The highways and general condition of the roads in Sri Lanka continue to improve with each visit, but the amount of traffic continues to increase. In 1987, on my second time here, I rented a car. It was my very first experience behind the wheel of a right-hand drive vehicle. My panic ensued each time I pulled out on a main highway and couldn't remember which side of the road I should be on. The panic did not come from fear of the other cars, motorcycles, buses, and trucks. At the time, there were fewer distractions and a whole lot fewer cars.
Nowadays, I wouldn't be caught dead driving around the Colombo area. This is true as driving around here would almost seem to guarantee it; death that is. The advantage of getting around on the buses here is not just the inexpensive prices. There's also an illusion of safety being surrounded by a few tons of extra metal. That being said, I surely hope when we get out on the road for our trips around the island that some of the travel takes place on the train system. Oh, and I do hope to see the new, Sri Lankan Expressway from Colombo to Galle which opened last fall. Seeing a four-lane divided highway may give me pause to re-think transportation in Sri Lanka.
Our little, 2.5-hour total trip from Nugegoda to Minuwangoda forced me to take an hour and a half nap after lunch today. Or the sleep might have just been because I'm completely in vacation mode now.
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The government buses are utilitarian and red. A private one can express much about its owner. It's instantly recognizable in some whether the owner is Buddhist, as in this case, or Catholic, Hindu, or Muslim.
