Tag: Colombo

Biking through Colombo city

If you want to be in Sri Lanka for more than 30 days you have to extend your tourist visa. So that’s what I did at the department of immigration and emigration in Colombo. I went by bike, which is motor bike, so after I was done at the visa office it was time to explore the city!

First I checked out House of Fashions. It has been moved to another location since the last time I visited the shop which was wayyyy back in 2003? I’m not really sure, maybe even longer ago. So it was no surprise to me that it has changed a lot. It has a more expensive look now with different sections such as perfume, fashion and lifestyle goods…kinda like de Bijenkorf in the Netherlands.

Next was some nice place just outside the city I think, called Diyath Uyana. On our way there we passed all the fast food restaurants…and we just had lunch…But it was lovely with great scenery and a lot of animals. We even found Nemo, Dory and more of the cast of ‘Finding Nemo’.

Another shopping mall where I haven’t been for a long time was Majestic City. Now that I’m in Colombo I have to go there I thought. But I got a little disappointed. It wasn’t like I remembered it. The shops are also more expensive now and many electronics can be found there. Not really my cup of tea anymore 😉 I loved the air condition by the way!

It was a great day, hot and busy but very nice! I love crossing around!

Being a Sri Lankan girl

After travelling for more than 5 weeks I arrived in Sri Lanka, my last stop before I’ll return back home. My brother and nephew welcomed me at Colombo airport. We still had to travel for 2 hours before I really would be at the destination, namely Wadduwa.

Arriving in Sri Lanka feels always almost like coming home. When you leave the airplane, you will be embraced by the warm and humid air. And the smell, I can’t describe…maybe the scent of the tropics!

Since I’m staying with family, I get to live life like the local people. No air conditioning, travelling by public transport, cold showers and sharing home with all kinds of insects, just to name a few things.

It took a 4 hour journey to visit my amma. I travelled by train and bus. Getting on the train is an experience on its own. There are so many people trying to get on, it’s almost inhuman. You can hardly breathe! At one point I thought my knees would break. And it’s hot…no airco or ven working, just the wind caused by the speed of the train. But it was all worth it because I got to see the rest of my family! We had a great time catching up and having lunch.

Another new experience is swimming as a Sri Lankan woman. That means, swimming with your clothes on. We went to the beach and because my company is Sri Lankan and I’m not on vacation as a tourist, I had to adjust big time. So no bikini for me this time. It was great to cool down a bit in the ocean and play with my brother and nephew.