A man walks down the street with a python, a cobra and a monkey on a leash... No, this isn't the opening line of a bad joke, rather, it was the beginning of our first full day in Galle and the adventure that followed during our week in Sri Lanka....more on that in a few minutes.
Jennifer, the kids, my parents and I had all arrived at the Columbo Airport in Sri Lanka about 20 hours earlier, all of us prepared for the adventure ahead of us. Surprisingly, in a country that saw the conclusion of a 25+ year civil war in 2009, the airport was modern, immigration was a breeze, duty free was conveniently located, and the only real oddity was the wide selection of kitchen appliances (refrigerators, ovens, etc.) available for sale next to the baggage claim belts. We had hired a driver for the week (Ruwan), and he was patiently awaiting our arrival just outside of customs. So far, so good.....honestly, a little boring!
After loading up the van, we were quickly on our way towards the town of Galle. But before we could enjoy Galle, we had to endure a 75-mile trip that took FIVE HOURS (and this is not the last time we would experience this). The roads were narrow and congested with bicycles, pedestrians, tuk-tuks, cars, delivery trucks and overly packed "express" buses that would fly by our van at twice our speed and slam on the brakes at the next bus stop. Oh, and I forgot about the random cows that would wander into traffic. If you've been to India, driving in Sri Lanka is comparable. If you haven't, I'd describe it as driving with the congestion of the New Jersey Turnpike, the free ranging wildlife of a petting zoo, the pedestrian traffic of NYC and literally no traffic rules. Exhilarating!
 |
| Typical Sri Lanka Traffic |
After hours of travelling through small, coastal fishing villages and dingy, over-crowded towns, Ruwan recommended we stop at a small turtle sanctuary along the coast, called the
Kosgoda Sea Turtle Hatchery. With Sophia along, this was something we simply could not miss.
We quickly learned that this small turtle sanctuary, along with much of the Southwest Coast of Sri Lanka, had been devastated by the 2004 Tsunami. Now rebuilt, the sanctuary consists of three sandy plots enclosed in loose netting, and about a dozen small concrete pools. The three sandy plots each housed several dozen turtle egg nests, created by the sanctuary to protect new eggs brought there by local fishermen. Three of the pools held one-day old, two-day old and three-day old turtles - while the remaining half dozen pools held older, mostly injured turtles, who could never be returned to the wild. We were all amazed to learn the sanctuary boasts survival rates up to 10 times better than wild nests and we loved the unique opportunity to handle the adorable little turtles, some of which were just hours old.
After this short break, we were back in the van, dodging express buses, tuk-tuks and cows for the remaining hour to Galle.
 |
| Deco on 44 |
In Galle, we stayed at
Deco on 44, a boutique hotel, originally built as the private home of a gem merchant in the 1930's. It had a restaurant, rooftop patio, small pool and just seven rooms, each named after the seven bastions around Galle Fort. We loved it.
We spent the first evening checking out the streets and alleys inside the Galle Fort, which was recently recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town within the fort walls was quite different from the villages just outside and had a distinctive Dutch Colonial feel. Which makes sense, since the Portuguese first built the fort, but the Dutch fortified it in the 17th century. There were numerous local shops, small businesses and restaurants along the cobblestone streets, but after our long day of travel, we were all ready to sit down for some dinner and our first "Lion Lager". We found a great little place called
Fortaleza, originally a spice warehouse built around 1600, where we enjoyed our dinner and cold beer in the restaurant's open courtyard.
The next morning, the kids, my parents and I ventured out at about 5:30 AM to catch the sunrise and some amazing views of the Fort lighthouse. Standing on the fort wall, just a few feet from a 30-foot drop into the Indian Ocean made me a little anxious - even more so since it was dark and the kids were in tow. Still, it was worth the early wake-up for the views and the kids kept themselves occupied with flashlights.
Later in the morning, we ventured a little further from the hotel, checking out other areas of the fort, including several of the remaining bastions, local churches and the fresh fish and fruit markets, located just outside the fort's walls. It was on these strolls that we met the man with the python, the cobra and the monkey on a leash. (
I know...finally).
 |
| Galle Fort and Clock Tower |
 |
| Fish Market |
 |
| 1 of 2 men with "a python, a cobra, and a monkey on a leash" |
Strangely, this turned out to be the first of two men with a python, cobra and monkey on a leash - and we joked that this 3-piece value-pack must be available as a mail order deal. Both men with the "snake-snake-monkey set" were eager to have us hold the python and monkey as they charmed the cobra, and each time I found myself yelling at Cooper and Sophia to keep them from stepping on the cobra basket! In hindsight, I'm not really sure why I trusted these "professionals" with their snakes and monkeys...but hey, everyone came out alive.
 |
| My favorite photo - note Cooper holding the monkey in the background |
In the late afternoon, we wrapped up the day with a visit to the Maritime Museum, a Buddhist "Peace Pagoda" and the kids played in the Indian Ocean at Unawatuna Beach. The museum housed some interesting artifacts found just off the coast of the island and we all enjoyed a little bit of air conditioning. At the Peace Pagoda, we were educated on the Buddhist religion, as Ruwan talked to us about the significance of the Buddhist Stupa and the many statues. I think I was "enlightened", so hopefully that will come in handy some day!
 |
| Peace Pagoda - Stupa |
At Unawatuna Beach, the kids jumped waves as my parents got acquainted with quite possibly the most handsome man in Sri Lanka...or at least he thinks he is. (
He asked them to take his picture.)
 |
| Unawatuna Beach |
 |
| "I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer that my hair remain perfect" |
In all, we had a packed schedule and again were ready for a relaxing dinner, which we had at Deco on 44. Before bed, we all sat outside on the balcony overlooking the streets of Galle and finished what was left of our Lion Lagers from the fridge. In the morning, we knew we had another few hours on the crazy roads of Sri Lanka on the way to our next stop - Yala National Park... (
next update coming soon from Yala)
