Impressions of Sri Lanka Part I

We have been in Sri Lanka almost a month now. Most of it we have spent at the beach, riding waves and chuckling at the fact that we are sweating outside and getting sand in our hair in February. I thought that Sri Lanka would be just like India...there is only a thin strip of ocean separating them, after all...but the two countries are very different. In India the museum tapestries show Indian maharajas and their entourages gambolling in lush green gardens. India now is dusty and the feeling there is desperate. In Sri Lanka we have found the gardens that India depicts in its long ago, greens and flowers and forest in the hill country. The people are still a bit new to the tourism that is taking their country by storm, and while I wouldn't call them naive...they have a keen eye for the tourist dollar...they at least don't seem as poor or hustling as those in India. 

There is a plethora of curries here and we are eating rice in quantity. A typical meal consists of a huge mound of rice and 3 or 4 different vegetarian curries, plus fish or chicken curry if you want, enough with which to finish your rice. We've had to say "no more!", because they will keep feeding you until you burst. This costs about 4$ CDN...for 2 people. We drink coconut water every day and usually make ourselves a salad in the evenings. Simple, good food (they love spicy here) and Nathan's pants threaten to fall down if he doesn't cinch his belt and I am considering having my shirts altered because they are flapping about me and showing a bit more chest than I'm comfortable with. 

We are taking our time since we are planning to be here for three months.   I'm happy to be able to find a waterfall and sit for awhile, appreciating the sun on the mountain and the sound of the water rushing. We eat our mango and bananas and listen to the birds and watch the clouds make shapes as they hug the tiered gardens of the hill country and burn off as the chill of early morning gives way to the heat of the day. Lots of people hurry over take a picture and take off again, running to the next sight.  I'm happy to do one thing a day, and really DO IT. I have enough of hurrying when I'm working. 

The people are friendly and eager to try out their English on us, especially the kids. The ladies mostly have long, long hair braided down their backs and everyone wears flip flops. In the hill country, they wear toques and heavy coats in the morning, because it gets down to 12 or 15 degrees at night!

The beds are touch and go and pillow fights must be unknown here because any child being hit by a swinging pillow is at risk for concussion.  Despite this, we fall into bed exhausted at 9 pm and wake naturally at 6am. I must be in permanent sleep debt when I'm working, because 9 hours a night is unheard of. 

I retain my natural pallor through a combination of large hats, sunscreen and long, loose clothing. Someone today told me he had never seen anyone so white outside of Northern Ireland ... My Irish roots are showing!  Nathan has an excellent farmers tan. We are having fun.