Lankesh drove up the cobblestone drive and let me out under the portico entrance. As I walked up the marble steps flanked by large white pillars and relaxed on the old fashioned sofa sipping my “Welcome drink” of fruit juice, I knew I had made the right choice.
Though I imagine not much is left of the original building, I was told that, in the 17th century, this was the residence of the Singhalese Chief Minister of the Royal Granary. In 1818, the British acquired the building to house one of their officers who called it Haramby House. About thirty years later it was sold to Mme Burdayron of Switzerland who operated it for years as a guest house and gave it its present name. During World War II, the hotel was used as the headquarters of the South East Asia Command, under the Command of Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Supreme Allied Commander.
Though the Hotel Suisse has been owned for years by a local company and was refurbished in 1999 – to add some of those modern comforts – it strives to maintain its Victorian atmosphere. I felt like I was in an Agatha Christie novel.
After lunch on the terrace overlooking the gardens
I thought I would show some independence by taking a walk round Lake Kandy. It took me 10 minutes to cross the road – and I only managed it because the gatekeeper of the hotel took me across. Traffic in Paris is not pedestrian-friendly but at least the cars slow down! In Sri Lanka pedestrians cross when they need to – and trust to the drivers’ reflexes. I was not brave enough. During my very short walk, most of my energy was spent wondering how I was going to get back. Soon, I decided to meekly return to the hotel where I could lounge in my comfortable room
and wait for Lankesh to take me out for my evening’s entertainment.
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