From all our immediate neighbours, only one may ever be considered as an escapist destination, it’s the island which Marco Polo declared as, “the finest in its size”, Sri Lanka. This beautiful country enjoys a rich heritage and an eventful history, as one finds it through the pages of Greek, Egyptian and Indian literature.
As soon as I arrived at the Colombo International Airport, a plethora of appealing elements
unfurled before my senses. The heavy warm air, the copious green foliage, the luxuriant swirls of the Sinhalese language and the multi-coloured Buddhist flags. All of them in perfect harmony and yet individually alluring.
From the bustling commercial capital, 12 kilometers south, I reached the passive but exquisite colonial beachfront hotel of Mt. Lavinia. A legacy of colonial heritage, it stands as a monument to the forbidden love of a Governor General and a local mesitzo dancer who cast a spell on his heart. Time stood still in the corridors of this grand old structure, but I managed to stir a beach volleyball game with the effervescent and warm staff outside. A few good games and a special body massage later, I parked myself pretty comfortably and called it a night.
In the morning, after breakfast, I left for the city of gems or Ratnapura. The scenic route takes us passing the paddy fields, rubber plantations and extensive tea estates to the foothills of Adam’s peak – the holy mountain where Ratnapura is situated. A visit to one of the museums, gem workshop or even mines and one gets educated to the variety and processing of precious stones. Sri Lanka is most renowned for its Blue Sapphires.....Continue
As soon as I arrived at the Colombo International Airport, a plethora of appealing elements
unfurled before my senses. The heavy warm air, the copious green foliage, the luxuriant swirls of the Sinhalese language and the multi-coloured Buddhist flags. All of them in perfect harmony and yet individually alluring.From the bustling commercial capital, 12 kilometers south, I reached the passive but exquisite colonial beachfront hotel of Mt. Lavinia. A legacy of colonial heritage, it stands as a monument to the forbidden love of a Governor General and a local mesitzo dancer who cast a spell on his heart. Time stood still in the corridors of this grand old structure, but I managed to stir a beach volleyball game with the effervescent and warm staff outside. A few good games and a special body massage later, I parked myself pretty comfortably and called it a night.
In the morning, after breakfast, I left for the city of gems or Ratnapura. The scenic route takes us passing the paddy fields, rubber plantations and extensive tea estates to the foothills of Adam’s peak – the holy mountain where Ratnapura is situated. A visit to one of the museums, gem workshop or even mines and one gets educated to the variety and processing of precious stones. Sri Lanka is most renowned for its Blue Sapphires.....Continue
