The Galle Face Hotel
 

The Galle Face Hotel is a Colombo landmark in much the same way as Raffles Hotel is a Singapore institution; both are renovated remnants of a bygone era.  It held special significance for Tracy, who lived there for a month as she was waiting on her house to be rewired when she first moved to Sri Lanka in the 1980's. And it has all the trappings of a bygone colonial era: uniformed and white-gloved waiters, dark wood decor, and large, funky rooms. If you were famous and in Sri Lanka, then you probably stayed at the Galle Face. We visited there for drinks enroute to visiting Jim Spain; it allowed Tracy and I a chance to revisit this wonderful spot (I was very ill last time we were there and couldn't manage a drink) as well as to introduce the place to our friends and fellow travelers this trip, the Chmeliks. Little seems to change at the Galle Face. Although it was recently renovated, it has lost none of its charm. The photo at the upper left shows Tracy with the Chmeliks--Paul, Betsy, and son Chris--posing outside the hotel, against a huge stone carving. Entering through a grand staircase and lobby area, we made a beeline for the outdoor bar that is on one side of the veranda that frames the hotel's interior courtyard. The photo to the upper right shows us relaxing as the uniformed waiter took our order. It is interesting to note the not only has the hotel changed little over the last twenty years, but neither has the staff. Several people recognized Tracy, including the man who still operates the ancient lifts in the hotel. The photo to the middle left shows the view of the Indian Ocean from the verandah bar, while the photo to the middle right captures the inner courtyard around which the hotel rooms are arrayed, giving guests a wonderful view of the Indian Ocean. The photo at the extreme bottom left shows Tracy with a man who has held this post for over forty years, and recognized her immediately. Now that's what I call service! If you plan to visit Colombo, it is certainly worth a trip to soak in the atmosphere and history of Sri Lanka's grandest old hotel.

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