Moonstones at polishing, pre flogging to tourists.

Day 8 (23/02) Hikkaduwa to Colombo.

This was a simple day of transit back north from the Galle area to our first hotel, near the airport, for our early Saturday departure for Mother India.

We did detour a bit, to a moonstone mine which we had missed yesterday due to exhaustion. No intention of spending, but sucker as I am, WE ended up buying stuff we didn't really need, but rather liked. Helly Welly, who cares.  oonstone is unique to this area of SL)

We arrived in Colombo, safely, largely due to Lionel's rejection of the Standard Mode Sri Lankan driving code.
I have to say I have never seen such dangerous driving, particularly from buses, and more so, from the privately owned buses. They race each other to get to the next pickup point, and overtake everywhere and anywhere, hand on horn, relying totally on oncoming vehicles pulling over, space to do so being available, or not.
The other main road hazzard it has to be said, is the sheer number of TukTuks. Most are so slow that they cause a rolling roadblock, providing ample opportunity / excuse for the buses to do their thing.

Colombo demonstrates the usual contrasts in ex-colonial cities. Remnants of the colonists in thien architecture, and the great divide in accommodations of the poor and the nouveau riche.
I've tried to illustrate all the above in today's photos.

So, off to India in the morning. It gilbly rolls off the tongue, but is exciting as we have not been to South India before.

Keep watching.


G