. The Belgian couple immediately earned our everlasting respect, awe and envy, when we learned that they had rented a tuk-tuk for their three month journey around Sri Lanka…. Read More
Apr 25, 2012
Galle Fort – Our Final Stop in Sri Lanka
After two and a half whirlwind months touring Sri Lanka, we pulled into Galle with exhausted bodies and tired minds. This would be the last extended stop of our 91 days in the country…. Read More
Apr 24, 2012
