Day 3 Colombo 29 July

We are staying here for an unexpected extra night, but in a different room. So we are packed, bags stored, out onto the streets again. Today we explore the markets: manning street, independent federation of self employees, petah floating. Except the floating markets are neither floating or markets.

Manning markets..wow fruit, Vegas chaos. Photographic heaven. We have to remind our selves that although this is new and exciting for us these poor and hard working souls will be here again tomorrow, and the day after, and the one after etc.

We found a little place for “milky tea” and cake, however something lost in translation. Never mind it was interesting, very interesting, and amusing for the locals.

By this time we were a little hot and needed respite from the heat: tourist cafe here we come. After this break we head back to train station to book some further tickets.

A point aside: we both are struggling a little with an itinerary. There is not an easy path through this country, lots to see and do, so too far but not too close. This makes it very difficult, at least for us to decide what to see, where and when....

So, we headed to the railway ticket/tourist office to seek some advice. Easy targets and we got talked into /scammed/gratefully accepted a car with a driver to assist with the tricky bits in Sri Lanka’s cultural centre. We had been advised that all trains from Kandy to Ella ( this of course is the beautifully scenic trip through the hill country and tea plantations)were booked solid and had been for weeks but as luck would have it, the man can get us these sought after tickets if were to accept his offer of the driver etc. How lucky is that .😂 yes , we accepted.

We will keep you posted but I think having a little man will help with the anxiety of sorting travel in central Sri Lanka.

Dinner tonight was in a restaurant called Upali’s.  They even have another restaurant in Melbourne, so if you are in the Neihbour hood... Delicious proper Lankan curries that threaten to blow your head off. Bit of an upmarket place or so we thought until the guys at the next table arrived in shorts an singlet. Even with its flashiness, it still only cost about $20