The tour begins post illness

Recovery
I spent the weekend recovering from a very nasty illness which I have no clue as to how I got. Fortunately I was in the beachside resort of Negombo where I could take it easy and relax giving my body time to recover without having to hassle with the 'taxi sir' people!

Monday moving
By Monday I felt like by body had enough strength to move. I had heard a lot about Kandy which is a hill city pretty much in the centre of the country so I was keen to make my way there quickly.

Public Transport in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan buses are a fascinating means of transport. Fill the bus up at the beginning of the journey, stop everywhere along the route where someone raises their hand regardless of space in the bus and finally make sure that you break regularly and hard ensuring a 'flow' of people on the bus as everyone becomes 'acquinted' with their new neighbours! Aside from the 10 people per metre the buses cram into the walkway they always come equipped with loud horns and Sri Lankan music blaring at full volume! In many ways it reminds me of the Guiness Book of Record attempts to pack as many people into a mini as was possible ending with limbs poking out at all angles.

Sri Lankan salesman
Arriving into the Fort Colombo railways station a little confused I was pinned down with remarkable speed by a dark haired smallish man in a cheaqured suit who promptly helped me go to the counter to buy the ticket for the trip to Kandy. He told me a couple of times how I must be getting angry with people trying to sell and that 'I am not trying to sell you anything sir I just want to talk and practice my English'.At first I appreciated this man's but having been a salesman myself I can tell when someone is preparing to line someone up for a sell and could feel that this was what he was doing.

When travelling I try to remain friendly and open to everyone I speak to but at the bacl of my mind I remain skeptical and dubious of their true intentions until I get to know their character better. Whilst this may be argued to deminish the 'joy' of travelling I feel it is an important factor as to why I have never been robbed or conned whilst abroad.


After speaking to the man for five minutes about odds and he suggested we sit down in the railway canteen and have some tea as our train was due in in two hours time. As we sit down he starts to question me about my plans for Kandy. At that time my plans for Kandy consisted of bed and sleep as I was keen to not over push myself on my first day of feeling better. Upon hearing this he reached into his small leather suitcase and pulled out a couple of colour pamphlets.

'Sir you need to stay in my questhouse, I promise very cheap price, with tour, and take you many places, only 2500 Rupees per night sir'
'Yes that's nice' I said 'but I am staying at Sharon Inn and I am not sure about whether I want to do a tour'
'Oh that is a smelly horrible place, no good' he quickly replied
'Really is that so' I countered 'as my guidebook calls it quote "the best value stay in town"'
I had his feathers ruffled on that point! So he quickly changed his pitch
'Why do you not want to do tour sir, you must do tour'
'Really why should I?' I said slightly raising my voice as he was beginning to frustrate my usually timid nature
'Because it is gorgeous place, very nice, only 2000 Rupees for you sir'
He wasn't getting the point
'The thing is I don't know what I want to do, or what I want to see so won't do anything until I have made my mind up'
He was beginning to get annoyed now as I could tell by the look he was giving me and the fact his was moving his hands about like a man who is on the edge of a cliff and is trying to steady himself to not fall!
'Sir you do not want to stay there its not nice' and he continued to sit there telling me what I should and should not do. Eventually I lost my temper and told him in no uncertain terms 'go away'!

He continued to stick around until a man who I think worked in the cafe walked up behind him and told him rather forcefully in Sri Lankan something. I think it was probably somewhere along the lines of 'get lost' as he quickly packed his sales material away and left me to my rather nice cup of tea!