Now I don't want to get all political, or sound paranoid, but ...
It is no secret I like a bit of shopping, so when we arrived our Sigirya hotel I made a beeline for the jewellery shop. I fixed on some inexpensive citrine earrings, but as I did not have my purse on me I promised to come back. Driving along the next day our driver, who is very solicitous of our welfare, instructed us not to shop at hotels as the prices would be higher than the shops. But I had given my word... and you can't go back on your word. I just swore my fellow travellers to secrecy and snuck back and got the earrings. All good.
It was our last day at the hotel that morning and as I handed back my glass of half finished wood apple juice (I will try anything once, and wood apple juice is definitely a once only experience) I was stunned when the waiter said 'yes Madam prefers the avocado juice she had yesterday". OMG! I am being watched.
They certainly remember their customers here, as we discovered to our embarrassment when we returned for dinner to a restaurant we had enjoyed lime sodas at two days before. As we called for the bill the boss lady popped past and noted that we had been there previously, yes we nodded happily, impressed that she had remembered us. But to our chagrin she did not remember us because of our delightful demeanour, she remembered us because by a matter of circumstance of ordering separately when we left on the earlier occasion we had only paid half the bill! All was forgiven, we paid the neglected amount and departed friends. I love that they seemed content we would return at some time and settle our account.
But back to the citrine earrings. Our driver is upfront about the commission he receives from the various shops, guides etc.. that the travel agency takes us too. Driving along he was chatting away about various things, and then ventured to say as he drove away from our Sigirya hotel the jeweller popped out of his shop and slipped him 300 rupees. His commission for a sale! Oh no - sprung!
You can't get away with anything in Sri Lanka.
It is no secret I like a bit of shopping, so when we arrived our Sigirya hotel I made a beeline for the jewellery shop. I fixed on some inexpensive citrine earrings, but as I did not have my purse on me I promised to come back. Driving along the next day our driver, who is very solicitous of our welfare, instructed us not to shop at hotels as the prices would be higher than the shops. But I had given my word... and you can't go back on your word. I just swore my fellow travellers to secrecy and snuck back and got the earrings. All good.
It was our last day at the hotel that morning and as I handed back my glass of half finished wood apple juice (I will try anything once, and wood apple juice is definitely a once only experience) I was stunned when the waiter said 'yes Madam prefers the avocado juice she had yesterday". OMG! I am being watched.
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| Buying jewellery in Sri Lanka - the sapphire island |
But back to the citrine earrings. Our driver is upfront about the commission he receives from the various shops, guides etc.. that the travel agency takes us too. Driving along he was chatting away about various things, and then ventured to say as he drove away from our Sigirya hotel the jeweller popped out of his shop and slipped him 300 rupees. His commission for a sale! Oh no - sprung!
You can't get away with anything in Sri Lanka.
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| At least we are safe from the drones |
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