Negombo

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introduction

It is an hour's flight from Chennai in India to the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. And I think you immediately notice that the servicelevel in this country is higher than in India. Everything is spotless here, even modern, and it seems as if they welcome me extra warmly; this is probably due to the fact that there are currently few (Western) tourists flying to Sri Lanka because of the negative publicity of the civil war.

The customs are a piece of cake and before I know it I'm sitting in the free shuttle bus towards Awariywathitkha looking at the many green bunkers that mainly protect the airport and the capital for attacks by the dreaded "Tamil Tigers". Life on the streets is less chaotic than in India, it is a bit cleaner and the number of stray dogs is significantly lower. From the big messy bus station I take a bus to the city Negombo to avoid the capital. Pay attention because the currency as India has the same name but has a different value!

The city lies in a so-called lagoon with extensive mangrove forests and is dotted with coconut trees. They sometimes say that between Galle and Negombo the purest and finest cinnamon grows in the wild in the world. It’s very hard to find my hostel but in the end I find it. I check in and after some rest I take my stuff and take a little walk in the streets. I have dinner at restaurant Ammehoela which is a kinda Dutch “slang” word.

The home feeling

After a shower in the morning I first walk along the "beachroad", the road between my hostel and the center, until I hit the harbor. This looks very picturesque with its brightly colored wooden boats, small scaffolding and lots of green on both sides - it looks more like a natural harbor than on a made one.

Next to it is still the Dutch clock tower and when I think I'll walk into the Dutch fort, which is next to me, the entry is strangely denied. I am referred to the left and walk around the fort wall and at some point I pass some fish stalls and small houses but I do not see another entrance into the fort. The Dutch conquered the city in the year 1640 on the Portuguese who had built a stronghold here because of the cinnamon trade. In 1640 Negombo was conquered by Phillips Lucasz.

In 1643 the Portuguese recaptured the city, but François Caron took the city for the second time (1644). The Dutch then created a network of 120 kilometers of canals for the transport of the cinnamon. These channels are still used to transport local goods. At the end of the 18th century the English took over because the Netherlands was "occupied" by France.

Suddenly I find out where the river leading to the harbor separates from the Indian Ocean; there is a horrible smell here on the beach and I walk to something like an open fish-factory. People are chopping and sawing fish in pieces and there is a lot of fishwaste that smells terribly. Although the boys kindly ask me to come closer to watch, I turn off the offer with a big smile. Later I see on the wide beach that it is littered here with nets, boats and a lot of waste. When I walk on, I also see a lot of fish heads lying on the sand.

A man is chopping tuna into pieces on a big chopping block and it looks very bloody. I walk back all the way and now notice that the fort is still actively used as a prison; police are running in and out. That was the reason why I couldn’t enter earlier on.

Negombo-Colonial-Dutch-VOC-Beach-Market-Fish-Sri-Lanka

The shark market

The fish market is on the other side of the beach and is quickly found; you just follow you’re nose. It is a section with primitive stalls and a lot of rope and you have to be careful not to be scalped here. The paths between the stalls are very narrow and it is very crowded with people. Here you can find all types and sizes of fish and big chunkc too - they are bigger, more colorful and you can buy pieces of shark and swordfish.

When I ask where you can see the uncut sharks people send me to another piece of market. I have to pass two large carbridges and then, to my knowledge, I arrive at a piece of land where the other fish market should stand. I ask around, may even look in a shed where indeed a lot of fish is stored, but a fish market with whole sharks is not there today. In the center I walk past what seem former Dutch colonial buildings and stand still for a moment at a dug channel that certainly comes from Dutch times here.

I almost feel at home until I feel the sun puncture my skin again and I realize that I am very far from home. I buy some lunch in one of the many sandwich shops here and at the bank I try in vain to exchange my last Indian money. The people from this bank and the next also refer me to the jewelers down the street. I do not understand it, but you can indeed exchange money here! Along the great Portuguese St. Mary church I walk all the way back to my hostel where I sit on my terrace after a cold shower. I try to find a real Sri Lankian restaurant in town but just touristy snackshops. With a "mosquito spiral" between my feet I enjoy my first luxury evening in Sri Lanka at a Indian restaurant. Tomorrow I’m heading north to see the ancient ruiins of the country.

tips & advice (2009)

The international airport of Sri Lanka is located about 10 kilometers south of Negombo (shuttle bus 270). Colombo is about 40 km away. The train station and bus station in Negombo are both on the east side of the center. Trains do not run here that often. About 300 meters south of the train station is the bus station which is actually a long street with buses on both sides.

Negombo - Anuradhapura: if you want to go to Anuradhapura, you will often first have to travel to Kurunegala with bus 34.

Name: Hotel Minnur

Address: Located at the Lewis Pl

Price: 750 Rp

Content:

This hostel (or apartment) is located on the Lewis Pl between the side streets Perera Pl and Rosary Rd on the sea side. It had its own staircase to my apartment which has a space in front of the frontdoor where you can sit comfortably in a chair under a canopy.

There is a double bed, a fan and even a kitchenette even though it is under the

cobwebs which means that it has not been used for a while. Breakfast is not included. Not cosy but comfortable.