COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (Port No. 23, 3/24/12)

∙ GEOGRAPHY 101
          ∙ Land Mass/Continent: An independent island nation on the other side of the world – our most distant port!  Part of Southern Asia.
          ∙ About Colombo: Colombo is the largest city and commercial center of Sri Lanka (fka Ceylon)
          ∙ Estimated Population: 5.6 million in the metropolitan area; 647,100 in the city
          ∙ Distance From Home (San Diego, CA): 9,472 miles!!
          ∙ The Water That Got Us Here: It is positioned along the west coast of Sri Lanka, which is surrounded by Gulf of Mannar to the west, the Indian Ocean to the south, and the Bay of Bengal to the east

∙ ITS PLACE IN HISTORY/INTERESTING FACTS
          ∙ Currency:  Rupee (LKR)
          ∙ Official Languages:  Sinhala and Tamil
          ∙ Local time: 
          ∙ Sri Lanka is known as "the Small Miracle"
          ∙ Its Western Province has the highest recorded GDP per capita than any region in South Asia

SRI LANKA - Looks kinda like a flea, doesn't it?!

          ∙ Colombo was ceded to the British Empire in 1815, who are responsible for much of the planning of the present city (before that, it was under Portuguese, and then Dutch, rule)
           ∙ The era of colonialism ended peacefully in 1948, when they gained independence from Britain, and an entire new culture took root
          ∙ Still, the influence of the Portuguese, Dutch and English is clearly visible in Colombo’s architecture, names, clothing, food, language and attitudes
          ∙ It is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural city, whose vision is “a safe, healthy and wealthy life”
          ∙ From the 1980's to 2009, there have been a number of major terrorist attacks via bombings and assassinations, including the unprecedent killings of two heads of state (the Sri Lankan President and Indian Prime Minister)
                    ∙ These were carried out primarily by the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), based in Northern Sri Lanka, which wanted to form an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for the Tamil People
                    ∙ There were civilian massacres, suicide bombings and acts of ethnic cleansing
                    ∙ The campaign evolved into the Sri Lankan Civil War, which ran from 1983 until 2009, when the LTTE was defeated by the Sri Lankan military
          ∙ Colombo is changing rapidly: skyscrapers suddenly arise where old buildings once stood; yet, the Old World charm remains
          ∙ Transportation in the city is primarily by bus; construction of a mass rapid transit railway system is underway
          ∙ It turns out, Colombo is one of the few parts of Sri Lanka that does not present a risk of contracting malaria
          ∙ Travel video:  http://www.youtube.com/user/bestdestination#p/search/5/2CPhs7KG1Fc

∙ CLIMATE
          ∙ Colombo has a tropical rainforest climate, which is fairly temperate throughout the year
          ∙ Average low for March: 78
          ∙ Average high for March: 88

∙ HIGHLIGHTS/THINGS TO SEE
          ∙ Time in port: 10 hours

GALE FACE GREEN

          ∙ Famous landmarks include the Galle Face Green (the city’s largest and most elegant promenade, adjacent to the Indian Ocean), Galle Face Hotel (built in 1864), Viharamahadevi Park (the oldest and largest park, situated in front of Town Hall), and the Colombo National Museum (the largest in Sri Lanka)

TOWN HALL

          ∙ The 100-year-old Khan Clock Tower is a popular landmark and marks the entrance to Pettah Market (an open market in the suburb of Pettah)
          ∙ Independence Hall/Square
          ∙ Beira Lake at the heart of the city

BEIRA LAKE