Although we had originally planned to spend a week here, with all the recent bombings and political unrest in the country, I decided a long layover on the way to the Maldives would be more my speed. I must admit, I do regret that decision to a certain extent after meeting some of the nicest and welcoming people ever. However, the strong military presence did make me feel a little uncomfortable, highlighting the fact there truly is concern of tiger rebel attacks throughout the nation.

We basically had from 5pm on Friday, until 8 am on Saturday to soak up what we could of the country. Staying in Negombo, a beach town north of Colombo was a perfect launching pad. Our lovely resort was right on the beach, from which we watched the most gorgeous slowly sinking sunset into the ocean. The colors in the horizon were some of the most intense we’ve ever experienced.

A tip from a local guy on a great restaurant led us to Choy’s and some of the tastiest seafood delights we’ve ever eaten, including a whole cuttle fish. If that meal was a true example of Sri Lankan cuisine, we are big fans of all the fresh fish and tasty sauces they use in their food.

In our tuk-tuk ride back home from dinner, we had an eye opening conversation with our driver about how the country is being affected by the tiger rebels. It was quite sad and heart wrenching to hear how the low tourist influx has greatly upset all of their livelihoods – this also explained his eagerness to show us around town. This fact made me feel a tinge of guilt for being yet another tourist nixing Sri Lanka off our list because of my likely irrational fears of attacks.

Our departure was bitter sweet, leaving behind this rich culture and beautiful land that we barely got a taste of, although our next stop along the way was the Maldives -- that certainly eased the blow!