Day 11 - We came to Nugegoda today. It was only a 45-kilometer trip but took us one hour and a half. This was in the relative comfort of a local ride-hail thanks to an app called PickMe. I entered the address and the car arrived in about 12 minutes. Then, we battled our way towards Colombo on the old road. The driver was courteous and appeared to be cautious behind the wheel. I'm not sure I'd drive here anymore because of the sheer number of things on the road.
We are in the house of Jay's elder sister. Her husband, Lal, passed away since the last time we were here. He was a big, friendly, type of guy. He always made sure there was a bottle of arrack waiting. It is a distilled spirit made from collected coconut-flower sap. I miss his boisterous welcome.
Of course, we were given in traditional Sri Lankan lunch as it was after midday by the time we made ourselves at home. It is a nice change to be in the big city. We will probably stay here for around five days as it gives quicker access to shopping and venues around Colombo.