Train Ride to Kandy from Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2012

Our latest Sri Lanka travel blog is the train ride we took from Colombo to Kandy in the middle of Sri Lanka. The train ride was awesome. I have always read about the trains in India and Sri Lanka and was really looking forward to the ride. We initially thought we would take the bus to Kandy since we weren't sure of the schedule but it turns out we had plenty of time. The train we took was a local train. We were spoiled with great views of the hill country and enjoyed trying the samosas on the train being sold by the on carriage vendors.

Along the Tracks

Pettah Market, Colombo, Sri Lanka 2012

Our first morning in Sri Lanka (after a long breakfast) found us heading into Pettah Market, a wholesale market in the middle of Colombo. We went there because we decided to try to follow the one day Colombo tour detailed in the lonely planet. The market itself is a tough introduction to Sri Lanka. We were the only foreigners in the market (that we saw), it was hot, noisy and crowded. I was feeling sick and both Queenie and me were jet lagged. It was a tough place to be first up. At any rate, we soldiered through the market first visiting the Hindu Temple, the Mosque, the Catholic Church and the Dutch museum. Although it was tough we did have a rich experience in the market.

Queenie in Pettah Market, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Beautiful Sunset at the Galle Face Hotel Sri Lanka 2012

One of Colombo's most famous hotels is the Galle Face Hotel that was established in 1864. It is located right on the shore of the beach in Colombo and is easily found. Friends had recommended to us that we go there, if only for a drink. We initially tried to book a night there but it was full. We went there at the end of our first day in Colombo and enjoyed a wonderful sunset after a really good afternoon tea buffet. The sunset was amazing and we enjoyed watching the sun go down over the Indian Ocean. I have seen a thousand sunrises on the Indian Ocean but I honestly think this was the first sunset I saw on the Indian Ocean: beautiful.

Colombo Sunset