After years of spending my christmas holiday in Nuwara Eliya I decided to do it at a christian hamlet this time around. And it was not a disappointing experience at all, after all it was 'Christmas in Negombo, and how any better can it get?

By Prasad Abu Bakr

It was the 24th of December and the beginning of my christmas vacation, which is something I look forward to because as the saying goes it's the season of cheer.

I was on my way to Hotel Seashells, which is a Jetwing Hotel where its General Manager Ravi Ramsay very generously offered me the opportunity to experience, what it is like to spend the holiest days of the christian calendar in this little Rome on the North Western coastal belt.

On my way I noticed that the Negombo market place was buzzing with last minute shoppers in hoy blazing sun and there I was racing towards the resort area seeking shelter from the blaze, that usually is more severe during the months ranging from May almost until up to September every year.

It was only a matter of time before I reached the hotel surrounded by its large white walls with the emblem of a Seashell boldly marked on the right side of the gateway at the entrance.

There was also the Crib with the tale of Bethlehem sitting on to the left of the main door of the lobby entrance. The Crib is commonly found almost at everybody's doorstep during the yuletide season.

I was welcomed by Judy Jayawardena, who is at present the Restaurant and Bar Manager of the property and also has been a long standing employee of the place serving at different positions before her present posting.

I noticed that he rooms were large and spacious and so were the Patios of these ground floor rooms, where one can sit out facing the beach enjoying a drink at any time of the day. and since I was given one of the corner most rooms at the far end of the left wing of the hotel, where the beach almost extends up-close to ones room.

Early christmas eve was a treat to be remembered because as unlike in Colombo where christmas shopping is all about many things filled with many western values here in this vast town where majority of its inhabitants are christians a lot of local features can be found in the manner in which they celebrate their christmas.

It is not only the baubles and gift wrappings that they look at, it is cooking their meals out side their kitchens in large earthen ware on hearths using firewood.

The pottery sellers, and vendors with their array of locally churned out sweetmeats and fruit sellers doing brisk business on the same level as big time super markets and various other shops.

Christmas eve was a fabulous experience at Hotel Seashells, with the air filled with music and the table laid with a seven course sit down dinner menu comprising of:

Jewel of the Indian Ocean Tiger Prawns with Sauce Remoulade
Cream of Pumpkin & Cauliflower with Parmesan Stick
Sole Fish & Lagoon prawns Teriyaki Stock served with Cognac Crayfish Butter
Followed by Lemon & Mint Sorbet.

Traditional Christmas roulade of Turkey and australian rack of Lamb on Oriental Potato Cake & Shitake Mushroom Terrine with English Cranberry sauce followed by Brown Rice & Vegetable Stew with Char grilled Sausages served as the main course.

Steamed Christmas Pudding accompanied by rich Brandy sauce followed by Tea or Coffee and Petit Fours completed the extensive dinner event prepared by Executive Chef Lakshman Liyanage and his kitchen brigade, who are actually doing an excellent job even with the hotels daily menu.

There was fireworks to usher in christmas, which is everybody's fascination on an evening such as that.

Ravi Ramsay, I found out did not just pop into that position of General Manager but had to wade through many a marsh during his thirty years in the hospitality industry. He explained that the property comprised of 72 rooms out of which 28 were air conditioned.

All rooms are well appointed with a friendly room service staff and answers to your call at short notice.

There is a vast swimming pool where one can dip to keep you cool from the humidity that builds up in this quaint little fishing town most hours of the day - even in December. There is a pool site bar where most of the guests wind up during the day and mostly at sundown hours.

The next morning though I tried to find some activity at the fish exchange I found that Christmas eve and Christmas day are when most of the fishing folk keep away from going to sea.

But the streets were beautiful with many a home sporting their own stylised crib at the entrance. Another reason was that the usual buzz that prevail within the Negombo town had slowed down almost to a lull.

Returning to the hotel mid noon, after a nice homely lunch I set on my way to Polonnaruwa, which had just suffered a major threat of a colossal flood situation.