Nugegoda Mon Amour!

Just a few kilometres away from the madness of central Colombo is the peaceful town of Nugegoda, a place that I call home whenever I am in Sri Lanka.

Nugegoda is a friendly town and a reflection of Sri Lankan society at large. A smile greets you at the smallest of shops, most of which are family-run. The clerks at the post office are actually helpful and still understand what letters and postcards are!! There is a genuine sense of relaxation in the town. The High Level Road is Nugegoda's main street, with its share of shops and offices of utility providers. Along the railway station is a spotlessly clean and civilized market.

What I like most about Nugegoda are the leafy lanes with traditional houses. Many of them were built in the late 19th century and there is a peculiar charm about these homes (complete with well-moved lawns) that have combined Sri Lankan and European architectural styles. Tucked away in 1 such lane is a beautiful Buddhist temple, where monks chant and sing prayers both at sunrise and sunset.

Yes, KFC and McDonalds have reared their ugly heads on the High Level Road but that won't stop me from grabbing some cheese kothu from a smaller shop. No multinational can dare to compete with Fab, the best cake shop on the island!

138

The dreaded bus number 138 that connects Colombo Fort to Maharagama is the bane of many a motorist or pedestrian in Colombo. I am surprised that 138s haven't killed more people in their quest to reach their destinations faster and grab as many passengers as possible. I have had many a tense moment on the High Level Road when a 138 missed me by the narrowest of margins.   

For me, the bus is like a number 7 subway train from Grand Central to Flushing or an Andheri local from Churchgate. It takes me home to Nugegoda a lot faster than any other mode of transport and at 19 Sri Lankan rupees, it's the cheapest way to pass the Havelock and Kirulapona. Despite the fact that a 138 passes a bus stop every 3 minutes, there are standees at rush hour. I will never figure out how that is humanly possible, considering the fact that there are less people in Sri Lanka than Bombay.

The owners of the 138s are among the most open-minded religious people in Sri Lanka. You will see photos of Kali, Murugan (Kataragaama, Buddha, Ganesha, Laxmi and Saraswathi above the dashboard of each of these buses and one special and large pic of Laxmi (for wealth, of course). It is in the 138 that religious and linguistic lines blur in Sri Lanka. Sinhala, Tamil, Hindu, Buddhist, whatever!