Colombo …better late than never

Oh man here we go again….. “ is what rang in our heads as the announcement broke the silence while relaxed around the pool…..

blah blah blah “diesel generators” blah blah blah “ going slow” blah blah blah “We will be late in Colombo”…..  bugger

This was like 2011 all over again….. 

Instead of arriving in Colombo in the morning, our arrival time was now scheduled for 1.30pm.  This change put the kiss of death for our tour.  We no longer had enough time to complete our trip which included the Madugaga Mangrove boat safari, cinnamon garden, fish spa, lunch, and architectural house.

In the end, our friend Sharon was able to put together an abridged tour visiting some of the Colombo sites we have not been to before.

Sail into Colombo is always interesting… having been quite a few times before, we have seen the skyline change over the years.

As we pulled in alongside the dock, the familiar sights and sounds hit us straight away….  Though not as many buses as there were no longer any tours heading out to Kandy, Pinwalla or the tea plantations.

Being a working container port, our only way out was by shuttle, so once again we exited the ship using a ticketing system.

Colombo gave us a special welcome with traditional musicians and beautifully dressed dancers performing as we exited the ship.

the markets setting up

Looking brilliant in their colourful dress..

Had not seen this guy before

girls were just beautiful

There were lots of tours offered on the dock, but you could also venture to the port gates where you will be bombarded with taxi and tuk-tuk drivers trying to entice you to spend the next few hours with them.

We used the shuttle to get to the port gate where our guide was waiting for us.

Drivers scurrying around trying to drum up business

Tuk Tuks ready and waiting....  I have to say they look alot smarter  than they did last time we were here.

Colombo is notorious for its traffic, and it seems its road system takes you around in circles when wanting to get from point A to point B as we passed many sites more than once.

Our first stop was at the Asokaramaya Buddhist Temple.  Putting this onto our list after being recommended by Port Lecturer Hutch on the Ship.  Originally built in the 1870s this temple is filled with amazing artwork, maybe not in the likes of Van Gough or Picasso, but each of the ornate rooms with their giant buddhas or life-size statues tells a story of their beliefs from the past.

Seema Malaka, a small temple floating on the Beira Lake, was our next stop.  It is mainly used as a place of meditation rather than worship and it actually forms part of the Gangaramaya Temple, which we all usually visit on your first trip to Colombo.  Although the temple is not as ornate as it counterpart, the vistas from the water are great.

Having watched its construction from way back in 2013 and then every subsequent visit, today we were able to enter and head up to the viewing platform for some great views over Colombo.  Locals dressed in their beautiful saris were more than excited to see us and all wanted to have their photo’s taken with us. This took up quite a bit of our time as each also wanted their individual shots.

Then it was down to Pettah where we would first visit the floating markets, which were unfortunately over for the day, then over to the Red Mosque.  In the heart of the Pettah market area, it was certainly hustling and bustling. Amazing stalls with each one specializing in different items…  There was the coat hanger stall, the elastic stall, beautiful braids and ribbons, and baskets of every shape and size.

Floating Market Area

With an 8pm sail away, time was running out, but before we headed back to the port gates we made a stop at the local supermarket where boys stocked up on the local beer. 

Dropped off at the port gates we didn’t have to wait long for the shuttle to get us back to the ship.

We managed to spend a little time perusing the markets on the pier, but little did we know that at 10pm we would be still tied against the wharf with the refueling bunker still butted up against us… that should have been the first sign of what was to come…..

Overall it ended up a very good day, unfortunately not so much for some friends. Note to everyone, do not go on a tour with more than 6 people in Colombo…. Anything bigger and you will have trouble with traffic, parking, and lingering guests who do not adhere to the instructions from the guide, turned their tour into nothing but a continual drive-by.  Stopping only occasionally and then passing on entering a temple due to limited time, but being taken to a jewelry store for more than 30 minutes ….

Other friends spoke of great experiences by just picking up a van dockside or really getting the Colombo experience by touring in one of the many colourful tuk tuks…