Sri Lanka

I'll admit: Sri Lanka was never on the top of my list of places to visit when I moved to Asia over two years ago. But it should have been.

Laura had already been to Sri Lanka back in 2006, which is, I suppose, the reason why I hadn't had the itch to go. Besides, we'd originally planned to stay in Singapore for only two years and there was a considerable amount of Asia that neither of us had seen. However, with an unplanned-for extension of our stay, the idea of travelling to Sri Lanka seemed like a mutually ideal destination for both of us: Laura would get her beach time, and I would be able to colour in another country on my Facebook map.

Since Laura had already visited the ancient cities and temples of Anuradhapura and Sigiriya, as well as the cultural centres of Kandy and Colombo, we decided early on that our visit to Sri Lanka would be more slow-paced, thus allowing us to experience a few different parts of the country more fully, rather than making a mad dash to catch all of the 'sights.' The result was perhaps one of the more enjoyable and enriching trips both of us have had in the past couple of years.

Galle



Let one fact be known: Sri Lankans are the kindest, most gracious, hospitable and accommodating people on the planet.

From the moment we left the airport in Colombo, transferred from one bus to the next on our way to the southern city of Galle, and explored the immense ramparts of Galle's historic fort, we were met with smiles, words of welcome, and a genuine desire to see that our experience as visitors to Sri Lanka was an enjoyable and memorable one. There was never a moment where we felt the need to be on guard, or that the person we were speaking with was trying to scam us in some way. Instead, total strangers would approach us or stop us just to chat, always curious to find out where we were from, where we had visited in Sri Lanka and what we thought of the country. Suggestions of places to visit and foods to eat were always forthcoming, as was a desire to help should we be in need of directions (sometimes resulting in someone walking us directly to our destination to ensure we ended up where we needed to be). I think that Laura described it best: "Sri Lanka is like a small town...except it's a whole country."









Mirissa

Apart from the ease at which the locals put us through their kindness and hospitality, it was also extremely simple to get from one place to the next. With local buses leaving every ten minutes to go to various hubs and villages in between, it was a simple matter of walking down the street from our guesthouse in Galle to catch the first bus we saw pulling out of town.

Within an hour, we arrived in the small village of Mirissa, a destination notable for its stretch of pristine sand and crystal clear water. The length of the beach is dotted with a number of simple, locally-owned guesthouses and bars, as well as a couple of more upscale resorts, none of which appear intrusive or are a blight on the landscape, as they all tend to blend in seamlessly with the mass of palm trees that stretch inland as far as the eye can see.

The steady rhythm of waves crashing against the shore, the overall absence of other tourists, the ever-present blue sky and the easy access to $2 beers made staying in Mirissa for the next three days an easy decision to make.

The smiles and friendly manner of Mirissa's residents assured us that our previous experiences in Galle had not been a complete fluke. Perhaps as a result of Mirissa's small size and the lack of tourists at this time of the year, we were able to take advantage of the opportunity to connect with several of the locals, and in turn learn more about their personal lives, Sinhalese traditions and food, the impact of the 2004 tsunami (Mirissa, being on the south coast, was badly hit), as well as their views on politics and the recent end to the civil war that had plagued the country for decades. The list goes on. And similarly, the people we spoke with were able to glean knowledge from us about life in Canada and Singapore, a dialogue that would continue with several others we met during our travels north to Ella and Haputale.













Ella

Situated in the hill country that comprises Sri Lanka's central interior, Ella is a small village surrounded by sprawling tea plantations and beautiful vistas of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Due to Ella's elevation, the climate here is quite cool and refreshing, making it a nice respite from the heat of the sun along the southern coast.



Taking advantage of the local mode of transportation, the bus ride from Mirissa to Ella took us nearly six hours; a distance and duration that in the past might have seemed insignificant, but our aging bodies were beginning to feel the stress of the journey. This is partly a result of the fact that a bus journey in Sri Lanka, as with anywhere in South Asia, is not one that is taken in comfort. As if the small, cramped seats with an absence of leg room wasn't enough - the overriding principle when it comes to bus transportation is that there is always room for one more person, even if that requires passengers to hang on for dear life outside of the bus doors. Without an inch to spare inside the bus, the combination of stranger's knees digging into your side, body odor, heat, the deafening roar of the 1942 army surplus engine, and the blaring of Sri Lankan pop music over the bus' speaker system is enough to drive the most patient and travel-wise person into a pit of irritability and despair.







One of Ella's biggest draws is the opportunity to do some good hiking. The morning after arriving in Ella, we left our guesthouse early to make the trek up to Ella Rock, whose summit offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and valley. With a lack of any signage or concrete directions, finding our way to the top was a bit of a challenge. From our guesthouse, we walked along the train tracks for roughly two kilometers, and discovered that the rails served more than just a route for trains: it also served as the main thoroughfare for pedestrians, as businessmen in suits, schoolchildren, farmers, women returning from town with groceries and other purchases, all used the track to get from one destination to the next.








Again, without the aid of any form of direction, we missed the turnoff for the path that would lead us to Ella Rock (which turned out to be a small dirt path that cut through some overgrown bushes to our left). We were fortunate enough to run into a farmer who offered to walk us to the turnoff and along the path to the next juncture. After a few minutes we said our goodbyes and were once again on our way, and once again missed the turnoff that would have taken us up the mountain. The same farmer had seen us make the error and chased us down before we'd gone too far. Without needing to say it, the farmer had become our own personal guide and proceeded to lead us through the bush, the tea plantations, and up the steep slope to the summit.

Before parting ways after we had made our descent, we were invited into the farmer's home, where his wife prepared tea with fresh milk from the family's cow - easily the best cup of tea I've ever tasted.




(When we had reached the summit of Ella Rock, we discovered a fallen tree that extended a few meters past the cliff face. Attached to the end was the Sri Lanka flag, which moments later was ripped off the tree by the powerful wind. Our guide climbed down the ten feet of rock to where the flag had landed, and returned home with the prize).

Haputale

From Ella, we travelled by train to Haputale; a much larger town in comparison to Ella, but surrounded by a similar landscape of tea plantations and mountains. Nearby is the site of the original Lipton tea factory, whose construction was overseen by the company's founder, Sir Thomas Lipton. Apart from taking a tour of the factory to learn about the tea-making process and how cheap, indentured labour can make tea affordable in the West, we ventured up to 'Lipton Seat,' a peak roughly 2000 meters above sea level, a vantage point from which it is rumored that Sir Lipton himself once preferred to sit and watch over the thousands of people whose back-breaking labor made him rich.








Food

Any discussion about Sri Lanka would be incomplete without mention of its amazing food, which, in my humble opinion, ranks as some of the best the world as to offer. The staple Sri Lankan dish served at every restaurant or guesthouse it simply referred to as 'Rice and Curry.' Don't be mistaken by the name, as what ends up on your table is certainly a lot more than just rice and curry.

Rice and curry is always served with a heaping plate of rice that is rarely possible for any two people to consume in one sitting. The rice is accompanied by a variety of other dishes, usually vegetables, that are all prepared with different spices and curries. What's remarkable about the dish is that every time you order rice and curry, you get something new: new flavours, new dishes, the same dishes but prepared differently, and of course, always have on spice. Essentially whatever the cook has in the kitchen on that particular day is what you'll get. This certainly adds a certain element of spontaneity to each meal and prevents mealtime from becoming a monotonous affair.



Sri Lanka was never on the top of my list of places to visit when I moved to Asia over two years ago. But it should have been.

Now that the country has stabilized itself and is on the upswing, now is the time to go before tourism and all of the hassles associated with it take hold and potentially strip the country of many of its charms. I have a certain amount of faith, however, that regardless of an influx of resorts, package tours and a rise in tacky souvenir shops, Sri Lankans will stay true to their gracious and hospitable nature. and continue to make Sri Lanka a worthwhile destination.