Welcome to my country, Sri Lanka.
I was born on 23rd of June 1988, in Colombo. By then a few years had passed since the start of the civil war. The country was at an age where our people were forced to quickly adapt to the constant threat of death looming over their heads. The chances of randomly dying (getting blown up or shot at) was a little higher than usual. People were still happy. It now takes a lot to dampen the spirit of a true Sri Lankan. We celebrate everything from drinking, to coming of age. The war was just another dilemma that we soon got used to. Life continued as usual, we constantly lived in the worst-case scenario, which made us quite tolerant to pain and suffering. This attitude soon became a characteristic of our personality. The constant exposure to an ever-present threat normalized a sense of calmness in the face of peril. This gave way to a new generation of resilient countrymen who learned to live happily no matter what the world threw at them.
In the early 90's I remember how everything on the TV was a 'hand me down' from western world. We were culturally exposed to the best re-runs on the planet. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman the Animated Series, GI JOE, Care Bears, GEM, the list goes on.
Everyone I knew could speak in English (at least get by) and the country was slowly and steadily catching up to the rest of the world. Thanks to our pop culture exposure we knew by then that the western world had Thanksgiving, Halloween and Christmas. We obviously had Christmas but it didn't snow here, so it wasn't the same. Sri Lankan children looked forward to our very own holidays like the Sinhala Tamil New Year, Vesak, and Poson. Those holidays divided the year for us, not seasons.
I bet the most loved and celebrated holiday in Sri Lanka is Vesak. The holy day that the Lord Buddha was born and passed on, makes it extremely significant to the occupants of this predominantly Buddhist nation. Vesak is a spectacular event that I eagerly look forward to every year. It’s hard to explain how and why Vesak triggers a mass awakening in the country. A massive number of people flock to the lit-up streets to marvel at the decorations and other mesmerising festivities. Vibrant colors flicker around almost every house, looping around trees, lamp posts, and in giant intricate lanterns. Let’s take a moment to appreciate this festive wonder. Like it’s western counter part, the Jacko-Lantern; the Sri Lankan lantern takes a lot of planning and artistic dedication to master and execute. The lantern signifies everything good and holy Vesak stands for. You could call it the festival of lights or the festival of “Don’t forget to close your mouth”. It’s like the annual spark that wakes the slumbering islander to remember their teachings, go do good and erupt with creativity all in the name of canceling out Karma. But wait, it doesn’t end there. How could I fail to mention the best part? There’s free food. Yes, Vesak prompts generosity in everyone who wishes to redeem good ‘Karma points’ by giving more alms. This means that you get a wide variety of the best culinary classics Sri Lanka has to offer for the amazing price of a smile and a ‘Thank you’. The food, the sweets and the drinks all amount to an amazing cultural experience that will stay engraved in your heart forever.
Our country was built on a strong creative foundation that dates back two thousand years. It’s not hard to miss, you see it everywhere in temples, castle ruins, caves, plastered on the walls and everywhere in between. But being creative comes with a price, the price of procrastination. Being lazy less eager to work is a part of life here. We have at least one holiday per month, Poya (Full Moon days), it’s the little glimmer of light gifted to all Sri Lankans alike. A laid-back culture that keeps us going because there's always something to look forward to when the going gets tough on the daily grind.
Sri Lanka has come a long way since the 90's. We are now racing alongside the western world, but we make sure we stay true to our core culture and its influence on our lives. Sri Lanka is tropical in every sense. The sites and sounds come together with the culture and different personalities of our people. Our country is a small but beautiful island that does justice to every sense of the word tropical. Come see for yourself what we have in store for you. You won't regret it.
Sri Lanka is an island that is smaller than Texas. It resembles a drop of dew that trickled down from India and was creatively captured in mid-motion before hitting the ground. Some say it resembles a teardrop that symbolizes our remarkable resilience. We are small in size but tropical magnificence can be found in any direction. Our country speaks of our past through the ambiance of color, culture and colonial architecture.
Its hard to not be poetic when describing the many different adventures you can go on in Sri Lanka. Our little country is blessed with breathtaking beaches, lush green meadow filled mountains, bountiful plains, jungles, and a Rain Forest which is an untouched marvel of nature that thrived in spite of our destructive past.
Blissful bounty stretches 150 miles in any direction. Take the train, ride a motorcycle, take the bus, drive, be driven, walk or cycle. It doesn't matter what you choose, you'll make amazing memories and meet the friendly locals along the way. But the train takes the trophy for taking the scenic route. You'll experience the remnants of colonialism first hand. The upcountry railroad was used to transport tea to the harbor back then but it still survives serviced and always ready for duty. The 'Udarata Manike' will take you from Fort Station (Colombo) right up to Elle via Kandy. You'll cover all the best scenic sites along the way and it only takes roughly 7 – 8 hours or so, depending on the weather. But if you chose the railroad be ready for constant rattling and swaying followed by a repetitive clank that will make your wife's nagging sound like Celine Dion in her prime.
“When in Rome, do what the Roman's do”. If you seek the real tropical experience push yourself to step out of the comforts of your hotel. Go meet the people, see what they are up to, taste the street treats and take a dip in the nearest river or lake instead of the hotel pool. But always remember to be safe. Stay tuned for detailed safety tips. Until the next blog, Think Happy Tropical Thought!
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