As Matt started planning our flights after India he found two important things: Bangkok is an excellent hub, so we will get to know that airport well over the next couple months and, when leaving India, it is cheaper to go through Sri Lanka than to go directly to Bangkok. So, he thought "We've never been to Sri Lanka, why not go there?" Therefore proving that Excel worksheets can actually lead to flexibility! (Another important life lesson.)
We debated just spending a day in Colombo before continuing on. After some research, we decided it would be better to see a little more of the island, so we decided on a three day layover.
So, I booked our third tour (I'm really getting good at this, blessing and a curse, now I have to continue the task looking at tours for every country, whether we intend on doing one or not).
This tour was probably our most successful. Our driver and guide was Rushaan. (We have his contact if you plan a trip to Sri Lanka, which you should, I want to go back someday.) He was so welcoming and good-natured and wanted us to just love his country as he did.
He picked us up at 5:00 in the morning and, while Matt and I slept, drove to Dambulla. Sri Lanka has all the major religions, but the primary religion, or philosophy, is Buddhism. So, in Dambulla we visited a cave temple. So, first thing in the morning we were walking up many stairs to get to the top of a rock. It was hot and I will admit to some crankiness. However, after taking off our shoes so we could go in I was really glad we hiked up. White temples lined the rock wall. Inside were natural and cool caves lined with statues of Buddha. The walls were painted with images of Buddha. After visiting many temples and monasteries over the last few weeks, this was very unique.
After that we went to our hotel and slept. It was a nice and simple hotel. The dining area was outside, our ceilings were high and, the best part, we slept under a mosquito net!
After our lovely nap, Rushaan helped us plan our afternoon. Originally, we were going to do a safari, but safaris aren't cheap in Sri Lanka and we had just done one in Bangalore. So, he suggested the traditional village. Yes, please. I once considered working at Colonial Williamsburg (in traditional garb, obviously) a goal worth striving for, so traditional villages are always a good option in my opinion. Matt knows I like them, so he's willing.
Well, this traditional village took some traditional travel to get to. First, we rode in a cart pulled by a cow. It was uncomfortable and realistic. We started down the main road, then turned off onto a dirt road into the jungle. Then we arrived at a lake where we rowed across in a canoe. The rain started about halfway across the lake, making for an unforgettable and probably more realistic ride. Then our guide took off down a path. So we followed, not really sure where we were going. We arrived at small agricultural field and houses with palm leaf roofs. The domestic area.
We were welcomed into a home and took a seat that ran along the walls. We were dry beneath the steep, woven roof. A young woman with a colorful skirt tied around her waist, began to show us different skills. She ground rice (we tried it). She opened a coconut with a machete (we did not get to try that skill, but we did taste the coconut water). She grated the coconut, made roti, a flat bread, from scratch and cooked it over a fire. Then she took the grated coconut, chiles, onions, salt and lemon and ground them together. She put this with the roti on two clay plates (I loved those plates!) lined with banana leaves and served them to us. I don't like coconut. So, I wasn't super eager for this snack. Oh my goodness! It was incredible! After that I looked for it at every meal we ate in Sri Lanka. When we return home if you ever invite us over and ask us to bring something, most likely we will be bringing that.
As we ate, she showed us how to weave the palm trees to make a roof. When we finished, we waited for the auto to take us back to the entrance. It was late coming so we tried to talk some. Her English was limited and since we had only been in the country a few hours, Matt was still picking up the basic local vocabulary. But we did ok. She asked if we had a baby, then said she had one, he was 6 months old. A few minutes later we heard a baby crying in a nearby house. She smiled and that's when you realize, this wasn't just a traditional village. This was her traditional village. It was really amazing to see (and really puts Colonial Williamsburg to shame).
After awhile our auto arrived and we headed back as the rain began to pour again and the thunder continued to rumble. The driver asked Matt if he wanted to drive, so Matt climbed in front and drove our tuk-tuk back. I was very impressed.
Since it was stormy, we headed back to the hotel and shocked Rushaan by telling him we like to eat around 6:00, rather than 8:00. So, he probably had to explain that the American tourists eat dinner at a strange time, then we ordered traditional rice and curry. At a compromised time of 7:00, we headed down to eat. It was way more than just rice and curry and it was delicious!
Rushaan had said sometimes wild elephants walk through the field right by the veranda. I had hoped for a sighting, instead we were treated to awesome thunder and lightning. The whole area would light up with lightning! After we ate, Rushaan and the hotel owner invited us to join them for a bottle of Arrack. This is a local alcohol made from coconut. It was similar to rum and we enjoyed it. It was good to spend time with our guide for a change and get to know him a bit more.
Something that was interesting in Sri Lanka, was that more than one person expressed the need for people to just treat each other as humans regardless of culture and religion. When you think about it, it's not surprising to hear this longing repeated in a country that had ended a 30 year civil war just five years ago! Sri Lanka is a tiny place, I cannot imagine what that must have been like.
Anyways, after that Arrack, we had a good night sleep.
Which we needed for our hike the next morning. Long ago, the king had two sons. The younger son desperately wanted to be king. So, as many other second sons have done, he killed the king and tried to take the throne. He was unsuccessful, so he fled to Sigiria Rock where he built an impenetrable fortress. Eventually, his brother surrounded the rock forcing him to come down. The older brother had intended to pardon his brother, but the younger brother did not expect that and killed himself instead. It's tragic.
Today, there are ruins at the top of the rock. You can climb steps to the top that were added in modern times, leaving you to wonder how on earth they got to the top and were able to build anything once they got there.
There was also a cave with artistic paintings, suggesting that he forgot to bring women along with him when he and his friends fled to the top of the rock.
After the hike, we drove up into the cool, green mountains and stopped in Kandy. Along the way, we visited an herbal garden. We've visited a few of those now and are getting good at identifying the plants. I can't tell if the guides at the gardens are impressed or annoyed.
We also went to a gem museum. We learned how gems were traditionally mined. It seemed dangerous and makes you feel a little guilty for wanting gems. But, before taking us to the showroom, they assured us that today mining is done with machinery, removing guilt and increasing temptation as we looked through the showroom.
After a viewpoint of the city, a short walk through town (during which we found CUPCAKES, I won't say how many we bought) we went to a cultural dance show!
Unlike, Kerala, this was actually dance. I loved it.
That night we headed to another comfortable hotel. Here, the owner encouraged us to order some Arrack. He generously and wisely have us a little extra in that first glass, which I'm sure is what led to a second order. Oh, coconut alcohol, why are you so good? In return, we shared our cupcakes.
Another good night of sleep brought us to our last day in Sri Lanka. We started with a walk in a botanical garden. Rushaan gave us two hours! I was dubious that we would need that much time, but we actually explored the garden the entire time.
Besides bizarre plants, we saw a large lizard, termite hills, monkeys and bats.
Fortunately, as we approached the lizard, it would slither away from us. Which was gross because you could hear it moving in the grass. We told Rushaan about the lizard and he said it was actually quite dangerous. It has so much bacteria in its mouth that it bites you once, you get a fever and die, then it comes back to eat you.
There were also a remarkable number of couples walking around . Rushaan even asked us if we noticed all the couples once we got back to the car. Apparently that's the place for dates.
From there, we went to the elephant orphanage. I'm never that excited for animal experiences, but just like with the pandas, I loved the elephants. First, we got to see some baby elephants eating, we even got to feed them some branches. But then, we headed to the river. The keepers had herded most of the elephants down for their daily bath. They were all just hanging out in the river. It was fantastic. The babies splashed around playing with each other. Some just lay in the water. One went rogue and a keeper chased it down. As that one headed across the river all the others followed. After awhile, they crossed back over and headed home.
We sat out by the river as another storm rolled in. It was peaceful and the air was comfortable.
Sri Lanka was definitely worth the stop. Hopefully, sometime in the future we can give it more time than just a layover. This is a country I would like to return to.
