Year 3 -4 February 2026 – Anuradhapura- Colombo- Sri Lanka

We met Chinta at 9.30 am as we were driving to Colombo, the current capital of Sri Lanka. It is a public holiday and celebrates 78 years of independence. As we drove the flags were out so Happy Independence day to all Sri Lankans.

The drive was quite long through towns and villages with quite a lot of traffic. We stopped for a coffee in a town called Puttawa and I managed to get some Silicon spray that I had been looking for. The journey was through some agricultural land but otherwise it was ordinary villages and towns all quite busy.

After about 4 hours we came to Negombo and Chinta took us round to see the harbour and the port. It is famous for drying fish here and we saw the fish market and then on the beach fish were being dried on mats. Apparently they are salted and then dried for about 3 days. The thing I noticed was the fish smell.

We did not stay long and then continued on to Colombo about 28km on.

Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka by population and de facto the commercial capital of Sri Lanka. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the financial centre of the island and a tourist destination. It is located on the west coast of the island. It is also the administrative capital of the Western Province and the district capital of Colombo District.

It was made the capital of the island when Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815, retaining its capital status when Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948. In 1978, when administrative functions were moved to Kotte, Colombo was designated as the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.

The name 'Colombo', first introduced by the Portuguese explorers in 1505, is believed to be derived from the classical Sinhala name Kolon thota, meaning "port on the river Kelani".

The geography of Colombo consists of both land and water. The city has many canals and, in the heart of the city, the 65-hectare (160-acre) Beira Lake. The lake is one of the most distinctive landmarks of Colombo and was used for centuries by colonists to defend the city. It remains a tourist attraction, hosting regattas, and theatrical events on its shores. The northern and north-eastern border of the city of Colombo is formed by the Kelani River, which meets the sea in a part of the city known as the Modera (mōdara in Sinhala) which means river delta.

One of its famous landmarks is the Lotus Tower. The Lotus Tower (also known as the Colombo Lotus Tower, stands at a height of 351.5 meters (1,153 feet) in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It has become a symbolic landmark for the country. As of 2019, the tower is the tallest self-supported structure in South Asia and the second tallest overall, behind the guy-wire-supported INS Kattabomman antenna tower in India. It ranks as the 11th tallest tower in Asia and the 19th tallest tower in the world. Initially, the tower was proposed to be built in Peliyagoda, but the Government of Sri Lanka later decided to change the location. The lotus-shaped structure serves various purposes, including communication and observation, as well as leisure facilities. The estimated cost of construction was approximately US$113 million.

The design of this building is inspired by the Lotus flower. The lotus symbolizes purity within Sri Lankan culture and is also said to symbolize the country's flourishing development.

We passed the tower on our way to the hotel -Cinamon Life – a new modern hotel on the waterfront. It was very new and modern and luxurious. We invited Chinta and Setari for dinner and the food was excellent and the best we have had all trip.

The picture of the day is of the fish drying in the sun in Negombo.  

 Need/Opportunity Year Three

In year three I will be going from Thailand to Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and then on to Mauritius, Reunion, Cape Town, St Helena, Azores and back to the UK. 

I am looking for crew from Mauritius/ Reunion Island to Cape Town (mid June to end of July) and from Cape Town to the Azores and then to the UK (mid August onwards). If of any interest do email me.

The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com