Sri Lanka

I think I could write many pages about Sri Lanka. We learned so much; it has so much history and its present issues are universal, holding lessons for all of us. The story begins 3000 years ago, but the past century is most instructive. It was once a prosperous country and could again become one. The people in main are very open, honest, and welcoming. We have enjoyed our time here but are ready to leave…. mainly due to the unrelenting poverty which saps our enjoyment.  There is no pleasure in witnessing the struggle of a good people trying to make a life for themselves with little hope for improvement.

Many fishing boats crowd Galle harbor.  How can they all negotiate getting out of that crowd?

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Galle fortress has a long history from the colonial days, but now it caters mainly to tourists.

Main street Galle fortress.  Every form of transport imaginable can be found in Sri Lanka, but the 'tuk-tuk' (named for the sound they make) is a favorite.  Recently the government prohibited the importation of new tuk-tuks, to reduce currency outflows, so now the price of existing tuk-tuks has risen dramatically (along with many other goods).

When the British gave the country independence in 1948, the country was prosperous. It is a very diverse country: Sinhalese, Tamils, Indians, Moors. Several languages: Sinhala, Tamil, and English are all taught in government schools. People we talked to mentioned sending their children to private schools for additional language instruction in English and French, plus other subjects.  You must pass a strict test to be allowed to enter high school, and an additional test to enter university.  Even though the schools are free, poor people cannot afford the living expenses for schooling; thus, the rich are the major recipients of this ‘free’ education.

Three major religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. EDITORIAL COMMENT: With all this diversity, this must be a wonderful country, but, in fact, diversity has been used by politicians to create deep divisions within the country. Assassinations, bombings, and rebellion have been common in recent years. Everyone we talked to mention the huge factor of government corruption.  ‘Diversity’ is like the term ‘weather’ it can be good or harmful.  Let's promote DRC (self-Discipline, Respect, Commitment) instead.

The Chinese government has provided massive loans and construction help for major public works projects.  Much of the funding has gone for bribes and payoffs, and Sri Lanka has been left with loans they cannot repay.  The country went bankrupt recently.  Thus, the Chinese government has taken over control of the commercial port at Hambantota, collects the tolls on major highways, and is set to take over a major airport at the south end of the island. Can this have anything to do with Sri Lanka’s strategic location at the apex of the Indian subcontinent?

We initially planned to use train service between our stops in Sri Lanka, but the more that I looked at the details, the more I realized the problems.  We would need a taxi to get to the train station and another taxi to get from the train station to our destination.  Most of the time we would need to stop in Colombo and transfer to a different train.  It was easier to simply hire a taxi with driver to shuttle us between our accommodations.  

Our hotel near Kandy.  The owner had worked in Dubai hotels for many years and then returned home to build his own hotel on this beautiful site.

View from the front of our hotel room.  The rear view was equally scenic with large windows and a wide balcony to enjoy the landscape.

We first were transported from Colombo harbor to our hotel in the central highlands near Kandy.  Colombo and Kandy are the two largest cities.  Kandy was the previous capital for centuries and is the site of the Temple of the Tooth, where Budda's lower left canine tooth is kept and on limited display. 

Looking down on Kandy and the Temple of the Tooth (far shore).

Our hotel was 6-7 miles out of town, on a scenic ridge at a higher altitude.  Very nice accommodation with a pool and restaurant.  So scenic and well-kept that couples would come there to have their wedding/engagement photographs taken.  We then arranged day trips from the hotel to Kandy itself and to Nuwara Eliya, the highest altitude city in the country. We found neither city to be especially attractive: crowded narrow streets with an excess of vehicles, small shops, and vendors.  We were able escape to the tranquility of Victoria Park in Nuwara Eliya and also to a pleasant restaurant for lunch.

The lush central high country.  The climate is slightly cooler.  Many tea plantations are here, but also nontropical fruits and vegetables are grown.

Victoria Park, a tree over 100 years old with Dawn standing in front of it.  The climate in Sri Lanka is favorable for healthy growth of vegetation.

Royal Botanical Gardens, it is a popular destination, including many young courting couples.  Entry fees pay for a staff to provide excellent care for the gardens.

Visiting the Royal Botanical Gardens was a highlight of our visit to Kandy.  The Gardens, about 150 acres, are located on the inside of a bend in the river, effectively creating the seclusion of a peninsula.  Lush foliage, huge trees, and tribes of monkeys feeding on the fruits and nuts.

A young monkey, other members of the group are close at hand.

While in Kandy, we toured a woodworking shop.  Their main product is high end custom furniture.  This statue has been hand-carved from a single piece of wood.  Absolutely amazing!  Labor is cheap in this country; thus, they can produce and ship custom pieces like this all over the world.  The machines they use are old and with limited capability.  When I asked what training the workers get, I was told that it is generational; fathers pass the skills onto their sons. 

Our chauffer from Kandy to Hikkaduwa was a very friendly young man.  His home was near our route, so he invited us to stop at his family home and also at the local temple (combined Buddhist and Hindu).  We met his mother, his sister, an uncle and aunt, plus some neighbors.  We sat in their small house and drank the water they offered us.  We got the feeling that the family has very limited contact with Westerners. Such nice people.

View from our hotel balcony.  This is a long narrow lake.  Power boats are limited to one daily passenger ferry. More commonly we saw fishermen in outrigger canoes, ducks, and water monitors (predatory lizards powered by their strong tails).  

A peaceful morning on the deck at our boutique hotel, only 7 rooms.  A Chinese family called for a reservation and requested two rooms with kitchen privileges to prepare their baby's food.  When they arrived at the hotel, their demands became one room only, unlimited use of the kitchen, and a discount on the room cost.  They were turned away; the manager told us this as another example of the increasing Chinese arrogance; cheap and pushy.    

One morning I ordered the traditional Sri Lanka breakfast.  Many new flavors to try, but I could not eat it all.

Our stay at Hikkaduwa was comfortable and also very interesting.  Our boutique hotel overlooked a lake where we could watch fishermen in outrigger canoes.  The accommodation was excellent, but the best part was the manager, Pandu.  He was well educated and spoke very understandable English.  After dinner, we would talk with him about many subjects.  As a Buddhist, he explained the five principles of Buddhism (sort of a simplified Ten Commandments) but warned us that many of the priests are corrupt and influenced by money.  

English is not a first language for anyone in Sri Lanka, but it is a second language for many.  Problem was that their accent and grammar was so bad that often we were left guessing at the meaning of their words.  Most of the people you will encounter on Hikkaduwa Beach proper are Russians!  It is a very popular vacation location for them. I just read that Russians (with free extended visas) have been flocking to Sri Lanka (and staying) since the start of the war with Ukraine. Some 288,000 are present and have even started their own business's. Natives of Sri Lanka are getting tired of the Russians, but they bring in money to stimulate the economy. 

The beach there is very popular because the reef provides a protected area for waders and shallow snorkelers.  Dawn and I rented a boat with driver to take us out to a rocky point outside the reef where the water was deeper and the fish larger.  Waves swept over the area, but being submerged with snorkels we just enjoyed the gentle lift and surge of the waves.  We also encountered a sea turtle. 

Tsunami memorial.  Built at the site where a train on a coastal route was engulfed by the huge waves, estimated to be 29 feet high.

Roughly 35,000 persons in Sri Lanka were killed by the massive tsunami of Dec. 2004, and there is a commemorative museum at Hikkaduwa.  The event is recent enough that we talked to people who actually experienced the tsunami.  One reason that the museum is located at Hikkaduwa is because a train, with about 1200 passengers, was traveling on a coastal route there when the huge waves came ashore.  Almost everyone on the train was killed.

Hand-dug mine shaft in search of precious stones for jewelry.

Panning for precious stones.  The worker is standing in a pool of discarded ore and sifting fresh ore in a reed basket.

The ore contains several types of precious stones.  These are polished and either sold loose or mounted in a wide variety of jewelry.  There is a retail store on site, but even there, prices are not cheap.

Sri Lanka is known for the mining of precious stones of gem quality.  We visited one of the crude mines in the area.  The mine consisted of a vertical central shaft about 60 feet deep with a lateral shaft at the base about 20 feet long at this time.  Water was constantly pumped from the bottom of this wet pit, no ventilation was provided, and workers climbed down and up a long ladder to get to their work site. The "ore" was brought out in hand-cranked buckets and then separated as you would pan for gold, by being swished in a woven reed pan.

When a new highway was built through a low swampy region, fill material was brought in from another area of the island to elevate the roadway.  A few workers discovered that there were precious stones in this fill material.  The workers struck it rich; subsequently, police had to start patrolling to stop people from 'mining' the roadway.

Dawn at breakfast overlooking the lake.  We also had dinner here, afterwards we would have long discussions with the hotel manager.  He told us that some of his favorite literature is from 19th century British authors.

From Hikkaduwa, we were driven to Negombo, close to the Colombo airport.  Negombo was described as another beachfront town.  Our hotel was within easy walking of the beach, but there was little of interest on the beach.  What we saw of Negombo was not attractive; what was described as a shopping mall was similar to a smaller Walmart.  While our hotel was very comfortable, with restaurant, the neighborhood was marginal.  Tall walls around every separate business for security.  A nearby canal full of stagnant water and rotting boat hulls.  A semi-covered drainage ditch along our street with more stagnant water.  It was the first place where mosquitoes were a concern.