Postcards from Negombo

October 30, 2010

Postcards from Negombo

Negombo, Sri Lanka

Just about 15minutes by car or 25minutes by tuktuk from the Bandaranaike International Airport, lies the resort town of Negombo. As I wascoming from Colombo (I hied it off immediately after our training ended!) during rush hour, the traffic was horrible! It took us 1.5hours to get into Negombo town and since I used the metered cab (please call +94 11 2588588 Kangaroo Cabs, for me they are the most reliable cab company in Sri Lanka) my fare only went up to 3,250LKR. Not a penny more, not a penny less! Hahahaha…..the novel I had with me had that title (by Jeffrey Archer) hence the pun.

Dutch Heritage

I was told by the receptionist at Browns Beach Hotel that “ma’am, the guests who comes here doesn’t want to go out for excursions coz they want to relax and spend their time at the beach”. Oooppssss, typical Pinay that I am I asked for the excursions guide coz I was thinking of maybe going for a canal ride (good thing I did not coz I don’t think I can take the smell) but proceeded on going around town on my own --- well, as advised by my new tuktuk driver friend M. Deen (if you are going to Negombo just send a private msg to me so I can give you his mobile number, he is a top driver and very honest also!).

Punctuated around the town are the remnants of Dutch colonization, while walking through Grand Street in the town center I passed by well-preserved colonial houses, some are still being used as residences and some converted into guesthouses or restaurants.

The main attraction is the old Dutch Fort gate which was built in 1672 but you cannot go in anymore as it has now been utilized as a local prison. Just next to the gate is an old Anglican church which is still in use but during the time I visited it was closed and so is the pre-school attached to it.

Snaking through the entire town and beyond is the 100-km long Dutch Canal, used to be the supply route during the colonial era. But it is now very dirty and unkempt.

Another important religious souvenir during the colonial era is the construction of numerous beautiful churches around town. The most important and one of the biggest is the 19^th-century Church of Mary located along Grand Street. Christianization arrived in the shores of Negombo around the 1500s with the coming of the Portuguese missionaries and had really taken root through the centuries, making this small town the heart of Christian Sri Lanka.

Although Christians are a minority elsewhere in the country (less than 10% of the population) but here in Negombo eighty percent or more are Christians, with Catholics being the highest. Statues of St. Anthony and other religious figures adorn the streets (weird to see them around Sri Lanka as I am used to seeing Buddhist/Hindu deities) and entrances to residential buildings.

I passed by the picture-perfect St. Anthony’s Church on my way back to Lewis Place area.

Negombo Beach

The beach in Negombo reminded me of Bali, although the sand quality here is much finer and more golden (the color, I mean!). But the crashing waves is definitely not for beginners or swimmers who can barely keep themselves afloat in the water! No wonder most of the guests opted to do their sunbathing in the swimming pool area especially those with kids.

Negombo is a fishing town and most of the townsfolk are still engaged in it. Dozens of fishing boats with their sails on, bobbing up in the water is a common sight along this stretch of the Indian Ocean.

When the sun started to set in, the beach started to become full with people, not only the returning fishermen but also some couples strolling hand in hand in the sand, a group of boys playing cricket, or this little girl chasing the birds along the shore. It certainly is a beehive of activity at dusk.

Dining

The one thing that I loved here in this town is the endless seafood restaurants strewn along Lewis Place or Pothutha Road in the beach part of town. And of course being a Catholic majority town, there are lots of pork dishes available also! Yum-yum-yum…

On my first night I went walking along Poruthutha Road with no specific destination in mind, although there are some recommendations from my LP guide I decided to just go along and stop wherever I fancy. I ended up in Oasis Restaurant, a seafood & lobster restaurant. I don’t know whether I was too late as it was about 9:30pm already but the place was quiet and I was the lone customer although I like the décor of the place, it even has a swimming pool inside the premises!

There are a lot of dining options especially in the Beach side area, for the second night I went to the Coconut Primitive restaurant and had their Calamari platter (it’s close to Browns Beach hotel). It seems to be a very popular place as it is always full 2 nights in a row!

Another option is to go to the town proper where you find delightful little cafes like the Ice Bear Century Cafe, a restored pink/peach colonial house where you can cool yourself with a glass of Iced Coffee after hours of walking around. I love the decors inside!