18.08.18 - 21.08.18 Colombo

After a somewhat turbulent flight, we arrived safely in Sri Lanka. Every time we arrive in a new country, we are excited about what awaits us, we always have to learn everything again. How much does everything cost (to avoid being ripped off), what is the exchange rate again, what does the money look like, how can we communicate best, do we get a receipt when we eat or do we have to go to the cashier ourselves, how do drivers react when we cross the street, and much more. We have read a lot about Sri Lanka and yet there was always the thought in the back of our minds - hopefully it's not too much like India.

Already the taxi ride from the airport showed us that at least the traffic is much calmer and more orderly. Since we landed late at night, we were very excited to see Colombo in daylight the next day. And we were surprised when we stood at a pedestrian crossing and suddenly the cars stopped. We were so perplexed that we almost forgot to walk. It quickly became apparent that this was not an isolated case and not a tourist bonus either.

Since our hostel was located 8km south of the city center, we had to walk a lot for two days to see the sights of the city, which mainly consist of colonial buildings of the Dutch and English. Of course, a visit to the market was also a must, and here too there was a big difference to India. We were also stared at a lot, but mostly with a smile or even a 'Hello', which makes us feel much more comfortable.

Visually, Colombo could pass as an Indian city, although it is somewhat cleaner and not to forget that all Hindu temples would have to be replaced by Buddhist ones.

Although Colombo is located by the sea, there is no promenade or beach, and in some places the railway line even runs directly along the water. On our first day, we accidentally discovered countless kites in the sky, which turned out to be a big festival in the city, where everyone was flying their kites and trying to outdo each other in length and size. It was a great start to our month in Sri Lanka.

By the way, we once again realized that we just don't like hostel life and in the future we will make sure to have more privacy :)