Sri Lanka

All of them are from the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka! We have been living in this country for almost a month now. During this time we drove along the coast (Halle-Unawatuna-Habaraduva-Mirissa) and visited the central part of the country (Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella). Emotions poulegёlis, everything settled down, which means that now is the time to share impressions.

Traffic and transport in Sri Lanka

The traffic in Sri Lanka is left-sided, but in fact, it makes no difference what lane you are on. Even the Vietnamese road chaos seems a strictly ordered movement against the background of the Sri Lankan. Signaled, blinked - you can rush. Double solid, turn, climb, busy oncoming - what's the difference if the bus urgently needs to overtake the motorcyclist or tuker to stop in 100 meters and disembark the passenger?

Buses - the most accessible and most dangerous form of transport in Sri Lanka, regardless of whether you are inside or outside. They are huge, occupy the entire band and do not follow a single rule. Buses can do anything. Buses do not know how to drive slowly. Drivers do not know that passengers need to disembark, completely stopping, and not to get under way until everyone leaves.

Once an elderly woman did not have time to get out, and the bus just dragged her behind her - the woman held on to the rail on the door. As a result, she strongly dislocated her leg, could not walk. But there was no question of any ambulance or first aid. I wonder why none of the witnesses called the police? Another time they saw how the police arrived and punished the driver. And again the victim is an elderly woman. Is this not genocide by age and sex?

In buses, local music is usually very loud. The atmosphere is indescribable: a piece of iron with a couple of dozens of lives inside is speeding, overtaking someone, slowing down sharply, all this under leisurely songs deafeningly pouring from the speakers on the head, and outside the window the ocean throws waves onto the shore.

At the bus stops, the “who is the last one and the standing” rule works, therefore, slowly going into the bus you risk to be swept away by the flow of Lankans rushing inwards. Just like at home, only twice as bad. 

Lankans mostly ride motorcycles. A moped for rent is worth 700-800 rupees per day. Passport pledged without prepayment.

For more or less long distances, you can travel by train - cheap and cheerful. Interestingly, the east coast has a poor network of railway roads, in contrast to the extensive western-central. The train should ride to the central part of the country - there are beautiful and epic bridges.

Accommodation in Sri Lanka

Despite the end of the season, Sri Lankans lomina prices and do not drop. For a dark closet not by the sea, they ask for 2500 rupees per day. Inside the room, there is often no furniture except the bed and nightstand. In some places, a double bed consisted of two shifted teen beds, i.e. 150 cm long.

An important point when looking for housing - be sure to ask what is invested in the price. Water, electricity usually included. Sometimes the price of the room includes breakfast, which can be waived. Cleaning may also be included

The presence of air conditioning immediately increases the cost of housing. The hospitable hosts of one of the guest houses on Unawatuna explained to us why this is so: Sri Lanka does not have its own electricity, it buys it from India. And the air conditioner eats a lot. If so, then why is Sri Lanka not littered with solar panels (price?) And not trying to use alternative sources of energy? Obviously, rather big investments are required, but this is payable and very promising for the country's economy!

With the Internet in guest houses (and in hotels) is bad. It is inexplicable, but Sri Lankans do not put amplifiers. Therefore, Wi-Fi (if any) is only on the ground floor (it finishes what it is, there it is).

Food, beverages and alcohol in Sri Lanka

The most popular food is rice and curry.

The simplest fried rice (or noodles) with vegetables from 260 rupees. So read the signs. In practice, I have never seen such a price. The most adequate price was in a small one in Mirissa, where rice and noodles cost 400 rupees each. True, the portion is such that for two is enough. This is typical of Sri Lankan dishes. Therefore, it is better to specify the serving size before ordering. Although all the abundance of dishes in the photo above, according to the waiter, was designed for one person. And we together have not mastered.

By the way, the prices for dishes listed in the menu do not include 10% tax. But these 10% are included in the bill that you need to pay. A total of 400 rupees for fried rice turns into 440.

I absolutely do not recommend drinking water from the tap. In some places, and brush your teeth better with bottled water.

What I definitely advise you to try is ginger beer or Ginger Beer. It is a soft drink, light and refreshing.

From the food is still very impressed papadam. And gingerbread cookies. Papadas are cakes that are cooked in a pan in a hot oil. You can buy pads in any store.

Sea and beaches of Sri Lanka

Why go to Sri Lanka? For the exotic and the sea. But many people do not suspect that in Sri Lanka there is not a sea, but an ocean, and these are two huge differences. The ocean is always raging, always rolling huge waves on the shore. Yes, the beaches in Sri Lanka are wide, long and sandy, but swimming in the ocean means fighting with the waves.

There are many animals here. And just on the street you can see quite unusual animals. For example, we have a mongoose under the window. The path even trodden. On the trees a bunch of different monkeys and parrots. On the wire worn chipmunks. Small lizards and lizards walk slowly across the grass. Minks are dug on the banks of the dog, and the cows are sunbathing.