Colombo – Not getting arrested
I arrived in a very warm and tropical Colombo at lunchtime on Monday 24th April, eyes all red and blurry from my emotional farewell to India. I’d managed to meet my friend Dave at the airport (he was out at the same time as me, staying in what must surely be the poshest hotel in the whole world ever. True to form, not only did I go and use the swimming pool, I used his bath, his hairdryer, ate his biscuits and nicked all the freebies I could lay my hands on, including the hotel stationery. Well, you never know!). I handed over to him the last few bits I wanted to send home, including the marvellous portrait drawn by Vipin. If there’s a way to scan it and put it online, I will. When Dave and I met, though, it was like a scene from a communist regime – apparently in India (or Bangalore at least), once you’ve checked in, you can’t leave the airport, and there’s a line past which only passengers with a ticket can go. So Dave couldn’t come in, and I couldn’t go out. We met AT the line, I handed my bag over, started crying, and we hugged across the divide. Imagine an old war film, throw in a Selfridges carrier bag and a dozen curious Indians, and you will have the scene.
Sri Lanka is pretty much India-lite, so I managed to negotiate a decent taxi rate into Colombo town, sniffled my way past the St Jude shops on the road, and headed for a few places before I managed to get a shared room at the YWCA, of all places. It wasn’t ready yet, so I headed out to see a bit of Colombo. It doesn’t really have that many sights, but is ok, as far as capital cities go. I think if you haven’t been to India, it would seem loud, noisy, and polluted, but compared to most places over there, it’s pleasant enough. There are still quite a few signs of the old colonial times, which always give me a slight twinge of guilt for some reason.
Among my many favourite books, there is one called ‘Coming Home’ by Rosamunde Pilcher, which has one section set in Sri Lanka (or Ceylon, as it was then). I was always intrigued by the descriptions of Galle Road, Galle Face Green, and the Galle Face Hotel, so I was pleased in a way that my hostel was just off Galle Road – but also disappointed that it just seems to be a jumble of badly-aging modern buildings. Galle Face Green was lovely though, a big stretch of grass in front of the sea shore, surrounded by old Dutch cannons. I treated myself to a lemonade in the Galle Face Hotel (it’s desperate times when a lemonade counts as a treat, but at 110 rupees a pop – about 60p, nigh on criminal over here, it sure is a treat). This was lovely, but again in a slightly guilt-inducing-colonial way. Looking round, it was quite clear that all the guests were foreign, and the only Sri Lankans there were staff.
I took the opportunity to call the Chinese Embassy in Colombo. China is my next stop, and I have to sort my visa out before I go there. I’d got the number from tourist information, and managed to get through to the right place. I told the guy on the phone my plans, but started to panic slightly when he was talking about a form that I needed to get sent from China. I asked could I download it from the internet? Absolutely not, no, it must be posted from China. But why don’t you have any there at the Embassy? Because it’s a special form, it must be endorsed by your friend in China. “But I don’t have any friends in China”, I whined in a loud voice, marking myself out to the other people in the bar as some kind of Chinese Billy No Mates. “Well, in that case, I don’t think you will be able to go to China on May 7th”.
All my plans started crumbling in my brain, and the only words I could get out were the very eloquent, “but, but, but, WHY?”.
Turns out the guy had assumed (mainly because I hadn’t told him otherwise) that I was Sri Lankan. As soon as he found out I was British, he started gushing, “Oh, but of course you can come. No problem at all. I can rush the application through for you if you want.” It was another display of double standards – no doubt there are political reasons for it, but it still made me cringe a bit. Coming to different parts of the world, you soon realise just how many doors a white face and a British passport can open.
I sauntered back to the hostel, and met my room-mate, a lovely girl from Eastbourne called Tina. She was just over in Sri Lanka a short time, in order to renew her Indian visa. We were both homesick for India, so were good company for each other (but just about awful for anyone else to listen to, I bet!). We got on great, and headed out the next morning for some breakfast.
I had to head to the Chinese Embassy to be fawned over, and then get the train to Kandy, so we said our goodbyes and headed out in different directions. Luckily, the Chinese place in Colombo was much nicer than my last experience, in the Birmingham branch of the Indian consulate, and there were just a couple of people waiting. I filled in my form, attached my photo (a massively old one, taken about 8 years ago – I’m not vain, just thrifty), and waited. About five minutes later, when I was served, the man immediately said to me “You phoned up yesterday”. “Yes”, I replied, slightly startled at his apparently psychic ability. “How did you know that was me?” He just laughed, and nodded at the rest of the people in the waiting room – a lot of brown Sri Lankan faces looked back at me. Maybe not so psychic after all, then.
I need to go back to collect my visa next week, and he kept my passport. I was on the way out, when I remembered I should have a copy, so I doubled back and asked him for one. “Don’t worry”, he replied, “I don’t think you will need it. I don’t think you will be arrested”. Erm, well, I’ll try not to.
Back at the hostel, I collected my rucksack and was just about to head out for the train when one of the staff there accosted me. “Are you leaving now?” “Yes”. “OK, you must wait”. I asked was there a problem – I’d settled my bill that morning.
She told me, with a lovely big Sri Lankan grin on her face, that there had been a bomb, there in Colombo, just a short distance away. Checking with a few other people (not that I didn’t believe her, but sometimes things can get lost in translation), I had the same response, always delivered with a smile. Yes, yes, a bomb. In Colombo. People in hospital, and some are dead.
I went into a strange mix of calm and panic. The first thing I did was call Mum, in case she heard it on the news and knew I was in Colombo, to say I’m fine, have seen nothing of it, and I’m heading out of the city now. I wondered for a few minutes whether to get my train, as sometimes (for example, recently in India), train stations have become targets for terrorists. Logically, though, I knew the rebel factions fighting here were specifically against the government, and have never in the past deliberately targetted tourists. So I headed out, onto the surprisingly normal streets of Colombo, albeit with a lot of army presence (and is it just me, or does everyone automatically feel guilty when you’re passing an army or police officer? Like going through customs, even though I’m about as far removed from a smuggler as you can get), and headed to Colombo Fort Station. I was a bit early, and I can tell you, a heaved a sigh of relief as the train for Kandy pulled in, and left, on time – with me on it.
Tags: Sri Lanka, Travel
Suzanne
PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!
Love reading your installments, but not so keen on the bomb stuff!
Take care.
xxx
Hi there Suze, It’s just as well that your Aunty Rosemary’s computer has a virus otherwish the bomb in Sri Lanka will just add to her worries about your safety and she’d probably e-mail you and tell you to come home immediately!!! Thanks too for your call to let me know you were safe and well. Hopefully, I’ll catch up with Dave this weekend and it won’t be long before I’m rummaging through the Selfridges carrier bag. Hope there’s nothing too “girlie” in there otherwise if Dave is stopped by customs on the way home he might have some explaining to do…….single, male, travelling alone etc. etc.
Hope you Visa comes through ok…….you should have explained to the guy in the Chinese Embassy that your Ma is a regular visitor to China.
Missing you and love you lots.
Mum
Hi there
Just a quick note to let you know I have just finished a tour of China with a couple of ladies I think you know quite well! It is safe to say your mum and Irene were absolute stars on this tour.
They started the tour with two oversized suitcases containing 42 pairs of pants, 20 evening dresses and enough rum to intoxicate the whole of china. They ended it fluent in Mandarin, bartering with the best of them and with an oversized suitcase containing 10,258 disposable chopsticks!
To be serious though, they were like a breath of fresh air and they found the funny side to everything. They really helped to make the whole trip an unforgetable experience.
I must also thank Clare for giving me your blog details. It’s a great read and I think i’ll be trying out some of those recipes you posted up!
Safe travels and I can’t wait to read the next entry.
Karen
Leicester UK
Hi Suzanne!
Can’t believe you have been out there for 6 weeks already! Sorry to hear it was so sad to leave India but just think of the memories you have.
Glad to have you back blogging and photos too!!!
Stay safe & here’s to the next part of your adventure!
Angela xxx
Hi Suze
Lovely to hear your progressive trip and that you had enjoyed India so much.
I am one of the people who found India very hard especially as I took quite ill with food poisoning when I was there.
However, I would not have missed the experience.
Keep me informed of whhen you expect to hit Perth.
Love
Mike
Ayu Bowan Suzanne (it’s a traditional Sri Lankan greeting!)
Well I guess Sri Lanka seems destined to stay in your memory for other reasons than the great people, the intriguing history and the beautiful scenery! Nothing like the collapse of a long-standing ceasefire to enliven a journey.
Colombo is a fairly new capital but Kandy is a previous capital and has lots of interesting buildings and of course part of Buddah’s dentures so hopefully it will make more of an impact.
I tried to reply to your mail the other day but the BUPA IS Dept – the guardians of my morals, ‘quarantined’ it. Not sure why but will try to resend once I realise which part they found offensive.
God Bless,
Elephant Apple. x
Hey Suze, just sent you a long e-mail so will make this short and sweet!! Glad you are still enjoying and keeping well. Little tip for you- avoid ringing your Auntie Rosie- she will persist in trying to get you to come home now!! Your Mum has got all her fellow travellers involved in reading your blog, your a national interest now!!! Keep enjoying, so glad you are safe, take care, lots of love from
C L and Gabi x xx x
Hi Suze,
Great to talk to you yesterday but it was rather depressing listening to you describe the idylic setting you were in, white sand, blue sea, etc whilst stuck in the windy but sunny Wirral!!
Enjot the next stage of your travels in Sri Lanka.
Take care.
Paul x
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