Sri Lanka
From Return to the Subcontinent in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Mar 24 '07
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As many of you know, a change in job has allowed me 4 weeks to wander off somewhere warm. So, I flew off to Sri Lanka for 2+weeks to be followed by 2 weeks in Southern India.
During my recent 6months off, I never really visited anywhere tropical, so I had an itch to travel somewhere with ocean, green, tropical fruit drinks and spices. On short notice Sri Lanka and India were the easiest to arrange.
Sri Lanka is an unfortunately tarnished jewel. Years of debilitating civil war and the 2004 tsunami have devastated the country's tourist industry. A paradise of green hills, rollicking surf, fresh air, fruits and spices, and fascinating history have been overshadowed by the violence.
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For nearly 25 years separatist and militant Tamils (Hindu), a minority residing primarily in the north and east, have been waging a guerilla and at other times full out war against the Sinalhese majority. A small, but violent, group of Tamils have carried on the violence, despite what may be contrary desires of the overall Tamil population. The Sinalhese (Buddhists) for their part, did little to recognize or give importance to the Tamil population in the years after independence and measures since have failed to resolve the issue. The truth is the situation is so deep-rooted and so personal, that a solutions seems impossible to grasp. It is tragic for all involved and consumes far too much energy and blood.
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The tsunami devastated the south and east coasts, some of the most populated regions and the beating heart of the tourist industry. Add that to the ongoing civil strife and the news for international tourists is stay away. Sri Lankans who depend on tourism have been deeply affected, to say the least. Yet, despite news of scattered violence (mostly in the far north), I saw or experienced no direct violence. That being said, I did come through the international airport in Colombo only 1 day prior to the airplane bombing by the Tamil Tigers of the military section of the airport. Everyone was shocked that they had a plane (and one newspaper pointed out that one of the masterminds of the plane attack was a mechanical engineer who once lived in Canada and worked for Air Canada). This has raised the stakes and recent efforts at a ceasefire seem further and further away.
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All that being said, Sri Lanka is a wonderful place and I enjoyed every minute of it. The people are the most welcoming and gentle I have ever met (which clashes so uncomfortably with the tales that emerge from the civil strife). Even postcard sellers were polite and took a polite 'no' as the final answer. All were curious, thrilled for the visit and eager to talk about their country. Given the virtual absence of tourists, I spent most of my time talking with the locals. Aside from the ubiquitious (sp?) German package tourists and the random British couple, there were few tourists. I did not see any in the Ancient Cities in the north central region. On the beach in the south there were more, but still few overall. If you want an island to yourself, visit Sri Lanka just after the "high" season, in late March.
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I had not planned on posting to the blog, so I did not take any notes during my time in Sri Lanka. What follows are highlights/observations from Sri Lanka that come to my head as I write here now in the sultry heat of a lazy south Indian afternoon.....
1. As with many developing countries, the bus drivers are nuts and drive way too fast. They generally drive at rocket speed on two lane roads, scream through villages while standing on the horn, pass on corners and slam on the brakes that sound as if the rubber brake pads disappeared long ago. You will notice this all the more when you stand for 5.5 hours on a bus. If you are on the road, you will notice the horrific exhaust and growling engines.
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2. If you dont like vegetable curries and rice it might not be your culinary dream. If you tire of white rice easily, not the place for you. If you like spices and were ever curious where and how cardomon, cinammon, tumeric, coriander, vanilla and curry leaves grow, this is the place for you
3. the Hill Country, rolling mountains draped in tea plantations and spice plantations are absolutely beautiful. A welcome retreat from the heat of the plains and coast. The tea plantations gleam in a vibrant glossy green that contrasts beautifully with the deep blue morning sky. These hills are cool and spectacular late in the day when you see the humid clouds roll in from the coast and open up in a pre-monsoon downpour.
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4. the first two hours after sunrise are the best time of day. After the sun sears everything with a white glare and inescapable heat.
5. tsunami affected areas of are full of devastation still. In places all you can see for miles are tall coconut palms with nothing below but grass. It is like a vacuum cleaner came along and sucked up everthing but the palms. Pass through areas on the coast once densely populated and all you see are the floor bricks and the odd wrecked building structure, looking like the pictures of London or Dresden after the WWII bombings. Temporary housing has been erected in some places. It is still being erected. NGO and relief agency signs announcing their presence and benovolance are everywhere, their plaques sit prominently on each re-built building for which they are responsible and their gleaming SUVs speed along the roads in sharp contrast to the dowdy compact cars driving by most Sri Lankans.
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6. the beaches are glorious, the surf is active and the small locally-run guesthouses/hotels still in operation or re-built are incredibly friendly and accommodating.
7.for some reason, every Sri Lankan immediately assumed I was from England. Perhaps this owes to their colonial past, or the fact that most of the other independent tourists I met were British. But what I cannot figure out is why, given that they have all seen American movies, they dont realize that my accent is that of the American movie and not of the British tea planter.
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8. they love cricket. More than hockey to Canada, this is really the ONLY game to be played. I watched endless games of cricket in dusty fields or patches of green where they could be squeezed between buildings or fields. I saw young boys no taller than their bats, lugging the bats to and from the field and swinging wildly at the eratic bowling of the pint-sized bowlers. And, I came here during the cricket World Cup, so I had to become indoctrinated into the world of cricket - there was no reading or watching anything else. I almost understand the game now. More to the point, Sri Lanka is doing quite well and may just win the World Cup. Go Sri Lanka!
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9. the city of Galle has a fort constructed and renovated by the Dutch, then the British. It is a labryinth of colonial dutch buildings with swooping verandahs and red tile roofs and ancient churches. It is also relatively quiet and somewhat in disrepair. However, two old buildings have been renovated and now contain high-end boutique hotels that are appointed with all the luxuries and are stunning in their colonial splendour. At $300 US per night, I opted for dinner in the dining room servied by liveried servers before retiring to the plush leather chairs of the billiards room. Galle is one of those places that is about to change dramatically. The high-end souvenir shops and artistic cafes are starting to arrive, a couple of more boutique hotels and planned and soon cruise ships will be stopping in Galle. This is the time to visit, because in 10 years people will be reminding you that you should have visited before the tourists and identical tourists shops took over. Like Havana 20 years ago, so they say. That is if the tourist industry starts to rebound in Sri Lanka.
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Best, Marc
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