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For our second and full day in Colombo, Sri Lanka, we were both lucky enough to get the 3.5-hour “Colombo City by Tuk-Tuk” excursion.
A tuk-tuk is best described as a small three-wheeled vehicle with an engine about the power of a lawnmower engine. The driver sits in the front; up to two passengers sit in the back. Tuk-tuks are prevalent throughout Southeast Asia, but they would probably be banned as unsafe death traps in the United States.
We were assigned to different buses, but we worked with the guides to get into the same tuk-tuk. For almost two hours, our driver weaved in and out of traffic as we explored Colombo. Setting off from Galle Face Green, we saw the Cinnamon Gardens residential area, Victoria Park, Town Hall, Independence Square and Gangaramaya Temple. By the end, we were running behind schedule, so Gail’s bus skipped the Pettah Bazaar. Russell’s bus got to see it, but only during a quick dash.
We did get to shop at the market stalls outside the cruise terminal, where we both bought some of the elephant garments that are so prevalent throughout Southeast Asia. (Russell bought an elephant shirt; Gail bought some elephant pants.)