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22nd May to 24th May
The MD of the schools I am teaching at and the boys are attending also runs a weaving business, one which we had intended to look at as we had read about it on our way here. It is a fair trade organisation providing work to women (so often work and therefore control of money goes to the men) and there are many reasons why fair work for women is critical to the development of a family and indeed a society. On Friday we were picked up by Sandra’s driver Nishanta, and taken to one of her weaving factories. The weaving was fascinating. Each loom takes a full day to set up with the complex patterns on the warp. The cloths are handwoven by highly skilled women on unpowered looms and we were all hypnotised by the path on the shuttle carrying the weft, and amazed at the concentration required to count the number of crossings before switching shuttles to make the patterns. Seeing the patterns appear was fascinating, and we then were thrilled to see dolls and toys made up in the same material. We were also taken to the dying factory, and the
toy factory - and pleased to see women working in spacious and clean areas, and with protective masks when working with the short fibres. This appears to be yet another worthwhile project but the material, toys and designs were sufficiently enchanting even without their worthiness. The designs are intricate and beautiful, and efforts are being made to accommodate and preserve traditional techniques by finding new outlets and uses for them, an example being an almost extinct form of Batik which is being used to represent fishes scales on a children’s range.
In the afternoon we went to the hospital, and saw more of the patients and just how hard the decision making process is under these conditions. At midnight last night temporary toilets were of the highest priority due to an outbreak of hepatitis, but by rearranging them overnight, separating major orthopaedics from less urgent cases that need has been erased, and now equipping the new wards that are springing up and providing crutches (almost unavailable in Sri Lanka due to excess demand) are more important,
Early on Saturday morning we were again picked up by Nishanta and driven in cool comfort to Sygiria. It is claimed here
that it is the 8th Wonder of the World, and although there is dispute over whether it is a Fort/Palace complex (local) or an Ancient Temple complex (Archaeological and literary evidence) the fact remains it is astonishing (as sadly were the entrance fees, 50 rupees local, 3000 rupees tourist). My not entirely fake ire and thunderous face combined with complaints of having no money left keep the notorious would be guides and helpers at bay.
Sygiria was built in the 1st and 2nd century BC on and around a huge steep sided rock the plug of a long extinct and now worn away volcano. Around the base formal gardens were laid out including water gardens with hydro-gravitational water fountains which still work when water levels are high enough (they weren’t), a boulder garden and terraced gardens. There are the remains of little shrines and an audience hall on the way to the main rock, and once you start climbing some astonishing wall paintings, variously considered to be representations of Goddesses or concubines, these over 100m up a sheer drop, with spectacular views accessed now by iron walkways which leave you wondering how they were originally painted.
Continuing
along the walkway brings you too the penultimate plateau. Here there is a gateway flanked by giant lions paws, all that remains of the huge lion which apparently guarded the entrance and explains the name which means Lion Rock. Hawkers and monkeys alike pester people who wait here, trying in different ways to exploit either by selling or stealing food. The smarter hawkers sell ice creams and water, some astonishingly try and sell wooden carvings and rocks to people climbing. This final climb starts up stairs but soon changes to a rusty and precarious looking series of iron steps which feel thankfully solid. The climb is hot and windy and at times we feel our climbing harnesses would be a good idea. Everywhere signs warn about hornets. Some very large hives are visible and we have read about attacks. The suggestion is to stay quiet, and for once we Yeates boys manage relative silence.
The last 30 or so steps return to a solid staircase and deliver one to a platform which takes what little breath remains away. A complex series of brick terraces including an astonishing pool lead to a summit which feels like the roof of the
world. We are convinced that even if we cannot reclaim some of the money, the price is worth it for the memories. We picnic in surprising solitude, before exploring a little more, and then descending. This is the first place since Unawatuna that we have seen other westerners and it is not surprising. It would be ludicrous to come to Sri Lanka and not visit. Intriguingly we saw 3 other British families with children of similar ages to ours.
Nishanta delivered us to a delightful hotel in Dambulla, supplied by the Selyn weaving company and complete with a pool. The only drama there was that at one point we heard a squawk from the toilets. Jake came back and said that Elliot said it was a frog. It turned out that the frog had jumped onto Elliots head, surprising him! Much of the next 24 hours was spent by the pool, although we did venture out on the Sunday morning to walk to the Dambulla rock temple. These are a series of caves in which a temporarily deposed king took shelter. On regaining his throne he built them into a series of temples, filled with a variety of Buddhas
including many in the position now known to us as the Jake Shower position, as he sits in the same pose to clean his feet. On the walk to and from the temples Jake and I amused ourselves by answering “For a Walk” to the insistent tuk tuk drivers “Where are going sir?” questions. Our lift home was from Kamal and Harshi, the couple who took us for a picnic and to dinner during the week. They are a thoughtful and fun couple, with children of 4 and 7 who delighted us by saying that they had always thought western people were driven by greed and acquisitiveness, who had not really got time for their children, but that seeing us with our children and how affectionate and huggy we are have realised that we are very like them. They had laughed as well at how when Kamal rang to offer me the lift I said I would check with Nicky and ring back - he said he would always do the same. This echoes a belief that I have long felt which is that by travel and meeting people we build knowledge and friendship that can help break down barriers
caused by ignorance. Monday looms with work of various types but we have had a weekend that has been thrilling and satisfying on many levels.
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Joeandnicky
Joe Yeates
Weaving Hope
Weaving Hope is the name of the enterprise that has arisen out of this adventure. If you want to have a look at what we are doing or buy the beautiful fair trade gifts that we import have a look at our website at www.weavinghope.co.uk