Sri lanka
Map of Sri Lanka
The red arrow points to Colombo
I mentioned on my previous page that I had a brief look at Sri Lanka as part of a team investigating the situation regarding water supplies in that country. In the main, I found it a rather bleak country, though the fine old Galle Face hotel in Colombo
Faded elegance in the old portion
was something of a hoot, parts of it dating back to 1864. We did not stay there, but often gathered of an afternoon to compare notes, sip a lime & soda and watch the lovely sunsets.
A lovely sight
We stayed at a sort of pension a bit off the beaten track. After a few days in Colombo (Sri Lanka’s Capitol), we were taken by train north to Jaffna.
The red arrow points to Jaffna
It was quite a ride, interrupted at times by inspections required because of the unrest in the country in general and the far north in particular. As it was, we stayed in a fine hotel, quite new, but we were the only guests!
We departed for Jaffna
Our engine and crew
Slow going: no crossing guard
Our train hurtles through the countryside
Old rolling-stock seen along the way
Doesn’t look useful any more
Muddy waters!
The President’s special carriage?
A division point on the Railway
Inspecting a bridge for possible sabotage
We made it!
Temple and well near Jaffna
We returned to Colombo by train, then were driven south to the town of Galle,
The red arrow points to Galle
where we stayed at the Galle Fort Hotel. This structure dates back many years and was the home of a Dutch gem merchant, later barracks for soldiers, and then turned into a hotel—of sorts. I had a huge room with several beds, all sorts of old furniture, and a bathroom with a tub large enough to drown in. In those days the place was gritty, but great fun. I had come to the conclusion that the Tsunami in 2004 might have washed it away, but apparently not: it is now owned by Australians and is the place to stay when in Galle.
I sample Coconut Milk
Well fitted with submersible pump
This ancient device mechanically measured water as it flowed from a reservoir. No longer used, but preserved.
We made the obligatory visit to Candy, then after several weeks, our team turned in our reports and went home. What, if anything, came of our brief presence I’ll never know!
Getting reacquainted with my cats
I also mentioned previously that Sri Lanka had colorful paper money: I will put these on a new page, as this one is already rather long.
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