Colombo, Nov 2009: ramki | leica photography http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo I spent 48-hours in Colombo last weekend on an unplanned trip and hardly stepped out of the <a href="http://www.gallefacehotel.com/html_classic/home_classic.htm" target="_blank">Galle Face Hote</a>l -- one of Asia’s oldest and most famed landmarks. The hote, founded in 1864, is the oldest hotel east of Suez. It is located off Galle Road, the main highway in Colombo, by the side of the panoramic Indian Ocean. The hotel is now managed by the Ceylon Hotels Corporation.<br/><br/>Guests of the Galle Face Hotel have included Richard Nixon, Indira Gandhi, Javaharlal Neru, Emperor Hirohito, Roger Moore and Yuri Gagarin, the first man to travel in space!<br/><br/>I couldn't resist one quick visit to the Gallery cafe designed by Sri Lankan Architect <a href="http://www.geoffreybawa.com/index.aspx" target="_blank">Geoffrey Bawa</a> -- regarded as one of the most important and influential Asian architects of the 20th century. en-us (C) ramki | leica photography ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:06:23 GMT Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:16:49 GMT Sri Lanka Asia Travel and Places http://ramki.zenfolio.com/img/s11/v3/p362401087-10.jpg Colombo, Nov 2009: ramki | leica photography http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo 120 80 The charismatic doorman K.C. Kuttan has been a hotel employee since 1942! http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e1763BE77

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) The charismatic doorman K.C. Kuttan has been a hotel employee since 1942! http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e1763BE77 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:07:37 GMT The Galle Face hotel lobby http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e13B7A89

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) The Galle Face hotel lobby http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e13B7A89 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:07:42 GMT Old-fashioned Burmese teak staircases http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e14601C2D

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) Old-fashioned Burmese teak staircases http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e14601C2D Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:07:44 GMT An antique statue of a Sri Lankan king in the lobby http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e72A01EA

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) An antique statue of a Sri Lankan king in the lobby http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e72A01EA Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:16:46 GMT Century-old curios at the hotel http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e1F019E0A

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) Century-old curios at the hotel http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e1F019E0A Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:07:49 GMT The verandah corridor http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e134B561B

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) The verandah corridor http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e134B561B Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:07:52 GMT The hotel at night http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/eF425817

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) The hotel at night http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/eF425817 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:07:55 GMT The hotel at night http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e9A49AF5

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) The hotel at night http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e9A49AF5 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:07:58 GMT Cafe on the Indian Ocean http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e982B6DC

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) Cafe on the Indian Ocean http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e982B6DC Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:08:28 GMT The view of the hotel from the beach http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e1599CD3F

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) The view of the hotel from the beach http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e1599CD3F Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:08:01 GMT The verandah http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e125A645A

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) The verandah http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e125A645A Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:08:09 GMT Breakfast on the verandah http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/eA1B9DD3

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) Breakfast on the verandah http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/eA1B9DD3 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:08:16 GMT Breakfast on the verandah http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e1B9E0AD6

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) Breakfast on the verandah http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e1B9E0AD6 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:08:04 GMT Discussions on the verandah http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e190DDF3

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) Discussions on the verandah http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e190DDF3 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:16:49 GMT The verandah http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e17E1D691

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) The verandah http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e17E1D691 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:08:13 GMT The 'beach' at the hotel http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e161529BC

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) The 'beach' at the hotel http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e161529BC Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:08:20 GMT The view of the hotel from the beach http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e10C0E18D

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) The view of the hotel from the beach http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e10C0E18D Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:08:23 GMT The verandah bar http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/eB2E3E74

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) The verandah bar http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/eB2E3E74 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:08:31 GMT The verandah bar and bartender http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e43514B2

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) The verandah bar and bartender http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e43514B2 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:08:35 GMT Gallery cafe http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e1F7A5785

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) Gallery cafe http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e1F7A5785 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:07:30 GMT Gallery cafe http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e3A1D557

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) Gallery cafe http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e3A1D557 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:09:53 GMT Gallery cafe http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e1487161D

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) Gallery cafe http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e1487161D Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:07:25 GMT Gallery cafe http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e12861F3C

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) Gallery cafe http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e12861F3C Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:07:34 GMT Gallery cafe http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e455E9B0

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) Gallery cafe http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e455E9B0 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:07:26 GMT The Barefoot cafe http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e88F95C7

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]]> ramki@wildventures.com (ramki | leica photography) The Barefoot cafe http://ramki.zenfolio.com/colombo/e88F95C7 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:16:04 GMT