Amsterdam | Captain, who's driving?

It has been hot and humid for the past weeks and our arrival in Colombo was no exception. One could have cut the air with a knife as, early morning, we made our approach to the port. Since my early years and my first visit here, it has expanded considerably; a new harbour basin for the massive container ships and the ‘General’ cargo wharves, where I once loaded chests of tea, now converted to more container cranes.

Our route round southern Sri Lanka, (green)

The green track is our approach to the harbour

and then our track into the harbour and to the berth.

Approaching the ‘old’ breakwaters

The view ahead, a ‘stupa’ to the right

…and a close-up

the view to starboard

..and the view to port

a view across the city

and a close-up of the red mosque

The stalls on the pier

We park on what is the Passenger-ship jetty, a wharf at the south end of the harbour and on which are permanent shops, manned by Sri Lankan’s who are only too eager to sell the arriving guests and crew batches of gems, wood carvings and clothing, to mention but a few. I stayed on board, having had a few hours ashore while in Hambantota and, as a consequence, was paying the price, catching up with emails and all that my position entails. K1 and K2 were off though, first to the pier-side stalls, (where I’m so informed, I narrowly escaped becoming the proud possessor of yet another carved Buddha) and then round the city.

First stop, the Galle Hotel, from the heydays of Colonialism

a warm welcome

A gracious lobby

Marble floors

Restaurant on the verandah

and tea in the garden

Where would they be without the tuk-tuk, rented for the day, the two of them trecked around the sites of the city.

The Khan clock, donated by the Khan family of Bombay, (Mumbai)

The beach near the hotel; the day was a holiday and satlls prepared for the expected throng.

The beach near the hotel; the day was a holiday and stalls prepared for the expected throng.

The ‘Blue’ temple

Captain’s Garden’ Hindu temple

Gangarama Buddhist temple

They dined at the ‘Mango Tree’ with local fare before heading back to the ship, catching me ashore, taking some photos.

Berthed on our port side is a Sri Lankan naval ship, the “Sayura”, she is in fact the flagship of their fleet and they must have been having an ‘open’ day for family of crew, as it was packed with women and children.