Post Christmas Parties

Tito and I opened presents together in January. He likes ribbon. Just a few random shots here. These are the buddhas that I bought in Sri Lanka. A customs official tried to tell me that the small one was really old and questioned how much I had paid for it. $35USD. It was crazy heavy and I had to unroll it from it's wrapping at the airport to show to the customs official. I thought he wanted me to bribe him to let me take it with me, but actually he jsut wanted to let me know that I was taking an old buddha out of the country... I don't know what to believe. I like the buddha and so I bought it.

Last night I made dinner for 9 people. I invited 8 people thinking that some would rsvp "no." Well, I guess the reputation of my culinary skills precedes me and they all came over to enjoy some spinach lasagna with homemade meat sauce. Thmb print cookies for dessert. This is the damage to the kitchen. Fun is.

Sri Lanka- Buddhas & Brown Things

I definitely went to Sri Lanka to escape the grey, brown, nasty, dirty, and concrete scenery of Shanghai. However, in Sri Lanka, I marvelled at brown things. In order of the photos. I am sitting on a rock next to Parrot Rock- the big rock in the background. Lots of birds live in this big grass covered rock on the edge of the Indian Ocean in front of my hotel in Mirissa. Behind me in the photo are tall stilts stuck in the water. Traditional Sri Lanka fisherman stand on the stilts in the middle of the waves and catch fish. Balanced on these stilts. NO JOKE. It was epic.

Travelling from one place to another in Sri Lanka was one of the highlights of my trip. Inever knew what I was going to witness as a roadside attraction. Here were kilometer after kilometer of rubber trees. My taxi driver jumped out and pulled some rubber off a tree. Yes, it really is white and sticky. Cool.

Next brown thing. Sigiriya rock, part of the Cultural Triangle of ancient cities. Basically a penthouse fortress in the sky built for a king more than 1,500 years ago. Seriously. At the top of this rock were pools, remains of a palace, and temples. It was Machu-Pichu- ish in it's majestic glory. In a real state of ruin but one could imagine the hey-day. I climbed a million stairs to get to the top of the rock, where I explored and climbed on a bunch of dirt paths.

This is Sri Lanka's largest stupa. A stupa is a shrine of sorts for Buddhists. They build these solid things (really looks like a breast with a torpedo nipple) and bury treasures, jewels, and Buddha relics inside. This one was in Polunnarua, one of the Cultural Triangle ancient cities in the northern central part of the country. The ruins were spread out over a large area. It was so quiet the day that I was there. I was basically the only person. This standing buddha was just aching to be photographed. Because this used to be a temple, you still have to observe the rule sof temple visits- ie- taking off your shoes and hats before visiting.

Sri Lanka- Green & Blue

Goal #1 for travelling to Sri Lanka = surround myself in green. I am totally deprived of green leafy surroundings here in Shanghai and I have been going through withdrawal. I found what I was looking for in Sri Lanka. The picture of me on the stairs is in Polunaruwa, one of the cities in the Cultural Triangle of ancient cities. Green moss and vines are literally growing over and swallowing many of the bricks stairs and walls of the ruins. I am not smiling in this photo because moments earlier a monkey had jumped up on my- climbed up my legs- and stolen a banana right out of my hand. Sounds like a cliche, but let me assure you, monkeys are squirrely little critters.
Parrot Rock in Mirissa, southern Sri Lanka. This rock was right outside of my hotel room. Parrots have nests inside the rock. It was covered with birs and crabs when I explored near there. The Indian Ocean was green and blue and turquoise and perfect for swimming. I jumped in over and over again for the 4 days I was I the south. The other picture of parrot rock shows the palm trees in front of my hotel room. You can also see the foundations of some hotel rooms that got swept away in the December 26th tsunami of 2004. 45,000 Sri Lankan people died that day. Being in southern Sri Lanka on the anniversary of the tsunami was quite powerful. Many people lit small candles and placed them in the water or tied little white ribbons onto prayer flags at temples.
Green mountains and hills. this picture was taken driving from Galle, in the south, to Kandy, a hill town. Palm trees and coconut trees cover the whole island. Luscious!
This last picture captures one of the pools on TOP of the Sigiriya rock ruins. Check out my other postings for info about Sigiriya. The "top of the world" palace built about 1,500 years ago. I spent hours on top of this mega rock just breathing it all in.

Sri Lanka- Me Mixed In

Travelling alone is a real test of sorts. Can you entertain yourself or find enough things to think about during a two week period? (yes, and yes). Can you be fulfilled by standing at the top of a mountain and only having youself with whom to share the beauty? (yes!) Can you stand the near constant buzz of Sri Lankan taxi drivers asking you "what is your country?" "where is your husband?" "why are you alone?" "do you want to come with me?" "what is your contact number?" (no!) Also a real challenge to solo travel is figuring how to get yourself into a few of your own pictures. Thank god for the self timer button on my camera.
Taking a taxi van from the south of the country to the central hill country was one of the best adventures of the trip. I crazily waited until the last minute to book my transportation (trying to be flexible- what if I really liked Galle and wanted to stay 3 days instead of 1?) and was stuck with a less than ideal situation. My guesthouse owner called 11 different van drivers (booked!- "dont you know all of Sri Lankan government workers are off today?") and finally settled upon a young guy, with a commercial drivers license, borrowing a sketchy van from his friend, an inflated price, and a driver who depended on me and my Lonely Planet guidebook map to get us there in 10 hours instead of 6!! He got a pal of his to come too- they ended up chatting with each other while I looked out the window. About ten times he asked me, "Madame, are you ok? You appear so pensive." - this is a direct quote- Sri Lankans use the Queen's English! Well, we got pulled over by the cops twice for speeding and got a flat tire. (There is actually a MUCH longer story that involves a Chinese restaurant, a shady background check, and some police bribery- just email me for the full details).

This first picture is me standing next to a Sri Lankan teacher (retired, no shirt). When our van got a flat tire, this old man pulled out a coconut from his tree, grabbed a machete, and hacked away until I had a proper refreshment. He was the only one in his family who spoke English and treated me to afternoon conversation while the bumbling driver and his pal figured out how to change a tire.
Next picture, me in Mirissa, at the beach. Self explanatory. Note on clothing: I packed SUPER light- Mom, you would be proud! I wore two different pairs of pants the entire trip and had one skirt packed away for special nights. First, second, third and fourth pictures, I am making fashion statements in these pants. I got them cleaned about every other day in the guesthouses I stayed in. I often went shoeless because I was visiting temples where you need to remove shoes and hats. One day I sat next to this 1,500 year old pool, pondering life. I entered into some life altering reflections while on this trip, mainly about what it is like to be a single woman, nearing 30, travelling alone in the world. By the way, it is true- you start to smell like what you eat. I began to WREAK of spicy, garlicky, Indian/Sri Lankan food. I decided last minute that bringing the deodorant was not worth it- if you are going to rough it, you really need to limit the luxury items. Unfortunately for ANYONE sitting anywhere near me during this trip, I had an odor. I got to like it after a while, like an old friend.

Last photo I am half way up my climb of Sigiriya rock (one of the sites in the Cultural triangle of ancient cities). I am stopped in front of some frescoes 1,500 years old, totally protected by an overhanging rock. Naked women, rocking out. These frescoes are astoundingly crisp and appear newly painted. Notice the Sri Lankan security guard is napping.

Sri Lanka- Paths

Driving in Sri Lanka was simple. There is the main road and then there is the dirt road. Then there is the foot path. Not a lot of difference between these three, in all reality.
This first photo is of the fort city, Galle, in the south of Sri Lanka. The old city and it's contents were protected when the tsunami wave ripped through Sri Lanka, though the new part of the city was tossed into various states of destruction. The Dutch built these fortress walls five hundred years ago and they have been standing ever since. It was a fun little town to explore, side streets, narrow and shadow covered with sleeping cats filling the doorways. I stayed in a hotel looking over the rapart walls. I captured this picture of guys on the way to mosque early one morning. The foot path tops the wall all the way around the city.
This third picture was a road I scaled to get to a hill top temple. Many roads in Sri Lanka looked like this. Once you get off the "main road" it was an adventure. Think: red and orange clay dirt everywhere. Walking up this hill I saw humming birds, a monitor lizard, and many geckoes.
I mentioned before the Sigiriya rock palace ruins. A palace and fortress and temple was built on the rock over 1,500 years ago. Getting to the top of the rock required climbing a million stairs and then the final push was up these wrought iron steps. There was a lot of wind and it was horifically steep. I was convinced we were going to get blown off. However, if a barefoot 80 year old woman in a sari could scale these stairs, then so could I, no complaints. Notice, GREEN everywhere.

Sri Lanka- Where to stay? What to eat?

I am standing on the train from Colombo to Galle (no seats!). Finally in the 6th hour of the trip, a man offers me his seat. Slithering in next to me was a young Sri Lankan man who asked way too many questions "where is your husband? why are you here alone? what is your contact number? do you want to come with me?" A kind police officer in plain clothes asked me if this man was bothering me and led me to another car. Then the police officer proceeded to ask me where I was going and where I was staying... Oh here we go again, I thought. Then he said, "You should stay at the Garagala Village Hotel in Mirissa. Nice place, friendly management." I thought, "ok- this guy wants to send me to his friend's place so he can make a commission..." I looked at my Lonely Planet and that was actually the place I had planned on staying. The officer then said, "Follow me, I will get you safely into a taxi for a good price (no meters on taxis or tuk tuks- bargaining skills needed!)." That guy was so helpful and 25 minutes later I arrived at my tropical beach paradise hotel, as seen in picture #1. I had Christmas dinner there with some teachers from Dubai and I had my daily tea on the patio, looking out onto Parrot Rock and the Indian Ocean! That hotel was $9USD a night. Sri Lankan breakfast included!! Sri Lankan breakfast is a few items- mango, papaya, finger banana slices (sweeter than regular 'nanas), and pineapple with curd/yogurt was one option. Eggs and hoppers was another option. Hoppers are like French crepes molded into the form of a bowl and an egg fried right into it!! String hoppers with coconut sambol were my favorite breakfast, however. String hoppers are little piles of angel hair pasta (made of rice flour) that are kind of sticky. You put curry on top of it and shredded coconut with chili peppers and mix it all up with your fingers. Absolutely delicious.
Second photo shows my tip top hill top guest house in Kandy, in the central part of the island. $17USD a night that I bargained down to $15 a night, breakfast included! This is the patio that monkeys climbed onto to join me for tea!! However, after many many days of tea, I needed some caffeine. I read in my guidebook that you could get a "proper" coffee at this eccentric hotel called Helga's Folly. I meandered up to another hilltop and found this WACKO decorated hotel where I was served homegrown coffee in a silver tea set service. Her place is the Salvador Dali- inspired-wacky murals on the ceilings type place written up in Conde Nast Traveller magazine. The owner is a 70 year old red head, on her 6th husband, whose dad helped Sri Lanka get their Independence years and years ago. WORTH a visit. I had a seven course meal there on New Year's Eve for $13USD that was one of the best meals of my life. Coconut soup served in a coconut, 7 types of curry, creme brulee, a roof top patio under the stars, white glove service, and an arrack cocktail. Arrack is the Sri Lankan poison of choice for those who can't afford whiskey. They add soda water and lime juice and wow! does it ever go down smooth!
Third photo shows a typical roadside snack shop. You point to the mango/pineapple/banana/papaya/coconut that you want and the machete-armed owner will peel and hack it up for you. My driver Raju is on the right in this picture. He and I shared many many pieces of pineapple over the four days he drove me around!
Last photo shows my breakfast table at the Nilmini Garden Guesthouse. I paid $5USD a night for that place, Sri Lankan breakfast included. Because of the civil war going on in Sri Lanka, there were hardly any travellers on the island. Many countries have told their citizens not to travel there. The entire time I was in country I felt safe (except from harassment from the 20 something crowd of young men) and protected. The targets are terrorist bombing attacks in the north and tourists are not even in the picture. Many Sri Lankans thanked me for coming and tourism has almost grinded to a halt. At the Nilmini Garden I was the only person in the guest house and was the first person in five days to stay there. When I inquired about room prices they replied, "whatever you want to pay." I convinced some Italian people to stay there too and we had a blast. The guesthouse concept is really ingenious. You stay in a room in a family's house- usually attached to the side or upstairs. As a single traveller it was advantageous because I had the opportunity to talk to so many Sri Lankans and get the inside scoop on politics, the war, the tourism industry, pointers on places to stay, explanations of Sri Lankan culture, and post-tsunami life.

Sri Lanka- Elephant Orphanage

In the hill country, near Kandy, is a small oprhanage called the Pinnawela Elephant Orphange. I went with my trusty tuk tuk driver, Raju, on a 45 minute drive to visit the elephants. There are 65 elephants there, living on 26 acres of land. At 9:30am they get fed/. I saw them grab and chew HUGE amounts of plam tree and coconut tree leaves and branches. There were lots of babies in the crew. After they ate they wandered back down into the park to "roam free". In the afternoon the elephants are lead to the river and they play and bathe.
One of the biggest elephants there is blind. He got shot by some hunters trying to take his tusks. I saw him chilling under a tree. He didnt move move but seemed to be happily eating.
Another elephant there is a girl who stepped on a landmine. She is a three legged elephant who appeared to struggle when walking. One of the guides told me that there are some scientists from Vienna fitting her with a prosthesis. On the surface, the park was well run. Some of the trainers asked me if I wanted to pet the elephants for a small "fee" that would go right in their pockets. I don't know how much the orphanage employees make for a salary and wasnt sure I wanted to contribute to their scheme. I was content to admire the elephants from afar.
Further north, later in the week, I saw an elephant in the wild, just trying to cross the street. That was quite a site.

Sri Lanka- How do I get there from here?

How do I get there from here? Well, from Colombo to the southern city of Mirissa, a 6 hour train ride priced at $1.47 seemed reasonable. Little did I know the train would be filled with Sri Lankans on holiday. I stood on that train for six hours. I used my Chinese-train-fighting-skills to elbow my way to a corner of the car and ended up reading for a large chunk of the trip. many many Sri Lankans stared at me. I was the only white person in the train. A man in the middle of the car started shouting from across the crowd to me in English. That was fun, to have a conversation with a curious Sri Lankan, and to guestimate how many other people in the car understood. Outside tourist areas, about 10% of Sri Lankans understand and speak English. Most of them are part of the older generations who went to school during the British colonial rule.
For four days in and around Kandy, I employed Raju, the tuk tuk driver for daily trips. The first day I paid $15 to get toured from the elephant orphange an amazing Botanical Garden, to a hilltop temple, and back by an ayurvedic massage place (6 or 7 hours total). Raju has three kids and is a Muslim. He and I really bonded over the four days spent together. He asked me if I was married and when I explained "no" he seemed confused. He told me that maybe one day I can find someone to marry and then I can come back to Sri Lanka. Raju suggested, "Come back to Sri Lanka, married, happy, better life." Hmm... He seemed worried that I was 29 and not yet married. Raju also asked me if I wanted to drive his tuk tuk. I mentioned a few minor car accidents in the states and suggested that maybe it wasnt the safest idea! He couldn't stop laughing about that one. Other Raju highlights include getting another flat tire. We pulled over next to a little tire shop where there was a Sri Lanka - New Zealand cricket game going on. The tire shop owner got me a coconut to drink and a chair to sit in while they fixed the tire. Everyone was focused on the game. At one point I noticed that no one was working on the tire, "hey!" I said. "Let's get going!" Basically, we didnt get the tire "fixed" until the game was over.. hmm... Raju was great. In the mornings we got fruit together, shared sandwiches, "vadai"- lentil/potato snacks, and took water breaks together. He was really concerned about me being alone and even avoided some short cut dirt roads in favor of more mainstream dirt roads because he said, "You never know, single young woman, and me, middle of the jungle. We need safe way always." Most Sri Lanks were cool like that. Whenever I ate out somewhere at night (ie- every night!) the owner of the restaurant would get me into a tuk tuk with a known driver "to be safe". That was appreciated.
This third picture is a picture of the first class observation train car that I rode in from the hill country back down to the coast, and Colombo. I paid $2.50 for this ticket and the car was filled with very upstanding Sri Lankan citizens. The ride was gorgeous and out the window, this time seated, I was able to observe the whole world going by. GREEN GREEN GREEN.

Other modes of transport in Sri Lanka besides tuk tuk and train were bicycles. I think there might be some old men in Sri Lanka who could rival the old Chinese cyclists for speed. As I wandered down dirt roads and paths into the countryside, I would often pass Sri Lankans riding a bike. Their greeting was, "Hello. Where are you going?" I thought this was a thing for me, a Westerner. Then I realized that it is just a way of placing you into their internal schema of things. I would always reply, pointing, "that way." They seemed happy with that answer!

Sri Lanka- Wild Life

China is such a dirty place, pollution spews from trucks, factories, cars, and unidentified buildings. Pesticides cover lawns, leaves, and air. Therefore, it is a rare day that I see an animal, a bird, or a furry anything scurrying anywhere.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, is crawling with wildlife. walking through the rice paddies one day in the rain I noticed a little puppy taking shelter on the steps of a temple.
Another day I sat on the beach and a cow wandered by. She sat down in the sand a mere 10 feet from me and just chilled. Later the cow followed me up to the front lawn of my hotel and the manager told me that the cow belonged to the hotel. "Oh, how nice." 70% Buddhist and 30% Hindu, Sri Lankans love animals and wouldn't harm a fly. They roam, wander, and generally stop traffic wherever they are. Gandhi once said you can judge a people by how they treat their animals. The Chinese would have something to learn from the Sri Lankans- that is, if the Chinese had any animals to observe! Anyway, photo #2 shows a monitor lizard. Those big fat crocodile cousins were everywhere! They like to eat trash and look scary in general. Very surprising to stumble upon. Third photo is a bunch of water buffalo cooling off in the water. One of the most delicious things I ate in Sri Lanka was yogurt / curd made from buffalo milk. Sri Lankans eat curd in the morning for breakfast with bananas, pineapple, and s type of honey syrup that comes from trees. Also I ate curd with hot curry dishes. YUM!
Picture #4- Be quiet or the hornets will get you. Picture #5= the ever-present monkeys. One crawled up my legs and grabbed a banana from my hands. They swung onto my porch one day to join me for tea, they followed me down the street, they stared at me, and they played hide and seek in the garden where I had breakfast one morning. Fabulous to be living in a country where wildlife abounds. (Made me miss my cat, Tito!)