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Population: At last count there were 28,9672,2981 people (+ or - 2million). In one electorate the number of votes cast exceeded the number of voters by a factor of 0.24!
Before driving off be sure to check your horn. Do not forget to check your horn at frequent intervals. Use flashing headlamps and hazard warning lights randomly and without reason. It is easy and safe to outrun trains at level crossings. The faint white markings seen on urban roads are pedestrian crossings, which can safely be ignored. ! Traffic lights are largely decorative and are switched off during daytime to conserve electricity. Street names are usually long e.g. "Venerable Reverend Narampanawe Rathanajothi Mawatha".
Railway: The railway network is constantly expanding with existing tracks pulled up to build new tracks elsewhere. The proposed extension from Matara to Kataragama is well underway and is expected to be completed by 2025. It is perfectly normal and acceptable to walk along railway tracks in spite of warning notices. Walking is often quicker than train travel. Contrary to popular belief the railway workers are not on strike everyday!
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Interested readers might want to read the Crazylanka version of Sri Lankan history.
Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe The last Srilankan king's real name was King Konnasami. He was not Sinhalese. He was betrayed by Kandyans and died in exile. His sarong, reclining chair and hat ended up in the British Museum.
!The name of the airport changes between Bandaranaike International Airport and Katunayake International Airport depending on the government in power. It is important to keep this in mind as governments change regularly. Katunayake was not a former Prime Minister.
Immigration officers are invariably taken by surprise at the arrival of a planeload full of passengers. Somehow, they seem to expect planes to arrive empty! Expect some delay as they boot up computers and finish their tea. Having cleared formalities find your transport to your hotel. (The barbed wired area opposite the airport entrance is not a concentration camp but is meant to hold relatives and friends of departing and arriving Sri Lankans. Sometimes the whole village turns up.)
The voltage is nominally 230v but is usually 110v. Telephones: Surprisingly telephones work well. Mobile telephone networks are also excellent. Water: Water is available freely during the wet season. Bottled water is safe to drink except when the contents look green and with obvious signs of the bottles having being refilled. Expiry dates on bottles, as on all other consumer items, are regularly changed. Sewerage: The Dutch built excellent canals, which now function as sewers.
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  Srilankan Airlines hostesses never say this!  Dilmah Tea is one of the good quality teas to come from Sri Lanka after the tea plantations were largely nationalised  Only Srilankan airhostesses greet visitors in the traditional fashion of "Ayubowan". Most people say "Hullo" or "Mokada Hullo?" Buying Sri Lankan gems  See part two  crazylankacard Widely accepted...or should we say wildly accepted!  Lonely Planet produce the best serious travel guide to Sri Lanka     |
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Sri Lanka is a teardrop shaped island in the Indian
Ocean. The Indian Ocean is near India.
Banknotes are not printed in a dirty brown colour contrary to popular belief amongst visitors. Folding of banknotes is looked down upon. It is customary to crumple them instead. It is normal to have sellotaped repairs on low denomination notes. Coins exist but are mostly collectors' items. It is permissible to drill holes in coins to use them as washers. Banks and ATM cards: The Government run banks are worth a visit just to see how inefficient they are compared to private banks and foreign banks. The Crazylanka card™ is widely accepted.
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A few Sri Lankans remember the old form of greeting "Ayubowan". Sri Lankan airhostesses are the only ones who regularly employ this form of greeting. A more common form of greeting is "Kohomada" or "Hullo". The usual form of greeting reserved for foreign visitors is the extension of the right hand, palm upwards, whilst saying "Sir! Have you any dollars?". The correct response to this should be "Palayang Yako!"
National Dress: Most men wear Western style clothes and it might be difficult to spot men wearing the national dress. Try the Parliament or the museum. Some villagers wear the sarong. As underwear is not usually worn with the sarong ! do not be tempted to lift a sarong. Smiling: It is customary to smile broadly or giggle. Contrary to popular myth, Sri Lankans have the same number of teeth as other races. |
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