The Albatross
Tuesday 06 August 2013
So walking back from dinner last night I realised I’d left my credit card in the teller machine at the airport. So some frantic calling, attempted skyping and even facebooking and we still couldn’t contact the card company. Oh well, nothing we can do so off to bed. All sorted by this morning, but damn I feel like an idiot.
So today we went down for a rather nice breakfast, where we had our first hoppers, which are rather tasty really thin pancake type things which you the put a bit of sambal or whatever you want in. Very tasty.
Today’s activity was a tour of Negombo, which I was wondering about this as Negombo isn’t that big, and according to the Lonely Planet, there isn’t a lot here. Basically Negombo is a resort town close to Colombo. So a stop at a small old Dutch church, a squiz at the old fort (now a prison), a stroll around the fish markets and a bit of look down near the river and you’ve pretty much seen it.
We did see an interesting Hindu festival kicking off as we drove past, with some ladies with pots of burning stuff, a bloke rolling along the road and another with about 20 hooks in the skin of his back dragging another bloke.
Anyway, back to the hotel till lunch at 1:00, where our driver collected us and took us to his favourite place in town back near the airport. It was rather good and full of local men, you get a plate of rice with a few condiments, in the centre are vegetarian dishes and then you can order small specialty dishes as well. There is also a big pot of rice if you want more. It’s quick turnover so you sit and start eating when there is space and get up when you’re done, go wash off your eating hand and move along. It was heaving with locals and incredibly delicious. A massive brilliant lunch for three with extra beef, prawn, fish and cashew curries for less than AUD$9. The place must be good as they were cranking them through, and running a big takeaway business too.
Feeling rather full, we headed back for a swim and a laze about reading our books and watching the rather excellent tiny squirrels chase each other around the coconut palms.
Off to start our holiday proper tomorrow.