The charms of Sri Lanka -

After publishing a darker side of Sri Lanka it is now time to share a brighter side of the country.

When I think of Sri Lanka, I think of the noise. And in my mind, it seems that every daily scenes have their own recognizable sound. It can be funny, annoying or it can even opens your appetite.

Early morning, while still in bed, I was hearing the same music announcing the presence of the bread merchant. I learned later on that the music is a version of Beethoven’s Fur Elise.

Another distinctive sound of Sri Lanka is the one of the tuk tuks, the little three wheeled taxi. They have a dirty sound like if something is wrong with the motor. One of their driving customs is to blast the horn when overtaking a vehicle. Driving is fast, crazy and not really in respect of the road rules and regulations we are used to.

I love to see drivers driving barefoot, flip flop off the pedals. I do the same once seated. I have this habit of withdrawing my flip flop (wherever I am) and then I start a little conversation with the driver through the rearview mirror. Traffic is dense, distances are long, it’s hot, it’s noisy, it’s polluted .. but with a friendly tuk tuk driver who knows where to go, it is way more enjoyable.

Crazy buses
Buses are definitely the kings on the road. At the bus terminal where dozens of buses are parked you can hear men announcing repeatedly the stops of their route: “Dehiwala-Pepiliyana”, “Dehiwala-Pepiliyana”. It is quite chaotic and intense. Once onboard , heavy Sinhala music plays on the screen and soon we hear the heavy horn the driver constantly uses. The doors are open and luckily the windows are too. It’s really hot! People hop on at the rear of the bus and hop off at the front when the bus has not even completely stopped. Buses are often overcrowded. People are squeezed up in the aisle and next to the driver.

The driver is surrounded by coloured garland and religious icons. He drives so fast that protection is indeed needed.

The horn was the loudest and most aggressive one I have ever heard. Buses in Sri Lanka go fast and are mostly unwilling to stop. The reason for this is each bus belongs to a private company and they all compete for customers that might be waiting at the next stop.

The guy that was screaming out the bus route is now walking down the aisle with a wad of cash in hand to collect the money. The price is set according to the distance and sometimes with a slight inflation for the tourist who does not know the price. A few cents to a few dollars, it is very cheap. The ticket guy has all of my admiration because I just don’t know how he can manage its way through the aisle with so many people standing and how he can remember who has just hop on and needs to pay.

The train, my favorite!
I left my heart in the trains of Sri Lanka. It was undoubtedly my favorite way to travel. The sound of the old cars on the rails made me traveled through time. The windows and the doors are wide open. Men are sitting or standing in the doorways. Aisles are often full of people. The landscape is beautiful revealing a seaside or tea plantations when it’s not really close to houses and restaurants. Families are sitting outside watching the train go by. Clothes are scattered on the jail roof of the house, on the lawn or even on the railway tracks to dry. The sky is blue, vegetation is luxuriant and there is a lot to look at. It is so easy to get lost in your thoughts.

Vendors are walking down the aisle selling samosas, water bottles or sliced pineapple. People are sleeping or glued to their cell phone while others want to initiate a conversation with me to practice their English. People are polite and helpful. The name of the stations are not announced on the train so you need to make sure to look at the sign when the train arrives at the station or even better, I ask someone to advise me. The train stations have a lovely vintage look.

There are no reserved seat with the purchase of a ticket except in the first class that has air conditioning. The first class is only available on a few trains heading to the East Coast and to the mountains. A ticket can cost between $5 and $12 CAD depending on distance. The second class rarely offers reserved seats. Standing for an hour is not so bad when you don’t have to worry about finding a place to put your backpack. The ticket can cost about $2 depending on the distance. The third class is often overcrowded and is used mostly by locals. Tickets can cost as less as $1. The trains in Sri Lanka are used both for long trips and for short trips.

Cheap and spicy food
Traditional dishes are served according to a specific schedule in Sri Lanka. For breakfast, the egg hoppers and string hoppers are served, for lunch it’s the famous rice & curry and for dinner, hoppers are back along with kottu. It’s easy to know where to eat kottu. This dish is prepared with two knives used to chop very quickly a mixture of bread, vegetables, egg or chicken. The typical metal rhythmic sound makes the preparation of this meal quite famous.

An authentic rice & curry is served with a mountain of rice in the center and several condiments to accompany it from dhal to vegetables, mango chutney, coconut sambal, etc. You can eat rice & curry everyday at the same restaurant and it will always be different. Rice & curry is eaten with the right hand. I asked a tuk tuk driver to bring me to a local place to eat an authentic rice & curry. I seized the occasion to ask him to show me how to eat with the hand. A beautiful moment I have to say although I felt observed and unskillful. The taste is different and amplified. The idea is to put a little of each condiment with rice to make a ball and then to use your thumb to push the ball into your mouth. The trick is in the thumb! When I understood that, it was a little easier!

In general, portions are huge and the food is spicy. Rotis are another favorite local dish. It is a kind of pancake (think of a thin naan bread) filled with ingredients of your choice.

Among other things
I was surprised to see that Sri Lankans are buying a lot of lottery tickets. On the streets, at the train stations, everywhere men are yelling that they are selling (maybe the winning) tickets on a wooden board.

Another pleasant surprise was to see how clean it was. Whether in the great capital or elsewhere, people are always sweeping the entrance of their house and commerce. The beaches I went to were clean. I only visited two beaches, Mirissa and Unawatuna which was my favorite spot to go for a weekend getaway from Colombo where I was working.

Other favorite moments

Adam’s Peak: The ascent of the sacred mountain Adam’s Peak, a pilgrimage that requires to climb up 5,200 steps! I loved looking at the elderly holding each other’s hand to climb and descent the stairs. I was amazed to learn that people who work at the stalls camp there for six months and only come down when the season is over. And about the difficulty to hire men willing to carry water bottles and other goods to the summit. The view from the top at sunrise is the most spectacular I have seen the country

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Pettah Market: a vibrant crossroads where Arab merchants and Tamil sell almost everything. I was seduced by a beautiful mosque called the candy-cane mosque.

Galle Face Green : popular public place for sunsets with food stalls

Happy hour on a rooftop for sunset

The famous “bubble head” that Sri Lankan (and Indian) constantly do. It has many meanings. From a hesitant yes, to a “I do not understand” to a “I like you” … I found myself moving my head in the same way at the end of my stay!

Spirituality
The country is predominantly Buddhist (70%). The full moon days are public holidays. There are many temples with white pagodas everywhere. Buddhist are usually dressed in white to go to the temple.

I visited some temples, but I must say that I have not felt a strong spiritual vibration in the country. The context was different. There is one ritual though that a local taught me that needs to be shared. In the temples, there is always a beautiful awakening “bodhi” tree in the center. People take a small pot, fill it with water and then walk around the tree holding the pot of water in their hands. While walking with it, they send their intentions. A little water is poured at every turn and at the end the remaining water is poured into a specific place to water the tree. The water that feeds the tree is somehow blessed by the wishes of all the people that came to pray. What a beautiful ritual.

My stay in Sri Lanka has been one of discoveries and learnings. I can now say that I liked my stay in the country. Now that I am in Kuala Lumpur, I must admit that I miss Sri Lanka and especially the food..

I now want to be in a spiritual environment again. Several travellers met on the road encouraged me to continue my journey to Myanmar. I took it as a sign. In a few days I will fly to this fascinating country surrounded by thousands of monks and temples. I’ll be there during the festivities of their New Year. I can not wait to tell you more about it!