Colombo, Sri Lanka

While I have been spending most of my time in Sri Lanka in the country areas, yesterday my hosts took me downtown to show me the new Port City now under construction.

At lunch with Cmdr. Ravi, the number 2 officer in the Sri Lankan Navy.

This area is being developed by the Chinese on over 400 acres of mostly dumped up land. It's right across from old Colombo and beside one of the controversial container ports.

According to Dr. Damith, in 10 years this area will be Asia's predominant financial center.

Now, the only section in operation is the small beachfront entertainment area, but many people have started to visit and enjoy it already.

Love of ice cream is international, so this shop is at the entrance.

You can get a good view of the city center from there.

This is the old parliament building. (It's the only place I have seen the Sri Lankan flag, (so far) for it's the Buddhist flag that's predominant elsewhere.)

You can go to the top of this building and get a view of most of Colombo. It's called the "lotus building".

According to Wikipedia: "The lotus flower is a sacred symbol in Buddhism, representing purity, enlightenment, and awakening. Its ability to bloom in murky waters and rise above the surface symbolizes the potential for spiritual growth and transformation, even in the face of difficult circumstances."

(Because of the predominance of Buddhist symbols here one, may get the impression that this could be a theocracy. 

This is not at all so, as every religion is openly practiced here and Buddhism, though powerful in the culture and religion, is not involved in civil government.)

The exercise area is already in use. It includes a jogging lane and a cycling lane.

When we left Port City, we walked a short distance to the Navy Officer's Mess Hall for lunch.

 Only families and friends of senior Navy personnel are allowed there.

The Navy symbol.

Damith's friend Ravi is the head of the civil engineering division of the Sri Lankan Navy and the second highest officer in it's ranks.

That's the emblem outside the dining room. I suspect it's been there from the colonial period.

The mess hall is right across from the lighthouse.

Sections of Colombo near the train depot, remind me of downtown Kingston (Princess Street area) where everything is available in the shops and on the sidewalks.

Reminds me of the Princess Street area in downtown Kingston.

When I looked at the name of the street we were standing on, it was Prince Street.😁

After a lovely day of enjoying the downtown area, it was back home via the local train which was as crowded and rickety as a New York's subway!

Their rail system is one segment of their highly efficient transportation network that seems to facilitate their 22 million population very cheaply and efficiently.

(The population in the capital Colombo, is some 3 million)

For a cost less than $500 Jamaican, I took the train (by myself 😊) on a 7 hour trip to Anuradhapura! 

The criss, brand new coach.

Admittedly, the coach I traveled in going up, was old but at least had reclining seats and foot rests. 

The coach I returned in was brand new and criss, nicer than any I have ever seen in Amtrak, the US 's main train service.

I am really impressed with their cheap, efficient transport system made up of rail service, public buses, (they charge half the price of private buses and give tickets as you pay), private buses, millions of taxis and ride-share vehicles using tuk tuk (aka three wheeler), bikes and cars.

 More on that anon.

More memories in pics.

This is a man made beach!