We weren't really sure where to go today as Colombo is interesting for its old buildings and colonial past as well as it's current fascinating culture visible as you wander the streets and alleys but doesn't really have any major attractions (apart from the National Museum). We caught the bus in again and further up the road they let a beggar on to serenade us with his drums and the sweet smell of faeces.
Wandering around one of the main things I hear is men saying "hello, come". No man I've ever heard of throughout history has ever been able to get a woman to come on cue so I don't like their chances. The other one is "hello, taxi". Whilst walking through the Cinammon Gardens backstreets the other day I heard a very faint but small "hello, taxi". The voice sounded so much like a Corella I used to own that I have a bit of a giggle now when anyone says it to me. I would definitely recommend a wander through the Cinnamon Gardens area with the large colonial style mansions, big green open spaces and cute alley ways.
We decided to try out the Galle Face Hotel for lunch; mainly because for some reason I find the name "Galle Face" amusing. On the way there I attempted to take a break and get our bearings by sitting on a low wall. Turns out we were sitting out the front of a police station and were gestured to get off the wall by a semi-automatic rifle wielded by a rather stern police officer. We weren't inclined to argue and decided to get a tuk tuk the rest of the way. Our tip for the tuk tuks is ALWAYS ensure they put the meter on before you get in and that it works. If they refuse (or tell you it's broken) it'll be very easy to get an honest driver who will put it on (if it's a very short distance they will likely prefer to bargain a higher price; which we don't mind paying, just make sure you know how much it should cost by metre first so you don't end up getting royally ripped off). We got ripped off badly when we got dropped at the train station. We had all our luggage with us and were so distracted we forgot about it until we were halfway there, whereby we were told it was broken and got charged more than a train ticket to Kandy cost us. Russell also nearly ended up in a punch-up with the guy.
The Galle Face Hotel was being renovated when we got there. Colombo is starting to build lots of high-end hotels across from the Galle Face Green such as the Shangri-La amongst others. We sat inside in the air con to start with but soon realised it would be an uphill battle to get service so moved outside where there were more people. Food was pretty tasty, there are cheaper places to eat but the view is pretty hard to beat (we paid Ru 600 for a salad, Ru 810 for a wine and Ru 430 for a 325ml Lion Lager). There are some adorable squirrels running around that will eat out of your hand; although we did get a look from the waiter whilst feeding them that said he wished it was arsenic in our hands and that we were feeding ourselves with it. I'm guessing they're a bit of a pest.
There's a plaque at this hotel with the names of famous people that have stayed here including Carrie Fisher. I accidentally pronounced her Star Wars character as Princess Leila and was pleasantly surprised not to be hacked to death by a group of fake-light-sabre-wielding nerds.
For lack of anything else to do we checked out some other places we found in the Lonely Planet Guide. We walked in to the White Horse bar and then straight out again. I was one of only two women in there, it was full of business men (it is in the commercial district), and full of cigarette smoke. No windows either which is something I hate. I love being able to enjoy the view whether it's a packed alley or the ocean, particularly during the daytime. Instead we went to the Bars Cafe. Lonely Planet guide says "linger over drinks" but be warned if you're looking for a drink that they don't sell alcoholic drinks. The desserts are pretty good though.
We booked a train ticket to Kandy whilst in town. Very easy to do from the train station but book early, particularly if you want a morning train. Which is recommended as then you don't have to hang around with your luggage after you check out of the hotel (like we had to). We paid extra for 1st class, observation carriage. Seats are variable and we got one with a wall next to us and a small amount of window that was like looking out of the bottom of a coke bottle. Definitely want to try and get one with the best view as the scenery on the way to Kandy is absolutely stunning! Tickets were cheap though at Ru 1100 each for 1st class. The other option is to book a bus at the bus station up the road.
For dinner we tried out the Breeze restaurant on the beach front in Mt Lavinia. I wouldn't recommend it as a first choice although there was a huge menu with a variety of food choices. After dinner the waiter brought out cheque over without asking if we wanted anything else so we assumed it was a "please leave now" hint. We wandered back up to the O! Restaurant for a drink afterwards and this place was definitely sealed as our favourite. I've noticed that they seem to like their "dance/techno" music over here which doesn't really appeal to me (unless I'm at a night club), so I love the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's music they play here. Great service, better than many other places we've been to where there seems to be a saturation of waiters but a distinct lack of any waiting actually occurring. We got back to the hotel just after 10pm and found we were locked out. Word of warning if anyone stays at the Tropic Inn, they close up at around 10/10:30. There was a doorbell but we felt like heels getting the hotel staff up given that his job is to get up before all the guests, help cook breakfast, serve all the guests with tea etc., clean our rooms whilst we're out, check people in/out and help cook/serve dinner. :/ He still greeted us with a smile though. Sweet man.
Although we had only been in Colombo 2 days it definitely felt like enough time to get a feel for the place. There are many more beautiful places in Sri Lanka so personally I wouldn't recommend more than a couple of days here, particularly if you're limited for time.
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