Like most hotels, the Shangri-La isn’t yet open to what the staff call ‘outsiders’ (non-residents) but we have a friend who lives in one of the apartments, so fed up with being inside since we returned to Colombo we walked there today to meet him for a drink and some pizza and cake. The lockdown is still technically in force and with the vast majority of hotels, restaurants and shops still closed, but unofficially it is no longer fully enforced; over the past few days the roads have started to get busy again, only the absence of all public transport and rush hour gridlock indicating anything different. There is a political game being played out but sadly the small traders don’t seem to get a look-in and getting school kids back to the classroom doesn’t figure in the importance of things.

We walked from home, passing a military police roadblock on the way. Nobody was being stopped for questioning about the essential nature of their journey and we were quite literally waved through, and with a smile. Most surreal, but lovely to be outside for the duration of the two walks and have somewhere to go.  A sense of purpose.

Steve