Finally, the visa.

Colombo, 25-10-1994. Today`s hassle at the Indian High Comission was less as I had expected but still typical indian bureaucracy. I should have my visa somewhere next week, though. I went to see the city zoo afterwards and felt irritated with the entree price; locals 15 Rp. foreigners 75 Rp. smells like a good dose of racism to me!!!Also I visited the G.P.O. where I picked up some letters, one from Jeffrey. I might have to be carefull with that bloke, he could become a close amigo once I am back home in Amsterdam. Lots of soldiers around after the suicide bomb attack but they left me pretty much alone.

A suicide bomb attack.

Colombo, 24-10-1994. Six months from now I will be home if everything goes according to plan. I can finally see light at the end of the tunnel. Last night in downtown Colombo 56 people and the main prestitent-candidate for the up-coming elections next month, got killed in a suicide bomb attack. Very bad for all these people killed, also for me because today there is, as a result, a curfew which means that everything is closed including the Indian High Comission where I wanted to make the necesary arrangements for my visa to India next month. Nothing to do today but to hang around the hotel, read my book and play chess with one of the other guests.

The local Peeping Tom.

Colombo, 23-10-1994. Back to Colombo, mainly for my visa to India which considering indian bureaucracy and stupidity, might well take quite a while as well as many misunderstandings, in comprehensibily and losing my temper. Back at the Big John guest house - where the hell did they ever get this stupid name from? - the old american woman who stays here sort of semi-permanently, has never even been away. Last week I was here, she got herself blind drunk on cheap Lankan Arak and made quite the fool out of herself - now this is actually an understatement, she was hilarious. I thought at one time she was gonna fall of her chair. Just to kill time I took a bus to Mut Lavina which is about three km. from Dehiwela, the closest beach to Colombo. However, i was unimpressed and definitely wasting my valueable time. Some beach restaurant even tried to charge me 25 Rp. for a bloody coke. The beach itself was dirty with only a few foreign tourists and the little bit of bikini-cladwhite-skinned female tourist flesh was well surrounded by frustated lankan males who were busy looking like absolut fools and obviously only there to play the role of the local version of Peeping Tom.

Clock towers in Sri Lanka.

Kandy, 22-10-1994. The lake of Kandy is full with fish, birds that feed on them, turtles and huge monitor lizards of up to 1.50 m. in lenght. Thier bellies big and swollen, presumably from gorging themselves on fish, their skin black with white/yellowish freckles and though the heads are small, their mouth cavity is enormous as i could see for myself when one of these monsters was gorging himself on dead and rotting fish. Also i saw snakes in the lake, one this morning of maybe 35 cm. grayish color with brown bands. So far every village or town in this country i have been to or driven through either by bus or train had one or more clock towers. However, i have as yet to see one in Sri Lanka that is in proper working order. Last night i went to the Devon Restaurant together with Janet and Nelleke from Holland. At the Devon they served thai food and at reasonable prices. More importantly, their food was good and tasty, something to remember, finally good food in this country. So the food was good, the beer was bitter and the ladies interesting table partners, we were the last to leave the restaurant.

A japanese cannon.

Kandy, 21-10-1994. Leaving early to escape the worst heat of the day i got to Kandy just after noon and checked in once again at the Old Empire Hotel for a mere 150 Rp. Though poluted the lake of Kandy might be, it is full with carps and all sorts of other fish. Just above the lake and near the Indian High Commission is a park that contains a cannon taken from the japanese during W.W. Two and a gift from Mount Batten during his stay here in 44/45. Nowadays the park is used by young local couples who like some privacy away from the watchfull eyes of the family.