Galle-Negombo: Architecture and Insect Bites

We woke early, packed, and left at 6.15am in a tuk tuk for Galle Station, just outside the fort walls. As usual we were way too early. We found our seats in 1st class without any trouble, though this time, unfortunately, we were facing backwards.

It was a 3 hour trip north to Columbo past sea-front shacks and lush fields of palm trees. When we passed the Radisson Hotel in Columbo, we felt like we’d come full circle. It’s been a packed 3 weeks and it seems like we’ve been travelling for much longer.

Alighting at Columbo Fort station where we began, we negotiated a tuk tuk, and drove further north to Negombo, up near the airport where most travellers stay a night when they arrive or leave Sri Lanka. We’re staying at Jetwing Lagoon, on a long spit of land between the sea and Negombo lagoon. The place was designed in the 1960s by the famous Sri Lankan ‘tropical modernist’ architect Geoffrey Bawa and recently renovated; the room is cavernous, and the central 100m long pool is stunning .

We walked over the road to the beach where there’s another pool, and strolled along the beach for a while. A hotel attendant ran out to warn us not to swim in the ocean as there was a rock shelf just off the shore, partly hidden by the waves.

Unfortunately the Jetwing Lagoon has absolutely no idea how to make the most basic cocktail, and Carol’s dinner was so bad she had to refuse to pay for it, but you can’t have everything. I also got bitten by multiple mosquitos when we went to dinner (in an otherwise gorgeous spot overlooking the lagoon) and when I went to the bathroom I discovered at least 8 huge welts on my knees! I’m so sick of being fed on! Obviously the location right between beach and lagoon is not great for midges and mosquitos, and I noticed the former swarming me while I was lying by the pool.

Whatever the thing on my foot is, it looks like it’s either going to heal or blister, one or the other …

Yes the whole ‘inside is outside’ tropical modernist style of architecture is spacious, minimalist, and attractive – but it offers zero protection from predatory insects.

So unfortunately our last full night wasn’t ideal, but such is life. We’re booked here tomorrow too because our plane doesn’t leave until just past midnight. It’s going to be a long trip home…

14th March

Things got to a rocky start today, to put it mildly, when we discovered we’d missed our flights home! Because the flights left at 12.45 am, the dates referred to that day just begun. Whoops!

Carol spent the entire morning booking new flights – a job for which I have absolutely no skills or patience – while I had a swim. Then I dosed while she packed, and vice versa. Neither of us wanted to eat much more from this terrible restaurant, but we had lunch – I foolishly had sashimi thinking they couldn’t stuff up something so simple, and it was laughably bad. Such a shame, but the terrible food, obsequious and inexperienced service, the constant attacks from mosquitos and midges, all outweighed the lovely architecture and impressive pool.

We were happy to leave about 8pm. A car to the airport and the long journey home began. 

15th March

Our first leg was 4 hours to Singapore (the plane left at 12.45 am), arriving just before the sun rose. We got our bags and stayed in a tiny capsule room in a huge shopping mall next to the airport until our next flight that night, with expeditions to grab a quick lunch in the food court, and for me to buy some cheap and cheerful clothes from MUJI and UNICLO.

It was eleven hours to Auckland, which started fine but got a lot worse as my right leg went into constant restless leg spasms, which was unbelievably uncomfortable. We had ‘economy stretch’ seats which had slightly more leg room than economy ones.

Finally the last, tedious flight to Nelson. We missed my sister by a few hours but she left the keys at the information desk. It was strange to be home – it felt like we’ve been gone for months, but it was wonderful to see our gorgeous little cat Drusilla again.

This was a really good trip, and I was so much more impressed by Sri Lanka than I expected to be. The people were friendly and helpful, the travelling easy, the archaeological sites impressive, the food good, and all in all it’s a beautiful and interesting country. The challenge of course is that tourism doesn’t spoil it all (as it has some areas already), but as always I can’t begrudge the locals doing well out of tourists, especially after so many incredibly hard years of strife and economic disaster. They’re long overdue for a long period of peace and prosperity.