Overall, Sri Lankans have been consistently friendly, warm, and accommodating, with minimal hassle. Also, younger Sri Lankans seem to speak and understand English much better than their elders. English is taught in schools here, and I was told 80% know it, but I think many have forgotten all but a few words, like me with Spanish. So far, Sri Lanka reminds me of elements of Egypt, India, and Thailand.
The food here in Sri Lanka has been very good. Nice and spicy but not too hot. Sri Lanka is famous for their spices. And tea, of course! Some friends in Perth mentioned that they stuck to vegetarian offerings while travelling through Nepal to avoid food poisoning, so I have been following their advice. Every place I have stayed has offered a free, generous breakfast with things like eggs, crepes, fresh fruit, coffee, toast, and lots of other stuff I avoid because it involves meat. When they serve you lunch or dinner, they seem to like to present everything on as many plates as possible. It looks like a huge banquet when you get started, and you definitely feel very full afterwards even without any meat. Everything I’ve had so far has been very tasty. And it’s usually super cheap unless it’s a touristy place. A full dinner seems to come in at around $6.50.
Kandy is Sri Lanka’s cultural capital, but it seems a bit small for being second only to Colombo in size. Kandy sits on a beautiful lake and is full of busy markets, temples, and chaotic traffic. I spent a few hours running errands around town this afternoon and lost my driver in the process. Unfortunately, I was forced to call my hotel back in Colombo to have them contact him – which didn’t make him look very good, but I really had no other choice.
All good now, but for some reason I’ve found myself in a hotel with no other guests. Hmmm…
