Fluff n' Buff

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On our way back down south we needed to overnight in Colombo so we could extend our visas. On our first visit Matt had found a good hotel by the old Dutch fort that was clean and quiet and we decided to spend a couple of days in the capital to explore a bit and catch up on some business.

Our first stop was immigration to renew our visas. The office was surprisingly efficient and it only took 2 1/2 hours to complete the paperwork and interviews, and walk out of the office with stamps in our passport. It did cost twice as much for Matt (American) as it did for me (Canadian) though.

Next, I wanted to buy a proper Sri Lankan salwar kameez as I was tired of wearing my one long skirt and long sleeved t-shirt. Though more tourists are starting to visit Sri Lanka, the dress code for women is still somewhat conservative. People are used to seeing foreign women on tourist beaches in skimpy swimwear and shorts and it is accepted that most foreigners dress that way, but it's clear that they prefer their women more covered up.

When we first arrived in Weligama I wore shorts to town and quickly began to feel uncomfortable. No one said anything to me and in fact people still smiled and were friendly, but you could just tell it wasn't cool. That day I bought an ankle length skirt at the market. Right away women stopped me on the street to pat my arm and say 'very nice' while indicating my skirt.

Right. I thought to myself. That's that then, and stuffed my shorts to the bottom of my backpack.

I started wearing my long skirt everywhere. To town, on walks, and even to the water's edge where I dropped it quickly and stuffed it under a rock before entering for a swim. I was getting pretty sick of that skirt.

The salwar kameez is worn more in the north of the country than the south, where saris are preferred, but I thought that for me it would be more practical. It is made up of pants that are baggy around the hips and legs and then tighten around the ankle, covered by a tunic with short or long sleeves that is slit up to the waist for ease of movement. They're beautiful and very comfortable; I picked up a couple of very pretty ones.

After that we searched out a beauty salon so I could get my eyebrows threaded. I have become addicted to this practice since I started getting them done in little India back home. The method is quick, cheap, and painless but the real benefit is the skill Indian woman bring to the job of shaping. Well I found a woman in Colombo that puts my old Vancouver salon to shame. It felt like she barely touched me but my eyebrows look freaking awesome! They're naturally asymmetrical but she managed to unwonk them and now they are perfect.

I guess this is a good time for a note about Sri Lankan women: in my opinion they are far and away the most beautiful women we have ever seen. In fact, Matt and I have been blown away by how stunning all Sri Lankans are. A tuk tuk driver will pull up to see if we need a ride and we'll turn to each other with a look that says 'is this guy for real?' He'd be right at home in a Hollywood film. Whenever we get on a train half the people in the car look like they could be working a runway in Paris or Milan. These people are very good looking.

After my fluff n' buff, our final goal for Colombo was a night out. Since we'd spent most of the 25th on a train, we ate our from a takeout container while sitting in our seats. Matt found a pretty swanky place and we ate our fill of crab in a light chili sauce and grilled mahi mahi and something they called black mullet, both of which were very fresh and melt in your mouth delicious. We also had kotthu, curry & rice, spicy fried chick peas and lots of salad and fresh veggies. We drank lime juices by the water and had a great time.

Colombo is a busy city and also very pretty in places. There's the beach-side promenade, the old Dutch fort and Dutch colonial buildings scattered here and there, and some very nice parks. I'd read a book about Cinnamon Gardens and the neighbourhood was as lovely as I'd imagined it would be. But after a few days the noise and craziness got to us and we were happy to head back to Weligama.

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Comments

[Kristin]

Looks Amazing!
I'm always so excited when I wake up in the morning and find a post on your blog. I love reading the posts and learning about what your doing. You are on the adventure of a lifetime! Love you and miss you both!