Colombo, Sri Lanka

I am just a couple of days in Sri Lanka and have only seen a bit of Colombo so far, but already appreciate it. It is much cleaner than India. The driving is crazy, but horns are only used occasionally when really needed, and there are no over-amplified broadcast systems of Hindu prayers or chanting, or tractors with sound systems blaring religious music at volumes that drown their horn. I went to a Buddhist temple and was introduced to the abbot who offered me a letter of introduction to any place in Sri Lanka I want to go meditate and then gave me a formal blessing. And, he never asked for anything; although, he did tell me of some projects where I am welcome to go volunteer if that is my desire. Last night I went from my hotel looking for a Cyber Cafe and a trishaw (same as an auto-rickshaw in India) driver tried to snag me as a fare. When I declined, saying I was just walking a couple blocks, he got out and walked with me. I guess he really hadn't much to do. Anyway, half an hour later we never found the Cyber Cafe and ended up back at the hotel. We had a nice chat and he never asked for anything - his investment was something to do and favorable consideration if I needed a taxi later. Of course, it's also a tad hot and very humid. Walking in rain today I got wet from rain and perspiration at the same time. There are still touts and hawkers and guides and I'm sure that tourist and pilgrimage destinations will have the usual annoying activities; and, I don't expect the same levels of pleasant and noble behavior throughout my wandering in Sri Lanka, but it is a wonderful welcome and I am looking forward to wandering about.

I had the thought today that maybe I should get a camera. Hmmm, I'll have to contemplate that..

A note to techno-geeks

An interesting thing I have noticed is that almost all the Cyber Cafes (a.k.a. Internet Cafes) I have used are running IE6 on Windows XP. I suspect the cost of upgrading to Vista, or the cost of new hardware to support the upgrade, are limiting factors. Actually, both are probably an issue - their computers are adequate for XP and browsers, but they sure ain't the latest technology going. 15-inch CRT monitors are common.

I am using Apple's MobileMe for my travel email and calendar and Google Docs to compose blog posts. MobileMe won't run at all and asks to upgrade IE6 and Google complains that IE isn't supported, although Docs appears to work. Sometimes there is FireFox or Chrome installed; sometimes the system is open and I can install Chrome (FireFox seems to have a bug when using Google Docs where it gobbles cpu cycles) and in such cases nobody has ever complained of me doing it. When the system is closed, the operators have not been open to installing FireFox or Chrome and sometimes they are confused by the request - like they have never heard that there is in the world another browser besides IE.

The point is, if you are creating a web app that you want used around the world, you need to either support IE6 or maybe include messaging to encourage installing something other than a newer version of IE; perhaps listing options with links to the appropriate web sites. If you don't support IE6 or use specific messaging to explain the options to Cyber Cafe operators, your app is out of play.

Another interesting thing I discovered is that hosting a domain is massively expensive in Nepal: supposedly around 30,000 Nepal Rupees a month (about $400 USD). So, their workaround is to create simple web sites on blogspot.com, which is free.

Fun with airlines

My trip turned out to be a bit of a mess. The flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu was over 1.5 hours late. I got to the Jet Lite check-in counter an hour before the flight and they simply said, "The counter is closed. You missed your flight." It was tough to chip past their incredible indifference to get "Go try Jet Airways. They go to Delhi.", a suggestion obviously motivated not by compassion but just a desire to be rid of me. I managed to get a flight, but it got me to Delhi just under two hours before my connecting flight instead of the three hours they request. Turns out that airlines in this part of the world seal all baggage and check-in a couple hours before a flight - I guess for security. In Delhi, Sri Lanka Air was very helpful, but it required special handling to get me on the connecting flight. A rep spent the next 45 minutes running all over the airport, cell-phone constantly at his ear, manually retrieved my bag from the arriving flight and personally escorted it through security to the next flight, and then went through a bunch of special handling to get me cleared and get a boarding pass. There were also four Nepali guys in the same situation for a connecting flight to Dubai and we all had a fun time chasing after our long-legged friend to "wait here" and then watching him zoom around to then quick, quick follow him again. It only took a bit of common language to share the humor of it all. In the end, I did make my flight to Colombo and I hope the Nepali guys got to work on time in Dubai. Very high marks for Sri Lanka Air; I'll fly with them anywhere. Jet Lite? Arrgh! Take a train, or bus, or walk.

Good-bye Pokhara

Pokhara has been a nice break - easy days of reading and tea and some long walks. Of course, although my idea of a long walk may be up the side of a nearby mountain, it certainly isn't nine days of six hours a day trekking straight up into the Himalayas. Anyway, I think it is time for me to move on. I have heard that it is possible to go to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and get some kind of addendum to my visa to allow me to go back into India, but I think I will skip it. I wanted to see southern India next and it is already getting way too hot there and I don't have a burning desire to suffer. ;) So, next stop Sri Lanka.

I found a travel agent who cost me the same as booking the tickets myself online - he settles for his commission from the airlines and doesn't add fees on the customer. Plus there were difficulties and he worked through everything for me. When we were through with business, Rupak needed a break so we took off on his motorcycle to see a waterfall and clamber through a cave in the Pokhara area. Too bad we didn't get to the museum before they closed, but we had a great afternoon. Of course, if you have an idea to go to Nepal I can surely recommend him as honest, thorough and fair; and he has a nice web page on blogspot with a bunch of useful info about traveling and playing in Nepal.