A month in Sri Lanka

A new friend we made in Colombo asked me if I was going to write about Sri Lanka as if she was a lady. I shrugged and tried to explain that I was coming out of a difficult relationship with India and needed some time off as India squeezed all the passion out of my writing pen.

I did arrive from India in Sri Lanka spent and in need of recharging my batteries. By the time we left a month later I was not only fully rested but deep in my heart I have developed an affection for the country and it’s people. To me Sri Lanka felt like a well kept secret that needed to be kept under wraps, similar to the holy Sikh books that were cocooned in felt an put away every night for safekeeping in the Golden Temple of Amritsar, India.

What did Sri Lanka win me over with?

The answer was easy – the people and how they treated us. Sri Lankans were gracious hosts and not yet spoiled by the flow of too many foreign tourists. Here we were not seen as ATM machines dispensing easy cash but like guests. Everyone we met wanted us to like their country and people were always making sure we are content and have everything we need. We did experience true hospitality in other countries of course, but our experiences were often mixed with negative ones in which we were regarded as the rich white tourists and were touted to death (Lovina, Bali and Battambang, Cambodia to name a few), had prices raised on us (everywhere in Vietnam and some in Thailand), had constant stares that made us too self conscious and uncomfortable (India) and were not always treated with a smile because we were in a crowd of too many foreigners (Thailand).

In Sri Lanka we were not hustled and we were not stared at. We were the recipients of genuine kindness though. The people felt honest and interested in finding out more about us and sharing about themselves. On the few occasions we were given tourist prices people almost appeared embarrassed.

Coming from India, Sri Lanka also won us over with its good roads, clean sidewalks and lack of trash. The country didn’t feel crowded like India did. Nowhere in Sri Lanka I had the feeling that I was swimming through swarms of people and had to stop and beg not to be followed. Unlike India, Sri Lanka had plenty of public toilets. The smell of urine at public spaces was non-existent and we never witnessed numerous males relieving themselves (sorry India). Drivers in Sri Lanka were respectful of pedestrians and always stopped to let us cross. That by itself felt like a miracle as in India we were risking our life every time we had to get to other side of the street.

Sri Lanka is tiny compared to India so of course it doesn’t boast the same diversity as its neighbor to the North, but its small size and easy going vibe made it easy for us to experiment and explore the country with no predetermined agenda, with no guidebook and with no idea of what is next. Unpredictability and surprise are quickly becoming our preferred way to experience a place and Sri Lanka’s public bus system made it possible for us to hop on and off on a bus from anywhere on the road. We never waited for more than a few minutes for a bus to come! Buses were cheap, convenient and always fun. We didn’t see other foreigners riding them and I wonder why? We had some of our best interactions with local people on the buses, while listening to ska like jolly tunes and gazing at green landscapes.

Sri Lanka is as lush and green as Bali, but lacks the crowds of tourists. It has amazing beaches without the over development the tourist industry gone-crazy-could-brings-to-a-place, sorry lovers of Thailand. It has beautiful historic cities like Galle that are not commercialized like Vientam’s Hoi Ann. Sri Lanka feels miles away from the well paved backpacker trails we got a taste of pretty much everywhere in South East Asia. There are no tourist buses loaded to the brim here, no backpackers crash pads, no crowds of tank top clad ragged travels. Don’t get me wrong, there is a popular trail snaking through Sri Lanka’s multiple points of interest, but it is a gentle and intimate one, with many stories tucked in within the main narrative of its route.

So, if you are looking for a party scene, Sri Lanka might not be the fit for you. If you are looking for a destination with beautiful nature and rich culture Sri Lanka will not leave you disappointed.

~ M.