All The Things (the rest of Sri Lanka)

As you can see from the above map, in the month I spent in Sri Lanka, I was able to see a lot of the country. When I return, I will likely spend more time hiking in the hill country and then see the north. I'd also like to do a cycle tour of one of the coasts, but I wouldn't do that alone. 

The following are the remaining places I explored while in Sri Lanka that I haven't covered in a previous post. There isn’t a flow really, because I was going back to Kandy between some of these things and staying with Nirol’s family, so this blog post should read as a list . . . 

Adam’s Peak -

I took a bus or two from Kandy to Nallathanni, which is a small town built around supporting the trek up to the top of Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak). There is a temple at the top where supposedly Buddha’s footprint was left. You have to start the trek sometime between midnight and two a.m. depending on the crowds, as it gets very narrow and crowded near the top. I went for the trek and the views, which are supposed to be stunning at sunrise.

I spent most of the bus ride there playing with this handsome baby, who was having a love affair with my index finger . . . 

Once arrived, I had dinner in my hotel and spent a few hours trying to fall asleep to the charming yelling and praying and singing coming from loudspeakers all night long. I think I got two hours of sleep before I woke up at 1:30 am. There were tons of people on the trail and maybe only a handful of other foreigners. Everyone else was Sri Lankan as far as I could tell, and almost all of them were either barefoot or wearing flip-flops. Conversely, my cross trainers made my arches hurt within 15 minutes, which is very interesting. (And I got blisters on the backs of my heels!)

I’ve read a lot in the past few years about the health of barefoot or near-barefoot activity, and happen to usually wear flip-flops or converse when being active these days. Then the second I put on my fancy made-for-trail shoes, my feet regret it. After repacking for my flight out of Sri Lanka, I decided to be crazy and throw them away at the Colombo airport. I haven't regretted it yet.

It’s a steady uphill climb, mostly paved with stairs, but it’s still a challenge. Sometimes I would hang out to climb behind old women to catch a breath. Getting closer to the top, it got crowded and the pace slowed down considerably; sometimes to a standstill. I looked back down at the string of lights below and marveled at how far we had come. The sky was filled with stars and the air was perfumed with incense. Someone started singing a prayer, and it spread like wildfire until half the people around me were singing together. 

                               

When I reached the top I got a serious talking to from the tourist police who told me to keep my bag in front of me and not to talk to strangers. I took off my shoes, which is customary to enter a temple, but it was so cold and I had decided not to go up to see the “footprint” anyway, so after 30 minutes I just put them back on again as I scouted a good spot to watch the sunrise.

I was leaning up against a railing, quite comfortable, until the crowds came out of nowhere and I was having flashbacks to the concerts of my youth, where it was common to get pushed up against the front of the stage by hundreds of other people trying to steal my spot. It wasn’t quite so rowdy. An old man with three or four teeth fell asleep on my back. He snored. I wanted out of there. 

I turned around and panic set it when I saw how truly packed in I was. I tried to go right to no avail. I tried to go straight to no avail. A teenage boy saw the anguish in my face and pointed to a small passageway to my left. I pushed through the crowd until I reached the tunnel. I followed it out to the stairs and started the slow, crowded descent. But I enjoyed the sunrise in far more comfort. The walk down made the whole thing worth it. There were hardly any people and the scenery was lovely.

Kandy: In one whirlwind day, I went to see the gorgeous Peredeniya Gardens, the Big Buddha on the hill, the Tooth Temple, and I saw Kandyan dancers.

Peradeniya Gardens: I loved this place. 

Big Buddha on hill: hiking up to this temple through town with Nirol was fun, and the views of Kandy were great. 

The Tooth Temple is one of the most important buddhist temples in the world, as it houses the tooth relic of Buddha. There is a huge festival every year where they take it around on an elephant. The last elephant in charge of this died and was preserved and has its own little temple on the grounds. 

The tooth is under a dagoba, as are all relics. No one can see the tooth except the monks and I guess there is one day a month people can see it, which is pretty rare for relics. Usually they go into a dagoba and never are seen again (pretty convenient in my opinion - who knows if the said relic is really there?). I didn’t take any pictures here either, except one of Nirol outside. 

The inside had a lot of great art explaining the history of the tooth relic and the history of the temple itself. It was partially destroyed in a major bombing during the war.

Kandyan Dance: The long day ended with a showcase of Kandyan dances. This was awesome. I love seeing traditional dances for some reason. Some of them train for decades to reach certain levels of dance. There were even fire walkers!

Arugam Bay: Famous for being in the top ten best surfing spots in the world, this small town on the east coast of Sri Lanka is  incredibly difficult to get to, so there are not as many tourists as you would expect, and most of them are backpackers looking for a cheap place to hang out for weeks or months on end, surfing and relaxing with friends.

The first place I stayed was 2,000 rupees a night ($15), which was expensive for the area. The second place I stayed was only slightly less fancy and cost 1,000 rupees a night with a free bicycle. All were right at the beach.

Due to my recent brush with drowning, I wasn’t quite up to trying out surfing. Lots of people were getting injured and contracting blood poisoning from infections, so I’m kind of glad I just did my daily swim. I was pretty lazy in Arugam Bay. Most days were like this: 

I slept in, eat a big slow breakfast (of banana porridge, a huge plate of fruit, and a pot of coffee), go to my room and read, ride my bike in the country, then grab a beer or two from the Beach Hut restaurant and take it to the beach for sunbathing and swimming. Around 4 or 5, I’d take a shower and head down the road for a yummy dinner of kottu or seafood.

I never went out at night by myself, which is pretty normal, but I felt particularly unsafe venturing out alone there. It’s just risky, considering the attitude that many of the men openly exercise. I had some run-ins with the local perverts on the beach, including getting yelled at after I complained to the police. After speaking with some other locals and tourist women about it, I learned how common it is. 

I won’t share the stories I heard, because some of them are really disgusting, but I will tell you that I made an effort to sit nearby or with other people on the beach the last half of the time I was there. It really is sad, because this town lives off of tourism, but if women can’t feel comfortable or safe being alone here, the locals are going to lose out in the long run. 

People give all kinds of religious excuses for these perverts relating to how foreigners dress in comparison to the locals (the area is heavily muslim), but I think they are all B.S., especially considering how long foreigners have been going there. Additionally, if your religion is an excuse to treat women like sex objects and/or garbage, then there’s something wrong with your religion or there is something wrong with your understanding of it. 

A happier fact: Every afternoon you hear the pleasant little songs of an ice cream truck rolling down the main road. If you run out to greet it, you will indeed find carbs, yes . . . But instead of the truck being filled with ice cream, it is filled with bread.

Surprisingly, I took no pictures of the beach. 

Oh yeah, a young Sri Lankan guy stole my sunglasses after we bonded over singing. He sang a Hindi song to me and I sang “I feel the earth move” by Carole King. Then he took my sunglasses. Boo.

After Arugam Bay, I took a bus to Trinco, planning to stay for a day or two and do some scuba or snorkeling, but once I got there it was raining and wasn’t going to stop for days. Trinco is expensive, and Nirol was there dropping some clients off, so I chose to ride back to Kandy with him. The bus ride up there wasn’t a waste, however. I saw almost the entire east coast of Sri Lanka and determined it would be a great place to do a bike tour . . . With a friend, of course. There are lots of beautiful empty beaches, little towns, etc. 

On the way back, we stopped at a stall on the side of the road to inquire after the price of limes. I had heard about “limepocalypse” which is driving up the price of limes to epic proportions in the States, causing a friend of mine to spend $6.50 on FOUR limes. When the woman called out to us her answer, Nirol and I cackled like crazy people, confusing the heck out of the poor woman. The whole plate of limes (15 or 20) cost 50 rupees, or $0.38!! We bought them all.

Below is a picture of one of the "private" buses which are a little bit more expensive. I think they mostly put the money into the decorations and the sound system, which they blast with music the whole time.

We also ran into a family of wild elephants crossing the road. It wasn’t a whole herd, just a family. Nirol said this is very rare to see but also very dangerous.

My last adventure in Sri Lanka was visiting the ancient capital of Anuradhapura. This place is full of old temples, so it’s funny that I would still choose to give it a shot, but I did. Most other places on the island were being rained out, so it was one of my only choices. I had a nice time. I hired a guide, Ruwan, outside of my hotel, who took me around on a scooter. I had a helmet . . . but it didn't have a chin strap, so it was mostly for show.

After I explained to him I wasn’t too keen on temples and wasn’t looking forward to paying the very large price for the all-inclusive ticket, he brightened and said he could show me all the stuff the normal tourists never have time to see: some old ruins and nature spots. Though we did go to one temple that I DID actually want to see, we had a great time, and I saw some beautiful scenery and wildlife, as well as some interesting ruins, including a very fancy urinal stone that monks used to use!

This bridge here was built in the 5th century AD!! It crossed a wide expanse.

This site was a place that monks were given to live. There were a lot of goats hanging out here. I love goats.

They carved out all sorts of spots where they could meditate in peace, even when it rained. And while we were there, it rained, so I got to experience how genius their simple engineering was.

After Anuradhapura, I headed back to Gelioya, where I stayed another night before heading to the airport to leave Sri Lanka for my next destination: Borneo!

Lassanai (On getting adopted in Sri Lanka)

One of the first Sinhalese words I learned was “lassanai”, which means “beautiful”. It came in handy so often in Sri Lanka, (and delighted so many people when I used it) that I’ve decided it is one of the words I want to learn in every country I visit. “Tasty” (rasai) and “good” (hodai) are nice too, other than the usual “How are you?”, “How much?”, “What is your name?” and “How old are you?” questions. 

Almost all of the Sinhala I learned was originally written down by my tuk-tuk driver in Colombo (the Sri Lankan Charlie Sheen). I remember watching him take great care with his handwriting and put lots of thought into the words I should know. I was thinking it was a waste of effort. I had no idea at the time that I would get so much use out of it.

After dropping the guys off at the airport, the plan was to spend one night with Nirol and his family in Gelioya, a small village near Kandy, and then the next morning take the various required buses to reach Nallathanni, where I would hike Adam’s peak. However, once I had sat down to enjoy the huge feast Nirol prepared for me that evening, he and Kumari offered for me to stay longer if I would like to participate in his family’s festivities for the Sinhalese New Year the next day. How could I refuse such an opportunity? 

After my late breakfast (another ridiculously huge feast) the relatives started arriving: parents, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews . . . All from the village or from Peradeniya (nearest town). Nirol’s parents and much of his family live just next door or down the road. 

To pass the time waiting for everyone to arrive, Posindu and his cousins taught me a little gambling game where you roll a bunch of shells that have the curved part on one side or the opening on the other. If you roll and all the shells but one are the same, you win (6 facing down, one up). If all are the same, the other person wins. If neither scenario occurs, the other person rolls. Posindu won all of my coins (Sri Lankan, American, Thai, and Malay) as well as the money his father gave me to play more.

Once the family had all arrived, two of Nirol’s nieces took charge. They had organized the whole day:

For Sinhalese New Year there are lots of traditional games or “events” as they call them that are done. First, however, the Chief Guests light wicks (I was a chief guest along with the family elders).

Then we began the events. Despite the little english that the family could speak, it was fairly easy to figure out each game either because it reminded me of games I have played in the States, or they were so simple.

The first event was guessing how many seeds were in the papaya (there were about 127 I think).

Then the rest of the events were usually blind-folded or hands-tied-behind-the-back, like . . . 

Draw the eye on the elephant! (Like pin the tail on the donkey!)

Race and then thread your partner’s needle:

Race while balancing the lime on the spoon that’s in your mouth, Fill the bottle with water passed in your hands down a line, Blow the balloon until it pops, Drink the juice with no hands, Musical Chairs (they let me win), Pass the Hat (they let me win), Eat the bun on the string with no hands . . .  

. . . and Dance with the balloon between your heads until it falls:

Then they passed out prizes for the winners! I won a watermelon and two gold metal plates in the Buddhist symbols of the sun and moon with a rabbit. 

It was kind of awkward at times, not really being able to have much conversation with most of them, but the afternoon was filled with warm smiles, laughter, hugs, and being told I was “lassanai”, and now part of their family. They went above and beyond . . . Making sure I won a game, trying to make me comfortable in the heat, having the first pick from all of the food and sweets, involving me in all of the games, making sure I got pictures of myself playing, etc. 

When the time came for speeches (yes, speeches), they asked me to give one (!). It was short and incredibly simple with as much sinhala as I could insert into it. Looking around at each of them, I was once again overcome with gratitude and amazement at the beauty that we can give one another. I felt like the luckiest person in the world and at the same time I felt certain that this earth is filled with people giving just as much love to strangers and one another as I experienced that day. I got a little choked up thanking them, but quickly recovered when I said they were a “lassanai” family. It had become a big inside joke. That silly white girl always saying “lassanai”. They all laughed and gathered around me in hugs, announcing family picture time.

 

I ended up staying with Nirol, Kumari, and Posindu about a week or ten days in total over the rest of the month as I did various trips. Each time I left, they would pack me a lunch with sandwiches and fruit. Nirol would come with me to the bus station and speak with my driver, and then have me call him when I got on another bus so he could speak with the next driver to ensure my safely getting to the right place. He would sit with me on the bus until it was going to leave, and would get so excited if another white person traveling alone got on the bus and could sit with me. He always assumed we would become best friends. 

Here is a picture of the Kandy bus terminal with Nirol in the bottom corner looking concerned:

I purchased a cheap little cell phone for about $20 (you can have two SIM cards in it!) and got a Sri Lankan SIM, so Kumari texted me every day to make sure I was okay, tell me they missed me, and would warn me about this and that and tell me to be careful. I have never felt more taken care of in my life!

I loved Nirol’s home. He’s been building it for a long time. They first started out with one bedroom, a laundry room, and the kitchen. Then they built on the family room and dining, then Posindu’s bedroom. Next they are saving for turning their laundry room into a “real” bathroom with a commode and shower inside. They have a squat toilet in a room outside and the shower, well . . . It’s pretty nice in comparison to how many other people have to bathe in that country (in rivers and streams). 

I have to say that I grew to really love showering out there, though the first time was probably one of the most awkward moments of my life. Poor Kumari, trying to help me figure out how to wash myself while wearing a sarong at the same time, just made me feel even more awkward. I must’ve looked like a complete idiot, but I’m not exactly used to being watched and critiqued while bathing, nor do I know how to wash my intimates while covered . . . All in the open! I admit I rushed it, and Kumari was quite concerned that I wasn’t clean enough. *Sigh* 

They must’ve caught on, because the next day they offered for me to shower in Nirol’s brother’s house, which has facilities inside. It was indeed a relief. However, Kumari came up with a genius idea the day after: “Wear swimming kit!” Yes, yes . . . My bikini! That night I stood on the rocks beneath the spout and washed my entire self thoroughly while taking little breaks to drink from a cold beer. And it was raining. And there wasn’t a (known) soul around. I was smiling the entire time.

(The only really tough part is dropping the soap into the rocks and mud . . . that's annoying. Or when it is a little cold and you have to get a tub of hot water and use that to keep warm while you wash.)

I’m sure you can imagine, the food was amazing. Nirol went out of his way to make sure that I was able to try all sorts of Sri Lankan dishes. “Rice and Curry” is the usual meal, which sounds really boring, but believe me, it isn’t. Yes, you get rice . . . And at least one kind of curry . . . And then other little dishes of vegetables and spicy and coconutty things. I had string hoppers, normal hoppers, and egg hoppers. I had Kottu (my favorite) which is cut up rotti (a bread) with vegetables and meat chopped up. You can add cheese, which is delicious. One of my favorites was jackfruit, which takes a crazy amount of preparation, but the dish Nirol made was soooo good! 

I didn't take a ton of photos of the food, but here's some excellent breakfasts I had:

The juice! Ooh the juice! And the fruit! Every morning with breakfast, I would get some kind of smoothie made from a combination of papaya, mango, lime, banana, and pineapple. And I’d get coffee too, of course. 

I also really liked the ice cream and even the curds w/ honey . . . Beef curds more than buffalo curds, but really they are all different tasting depending on what the animal was into beforehand, I guess. The honey is kitul honey, which comes from a tree. They also make candy from it. 

Nirol also made me an avocado float (avocado shake with ice cream on top) that was delicious! Anyways, there’s too much food to discuss.

 

The kitchen was an interesting place! They had a small fridge, and most food was stored in little buckets under the counter. Shelves of vegetables, spices, and herbs. Baskets of fruit. There is even a grinder just for coconuts!

In the evenings, I loved spending time with Posindu. We played monopoly, made Vesak lanterns (for Vesak, Buddha’s birthday), played drums, and practiced English and Sinhala. 

 

I even went with Nirol and Posindu to a Buddhist ceremony a few days before I left. All of the children lined up with flags, flowers, and other things, along with some drummers in costume, and everyone wore white. We walked up and down the street and gathered more people from other villages to bring back to the temple for a long set of prayers which just zoned me out, but it was fine. The funny part was when a busload of tourists were taking pictures of us through their windows. They were probably confused to see me there.

 

I was also able to see Posindu’s school. It’s buddhist. Nirol and I walked to pick him up one day. 

Saying goodbye was incredibly difficult, but I am hoping to return while on my trip to see them again, and do more hiking in the hill country. I will be forever changed by their hospitality and goodness. The way their little family functioned in their simple life made me feel like maybe there could be a way for crazy Laura and her crazy life philosophy to be compatible with having a family. I don’t know if it could really happen, but so many things I experienced in Sri Lanka made me see the possibility and feel the desire for the first time in a long time. 

That was nice.

I feel myself changing. Foundations shifting. Lassanai.