Advertisement
Published: March 14th 2006
There Fishy, Fishy
Galle's Fresh Catch of the Day. All you do is walk up, point, take home, and grill. Excellent tuna to be had in Sri LankaThis is a hugely belated blog posting, but Sri Lanka is definitely a blog-worthy country. There's been a lot of news circulating for such a small country as of late. Last year it was the tsunami and this year it's on the verge of civil war, but even through the turmoil it is an enchanting country. The people have such a strong spirit. Spirit that keeps a person optimistic after his wife's legs are lost in the tsunami along with two of his children and nearly all of his teeth. He was a fisherman who also lost his boat, which was his livelihood, not to mention his home. The most sobering thing about this story is that it is not one that is unique, many people have stories very much like this, virtually everyone I met in fact was greatly affected. The beauty is that the people are still smiling and they're still greeting you warmly and they still want you to remember their country with a certain fondness.
I know that I will. It was a perfect escape and decompression from all that is India. I guess you don't realize it until you leave how hard India pushes you
STILTED
One of Sri Lanka's notable living attractions, the stilt fisherman. The stilts are handed down from generation to generation. day in and day out, but then again it wouldn't be the same India that we love (and secretly hate at times) if it wasn't full-on and in your face. I would say that Sri Lanka is a step down from India that takes you about halfway to what you think of as Western living, if I even really remember what that is.
The beaches in Sri Lanka are idyllic though, but for the litter that is sometimes scattered about. Unfortunately in many parts of Asia that are less developed the environment is the people's big rubbish bin. Regardless, I was not to be deterred, and I made it my goal during my two and half weeks in Sri Lanka to not stray from the beautiful beaches by more than 30 or 40 paces. Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration because I did get out and move around a bit more than that--but to be honest--not too much. The weather, though, was great and the sea was warm and blue, and there were actually some nice waves in which I could be flounced. (Can I say that?)
I met some great locals during my time there as
well. A couple of them I actually spent a good deal of time with since I was traveling on cruise control, holiday from the holiday thing, ya know. Each of them. though, was living their life and enjoying the days that they had; maybe they understood the fragility of life after the tsunami or maybe that's just the way they are. That I won't ever know, but I do know that imbues them with a different spirit than many people; they are not afraid to live--living in the i-n-g and not the e-d as Tom Robbins has said--for that is reason unto itself to get up and enjoy each day. Maybe I'm waxing a bit philosophical here, but those of you who know me know that I'm a bit prone to do that. So, I wish the Sri Lankan the people the best in dealing the struggles that have come and are coming their way.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.095s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 11; qc: 56; dbt: 0.0676s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Jill Bean
Jill
blessed
Grant, Although I haven't posted a comment before, I've read every blog, and I've enjoyed travelling with you. Thanks for the postcard. Russell and I enjoyed it. I feel truly blessed that you've shared your experiences with me and the other readers. Can't wait for your return. Take care, Jill