We reached Colombo at around 11 AM. The immigration officer at Chennai, asked me whether this was my first time out of India, and I said Yes. The Security person struck up a random conversation with me as to from where I was and that he was from nearby as well. But later, I realised that he was merely double checking my place of Birth given in the passport.
The Immigration Q at chennai was long and dirty and only four counters were servicing the outgoing passengers, a lot of them to gulf. Colombo was exactly opposite. Neat and clean and better managed. I wanted to buy foreign currency from Thomas Cook at Chennai, but the buggest were offering a stupid rate and additional 10 % service fee.
I landed in Sri Lanks with a lot of Indian currency and asked the counters outside the Negombo airport for exchange but all of them refused. They only exchange dollars.
Luckily my debit card worked in an ATM and voila I had SriLankan currency.
We took a free airport bus service to Negombo Bus Stand. From there another Local bus to Negombo. From there a tuk Tuk to Hotel Topaz on Negombo Beach. As both I and wife were super tired and without sleep, we both hit our bunkers.
We only woke up in the evening and went for a walk on the adjacent road. Music was blaring from a nightclub and all were dancing, but no a single women in the nightclub. We went up the other end some restaurants were filled up by europeans and we were getting the feel that I was in Europe and not in Asia.
Tomorrow it will be 4 PM and I will still be in Negombo waiting for a bus, about 180 KM away from Anuradhapuram making back up plans of extending my stay in Negombo. And suddenly Vavuniya will happen.
The Immigration Q at chennai was long and dirty and only four counters were servicing the outgoing passengers, a lot of them to gulf. Colombo was exactly opposite. Neat and clean and better managed. I wanted to buy foreign currency from Thomas Cook at Chennai, but the buggest were offering a stupid rate and additional 10 % service fee.
I landed in Sri Lanks with a lot of Indian currency and asked the counters outside the Negombo airport for exchange but all of them refused. They only exchange dollars.
Luckily my debit card worked in an ATM and voila I had SriLankan currency.
We took a free airport bus service to Negombo Bus Stand. From there another Local bus to Negombo. From there a tuk Tuk to Hotel Topaz on Negombo Beach. As both I and wife were super tired and without sleep, we both hit our bunkers.
We only woke up in the evening and went for a walk on the adjacent road. Music was blaring from a nightclub and all were dancing, but no a single women in the nightclub. We went up the other end some restaurants were filled up by europeans and we were getting the feel that I was in Europe and not in Asia.
Tomorrow it will be 4 PM and I will still be in Negombo waiting for a bus, about 180 KM away from Anuradhapuram making back up plans of extending my stay in Negombo. And suddenly Vavuniya will happen.
2 comments:
"And suddenly Vavuniya will happen"-I like how God disposes!
:)
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