Ceylon

Modern Sri Lanka, it is the setting of the entire book.

Jaffna

A city that Michael travels through early in the book.

Kegalle

The city where Michael's family lived; Rock Hill was located in Kegalle.

Rock Hill

Bought by Philip Ondaatje, Mervyn and Doris came into possession of it. When they divorced, Doris left everything behind. Mervyn lived out his days there.

Palm Lodge

Palm Lodge was the estate of the Graetiens.

Resthouses

The roads in Ceylon were poor, so many resthouses existed along the way. Mervyn gets into a feud with another man of high social standing at these resthouses.

The Train

The major railway of Ceylon was the sight of one of the major events in the book, Mervyn's drunken binge that finally got him banned from using the train.

The Ceylon Light Infantry

Mervyn was a member of the Ceylon Light Infantry, eventually rising...