It never ceases to amaze me how quickly I have adapted to living in Sri Lanka. I just read this article, Colombo tightens security after murders and my only thought was that explains why there were so many armed soldiers around this week. If I had walked outside my front door 12 months ago when I was still in the UK and got to the bottom of my road to find a landrover full of soldiers or been in a taxi that got stopped at an army checkpoint (both of which have happened in the last week) I'd have been very worried. Now its all part of my life. Once a week I work at a factory near the international airport at Katunayake and am driven passed many bunkers surrounded by sandbags with gun barrels pointing out from small slits. I don't even notice them sometimes.
In May we hired a driver to take us for a week's holiday and to get to Trincomalee on the east coast of Sri Lanka we travelled along one of the A roads in Sri Lanka where periodically there were signs at the side of the road warning of mine fields and burnt out buildings riddled with bullet holes. That was the most poignant journey of my life.
Nearly all of the larger shops, certainly in Colombo, have security guards and all bars frequented by the ex-pats do too. Our apartment block always has a couple of security guards on duty. It's all part of life over here.
Having said all that I certainly feel no danger living over here. Only once have we had any trouble when someone tried (and failed) to steal my wife's handbag. In a 10 month period living in Ripley, our home in the UK, we had someone murdered outside our house and my mobile phone stolen out tof my car whilst parked on the drive. So its all relative. I'd certainly say to anyone thinking about holidaying in Sri Lanka and reading an article like the one mentioned above not to be put off. Providing you take sensible precations there are no problems in Colombo for visitors and I am willing to bet it is a lot safer than many European or American cities :-)