HOME AND AWAY
Colombo reminds one of a
gentler, slower-paced Mumbai, except there are no bhelpuri or bhutta stalls
If you’re going to get
mythological about it, then Sri Lanka is likely the Lanka from the Ramayana –
though some scholars do speculate that Ravana’s kingdom was actually somewhere
near the Maldives.
Which of these
speculations will turn out to be true, no one knows now. But what I can tell
you is that Sri Lanka is a beautiful place with extremely friendly locals and I
have every intention of visiting the island again.
THAT
HOME TOWN FEELING
Our first time there was
with our daughter Kiara during her vacations. Since it’s so close to India, we
decided to hop across the Palk Strait and meet our neighbours.
The little nation feels
so much like home that at times my husband, Rohit, slipped into Hindi while
chatting with the locals – and quite a number of them understood it too!
Colombo is much like
Mumbai, specifically south Mumbai with its old, Britishbuilt buildings. Its
architecture is Dutch colonial, and wandering the streets, you can’t help but
imagine how beautiful it must have been, say, a hundred years ago.
It’s a coastal city and
the promenade reminded me of Marine Drive as it must have been when it first
came up in a gentler, slowerpaced Mumbai – except for one glaring difference.
There are no bhelpuri and bhutta vendors. But there is lots and lots of delicious
seafood.
In fact the movie
Midnight’s Children (2012) was shot here rather than in India where the story
is set, not only to avoid protests from religious groups, but also because
India has changed radically in the last 50 years, while Sri Lanka, because of
its 30-year-long civil war, was caught in a time warp. Industrialisation is not
very visible in the city, and the broad avenues and boulevards are framed by
more old bungalows than new high-rises. The Ministry of Crab serves delicious
crabs and other seafood dishes.
GIMME
MORE
Colombo was also all
about good food! When a small city boasts of two restaurants that rank amongst
the top 50 in Asia, you know it takes its food seriously. Since we take our
food seriously
too, off we went to
explore the Ministry of Crab for its delicious crabs and other seafood, and
Nihonbashi for its Japanese food. Verdict: yummy and a must visit if you are in
Colombo.
We also had a very good
meal at Nuga Gama
EATING
LOCAL
Egg hoppers are a
traditional breakfast dish in Sri Lanka Village) restaurant at our hotel,
Cinnamon Grand. They served authentic Sri Lankan cuisine in a lovely village
setting, and those freshly-made hoppers with eggs were delicious. We ate
hoppers every day! We also tried an extremely popular Sri Lankan street food
dish called kottu or kottu roti, composed of shredded pieces of Sri Lankan
godamba roti (sort of like a giant paratha), stir-fried with an assortment of
spices and a choice of meaty (or vegetarian) ingredients. It is usually served
with a separate bowl of curry, used to moisten and add extra flavour to the
stir-fried flatbread. In terms of shopping though, Colombo is a bit
disappointing. There’s not much aside from the local spices, teas and Spa
Ceylon products. However, a visit to the Noritake showroom for its fine bone
china crockery is a must.
CITY OF
OLDE
After two days of
feasting in Colombo, we drove to Galle, about two hours away. Galle is on the
southwest coast of Sri Lanka, known for its Fort, the fortified old city
founded by Portuguese colonists in the 16th century. Stone sea walls, expanded
by the Dutch, encircle car-free streets, with architecture reflecting
Portuguese, Dutch and British rule. Notable buildings include the 18th century
Dutch Reform Church. Galle lighthouse stands on the fort’s southeast tip.
Galle Fort is charming;
full of little shops and restaurants. Sure, it’s touristy, but it’s also a must
do. We stayed in a colonial-styled bungalow called Villa Saldana bang on the
Habraduwa Beach. Galle reminded me of Goa about 20 years ago... small hotels
and restaurants with little shops selling ‘beachy stuff’. We had a lovely meal
at a restaurant on the beach and another at the Galle Fort Hotel. Our villa
came with a chef who cooked us excellent local fare – super crab curry and
shrimps.
brunchletters@hindustantimes.com
HTBR24DEC17
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