Negombo: Arrival, Anxiety & A Very Sri Lankan Christmas

Arriving in Sri Lanka on Christmas Day, jet-lagged, carrying a festive cold sore and a nervous system running at full tilt, I wasn’t expecting much beyond sleep and a shower. Yet Negombo had other plans. Between Christmas lights gleaming along the streets, the salty edge of the ocean outside my window, and quiet hours spent reading by the beach, the city offered a gentle landing. A pause before the whirlwind of adventure and an unexpectedly lively group of travellers would truly begin…