Nilesh's Weblog

Down South

Another day. Another conference presentation. This time it was the picturesque Colombo. Yes, I was in Srilanka for a couple of days last week. And to tell the truth, I enjoyed all things non-business there.

Colombo is like Goa… infact better than Goa. Blue skies, idyllic beaches, nice roads, fast cars, less traffic & population and palm-fringed cityscapes. Srilankan food is excellent. Spicy but not hot, tasty but not strong. And in many ways, similar to Indian dishes. The people are nice and friendly and the culture is very much Indian. So I was at home all the time. Some of the better restaurants are more inviting than swanky ones in Mumbai. You feel completely relaxed when you are inside. The ones near the sea have wonderful views. In fact, there are wonderful views from so many buildings in Colombo.

Work is relaxed in Srilanka, as told by one of the event co-ordinators. She said people get almost a third of a year in holidays! The natural reason is that Srilanka celebrates Srilankan, Indian and Singaporean festivals with equal enthusiasm. Good for the business traveller. Lots of time to relax and chill out. Seems like an ideal holiday destination. And I haven't even talked about adventure & touring.