By: Jean-Paul Courville
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia, located in the Indian Ocean southwest of the Bay of Bengal and southeast of the Arabian Sea. Once under British rule and formerly known as Ceylon it became a republic in 1972 (the year I was born) and renamed Sri Lanka.
In 2014, I traveled to Sri Lanka with four others from Dubai. One of the unique opportunities traveling with groups of people from Dubai is the wide range of diversity, a melting pot of culture. We were a group of five, one American (yours truly), one from Poland, Kenya, Jordan, and Pakistan. The stories among our group are as entertaining as the trip itself. We learned quickly that curry and more curry were our options for every meal. I am compatible with any type of food but I must admit that fish curry for breakfast didn't excite me.
On our fourth morning during breakfast Iqra (Pakistan) had the most disappointed look on her face, she let out a sigh and said "not curry again!" followed by a whimper. I can’t recall the last time I laughed that hard.
We arrived in the capital of Columbu, hiked around Sigiriya, visited the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, watched elephants roam the streets near Minneriya, toured Kandy, visited the Temple of Buddha (tooth relic), the Dambulla cave, hiked Adams Peak, stayed in Ella, rode the train, and hiked in the Horton Plains. The wildlife, the waterfalls, the tea plantations, the beaches, and the winding roads surely make Sri Lanka a memorable location.
It was remarkable to witness a small village with a Buddhist temple, a Hindu Temple, a Christian Church, and an Islamic Mosque next to each other. We visited the outdoor market where all religions co-existed and shopped together, apparently there had been no violence in this town.
One of my most memorable moments happened on this trip in 2014. I had moved away from the group many times on our hiking paths and on one particular day I walked upon a 90 year old Sri Lankan man chopping wood. He was in great shape, was cutting wood to fuel the heat for his families food and tea. He spoke English and offered me homemade tea in half of a coconut shell. He told me stories while growing up in Ceylon under British rule. You cant script these type of moments.
Bonus Tip: Don't call them Indians or say Sri Lanka is part of India.
Always Travel with protection
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