About Colombo Colombo, the capital of the island nation of Sri Lanka is also the commercial hub of the country. It lies in the southwest region of the nation, on the shore of Indian Ocean. The international airport is 34 Km from the city centre. Food Sri Lankan food is usually spicy. A basic curry, made with coconut milk, sliced onion, green chilli, aromatic spices such as cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and saffron and aromatic leaves is a speciality here. Hoppers are a - a cross between a muffin and a crumpet with a wafer-crisp edge, served with a fresh egg, baked on top. String hoppers are steamed circlets of rice flour, a little more delicate than noodles or spaghetti. Jaggery is like fudge made from the crystallized sap of the Kitul palm. The Durian fruit is considered a great delicacy. Tea is the national drink and thought to be amongst the best in the world. The sap of the toddy palm is fermented to make toddy, which is a popular local drink with an acrid taste. Toddy is often further distilled to make arrack, an alcoholic brew, which is available in varying degrees of potency. Culture The Sri Lankan population is formed of the descendants of people from North and South India, who migrated to the island, many generations ago. Sinhalese culture and Buddhism are strongly rooted in the south of the island, while Tamil and Hinduism dominate the North. The culture and accent of the Portuguese, Dutch and the British, who entered the island as traders, are also prevalent in the upper strata of society. Their influence can be seen in the churches, monuments, names, religious beliefs, costumes, culinary habits and smatterings of their languages, which have been absorbed into the speech of the Sri Lankans. Colombo is topographically divided into 15 zones. Tea, rubber and coconut are the major plantation products of this city as well as the whole country. With the growth of commerce, many large businesses in cities like Colombo saw the commercial possibilities of a local festival, Wesak. Sending of Wesak cards to friends and business associates has become the done thing, during the month of May. Shops selling large and small lanterns, candles, fairy lights and papers of all imaginable colours abound during this season.