March 10 – Colombo, Sri Lanka (Ceylon) Day 2. Today is just as hot as yesterday; the difference is that we will be in an air conditioned bus much of the time. Today we are going to cover more of the city of Colombo. The earliest European name for Sri Lanka is Serendip. An early traveler who was surprised by what he found here that coined the word serendipitous to describe a surprising but pleasant discovery.
To start out we drove along the edges of the Pettah, no way a bus could get anywhere inside. Looking down the areas narrow streets it was not hard to recall yesterday's walk. It was hard to imagine that our group negotiated the area without getting separated and some of us lost. Then we drove through the colonial section. Again because we are on a large bus it was not possible to get to the older Dutch area but we got a good look at the British area. Actually the Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive here by ship on their way to finding a sea route to India but we didn't see anything that dates to that period. Portuguese, Dutch, British seems to be the common progression of European powers all over this area. We drove on a very wide street that we hadn't walked on yesterday and I saw a pretty building that identified itself at 'Australia Buildings 1684-1900'. Coupled with the Australia medallion on the side of the colonial era Bank of Ceylon I saw yesterday leads me to believe there was a strong Australian presence during the British Colonial period. No one has mentioned that on our tours. I'll have to add that to my growing list of research projects I'm too cheap to do at satellite internet rates on the ship.
As we neared the Financial District I noticed some odd looking police vehicles as well as some troop carriers labeled as police vehicles. Our guide told us that the two unusual vehicles are water cannon trucks and their presence indicated that there was to be some sort of demonstration nearby. He said that because they are just recently, 2009, out of a 30 year long civil war the police tend to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. In my opinion it's a much better option than to prepare for the best and have the worst fall on you unprepared.
Societal Note: Fairness forces me to mention here that we did see a large orderly group of people dressed alike walking down the sidewalk toward the financial area at about 10am. As of 2pm we saw no evidence of any disorder whatsoever. I just wish the good folks of Ferguson had behaved as well rather than the shameful, and as it turned out, totally uncalled for, way they acted. I just loved the response of the so called community leaders to the news that the hands up 'Don't shoot' incident never actually happened. They were quoted in the NY Times as saying, "This should not deter us from seeking needed police reform." WHAT!! The police respond rationally to a dangerous situation and they need reform? How about reforming the thugs whose bad actions caused the whole event in the first place. I grow so weary of 'activists' who use non-existent events as rallying cries and then not apologizing when they are proven to be wrong. The list of this sort of activity is long and disgusting. In Al Sharpton's case it goes back to the Towanda Brawley (sp?) fiasco and further.
One funny British custom that has survived here is calling bookies "Turf Accountants'. I've seen those all over the British Commonwealth from Stow-on-the-Wold in the Cotswolds of England to the Rock of Gibraltar and now Sri Lanka. It's amazing what will stick when a culture changes.
We drove along the seafront promenade. It's a long area of the waterfront where they build a wide walkway that is studded with small tent like structures that are open to sell food and drink in the evenings and weekends. The waves coming in had a nearly perfect curl as they broke onto the long beach. There was not much in the way of visible swell but the height at the break seemed to be 5' or more. Granted you'll never see a surfing competition at that height and there's not much room to surf inside the curl but the break was long and would have given a nice ride.
We saw the usual suspects as far as fast food was concerned but one enterprising entrepreneur has opened a little shop under the name Burger's King, complete with crown. Burgers seem to be the target of many of these trademark variations. For example, in Jerusalem there was, and may still be, a burger joint named McDavid's. Of course, the logo was a Hassidic man with a burger (not a cheeseburger) and a glass of orange juice. I still smile whenever I think of that sight. That was 1968 so it could be a chain or it could be gone. Hard to say. I don't recall seeing it on any subsequent visits. More recently in Bethlehem I saw a 'Stars & Bucks' that had the circular green and white Starbuck's logo format.
We drove around the major sections of the city of Colombo pausing for photo opportunities. Since our walking tour had been in Old Colombo I hadn't noticed that in other areas the street signs are in three languages, Singhalese, Tamil and English. Most of the modern buildings also identify themselves in these three languages. I only say most because I didn't get the chance to see every building but all the buildings I did see that were built anytime recently followed that practice. On the major street signs there was a fourth panel at the bottom with the name of a business on it. I'm pretty sure this is how they pay for the signs, advertising space.
Our first stop of the day was at the Colombo Museum. It's in the building that was the colonial Governor's Office. It's a stately white Victorian building. Just to be sure you know that there's a statue of Queen Victoria with her usual very resolute expression. Just from her official statuary you would get the clear impression that this was not a party person. And you'd be correct!
The museum was very well laid out and interpreted. All the exhibits were labeled in the same three languages as the street signs. Unfortunately it still had the Victorian Era air conditioning, that is to say none. To add to the atmosphere the windows were all closed. It was actually hotter inside the museum than it was outside. I stayed inside long enough to ensure that I hadn't missed any major exhibits and then headed outside. Across the parking lot the museum has a café and some shops which are well air conditioned so I headed over there. For me, the best part of the visit was that there were school children of all ages who were also taking the day to visit their history. We saw kids from girls and boys of grade school age to high school boys in all white as well as some middle school boys in blue and white congregating in the courtyard and taking turns entering the museum. It was a lively and at time noisy endeavor, not to mention fun. As I was heading out of the building a group of orange robed monks came up the walkway leading some older boys dressed in shirt and slacks. At the head of the procession was the oldest monk. He was followed by four grade school age monks. Behind them were the rest of the monks who varied in age from young adult to almost as old as the leader. Trailing the monks were several ranks of boys at least high school age or older. They were the most orderly procession on the grounds and that includes our tour group.
On the way out I met Pastor Al and his wife. They had walked all the way here from the ship and were looking pretty hot. Since the museum entrance was on the opposite side of the large building from the café they didn't know it was there. When I said the words 'air conditioned' they joined me. We had a nice chat on the patio which, although it was outdoors, was shaded and had a nice breeze. The advantage to staying out on the patio was that there was a serenade of drums coming from the university buildings next door.
I actually made a purchase in the shops, a very small tin of Golden Tips tea. I've read about this tea. It's the first of the new growth for the year, picked while the plant is still in flower. I can't wait to taste it but that will have to wait until we get home. Right now it's firmly and hermetically sealed and I don't want to travel with it opened although it is tempting.
Our next stop was the Gangarama Buddhist Temple. Of course it's shoes off and legs covered. Fortunately I'm carrying my trusty Myanmar longyi which I quickly dropped over my head and tucked in at my belt. (If you've ever seen Shogun, I feel like I'm wearing a samurai kimono bottom whenever I wear the longyi.) So we shed ourselves of shoes and headed into the courtyard.
The striking thing about this temple is that it is decorated much more like a Hindu temple than a Buddhist temple. Images are everywhere, on the walls, ceilings and especially in the corners. There are many murals of Buddha's life much like Hindu temples but the elaborate treatment is reserved for the rooms' corners where tableaus of many carved figures can be found. In addition to the differences in the temple proper, the attached museum displays the collection of religious artifacts acquired by one monk over his lifetime. They range from tiny Buddhas to twice life sized Chinese Gate Guardians. There is also a smattering of secular antiques, old clocks, etc. One particularly amusing display was a colorful Ho Tai, I'm not sure of this identification but by his smile and heavy body type that's who he looks like to me, reclining at his leisure holding out a double sided boat-like affair like those we saw in Singapore accompanying the ram for the new year. Whatever the item is it must represent wealth or prosperity because visitors to the museum have left all manner of coins on every possible place on the statue that they can be balanced. Directly behind this item is a picture of Queen Elizabeth II and Lord Mountbatten circa 1950s. My other favorite artifact is a jeweled silver chariot like cart drawn by four horses. It has a driver and in the backseat a dignitary enjoying the ride.
The temple has a huge carved ivory collection. The ivory trade has been illegal in Sri Lanka for a very long time. These items were collected prior to the prohibition. There are also an fair number of whole elephant tusks in the temple. The guide says that they have a male elephant that is used in religious processions in the capital city. He is viewed to be holy and lives a pampered life. When he dies the tusks are brought to the temple as items to be venerated. The oldest pair of tusks flank the main Buddha in the temple.
Set off to one side were three sealed packages that I'm calling 'New Monk Kits'. They have three items in them that I could see, an orange robe folded into a square about a foot a side, a razor and some shaving soap partly inserted into the folds of the robe and the simple brown wooden bowl that the monk uses on his daily trips around town and to the markets to accept food or monetary offerings for his daily diet. What else might be wrapped in the robe or under the upside down bowl I couldn't tell. As far as I can tell the three items I've listed are all a new monk needs to get by in the monastery.
When we got back out to the shoe storage place I notice that the exterior wall of the monastery attached to the temple is ornately carved. Between the trees and vines you have to work to notice it. A short walk down the street outside gave me enough of a view to get some pictures. It's a nice as anything inside.
From the temple it was another short run by the seashore and through town to the port.
It was a very pleasant day thanks to the various air conditioners we encountered not the least of which was on the bus.
At 4:30 aboard the ship they had a preview of the Indian cultural group that will be traveling with us to Mumbai. They sing, play instruments and perform dances. It's really a trio and a dancer. There's a drummer, singer and a string player plus the dancer.
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