After my surprise at finding that Arthur C. Clarke had been in Sri Lanka, I naturally investigated further into what I am sure is common knowledge to many fans. He lived in Sri Lanka over fifty years, from 1956 until his death in 2008. I also found out that he is buried in Colombo's central cemetery, which is a few hundred metres down the road from our house.
So, I headed into the cemetery, which is not huge but sizeable, not knowing where his grave was but knowing what it looked like. Asking a man near the gate, I was told 11th Lane and headed that way. The cemetery is peaceful and leafy; I also read that it is the safest place to cycle in Colombo if you don't want to end up in the cemetery more permanently.
I decided to ask another man who was sweeping leaves up not far off. I greeted him in Sinhala. He didn't reply but beckoned me over. I said (in English) "I'm looking for Arthur C. Clarke's grave" – "I know." he replied, "Come". He led me a few metres off to the grave (which was suddenly obvious) and conscientiously swept the dead leaves off. "His body – here." he said, pointing down at the ground.
There was this weathered Japanese (or Chinese?) book laid at the grave. I'd like to have known which book it was (the cover was obliterated so no clues from the cover art); The Sentinel/2001 or something less obvious?
I had read that he was buried next to his "perfect friend", Leslie Ekanayake, who died in 1977, aged 30. The stone border to the plot had presumably lain empty for some time, since 1977? I wondered how many times over the years Arthur had himself stood here, remembering Leslie and waiting to join him there.
I also wondered if the family had to think twice about using a black(ish) monolith for a gravestone ...
As I walked back towards the gate I heard something drop into a bush, by the hedgerow, a couple of metres to my left. Draped like some comedy christmas tinsel was a medium-sized green snake that had presumably dropped from the tree above. It's body quickly sank into the bush but it left its head up, sticking out the bush like a little periscope, and eyeballed me. As I drew my camera up it dropped from sight. I suddenly rethought the time I had spent under the little tree at the grave and realized that for all that I had scrutinized the graves, kept an eye open for shady characters and observed the birdlife, my guard had been totally down for snakes dropping from the trees onto me.
NOTE: I add these should any stubble across this that wants better directions for finding the grave than I found:
>Enter from Elvitigala Mw. main gates and follow the main central pathway, running parallel to Bauddhaloka Mw.; you will notice the street signs for each of the lateral lanes.
>Just after the Buddhist Funeral Parlour comes 11th Lane, follow it left, towards Bauddhaloka Mw and it is to the left, between 10th and 11th (so, on your left if you've followed these instructions), situated under a smallish tree.
>If you see this remarkable crypt of S. A. Simon Perara (proprietor of Mable Stores), you have gone too far towards 10th and the road.
