We are staying right in the Fort area. If you search for the name of this town, you might be able to see aerial photography of the immense Dutch fortification. Of course that was done four centuries back. I like Sri Lanka for all the impacts of historical and sea trade whether from the recent influence of Europe or ties to the the ancient world. We might visit 2000 year old ruins in the morning. Then, for lunch, we could order lamprais a culinary left over from the Dutch. At the same time, a baiela Sri Lankan song could be on the radio with melody and rhythms derived from the Portuguese. We might be beside the train track, a vestige of the British era. Sailors catching the trade winds, Moslems traders, or colonial powers have all left their mark. An occasional glimpse of someone with green eyes will hint to even human genes as a part of the living history.
As I suggested in the first paragraph, the Sri Lankan President is in town. It is election time in the southern provinces. With a visit comes the security forces and disruption to normal life. Part of the Fort area is closed off at the present time. Perhaps later in the afternoon things return to usual. We’ll probably just hang here for one night. Rather than venturing south, we just may hop on a north-bound train tomorrow morning.
Real travellers don’t need an itinerary.