Face Off at Galle Face

It was a splendor to watch the sun set – with the sun fading into the horizon into a ball of orange, illuminating the graying sky with a bright auburn hue, and be lost in the flow of tourists and locals relishing the blissful afternoon mood.

Galle Face was an otherwise deserted strip of beach area in Colombo City when I last saw it in 2009, with military soldiers armed to the teeth manning checkpoints along the roads. That was just after the “end of the 30-year civil war”. Today, it was totally not as I remembered.

Galle Face was now teeming with families, lovers, tourists and traders. The long stretch of lawn was full with children (and adults) flying their kites, playing ball, and vendors selling colorful toys. Parents sat leisurely watching their children as lovers cuddled and whispered, or promenaded, creating a world of their own from the otherwise exultant and noisy crowd.

Along the beach, children and adults frolicked excitedly as the waves caressed the shore with big splashes of cool water. Some were ecstatic, some were frightened, and some were just dipping their feet in the water. Most of them though were dressed from head to toe.

Merchants lined the paved area with stalls and carts, selling mostly food – from ice creams to fries to meals and souvenirs. Of course, they have their famous ‘kottu’ and ‘isso vade’ (pronounced ‘isuwade’), which I certainly tried, and which I topped with a delicious ice cream and then some spiced guavas.