Sri Lanka – Part One

News of another suicide attack in a Colombo raised an eyebrow, I follow the news as much as possible mindful of the detail between the lines and I’d read a few accounts of the recent troubles in Sri Lanka; an unfortunate civil war over disputed land and independence that has plagued the country on and off since 1983. Fourteen innocents attending a function marking the forthcoming of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year had the grave misfortune to be the collateral damage in this latest cowardly attack.

I’m completely perplexed by acts of terrorism; if I have a disagreement with my neighbour regarding a broken boundary fence, it makes no sense to me to go to another street and destroy the fence of someone whom I have never met nor know just to demonstrate my point; maybe this is a naïve view point? Maybe it’s just a simple one?

I’m off to Sri Lanka in a few days and this is the key reason why this incident catches my eye, apprehension replaces the usual excitement of going on a trip. I browse over a few web forums reading the accounts of folk currently travelling through Sri Lanka or have just returned. The message is very clear, Sri Lanka is a beautiful country, the current troubles are isolated to certain regions and provided you follow very simple rules, which apply to any trip, you’ll have a great time. I’m upbeat about these notes; once again I’d been more of an idiot than normal.

Fourteen hours after departure and via Male, we touch down at Bandaranaike International Airport in the town of Katunayake, 35kms north of Colombo. On auto pilot we negotiate immigration, baggage and customs then out of the cool air-conditioned airport, bang! The Sri Lanka heat hits you, albeit it’s somewhat pleasurable. We are met by smiles from Anil, our driver and tour guide for the next eight days and as we’ll soon learn, the best tour guide Sri Lanka has to offer. Anil calmly ushers us to a spot just outside the airport, he’ll be back in a few minutes with the car. Slightly tired, slightly excited, mostly curious we survey the vicinity. It’s a modest airport, far from modern, there’s no hustle and bustle certainly not like what we left behind at Heathrow – the world’s shittiest airport – it’s a typical airport scene, people coming going, family friends embracing. It feels good and I’m eager to venture. Anil arrives, in we get and off we go, first stop Harabana. “How long” I optimistically ask. “About four hours” Anil calmly replies!

Time passed by at the same rate no matter what the circumstances of your day and not being a subscriber to the theory of life being too short, after all whilst you’re extant there’s nothing else you can do that lasts longer. However, time does slip away inconveniently when you’re practicing your passions; I take heed processing the new information that glimpses past me; Sri Lanka is lush, deep greens consistently surround you, the roads are well trodden and life is over flowing. Sceptical of first impressions, as generally they are wrong, I feel at complete ease. Each village, town, we pass through is defined by its own characterises; the rainbow coloured street markets, snail paced cattle, rusty bicycles, overloaded mopeds and skinny dogs, plenty of skinny dogs. The sun has disappeared, not that I noticed it departed for the day and just like any other place in the world, the night time has created an atmosphere the daytime never gets to see, giddy with excitement what the next eight days behold I marvel at the snippet of Sri Lanka I’ve already been blessed to see.

We turn off what is considered a main road, a worn gritted greyish brown surface wide enough for about three forms of automobile on to a b-road; a worn-out dirt brown surface wide enough for one and half forms of automobile. “We are early” Anil announces. The cars headlights briefly pulls flashes of the jungle that surrounds us, out of the pitch black darkness for a few seconds, far off in to the distance the dim view of a few dozens lights grows ever closer. Within minutes we pull in to large contemporary reception area almost an hour ahead of schedule. Pleased to be out of the car, once again wide smiles and friendly faces welcome us. It might now be deep in to the night but the temperature hasn’t changed since I was last out of the car, is consistently hot; just like the smell of freshly cut grass and the thrill of making people laugh, the sticky night heat is one of lives greatest pleasures.

After the pleasant formalities we are onwards to our room. With the exception of the scattered mosquito invested lights, darkness reigns. Even though according to the friendly porter we’re in a most beauty part of Sri Lanka. We freshen up, check the football scores and eat well before bedding down, looking forward to our first full day in Sri Lanka.

It’s an early start, it’s still dark and the heat is still close. Anil greets us, “Sleep well?” A few more hours would have improved it but when you’re on a fresh venture this is not a problem.

As if we never left the car, we’re back in it and off to Sirigiya, one of Sri Lanka’s most important places. The dark morning sky soon lightens up and the friendly porter’s description soon becomes clear. We cross a bridge unique in its design; on one side a ten metre slant leading in to the jungle trickling with water and on the other a stunningly beautiful giant lake surrounded by an abundance of greens, the water line sits higher than the bridge itself only the man made wall protects the bridge from submerging in to the beauty. The lake is a source of life and its importance is all too apparent; a man of advancing years, skin tight to his visible skeleton fishes, boys jump in making a big splash, another man young and muscular takes his morning bathe and a petit woman washes the family clothing. Anil softly points towards her, “Sri Lankan washing machine.”