Colombo Bimble

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Tue 12 Mar 2019 23:37
Bimble along Galle Face Green, Colombo
 
 
 
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After enjoying a slack morning, Kerri and Harri picked us up and took us to Galle Face Green, a five hundred metre wide stretch of land that covers twelve acres. Bounded at one end by the famous Galle Face Hotel.......
 
 
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..........at the far end we watched the Police Academy trainees and beyond – a fancy roundabout guarded by lions.
 
 
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New builds all around us, hotels, tower blocks and apartments.
 
The Galle Face Green was initially laid out by the Dutch as a means to enable their cannons a strategic line of fire against the Portuguese. Horse racing began in Galle Face in the early 1820s, during the time of British Governor Sir Edward Barnes. The esplanade in front of the fort, previously a marshy area, was filled in and levelled. The race course was approximately one and a half miles long. The members club building is today incorporated in the ballroom of one of the hotels.
 
 
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In 1856 Sir Henry George Ward (the Governor of British Ceylon) authorised the construction of a 1-mile promenade beside the sea, for ladies and children to saunter and “take in the air”. This was completed in 1859. The remaining ‘bit’ we enjoyed today and a silly factoid - the world’s tallest artificial Christmas tree stood here in 2016. Loads of people appeared after school ended, food stalls did a roaring trade, the short pier was crowded and a steady breeze was excellent for kite flying.

 
 
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One of the many toy stalls and kite sellers.
 
 
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I left Harri to his kite, Bear and Kerri to their bimble to do some stomping.
 
 
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Smashing to see these big chaps sunning themselves on lamp posts.
 
 
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Old Government Building and the Lotus Tower in the distance.
 
 
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I watched a trailer being lowered from one of the new towers.
 
 
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Toward the end of the green and seemingly a long way out, a crane was busy.
 
 
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A massive area being reclaimed.
 
 
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Huge piles of sand.
 
 
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Screens hid the next bit and advertisements showed what the reclaimed land will look like.
 
 
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I went back for Bear and we headed to the first cannon for the trigger finger shot, facing yet more sand piles.
 
 
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Half way back looking right and left.
 
 
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Thoughtful signs. One along the front and one in the new sand dunes.
 
 
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Interesting things to eat – but not for me.
 
 
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After watching the sunset from the Galle Face Hotel there was a very pretty sky.
 
 
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Later, after supper at the Kingsbury Hotel and once back at our digs we looked up Port City Colombo. An initial investment of 1.4 billion dollars and an expected 15 billion dollar overall investment when completed. Spanning 259 hectares (665 acres), it is a sea reclamation project joined to the current central business district. Port City Colombo is made up of 5 different precincts, namely the Financial District, Central Park Living, Island Living, The Marina and the International Island.
When completed, Port City Colombo is estimated to have some 5.75 million square metres of build-up space, boasting the best in design in terms of Grade A offices, medical facilities, educational facilities, integrated resort, marina, retail destinations, hotels and various lifestyle developments. Using the latest sustainable city design and smart city concepts, Port City Colombo will be the hub of South Asia. Wow.
 
 
 
 
ALL IN ALL AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT
                     HUGE CHANGES