1 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:10,453 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast 2 00:00:10,613 --> 00:00:13,533 Speaker 1: from News Talks at be Ah. 3 00:00:13,613 --> 00:00:16,733 Speaker 2: Good news. It isn't just map World. Great news are 4 00:00:16,773 --> 00:00:19,693 Speaker 2: the Map and Chart shop in Hamilton as well. There's 5 00:00:19,693 --> 00:00:21,653 Speaker 2: a dedicated map shops. So New Zealand has at least 6 00:00:21,653 --> 00:00:25,133 Speaker 2: two dedicated map shops. I know Marke Yardley, our travel correspondent, 7 00:00:25,173 --> 00:00:26,893 Speaker 2: will have been to map World a few times over 8 00:00:26,893 --> 00:00:27,253 Speaker 2: the years. 9 00:00:27,293 --> 00:00:31,453 Speaker 3: Good morning, definitely, Jack, Yes, good morning. You can beat 10 00:00:31,493 --> 00:00:32,133 Speaker 3: a good map. 11 00:00:32,533 --> 00:00:34,373 Speaker 2: You just cannot beat a good map. I just I 12 00:00:34,533 --> 00:00:36,773 Speaker 2: love it. You know what I was thinking before? Maybe 13 00:00:37,213 --> 00:00:42,453 Speaker 2: I don't know, maybe should libraries have more maps? Should they? 14 00:00:42,613 --> 00:00:47,013 Speaker 3: You know? A little to throw debate. That is the 15 00:00:47,053 --> 00:00:50,213 Speaker 3: debate you need to have, leading Q and eight mine. 16 00:00:50,773 --> 00:00:52,853 Speaker 2: That is the debate that people need. Hey, we've been 17 00:00:52,853 --> 00:00:56,053 Speaker 2: talking about various remote islands this morning in the Indian Ocean, 18 00:00:56,093 --> 00:00:59,773 Speaker 2: both the kurgel And Islands and the and Diego Garcia, 19 00:00:59,893 --> 00:01:02,853 Speaker 2: but we are focusing on something that is a little 20 00:01:02,893 --> 00:01:07,213 Speaker 2: more populated, Colombo and gaul in Sri Lanka and Sri 21 00:01:07,293 --> 00:01:09,853 Speaker 2: Lanka's I mean as head as troubles of late, did 22 00:01:09,893 --> 00:01:11,453 Speaker 2: you find it to be a welcoming place? 23 00:01:12,093 --> 00:01:14,573 Speaker 3: One hundred percent. Yeah, from go to Wa. All all 24 00:01:14,573 --> 00:01:17,853 Speaker 3: I calls I encountered were just so welcoming, warm outgoing, 25 00:01:18,253 --> 00:01:20,653 Speaker 3: quite curious. When I mentioned I was from New Zealand, 26 00:01:20,773 --> 00:01:23,493 Speaker 3: the reflectsive response check, even though the black Caps were 27 00:01:23,493 --> 00:01:28,173 Speaker 3: in town, was all blacks. Really, I know, and I 28 00:01:28,173 --> 00:01:30,533 Speaker 3: didn't know it would be. I know it. They're not 29 00:01:30,653 --> 00:01:34,213 Speaker 3: exactly a juggernaut of a rugby nation, are they not yet? 30 00:01:34,253 --> 00:01:38,453 Speaker 3: But yeah, that's true. Yeah it was all blacks. And 31 00:01:38,453 --> 00:01:41,413 Speaker 3: then the other thing they mentioned was anchor milk. I 32 00:01:41,493 --> 00:01:42,453 Speaker 3: love the anchor milk. 33 00:01:42,813 --> 00:01:44,813 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean you do, you do get there sometimes. 34 00:01:45,373 --> 00:01:47,493 Speaker 2: My one was always the anchor butter. You know, like 35 00:01:47,573 --> 00:01:49,533 Speaker 2: you go through you're traveling through the Caribbean and someone 36 00:01:49,573 --> 00:01:51,693 Speaker 2: will say, oh, New Zealand, I love anchor butter. 37 00:01:51,893 --> 00:01:56,373 Speaker 3: Yeah. But I was actually really pleased to see that 38 00:01:56,453 --> 00:01:59,333 Speaker 3: tourism is bouncing back in Sri Lanka because, as you 39 00:01:59,373 --> 00:02:02,053 Speaker 3: will know, the previous government they were as corrupt as hell. 40 00:02:02,093 --> 00:02:05,853 Speaker 3: They bankrupted the nation. I've now got a new government 41 00:02:06,893 --> 00:02:10,173 Speaker 3: and they're on this sort of anti corruption drive at 42 00:02:10,213 --> 00:02:13,253 Speaker 3: the moment. But yeah, very very welcoming place for a tourist. 43 00:02:13,373 --> 00:02:16,813 Speaker 2: So how did Colombo strike strike you? What were your impressions. 44 00:02:17,773 --> 00:02:22,613 Speaker 3: Remarkably cleaner than India's big city. And I'm a bit 45 00:02:22,653 --> 00:02:25,653 Speaker 3: of an obsessive when it comes to street litter jack 46 00:02:25,773 --> 00:02:29,013 Speaker 3: and I was just so pleased, so surprisingly pleased to 47 00:02:29,053 --> 00:02:33,573 Speaker 3: see the Sri Lankan capital so clean, very green heart 48 00:02:34,173 --> 00:02:37,573 Speaker 3: hundreds of enormous banion and feaks trees which are just stunning, 49 00:02:39,013 --> 00:02:42,013 Speaker 3: And I just love that max of new world glam 50 00:02:42,093 --> 00:02:44,773 Speaker 3: and old world tradition. You know it just jockles for 51 00:02:44,813 --> 00:02:48,493 Speaker 3: your attention. In Colombo, soundtracks by Talk Talk, centered by 52 00:02:48,533 --> 00:02:51,813 Speaker 3: spicy food. What more could you want? Really? Yeah, they're 53 00:02:51,853 --> 00:02:54,773 Speaker 3: shining new confection. By the way, in Colombo is this 54 00:02:55,453 --> 00:02:59,413 Speaker 3: incredible structure called the Lotus Tower, and it's like a 55 00:02:59,453 --> 00:03:03,653 Speaker 3: torch and it's crowned with this big, bulbous flower shaped top. 56 00:03:03,893 --> 00:03:06,973 Speaker 3: It's high than the Sky Tower and at night or 57 00:03:07,213 --> 00:03:09,813 Speaker 3: over the city, you can see the light show from 58 00:03:10,173 --> 00:03:13,573 Speaker 3: the Lotus Tower. So they love that. And also so 59 00:03:13,893 --> 00:03:17,533 Speaker 3: many colonial buildings they've retained a huge stat of them 60 00:03:17,533 --> 00:03:21,413 Speaker 3: and they're all like stone sirens to the respective areas 61 00:03:21,893 --> 00:03:24,733 Speaker 3: eras of Portuguese, Dutch and British rule. 62 00:03:25,133 --> 00:03:27,093 Speaker 2: Is the population mainly Buddhist? 63 00:03:27,813 --> 00:03:34,333 Speaker 3: Yeah apparently, but quite sizeable populations of Catholics, Hindu and Muslims. 64 00:03:34,533 --> 00:03:39,333 Speaker 3: And I mean starting with the Buddhist architecture. There was 65 00:03:39,373 --> 00:03:43,693 Speaker 3: this magnificent temple in Colombo called gangarung A Maya, and 66 00:03:44,333 --> 00:03:47,453 Speaker 3: my goodness, it's like Buddhist to Baroq. It is just 67 00:03:47,573 --> 00:03:50,293 Speaker 3: bling bling and you just go there and you watch 68 00:03:50,333 --> 00:03:53,813 Speaker 3: these lovely devotees take their colorful lotuses, put them in 69 00:03:53,813 --> 00:03:56,973 Speaker 3: front of the body. Then they light the oil lamps 70 00:03:56,973 --> 00:04:00,773 Speaker 3: and their jostex. It's all very zen. I actually went 71 00:04:00,813 --> 00:04:03,533 Speaker 3: to Saint Joseph's Church, the Catholic church as well. You 72 00:04:03,613 --> 00:04:06,733 Speaker 3: may recall that was the scene of that horrendous East 73 00:04:06,733 --> 00:04:10,613 Speaker 3: of Sunday terrorist bombing about five years ago. Just the 74 00:04:10,653 --> 00:04:13,493 Speaker 3: most amazing church. And then just down the road in 75 00:04:13,533 --> 00:04:19,813 Speaker 3: the Peta shopping district, Jamie or Alpha Mosque. My godness, 76 00:04:19,893 --> 00:04:23,293 Speaker 3: I thought I'd send some amazing masks. This thing is 77 00:04:23,333 --> 00:04:28,933 Speaker 3: a show stopper. Vivid candy striped minarets, the most ornate 78 00:04:29,093 --> 00:04:33,693 Speaker 3: Arabesque interiors. It is just a jaw dropper. Definitely add that. 79 00:04:33,653 --> 00:04:36,213 Speaker 2: To the chick nice is there good street food? 80 00:04:36,853 --> 00:04:41,933 Speaker 3: Really good? Yet Down on the Colombo beachfront green around twilight, 81 00:04:42,053 --> 00:04:45,053 Speaker 3: they fire up the food carts, and I fell in 82 00:04:45,093 --> 00:04:49,933 Speaker 3: love with a classic dish called Kotu ruti or kotu 83 00:04:50,413 --> 00:04:55,093 Speaker 3: roti sorry, which is your chopped roty with curried chickens, 84 00:04:55,093 --> 00:05:01,093 Speaker 3: scrambled eggs, chili and onions, so delicious. I acquainted myself 85 00:05:01,173 --> 00:05:05,693 Speaker 3: Jack with iso waddy Iso waddy, which are dal fritters 86 00:05:05,893 --> 00:05:09,013 Speaker 3: topped with spicy prawns. And the locals just live on 87 00:05:09,053 --> 00:05:14,333 Speaker 3: those things and chowered down on string hoppers. These are 88 00:05:14,333 --> 00:05:17,773 Speaker 3: those rice flowed steam noodles and they serve them with 89 00:05:17,933 --> 00:05:22,813 Speaker 3: gravy and pole sambol, which is a combination of freshly 90 00:05:22,893 --> 00:05:27,133 Speaker 3: grated coconut, Llott's chili and lime juice. And I mean 91 00:05:27,213 --> 00:05:29,773 Speaker 3: they have the hoppers all around the day. It's likely 92 00:05:29,773 --> 00:05:34,053 Speaker 3: every day breakfast. But that that that sandbolt, the freshly 93 00:05:34,093 --> 00:05:36,013 Speaker 3: grated coconut. Man, that's good. 94 00:05:36,293 --> 00:05:40,293 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, okay, I'm one over. That's so, am I right? 95 00:05:40,293 --> 00:05:41,693 Speaker 2: And I'm putting you on the spot here, am I right? 96 00:05:41,693 --> 00:05:45,453 Speaker 2: Because they've changed the status of the capital, right is 97 00:05:45,533 --> 00:05:49,373 Speaker 2: the capitals now Sri jayawardena quart or something I think 98 00:05:49,493 --> 00:05:49,613 Speaker 2: is that? 99 00:05:50,093 --> 00:05:55,653 Speaker 3: Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yes, it's like an administrative capital. 100 00:05:55,853 --> 00:05:58,573 Speaker 2: Yeah right, it's kind of adjacent to Colombo. Now right, yeah, correct, 101 00:05:59,213 --> 00:06:01,933 Speaker 2: so down the coast to Gaul. Did you catch it? 102 00:06:02,933 --> 00:06:05,773 Speaker 3: I did. I was lucky in town to be in town, well, 103 00:06:05,813 --> 00:06:07,973 Speaker 3: I thought of it's like you're given the dollar. 104 00:06:08,533 --> 00:06:10,493 Speaker 2: I was looking for you on TV. I didn't see it, 105 00:06:10,533 --> 00:06:12,013 Speaker 2: but you must have fought. Yeah. 106 00:06:12,613 --> 00:06:15,173 Speaker 3: So funny you mentioned that, because yes, I was one 107 00:06:15,213 --> 00:06:19,693 Speaker 3: of those sad tex who went who went Dutch. Oh, 108 00:06:20,613 --> 00:06:23,493 Speaker 3: I was standing on the ramparts of the fort, you know, 109 00:06:24,333 --> 00:06:28,733 Speaker 3: free and fabulous. But it is such an amazing spectacle. 110 00:06:29,253 --> 00:06:32,293 Speaker 3: And of course that's the ground that Shane Warn helps 111 00:06:32,373 --> 00:06:36,973 Speaker 3: resurrect after the Boxing Days tsunami. And these actually little 112 00:06:37,053 --> 00:06:39,773 Speaker 3: notices you can still see how high the water rose 113 00:06:39,853 --> 00:06:45,173 Speaker 3: and ball thirty meters in height around the Croocket grounds are. 114 00:06:45,093 --> 00:06:51,293 Speaker 2: Staggering three zero yes, what yes, seriously thirty meters. 115 00:06:51,813 --> 00:06:52,773 Speaker 3: Isn't that amable? 116 00:06:52,853 --> 00:06:55,973 Speaker 2: It seems Yeah, that's astonishing, okay, wow. 117 00:06:55,853 --> 00:06:59,373 Speaker 3: Yeah yeah so but yeah, it's such a gorgeous crookeet Graund. Yeah. 118 00:06:59,413 --> 00:07:02,893 Speaker 3: Thirty thousand Trilancons died and that tsunami. 119 00:07:02,693 --> 00:07:05,173 Speaker 2: That's so sad. Yeah, I mean, and and like you 120 00:07:05,213 --> 00:07:08,053 Speaker 2: said that the ground that has been resurrected in the 121 00:07:08,133 --> 00:07:10,333 Speaker 2: years following is I mean one of the one of 122 00:07:10,373 --> 00:07:12,853 Speaker 2: the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world. Is the 123 00:07:13,253 --> 00:07:15,773 Speaker 2: fortified Old town as good in the flesh as it 124 00:07:15,773 --> 00:07:16,413 Speaker 2: looks on Telly. 125 00:07:17,573 --> 00:07:20,733 Speaker 3: Great question because I thought, oh, you know what TV's like, 126 00:07:20,893 --> 00:07:24,413 Speaker 3: But it is such a jewel jacket. Really is amazing. 127 00:07:24,533 --> 00:07:27,613 Speaker 3: And it takes a good two hours to circumnavigate the 128 00:07:27,653 --> 00:07:30,613 Speaker 3: walls of the fort town. And that town is just 129 00:07:30,893 --> 00:07:35,093 Speaker 3: jammed packed with white washed buildings and terracotta reef tops. 130 00:07:35,173 --> 00:07:38,573 Speaker 3: Endlessly exotic. Is the sort of sensation you get as 131 00:07:38,573 --> 00:07:41,653 Speaker 3: you wander around. What blew me away about those fort 132 00:07:41,733 --> 00:07:44,613 Speaker 3: walls is how they were built the Dutch when they 133 00:07:44,653 --> 00:07:48,613 Speaker 3: took over from the Portuguese. They mined the reef just 134 00:07:48,733 --> 00:07:52,613 Speaker 3: offshore for the rock. So are you walking down the 135 00:07:52,693 --> 00:07:56,253 Speaker 3: remparts you can see the shells still in the rock 136 00:07:56,373 --> 00:08:00,253 Speaker 3: from the reef and for the view of us. There's 137 00:08:00,293 --> 00:08:03,613 Speaker 3: this place on the ramparts called flag Rock, and the 138 00:08:03,733 --> 00:08:07,133 Speaker 3: biggest buy from the street venders. There is something I'd 139 00:08:07,213 --> 00:08:11,413 Speaker 3: never come across before. A slice of fresh papya with 140 00:08:11,533 --> 00:08:13,213 Speaker 3: a sprinkling of chili powder. 141 00:08:13,893 --> 00:08:17,213 Speaker 2: Oh okay, because they do the mango with chili. You know, 142 00:08:17,293 --> 00:08:20,293 Speaker 2: that's the mango how to papya and chili go. 143 00:08:21,053 --> 00:08:23,693 Speaker 3: Yeah well yeah, I mean I always think mango is sweeter, 144 00:08:23,893 --> 00:08:27,813 Speaker 3: but the fresh papyre with the chili was really good. Yeah, 145 00:08:27,813 --> 00:08:30,733 Speaker 3: it was like the perfect balance. Yeah yeah, no, very 146 00:08:30,853 --> 00:08:31,173 Speaker 3: very good. 147 00:08:31,213 --> 00:08:33,253 Speaker 2: Ya'd but be happy to give that a crack. What 148 00:08:33,293 --> 00:08:34,013 Speaker 2: about the beaches? 149 00:08:34,893 --> 00:08:37,253 Speaker 3: Yeah, well I can now well believe why some people 150 00:08:37,333 --> 00:08:39,813 Speaker 3: had to go, not for the crickets but for the beaches, 151 00:08:39,933 --> 00:08:45,933 Speaker 3: because they are just so stupendously insta perfection of ely 152 00:08:46,173 --> 00:08:50,213 Speaker 3: brilliant jungle beach, really good. The one I would recommend though, 153 00:08:50,293 --> 00:08:54,133 Speaker 3: is Unawatuna Beach because it's banana shaped, you know, it's 154 00:08:54,173 --> 00:08:57,253 Speaker 3: just that perfect present and it's all soft blonde sands 155 00:08:57,293 --> 00:09:00,213 Speaker 3: and crystal clear waters that always pulls the crowd. It 156 00:09:00,253 --> 00:09:01,533 Speaker 3: will just chum your pants off. 157 00:09:01,613 --> 00:09:04,733 Speaker 2: Yeah nice, it sounds wonderful. Thank you, Mike. So we'll 158 00:09:04,733 --> 00:09:07,333 Speaker 2: put all of Mike's tips for visiting in Colombo and 159 00:09:07,413 --> 00:09:09,773 Speaker 2: Gaul and Sri Lanka up on the news talks Heb website. 160 00:09:09,813 --> 00:09:12,573 Speaker 2: We put everything up there, everything from our show. So 161 00:09:12,573 --> 00:09:15,213 Speaker 2: if you've got any questions about the TV shows that 162 00:09:15,253 --> 00:09:18,413 Speaker 2: we're recommending, our film picks for the week music, All 163 00:09:18,453 --> 00:09:20,933 Speaker 2: that good stuff all goes on the website News TALKSHEDB 164 00:09:21,053 --> 00:09:24,413 Speaker 2: dot co dot NZ, Forward slash Jack Jack. Good morning. 165 00:09:24,453 --> 00:09:29,213 Speaker 2: I've been to Diego, Garcia twice, says David on my 166 00:09:29,293 --> 00:09:32,333 Speaker 2: way to and from Somalia in nineteen ninety three while peacekeeping. 167 00:09:32,533 --> 00:09:34,413 Speaker 2: I mean, there's another fascinating part of the world, David, 168 00:09:34,813 --> 00:09:37,493 Speaker 2: Great Island, absolutely loved it, bloody hot. No one told 169 00:09:37,533 --> 00:09:41,373 Speaker 2: us what they actually did there. There are huge satellite dishes. 170 00:09:41,653 --> 00:09:43,933 Speaker 2: Love your show. Thank you, David ninety two ninety two. 171 00:09:43,933 --> 00:09:45,733 Speaker 2: If you want to send us a message 172 00:09:45,773 --> 00:09:48,893 Speaker 1: For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live 173 00:09:48,973 --> 00:09:52,133 Speaker 1: to News Talks dB from nine am Saturday, or follow 174 00:09:52,173 --> 00:09:53,773 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio