So-Long Sri Lanka
14th September 2010
After rescuing a few thousand pineapples from suffocating weeds Aaron and I left the DDC and Sri Lanka to return to India. I thought of it as a rescue operation because sometimes when the hot sun burned, sweat dripped down my chest and spiky pineapple leaves scratched my skin I needed reminding that eliminating all plant life was not the objective. Usually though the methodical work was peaceful and I discovered how enjoyable and what a good work-out gardening could be. My thighs ached from doing squats all day, but it was rewarding to see the difference we made. My fingers muscles had grown to big for my ring, or maybe my fingers were just swollen in the heat.
Two days before leaving Yakalla I took my last chance for some sightseeing in the area. At lunch time I rode in a three-wheeler up to a rock temple about 10km away. One of the priests gave me a personal guided tour. Unfortunately he didn't speak much English, so although I was honoured I didn't learn much. The main cave had a tiled floor and I was most surprised to see a modern, giant, gaudy, reclining Buddha statue taking up all of one wall. Annoyingly this is just when my camera battery died. At the back of the cave were some ancient Buddha sculptures, which were more in-keeping with the style I was expecting to see. After accompanying me round the cave, the rickshaw driver doubled as a guide and escorted me up to the view point by the caves. It was an incredible view over vast green fields and a sea of coconut trees. Although the cave temple could not compare to those we saw in Ajunta, India, last month the impressive viewpoint alone made the trip worthwhile.
(This is the temple before the main temple when my camera battery ran out)
On the Saturday evening before Aaron and I left the DDC Chaminda threw a small 'party' for us. He brought beers and bites (snacks) for us, Deva and Sunhil to enjoy while we listened to music and chatted. Chaminda and Sunhil were a little distracted because they were organising the drinks for Sunhil's nephew's wedding in just a couple of days. A few days ago Aaron and I met Sunhil's sister Kanthi, who has been living in the UK for about ten years. She very kindly invited us to her son's wedding homecoming, so that we could see a traditional Sri Lanka wedding homecoming. Sri Lankan religious and cultural traditions feature a second reception after the couple's honeymoon. The family of the groom gives these receptions. It is known as a homecoming, and signifies the bringing back of a bride by the groom. Brides left their homes and joined the groom, a practice still widely held in rural areas and villages. Nowadays, most wedded couples opt to build their own homes. The couple at the wedding we were attending had been living in Cyprus.
We were afraid it might be a little awkward attending the homecoming since we didn't even know the newly-weds' names, but everyone was very welcoming and Chaminda didn't know the bride's name either. The bride looked beautiful in a traditional red sari with lots of glittering gold and intricately styled hair. I was excited by the opportunity to wear the pubjabi I brought in India again. After drinks we had the best lunch I've had in Sri Lanka and despite the many guests at the party, Kanthi sat with us. It was great to get to know her and maybe I will get to see her again in Winchester (UK) or Sri Lanka.
(Chaminda and Aaron)
(Sunhil's wife and Kanthi)
The homecoming was the day before Aaron and I flew back to India, so straight after the wedding Aaron and I caught a bus to Negombo, since Colombo airport is actually closer to the town Negombo than the capital Colombo. We spent the night in a crumbling, colonial style guest house by a fishing beach, then did a little shopping with our remaining Sri Lankan Rupees the next morning. We caught a flight to Chennai, India on 14th September, during which we reflected on our experiences.
We both agreed that we had found the volunteer experience here and the turtle conservation project we worked on in June in Greece the most rewarding. I thought it was interesting how in Greece we had learnt a lot about loggerhead sea turtles, but nothing about Greek culture, however here we got to know quite a bit about Sri Lankan culture but didn't gain much knowledge on organic farming.
After rescuing a few thousand pineapples from suffocating weeds Aaron and I left the DDC and Sri Lanka to return to India. I thought of it as a rescue operation because sometimes when the hot sun burned, sweat dripped down my chest and spiky pineapple leaves scratched my skin I needed reminding that eliminating all plant life was not the objective. Usually though the methodical work was peaceful and I discovered how enjoyable and what a good work-out gardening could be. My thighs ached from doing squats all day, but it was rewarding to see the difference we made. My fingers muscles had grown to big for my ring, or maybe my fingers were just swollen in the heat.
Two days before leaving Yakalla I took my last chance for some sightseeing in the area. At lunch time I rode in a three-wheeler up to a rock temple about 10km away. One of the priests gave me a personal guided tour. Unfortunately he didn't speak much English, so although I was honoured I didn't learn much. The main cave had a tiled floor and I was most surprised to see a modern, giant, gaudy, reclining Buddha statue taking up all of one wall. Annoyingly this is just when my camera battery died. At the back of the cave were some ancient Buddha sculptures, which were more in-keeping with the style I was expecting to see. After accompanying me round the cave, the rickshaw driver doubled as a guide and escorted me up to the view point by the caves. It was an incredible view over vast green fields and a sea of coconut trees. Although the cave temple could not compare to those we saw in Ajunta, India, last month the impressive viewpoint alone made the trip worthwhile.
(This is the temple before the main temple when my camera battery ran out)On the Saturday evening before Aaron and I left the DDC Chaminda threw a small 'party' for us. He brought beers and bites (snacks) for us, Deva and Sunhil to enjoy while we listened to music and chatted. Chaminda and Sunhil were a little distracted because they were organising the drinks for Sunhil's nephew's wedding in just a couple of days. A few days ago Aaron and I met Sunhil's sister Kanthi, who has been living in the UK for about ten years. She very kindly invited us to her son's wedding homecoming, so that we could see a traditional Sri Lanka wedding homecoming. Sri Lankan religious and cultural traditions feature a second reception after the couple's honeymoon. The family of the groom gives these receptions. It is known as a homecoming, and signifies the bringing back of a bride by the groom. Brides left their homes and joined the groom, a practice still widely held in rural areas and villages. Nowadays, most wedded couples opt to build their own homes. The couple at the wedding we were attending had been living in Cyprus.
We were afraid it might be a little awkward attending the homecoming since we didn't even know the newly-weds' names, but everyone was very welcoming and Chaminda didn't know the bride's name either. The bride looked beautiful in a traditional red sari with lots of glittering gold and intricately styled hair. I was excited by the opportunity to wear the pubjabi I brought in India again. After drinks we had the best lunch I've had in Sri Lanka and despite the many guests at the party, Kanthi sat with us. It was great to get to know her and maybe I will get to see her again in Winchester (UK) or Sri Lanka.
(Chaminda and Aaron)
(Sunhil's wife and Kanthi)
The homecoming was the day before Aaron and I flew back to India, so straight after the wedding Aaron and I caught a bus to Negombo, since Colombo airport is actually closer to the town Negombo than the capital Colombo. We spent the night in a crumbling, colonial style guest house by a fishing beach, then did a little shopping with our remaining Sri Lankan Rupees the next morning. We caught a flight to Chennai, India on 14th September, during which we reflected on our experiences.
We both agreed that we had found the volunteer experience here and the turtle conservation project we worked on in June in Greece the most rewarding. I thought it was interesting how in Greece we had learnt a lot about loggerhead sea turtles, but nothing about Greek culture, however here we got to know quite a bit about Sri Lankan culture but didn't gain much knowledge on organic farming.
Comments
Don't let the weeding in Sri Lanka put you off gardening for life. Weeds do not grow as well in other climates!