Wonder.Food.Travel

I slept intermittently on the train and arrived Colombo Fort Station just after sunrise, when the city woke up and slowly came alive. Stalls began to open, school children headed for classes, employees on their way to work. I walked to the Manning Market next door only to realize it was a market selling mostly fruits and vegetables. I thought i could find textile and souvenir to bring home but no; so visit if you are looking for ingredients to cook or fresh fruits to eat, or if you have not visited a market. Then, i saw direction to the Floating Market but i was told later by another fellow traveler that stalls were by the bank and a buyer used a boat to get to them instead of both buyers and sellers on water. I decided to skip this. Hand phone. Switching directions, i walked towards Colombo Fort but soon, i was approached by a local man who said it was a lucky day for me because there was a celebration in town and goods like tea and gemstone were on special offer. I told him i...

I nearly titled this post as something about going to the central of Sri Lanka but decided to aptly name it with a single word: rewind, because what i had in the next two days brought me back in time- ancient time. Pumped for the day, if you don't already know, the Sigiriya Lion Rock (USD 30) was my most anticipated place to visit. Perched among the lush greenery, it is another UNESCO World Heritage Site on this journey, inscribed since 1982, and claimed to be the 8th Wonder of the Ancient World. I had high expectation, what with the entry price being pretty steep. With fascinating history, incredible ambition and breathtaking view from above, how could i be disappointed? From the entrance, i searched for the obvious, The entrance pass included the Museum, the Gate entry and the Mirror Wall, which is the typical flow for visitors. Walking towards the Rock Fortress, i passed by the various gardens, eyes on the front. Walking between the boulders, i noticed where my fir...

When i mentioned that i wanted to solo backpack in Sri Lanka, my choice of destination raised many eye brows, from family and friends alike. The first question, "is it safe?", followed by "what is there to see?". Frankly, Sri Lanka garnered my travel spotlight since a year ago but only now had i gather enough courage, after reading many websites/blogs that claimed the Pearl of the Indian Ocean a relatively safe place to travel and lessons learned from my previous journeys. Returning from this journey, i can tell now that while i felt usually safe, there were times when instinct told me of suspicious behaviours. I was approached more than once that i know the formula: it began with a friendly greeting, a short chat of where i came from and an invitation to sites, but i always declined and walked off, losing their interests. I may not know their true intentions; i will never know. Nevertheless, past this seemingly unwanted attention, Sri Lankan are warm and helpful pe...