I must admit I am now unabashedly a city guy. I asked a question on thumb.it if people preferred going to a natural or urban setting for a vacation. Sixty people responded and of those 60% chose the former. So, I feel in the minority when saying we like scenery but it's cities we find captivating. In Sri Lanka, the capital city can be chaotic and challenging but it's always an experience!
Myanmar (Burma) Embassy in Colombo
First, we went to Rosemead Avenue. Last week, we discovered the location of the Burmese (Myanmar) Embassy. We wanted to know what we had to submit in order to get tourist visas. We travel there via Bangkok at the end of the month. Today, we handed in the applications, copies of our air tickets, and four passport photos w/ white backgrounds. Oh, and we needed to give $US 20 in cash for each visa. They will be ready for pick up on Thursday afternoon.
Buffet in Akasa Kade. Should've focused on the dessert table!
View looking south east from the Ceylinco House
Secondly, we went out to eat in the Akasa Kade restaurant on top of Ceylinco House. That restaurant was open in 1963 in tallest Colombo building at the time. Jay has the memory of an elephant and says we ate there in 1988 on a vacation when I was working in Bahrain. So, absolutely, that happened too. After almost exactly 25 years we went back to check. Taller buildings now exist. The huge, daily Sri Lankan-style buffet was still on offer though and great. I felt all extravagant and like a high-roller forking out nearly 2,400 rupees for a meal. That's because our lunch bills are seldom over 500. Still, when it goes through MasterCard, it will come back at under $CA 10 per person!
The World Trade Center in Sri Lanka
Before coming home, we also went in the World Trade Center. We took the escalators up to the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewelry Exchange. My ear stud was ready. Now, I have an authentic 0.90 carat, Sri Lankan ruby ready for my left ear. I picked out the stone and the jeweller had the stud and its setting made. The red gem is my birthstone and I expect to keep it in my ear until I die. Hopefully that is, at minimum, another thirty years.
We rushed home by bus and arrived at 4:15 pm before the rain started. Honestly, maybe I'll have to start believing in this talk about climate change. Traditionally, the winter months are perfect on Sri Lanka's south and west coasts. Yet, this is turning out to be the wettest winter in over 50 years. I keep telling myself this little mantra: At least the rain here is hot, for in Vancouver it's surely not!