Gem in the Indian Ocean

On the world map, Sri Lanka looks like a teardrop-shaped gem floating below India. Coincidentally, Sri Lanka is famous for its huge supply of precious gemstones, and is one of the most important gemstone-trading markets in the world. However, not having the budget to spend on this type of souvenir, the gems of Sri Lanka for me were the welcoming people, beautiful nature, and spicily delicious food. (After "thank you," the next Sinhala words I learned were "rasai hondai," meaning "tastes delicious," because I'd be saying this after almost every meal). While here, I've also learned much more about Sri Lanka's long history, which since ancient times has been entwined with Buddhism and in more recent history, tea.

Endemic Layard's Parakeet (pic from Internet)

Delicious rice and curry

Initially, I had a little trouble getting to Sri Lanka. When I showed up at 6:00am at the Kathmandu airport for my 8:30am flight, I was told at the check-in counter that I could not board. Apparently, foreigners are not allowed to fly from one Indian airport to another without a visa, and since the second leg of my three-leg flight went from Delhi to Mumbai, I was unable to use my ticket. So then and there, I was forced to reschedule the flight to depart at 4:00pm from Kathmandu, paying hefty fees. The flight brought me to Mumbai, where I waited until 2:00am the next day to fly the last three hours to Sri Lanka. Luckily, after landing in Sri Lanka things went pretty smoothly from thereon.

One of my best experiences with people here was happening upon a family to stay with on the edge of a national rainforest called Sinharaja. While spending half a day in a city called Ratnapura a few hours from the park, I came across a national forestry office in my wanderings. I went in and chatted with an official, and he told me most lodges near Sinharaja cost about $30-60+ per night, out of my range. But after a while, he told me about a family he knew living near the park if I didn't mind staying with a local family and with simple conditions. He said they'd be happy with whatever I could afford to give. This was exactly what I'd hoped for—a chance to visit with Sri Lankans and eat home cooked local food as well. The family was heartwarmingly welcoming and their place was only 1km from the forest, where I went birdwatching for two days with a local guide. Despite enduring several leech attacks and one afternoon downpour, we saw many colourful birds, several endemic to Sri Lanka, as well as huge snakes, unique lizards, and the endemic purple-faced monkey. Even from the family's place I was able to spot many beautiful birds. Just as much as the birdwatching, I enjoyed spending time with the family in their simple, lovely home and eating delicious home cooked curries. When I said goodbye after a few days there, the sweet grandmother started to cry, bringing tears to the eyes of her daughter, granddaughter, and me, and supporting my theory that grandparents are the sweetest people worldwide

Green Pit Viper

Horned Lizard

Saying bye in Sinharaja

Other great experiences with people included being invited to a Tamil village's festival and helping prepare and enjoy the day's festivities, being asked to come to a school for a morning to practice English with students, and staying with another family in Ella in the hill country of Sri Lanka while doing day hikes. Overall, I found Sri Lankan people to be very warm, welcoming, and friendly (despite sometimes too-friendly men).

Cooking for the Tamil festival

Mealtime in the village temple

Friendly village ladies

Inside village temple

Morning routine at school

Playing English games

Hill country hiking

Admittedly, I knew little about Sri Lanka's history before coming here, but I've found it interesting to learn about. With human civilization going going back to 32,000 BC, three colonizers (Portuguese, Dutch, then British), and civil war in the 1970s - 2009, there's a lot to learn. I found it especially interesting learning about the country's ancient history of Buddhism and more modern history of tea.

Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC, and today the majority of Sri Lankans are Buddhist. In Kandy, there's an interesting World Buddhism Museum, which highlights the history of Buddhism and its spread through so many countries. I learned that Sri Lanka played a significant role in Buddhism's spread, and that today Buddhism is intertwined with the country's educational, cultural, and political sectors in more ways than I fully understand.

Typical village Buddhist shrine

Temple of the Buddha's Tooth Relic in Kandy

Tea wasn't widely planted until the 1870s in Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon under the British; however, since that time tea has dramatically shaped Sri Lanka's economy and landscape. Although Sri Lanka took its former name back along with its independence in 1948, the world famous tea of Sri Lanka is still known as Ceylon tea. Some of the big names in tea like Thomas Lipton and James Taylor were pioneers in Sri Lanka's tea growing industry. It was fun learning more by visiting a tea museum, a factory in action, and tea fields. After having volunteered on the tea farm in Nepal, I craved joining in with the tea pluckers, and one morning got the chance for a while with a few friendly pluckers.

Morning tea plucking

Tea break for tea pluckers

While here, I was also able to witness history in the making. When I arrived, campaigning was in full swing for the national elections, which were to be held a week later. Posters were plastered everywhere of the incumbent, Mahinda Rajapaksa (who'd been in office since 2005) and the unexpected rival, Maithrapala Sirisena (who was once a health minister). The posters were on lightposts, buildings, trees, buses, the backs of tuk-tuks, everywhere I looked, and more it seemed of the incumbent. Then, on election day itself, I was advised to stay indoors in the afternoon in case of violence after the voting as has happened after past elections. While nothing too serious happened, we did hear a lot of noise coming from the town and heard of one man being beaten in a fight. International news media and most Sri Lankans I spoke with thought the incumbent was sure to win again; so, we were all surprised when it was announced that the unexpected rival won by 51%. In fact, a spontaneous national holiday was held the following day with shops staying closed, buses cancelled, people lighting firecrackers, and men loudly driving trucks or tuk-tuks with the new president's picture plastered on them. Then, the following day, all the campaign posters of the former president seemed to be torn down with only the new president's remaining.

Old president

New president

A few days later, when I was in Kandy, the new president came to give his inaugural speech in front of the sacred Temple of the Buddha's Tooth Relic. Without knowing he was coming there, I somehow ended up at the right place at the right time amongst the hundreds of people gathered to see him and listen to his first speech as president. It was fun to be in the middle of Sri Lanka history in the making.

Waiting for the new president to arrive

First speech by President Sirisena

I don't think you will feel sorry for me when I tell you I've been spending my last several days here in a quiet beach area. It is a good way to wind down after 17 months on the road and before coming home to Ontario and Minnesota in the middle of winter. I cannot wait to see family and friends!!!!

Aptly nicknamed "Silent Beach"

Natural whirlpool

Southern Sri Lankan sunset