Hikkaduwa before the internet

Colombo near Fort Station. Photo courtesy: Calflier001 – Wikimedia.org

Being in Hikkaduwa for six weeks before the internet meant day trips to Colombo to pick up snail mail.

Snail mail

I love the internet and its convenience — checking maps, FaceTime, instant messaging to name a few. But I know children still get a kick out of receiving snail mail.

I headed to Puducherry’s post office to mail postcards to my grandchildren. Others dipped their fingers in the sticky glue to paste on stamps. I wiped my stamps across the glue and found the ancient post box that looked like it could easily be ripped off the fence and broken into.