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| Sunday, 1 December 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Dream inn on the banks of Bolgoda Lake
Deepal Peiris is a perfect example of an enterprising man, albeit an unlikely mix of business acumen and aesthetic sense. A visit to his out-of-this world tourist retreat on the banks of the Bolgoda Lake will see that it is a combination of the qualities mentioned above that went into the creation of his dream inn. If you are as imaginative as Deepal is, you could imagine that you are in ancient Sri Lanka, in a satellite building that is part of a king's palace. Built on ten acres of land directly opposite a now rather derelict island of San Michelle, the garden of Deepal's retreat is lapped by the waters of the lake, now a fashionable weekend playground of rich locals and foreign visitors and expatriates who sport on the water of a once neglected lake which had a crocodile population. These reptiles are still to be found further from the 'civilised' areas of the lake where the jet set weekend. All you see now near Deepal's palace are some humble kabaragoyas,which might add a further touch of exotica as far as the foreign visitors are concerned.
Your introduction to the house is a huge timber door which might have originated in Dutch Galle of five centuries ago. This door,with enormous locks is the key to what to expect in the other parts of the house. The outer walls of the inn are of exposed brickwork-an inspiration that took hold of the owner on seeing an old house in Bellanwila. But your first turn as you enter the verandah is the sitting area which overlooks the lake and which needs no airconditioning because of the delicious breeze that constantly blows in from the water. An unusual touch is that you can sit on the edge of the lounge area and dip your toes in the swimming pool which is not like a swimming pool in the five-star sense of the word. The lounge area is open, and the strip of lawn and pebbly gravel on the side, with wooden columns is reminiscent of ancient Sinhala dwelling houses only to be found in the history manuals of the island. Between the swimming pool and the lake is a lawn with shade trees bordering it.
Every stick of furniture is of antique value as are the columns (pillars) that prop up the upstair quarters which have to be experienced to be appreciated. There are five rooms in all with a large master bedroom that has an attached, al fresco bathroom that would delight foreign tourists, especially those from the West where such touches can only be dreamt about. All the bathrooms are 'outdoors' but fitted with the most modern gadgets. The tub in the master bedroom dates from British colonial times. Showers are in the form of 'peelas' which can be seen in rural areas and are still used by people as showers. Dutch period chairs adorn the simple sitting area which also has unusual coffee tables which were originally antique windows turned tables by Deepal. A bar with a wide variety of liquors and wines is also in the sitting area. Deepal Peiris is a marine engineer who sailed the seas for several years, so it explains why he selected a piece of land by the water's edge to build his inn which was to have been opened a couple of months ago but will now be functional from this month. He lives in Switzerland where he is now a resident, and has two children schooling in the US. The to-be manager of the small hotel, Fonseka and his homely wife who will see to the housekeeping side of the management arrived at lunchtime and Mrs. Fonseka immediately slipped into her role by supervising the simple setting of the table for a simple, Sri Lankan meal. Let the pictures speak for themselves. |
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