I Go Swimming


Mt. Lavinia gives you access to the ocean and a pool

The Mt. Lavinia area is about 12 km south of Colombo. You can get there by train, but one of the Sinwa employees drove me there. The hotel dates back to 1870. A nice thing about the Mt. Lavinia Hotel is that for 400 rupees ($4) you can get access to the hotel pool and changing room.

A couple getting married posed by the pool while I waited for the ONE changing room. That was the only disappointment. I though they had more than one.

First, I went into the Indian Ocean, and I idiotically went in with my Rx sunglasses. The first wave knocked me upsidedown and sideways and the glasses are part of the Indian Ocean now. I had heard that the waters have been rougher ever since the tsunamis struck. Three men appeared immediately to help me find the glasses, but they were lost.

The waters of the ocean were wonderfully warm, like a bathtub, but very powerful. Even just standing in ankle-deep water, I felt the pull of the undertow. But how could I go to Sri Lanka and NOT go in the ocean!?

The pool was equally warm and much safer. I spent an extra hour in the water. I kept feeling like I should "hurry up," but no one else in Sri Lanka is in a hurry. Why should I be?

[Click here to see the Ocean and Mt. Lavinia's pool ]

It was my last day in Sri Lanka. I went to Marwaan's house for dinner and was given a tour of some of his Auntie's homes, which are all nearby. I was given some lovely elephantalia by his sister Fahima and his mother Auntie Nufoos. Fahima gave me some wonderful pillow covers to hide my couch's ugly grey throw cushions. Auntie Nufoos gave me a beautiful wood sculpture of four elephants going over a ridge.

I got no sleep, and was awake at 4 am for my schlep to the airport. I left Colombo much as I arrived, in a dream state of darkness and quiet and empty roads free of the day's chaotic driving.

Posted: Wed - March 23, 2005 at 03:05 PM        

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