WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES AND ECOTOURISM The next day, we left Colombo and drove north along the coast. We stopped at Negumbo, a polluted fishing village. We walked along the bridge, and looked down into the rather foul water below. It was afternoon when we toured the fish market, so most of the fish had been sold, and most of the 2,000 people who were there in the early morning were gone. Some venders were still hopeful about selling their catch, as they waved the numerous buzzing flies away, and poured warm seawater over the fish to keep it wet and shining. Many other venders were spreading the unsold stock out on the ground to dry. This goes on day after day, and I have to say that the smell was incredible. Not good. Very bad. Fresh fish ... read more

SINHARAJAH TO COLOMBO As we descended the mountain and left the tranquil forests behind, we traveled through rural areas for several kilometers. But all too soon the road got wider, the buildings got denser, and we reached the Gaul Highway. Wow! Many lanes of traffic. What's this? A traffic light! Soon we began to notice piles of garbage in front of many buildings. Apparently this isn't normal; there seems to be some dispute about municipal garbage pickup, with the result that the garbage is not collected too often. On the way to Colombo, we stopped at a Buddhist Temple which is unique because of the hollow stupa (domed building). Most stupas enclose relics. Inside of this one, the walls are covered with a series of paintings depicting important events in the life of Buddha. It took ... read more

MORE CLASSES AND GEMS More classes, and another trip into Kandy. It was really restful to sit through a couple of exciting lectures after all of the tiring outdoor action-packed adventures. Both Bob and I are a bit congested, and unpleasantly aware of our throats. I get a headache. Are we coming down with anything? Are we reacting to the anti-malarial drug which we've just begun to take? With the blessing of hind-sight, I can answer: No and no. Maybe just something blooming in Giritale. Our discomfort disappears in a couple of days. This round of lectures concentrated on geography, geology, and the gems of Sri Lanka. We saw a neat moving image of the breakup of Gondwanaland, and watched as the little piece that became Sri Lanka glided across the globe. Neat how near it ... read more

CLASSES, DANCES, AND A HEALING RITUAL Time to be serious students again. Today we got more immersion in Sri Lankan history and culture with Prof. K.N.O. Dharmadasa, and a taste of myths and rituals with Prof. Udaya Meddegama, a man with infectious enthusiasm. We were shown ancient books written on strips palm leaves, held together by string that ran through two punched holes. One of these books was filled with tiny, neat writing in Sinhala. I would love to be able to read it! In the afternoon, we had a real treat, as the Kandy Dancers came to our Bungalow for a private performance. We arrived in time to see the dancers creating a clay deity image and adorning it with flowers. These dancers perform local songs and dances for tourists on a regular basis, and ... read more

OVERNIGHT TRIP: HORTON PLAINS AND NUWARA ELIYA Our first overnight outing away from Mahakande Bungalow was through the upcountry town of Nuwara Eliya and into Horton Plains National Park. Although the distance was only a few kilometers- I believe 26- the epic journey took us about four hours. The entire road that wound up and up and up the mountain had many features. It was very narrow. It was a constant series of curves and switchbacks. It was being repaired. As we drove it. The entire distance. The scenery was phenomenal. Very panoramic. Lots of waterfalls. Traffic. Terraces of neatly-clipped tea plants that looked like row after row of hedges. Big piles of boulders from recent road-clearing explosions. More traffic. More waterfalls. A construction worker stopping traffic. And so on. Eventually we experienced a marvelous sunset. ... read more