SRI LANKA AND SCIENCE FICTION

Sri Lanka and Science Fiction.

The connection is obtuse, but there is one. Arthur C. Clarke, one of the greatest science fiction writers of my father’s era, lived in and died in Colombo, Sri Lanka. I only know this because my son made me aware of that fact. He also sent me the address of the house lived in by Clarke. It worked out well that during our tour the driver knew exactly where to go and stopped so I could get a quick selfie by the address. Texted same immediately to my son.

We stepped off the ship and found a nice grandfatherly taxi driver with an older Nissan ready to drive us around for $20/2 people per hour. Ken worked the deal and we set off to see life in Colombo.

Sri Lanka (once Ceylon) is very beautiful with large parks and beautiful architecture designed by the great tea captains of great wealth. What a lifestyle they must have had! We drove past the building that looks like the White House (I hope there is no crazy inhabitant there) and visited a beautiful Hindu Temple. We also saw poverty, debris and the kinds of shabbiness seen throughout Southeast Asia. The dichotomy between beauty and squalor is something.

But it is as hot as Hades in Sri Lanka! We northern clime people don’t do well here. Back to the ship for us. In the end, though, while Colombo is not a very large place it was more beautiful than we anticipated and we were impressed.