A Day in Galle Fort

Last Night’s Activities

It took me a bit of time to fall asleep last night because construction workers were pouring cement in the building site directly across the street from our hotel in Colombo. Of course they needed to yell instructions to each other. And bright floodlights allowed them to see…thank goodness for heavy drapes.

I padded over to the balcony doors to see if I could close them tighter, in the process, popping them open. Then I couldn’t get them shut again. John got up and saved the day, or should I say night.

The construction workers finished around midnight and finally turned off all their strong work lights. I guess it is more comfortable to work at night instead of in the heat of day.

A dog was howling at the 3am.

Travel to Galle Fort

 I am up at 7:30 am. We have breakfast in a nearby cafe and then our driver picks us up. We are on our way to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Galle Fort which is a 2.5 drive.

The Buddha on the dashboard watches over us as we commence our journey.

We drive through many suburban neighbourhoods, which gives us a snapshot of local life. Many men are wearing long sarongs. Homes are modest. We pass a woman in a saree, her long dark hair laced with lines of delicate white flowers. Many women are also wearing Salwar Kameez (longer tunics with slits up the side and pants underneath). Both outfits are very flattering and well suited for the hot weather.

We pass a neighborhood with a temple and further down the street, a group of about ten people surround a small silver pot with a small fire underneath. Some kind of ceremony.

Further on, there are numerous Jesus and Mary  figures in glass cases along the roadside, indicating that we are driving through a Christian neighborhood.

People are using all modes of transportation. I see five people driving on one motorcycle.

On the highway outside of Colombo the countryside is full of lush vegetation and agricultural areas.

Galle Fort

The Galle Fort area is exquisite.

Galle Fort has a European feel in a tropical setting. The fort is comprised of walls, ramparts and bastions that enclose a small town.  It was built by the Portuguese in the 16th century, fortified by the Dutch in the 17th century and then occupied and colonized by the British.  It is the largest fort built by any European colonizer in all of Asia. A mixing pot of cultures and religions; it’s Dutch Reform meets Anglican, meets Muslim, meets Buddhist. 

We are staying at the centre of the Fort so we can walk everywhere. The Arches Fort Hotel, our white washed, family hotel is very cute and comfortable.

My container of milk leaked all over John’s pants in the car so we go in to freshen up before heading out to explore.

Nearby Historical Churches

Close to our hotel is All Saints Anglican Church, built in the late 1800s. It is a beautiful stone building that would look perfectly in place if plunked down in jolly old England. Unfortunately it is closed so we cannot see inside.

A few steps away is the white washed Dutch Reform Church, built in 1640. We do go inside and walk through their old graveyard, reading the headstones.

Walking the Galle Fort Ramparts

It is suggested that you save the 2km walk around the ramparts for early morning or the evening because of the relentless sun. It is 1pm and 85 degrees when we start our rampart walk. So much for taking advice.

A snake charmer with a very lethargic looking snake busks in the park beside the rampart. I don’t go anywhere near because I don’t want to encourage this kind of animal abuse.

Many egrets are hanging out on the rampart. There are many gorgeous views as we walk along.

The clock tower adds to the picturesqueness of the place.

We stop to check the cliff divers at Flag Rock. They seem to be having a break. I look down and it looks rather scary. You couldn’t pay me enough to do that.

Nearby is the brilliant white lighthouse which was built in 1938.

I am beyond hot at this point so we stop in the beautifully air conditioned Dutch Cafe for a light lunch. I have a lost in translation moment when I have to ask three times to order the salad. The first waiter kept telling me that they only offered the salads for breakfast.??!??? Finally the first waiter has a second waiter come over. I give him my fresh prawn caesar salad order which he takes no problem. It was small but delicious.

We continue our walk around the ramparts. I stop off at a nearby market and buy some authentic Garam Masala and a blue tea (aka as Butterfly Pea Tea) which is supposed to be good for your health.

On our way back to our hotel, we pass the Old Gate. The carving on top of the gate is from the Dutch East India Company.

We take a break at the hotel in our wonderfully, air conditioned room.

Wildlife at the Fort

Now it’s time to check out Pedlar Street which is the main shopping and trendy cafe street of Galle Fort. John isn’t much of a shopper so this doesn’t take long. 

We see ringed neck parakeets eating at a bird feeder and at the side of a busy road, I spot a Sri Lankan Monitor Lizard, (over three feet long), digging up and feasting on some tasty grubs. Click here for a short video.

We still have an hour to sunset so we stop at a busy gelato place . I show restraint and only order one scoop. We sit at a sidewalk table and people watch. An older man is playing a guitar and singing nearby.

Searching for a Sunset

We were told that the Triton Bastion is the best place to watch the sunset,  so we head over and sit on the rampart walls and wait. John dangles his legs over the side but I find it kind of scary because it is a huge drop down to the Indian Ocean. Many people are in this spot for the sunset as well. There is a huge (and I mean huge), eel swimming near the shore far below us.

The clouds are  covering the sunset so John and I cut our losses and head out to supper.