Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a living museum on the coast of Sri Lanka. Best known for its old buildings, history and boutique store shopping. However, Galle’s unique character is shaped by the people that still live and work there. A collection of stories, daily humdrum, sights and sounds make the museum come alive.
Here are 6 ways to truly experience Galle and its unique character… and not just see the sights.
Walk, don’t take a tuktuk.
The pace of your sightseeing slows down to breaths per minute when you don your walking shows as opposed 3 wheels. As the heat of the day rises and you almost regret your decision to walk, step into the shade of a narrow road and experience the world that unfolds. Mildew covered walls, reveal a world beyond the streets as you peer through cracks formed by old vegetation. You may even be lead by your nose into a wonderful spice shop that otherwise would have been missed.
I stumbled upon a site behind the walls of the Dutch Reformed Church in my pursuit of shade. A quiet resting place marked by tombstones and undisturbed by tourists.
In the streets scholars from a nearby school walk past in groups, chattering I imagine about their day or the latest gossip. At National Tea Rooms, the oldest café in Galle, you can purchase water or snacks for the walk. It is dark and cool and a welcome change from the bright sun outside.
Walking may even be a money saving experience. A tuktuk driver will take you to places where it is possible for him to get a commission on the items you end up buying. This is very lucrative, one shop owner told me that the going rate is 20% of the sale. Now that is a huge incentive not to consider what you want to do or where you want to go. In addition, the price of your goods go up to compensate for this.
Observe the activities at Court Square
From this vantage point, you can observe the activities of locals around the courthouse while resting in the shade. Perhaps a bit morbid but a realistic scene of life. All around the square are lawyer’s offices and as you get closer you can hear the secretaries punching away at their typewriters. Yes typewriters, modern career accomplished by outdated techniques. Spot the accused awaiting their trial without having a trained eye. Simply look for the nervous pacers or those relentlessly rocking from foot to foot as they keep watch over the court entrance.
Lookout from Point Utrecht Bastion.
With the Lighthouse behind you and the Indian Ocean in front of you, there is a glimpse of local life just below the Point Utrecht Bastion. White sands are dotted with Sri Lankans enjoying the cool waters and playing games or loud music. It is an inviting site and perhaps a better way to experience the culture would have been to go join them. From this vantage point you can see Flag Rock and if you are lucky it is possible to see one of the crazy stuntmen jumping into the ocean from the old rampart. For an up close and personal view of these local daredevils, an exchange of rupees is required. My advice, hang on to those for an experience with more value.
Take in a street scene from a coffee shop.
Just across the road from Crepe-ology on Layn Baan St is a French style café serving cappuccinos and iced coffee. Less local and more tourist, it still lends itself toward an hour or so of interesting street scenes and people watching. These modern shops and high society cafes form a strange contrast against the old, yet it fits right in with the quaintness of Galle Fort. It felt like I was somewhere in Europe, not in Sri Lanka. The Portuguese and Dutch have definitely imparted a gentle fingerprint, leaving swirls of their culture upon this edge of the island.
Scan the rooftops at lunchtime (perhaps sundowners are better).
There are a number of cafes and restaurants that offer a view over the rooftops of Galle Fort. One of the most highly recommended restaurants is Mamas Rooftop Restaurant Galle. Wind your way up 3 flights of stairs in a very narrow passageway and emerge to a view over Galle looking toward the Lighthouse. Not a sound from below penetrates the serenity of the scene. The air is still and the heat of the day reflects off the clay tiles protecting the houses below. Soon your thirst for an Elephant Ginger Beer is almost overwhelming and the beauty of this experience becomes a whisp of thin air. All joy is restored when the curry and rice arrives accompanied by the ice cold EGB.
Have a conversation with local shop owners.
I read an article recently on The truth of meeting locals abroad by Nomadic Matt. He has some great insights and made me think. My experience is that if you want to meet locals you have to put your prejudices aside. People react to the way that you approach them first. One such prejudice is that all shop owners and employees are only interested in your dollars. Yes, sure this is often the case but they are also human and the easiest to chat to or hear some stories.
In Galle Fort I decided to put it to the test. In a Gem store, the owner keenly showed me around his home. I got to see how the jewellery is made, the view from the rooftop of the house and was given an account of how the trade had been passed on for 3 generations. A small bonus, he even told me how the commission structure worked if a tour operator or tuktuk brought a tourist to his shop as mentioned above. Invaluable information if you want to purchase for less or be able to bargain.
The second experience was in boutique store. As my friend wandered around the shop, I held a conversation with a shop assistant and was entertained with a local legend about Unawatuna beach.
And finally, when asked about all the rusted artefacts at the Museum House, one of the assistants gave me an account of what happened at Galle Fort during the Tsunami of 2004. Apparently, the fortified walls protected the inhabitants from the devastation to human life experienced elsewhere on the south coast of Sri Lanka. The water flowed in slowly and only came to hip height. It lacked the power of a direct blow, sparing many.
Any thoughts or opinions? Please leave a comment.