I arrived in Colombo Airport at the unholy hour of 12:10 in the morning. Newly renovated, the airport looks ordinarily good…better than Manila’s NAIA in many ways. People are a lot serious here, with the Immigration officers rarely greeting the passengers. But hey, it’s almost one in the morning! And just where do you see Immigration Officers breaking a smile here or there for the weary travellers?
Anyway, I waited for almost an hour for our friends to pick me up. With all the security measures being imposed by the government and all the news being circulated around the globe about the country, it was advised not to take public transportation. News paints the country as a scary place. So they said.
Once outside of the airport, the psyche of the people suddenly changes — and shifts for the better. Well, save from the countless checkpoints along the streets of Colombo, the trip was uneventful but nevertheless exciting with my Sri Lankan friends making sure I enjoy the four-hour ride to Bentota, the country’s beach-resort region.
Sri Lanka is a beautiful country. The countryside is just magnificent in many ways. And the people, ah, they are just simply amazing! Sri Lankans are perhaps the friendliest people I have met in this part of the world. Always wearing a smile, no pretensions, always ready to lend a helping hand. (more…)
Head-on Dialectic 