My down market meal last night was delicious – and trouble free. The tiny restaurant (a loose description) was, as far as I could tell, built into a 40′ shipping container!
Predictably, I was the only westerner there which attracted a few questioning looks from those queuing for their take-a-ways. A lovely chicken and tuna curry with vegetables and rice cost me the princely sum of £2.12. Just over 12% of the price of the previous evening’s fare and way, way more tasty.
I am told (and it could well be true) that Sri Lanka is the epicentre of the universe for the making of herbal remedies for more or less anything and everything.
So, being the hypochondriac that I am, I just had to visit the garden showroom of one of the companies that make all this stuff ‘up country’.
It’s only a small, cool and peaceful place but the range of plants, trees and shrubs is amazing. I had heard of many of them e.g. cinnamon, turmeric and
aloe vera (above) and even what was described as a cocaine bush
but the vast majority of species were completely unknown to me.
After the tour I was given a free (with tip of course) neck and back massage and presented with a leaflet (which I have since mislaid!) listing every ailment under the sun that can be cured with one or more of these potions. Naturally I had to buy something.
If my hotel is anything to go by. Sri Lanka has yet to fully embrace the concept of good service which is so taken for granted in other more developed Asian countries. There’s nothing hugely wrong but it’s the small things that make the difference.For example, no hand towels in the room, room cleaning not taking place until late afternoon, used cups/glasses in the room not taken away etc. And I won’t even mention the quality of the music belted out last night by a local band. The thing though that really separates this hotel from others in which I’ve stayed is the quantity of Sri Lankan (mainly) men wandering about seemingly doing nothing, only a few of whom are dressed in the hotel’s uniform. So you have no idea who is staff and who is not.
However,on the plus side some of the decor makes me smile. In my room I have the inevitable elephant photos and a picture of rural Sri Lanka plus this.
Kama Sutra meets Picasso?
Phileas
thelasthurrahsite 