Thursday Nov 07, 2024
FT
Thursday Nov 07, 2024
Saturday, 1 February 2014 00:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The walk begins at the reformed Dutch Hospital, which once served as a residential, elitist, and commercial complex during the colonial era. As we stroll past the former hospital and fall onto Chatham Street, Mark tells us that the street once served as a busy canal, transporting goods between cities.
A string of Chinese shops are said to have once dominated Chatham Street, but now only a handful remain. Mark casually walks us into one of the remaining shops conveniently named ‘The new Chinese Shop’, owned by Mister Win Lee Chang. This shop is one of the oldest buildings down the road, dating back almost 200 years. The premises have functioned as a residential space, nurse quarters, and a goldsmith’s shop over the years and now operate as a retail store, selling children’s school uniforms. The uniforms are displayed in wooden cases that are over a hundred years old.
We pass the iconic Pagoda building on our walk, where a scene from the famous song ‘Hungry like a wolf’ by Duran Duran was filmed.
Our next visit is the old Cargills building built in 1906. Back in the day, it was one of the most glamorous department stores of its time, dubbed the ‘Harrods of Sri Lanka’. The now rundown, dusty building still bears evidence of the original brass works, signs, and pneumatic pipe system used to deliver letters. The pipes are preserved behind a glass 
casing and are still accessible to the public.
As we walk through the shaded verandas, arched ceilings, and tall columns, Mark points out a peculiarity – a rare HSBC crest located at the entrance of the original HSBC building. This unusual crest has attracted architects and observers from all over the world, curious to observe this rare antique.
It is made of the crown jewels, unicorns and the lion, typical of the time period, but the most fascinating are the boxes of opium next to the Chinese traders. The opium was representative of the trade that prospered during that time. This rather dubious history of the crest resulted in many of the original crests being destroyed in other parts of the world.
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We cross more congested streets and walk towards the Grand Orient Building, one of the most glamorous hotels of its time. The hotel was built in 1837 and still has one of the best free views in Colombo. At the harbour room, there is a little terrace that usually goes unnoticed; from up here you get a stunning view of the entire harbour and port area.
We bid goodbye to the magnificent colonial buildings and begin to explore the narrow, crowded streets of the Pettah markets. It’s absolute chaos here – people going about their daily chores, eager vendors adamant to make a sale, curious folk watching passersby and people transporting various goods on their handcarts.
Our next stop is the Gas Works Junction Museum, which houses a collection of awesome antiques, such as the first steam truck that was used in Sri Lanka and decade-old sign posts. If there is time, you may stop by at the Wolvendaal Church, before ending the tour back at the Dutch Hospital.
(Trekurious together with the Weekend FT explores Sri Lanka for the curious traveller. 
Trekurious works with talented individuals and great brands to create amazing experiential tours, activities, and events in Sri Lanka. You can find out more at www.Trekurious.com.)
