Arrack Obama on the beach

Or Lion in the pool. Either way, Sri Lanka is potent

There are two ways of soaking in a new place. Mix with the local girls. And drink the local brew. The first option often comes with its unfair share of complications. So in my four-day quickie tour of Sri Lanka, I opted for the second one.



I'd read somewhere that after moments of deep crisis, like a war or a terror attack, people indulge in the good things of life with a vengeance. This comes from the insecurity that life can be snuffed out anytime. In Lanka, after a 25-year war, the mood is anything but damp. People drink, eat and drink some more as though nothing ever went wrong. And the local liquor is good enough to keep the mood buoyant. There's arrack, which the Lankans fondly call Arrack Obama, and there's Lion beer, which keeps a good man happy for days. I stuffed my rucksack with generous quantities of both and set out to explore Negombo.

More Goa than Goa
Once a quaint fishing village, Negombo has morphed into a hip touristy place where white trash seeks solace in the Sinhalese sunset. Not more than 20 minutes from the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, this is a must stop in any Lanka tour. There are many things to keep you occupied in Negombo. A whole host of health resorts running up to the beach offer Ayurvedic massages while dim, pay-by-the-hour joints promise more interesting options.

For those big on history, there are remnants of a Dutch fort built in 1642, old Dutch houses and Portuguese churches. You can also take bird-watching trips on canals built during the Dutch occupation, or opt for an early morning tour of the country's second-largest fish market.

But you would rather spend your time in Negombo at the beach on an abandoned boat with Arrack Obama for company. Looking out at the sea, pontificating on life, and wondering why European women don't wax their arms. It was so much like Goa that I had to remind myself I was in a foreign land.

Rodeo nights and creepy crawlies
Like in Goa, the nightlife in Negombo is vibrant. You can hire a bike and drive around the cobbled streets, or head straight to Rodeo Bar, one of the hippest places around. I chose to be in the hotel pool instead with ice-cold Lion lager.

As the night rolled, strange hissing sounds kept me awake. My Ayurvedic health resort was home to crawlies of various shapes that roam around freely in the garden, I realised. Must be a turn-on for nature-loving types.

Colombo calling
After two days in Negombo, and with only two more days in hand, I opted for the only 'big' city in Sri Lanka.

Shaking off its war-weariness, Colombo is trying hard to be an international city, and succeeding to a large extent. It has the fast-food chains, the McDonald's, the KFCs and the Pizza Huts. There are the fine dining restaurants serving exotic cuisine. But I chose to dig into the local stuff. Lots of cuttle fish, tiger prawns and crabs in coconut curry.

It is perhaps this richness and variety of Lankan food that has brought in business not just for the many restaurants in Colombo, but also contributed to the monopoly of Sri Lankan Catering Limited that is supplying food to all airlines operating out of Colombo.

For sight seeing, Colombo has on display some great pieces of colonial architecture, mostly dating from the British period. The museum is a must visit, as is the Gangaramaya temple, built in the middle of a lake.

Like in India, old, grand structures are being converted into luxury hotels to marry history with commerce. The Mount Lavinia hotel, for instance, with its own private beach, was used as a location for Bridge on the River Kwai. It had been built by a lovelorn British governor for his mistress.

Be kind, rewind
On the flight back, I realised I had hardly seen anything. There was this one-legged elephant (from a mine blast) in Kandy I had to visit, and the long-legged Russian in a Negombo strip club I had to watch. Next time.