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I think my favorite moment in Sri Lanka was actually on the crowded train from Colombo to Bentota. I boarded the train at about 1 in the afternoon, and had been traveling since three in the morning by rickshaw, bus, plane, taxi, and now train. I just wanted to sit and stare out the window of the train, but only standing room was available. So I threw my backpack on the overhead shelf and found a spot in the aisle. It took about half hour for the train to actually start moving, and in the meantime I studied the dark, humid train car that was full of interesting Sri Lankan people. They were interesting because they were not dressed like Indians. It also smelled like garbage, but that was the train station itself. A huge team of cricket or football (soccer) players got on board with their humongous bags and filled up any remaining space. I was tired and probably didn't have the most amused look on my face.
The train finally started rolling, filling the cabin with fresh air. Soon the food vendors started pushing by and a blind beggar stumbled over the sports boys' bags. I couldn't see out the window due to my standing perspective, which sort of bummed me out. Eventually I turned around and stooped down low to look out the opposite window and realized we were traveling right along the ocean! You could see the waves crashing on the rocks just a few metres away. I smiled and laughed a little at the sight and some ladies smiled back at me. One vendor came through with a large woven basket lined with newspapers. Inside were these fried dough balls, fried whole red chillies, and whole fried crawfish-- eyeballs, antennae and all with some breaded stuffing buldging out of their bellies. It was a charming spread, although I did not want to partake. Mmmmm train snacks. A man hobbled in with bandages on his foot, parked himself next to me and pulled out his drum-- a big green one with twangy percussive strings on the side. He sang in a hollow, raspy and resonant voice while he played perfect beats. The music was fantastic, and he could play the traditional Sri Lankan folk songs perfectly. Everyone sort of tapped their feet to the rhythm. Children leaned out the window and smiled at the ocean as the sun reflected off their jawbones and bounced back into the dark train. We watched fishing boat after fishing boat pass by, all shaped like bananas and in vivid shades of red, green, and yellow. The small fishermen homes that lined the tracks with their little gardens were picturesque too. I thought to myself, "This is better than a movie, and this is my life."
Probably due to my lightened mood and the fact that I was clearly interested in what was going on outside the window, a family made some room for me by a little brother climbing into big brother's lap. I thanked them and sat down with a smile. It was nice to enjoy the next hour and a half sitting down. It was also nice to see a husband put his head on his wife's shoulder as he rested, affection you would never see in India. Also, the mom of the family was wearing a skirt where her legs could show, propped up on the seat across from her, naturally hairy, something I also greatly appreciated and that you would never see in India. Her young son picked at his mom's leg hair, something he must have liked to do. I felt somehow apart of this family unit, there was an intimacy on that crowded train. It was comforting.
I stayed at a simple little guesthouse called Wasana in Bentota, and Susani and Chandra treated me like family. When ragged and tired me showed up at their doorstep at 3:30 they cheered for me and said they had been waiting for my arrival. A cold shower with a fresh bar of soap and a quick lay down on a clean bed sheet never felt so good.
In the morning I had a super yummy Sri Lankan breakfast that consisted of little nests of tangled noodles, coconut curry with potatos, and some dry coconut chutney with chilly, onion, and salt. I also had my own tea served in a nice little set with milk and sugar, which I also appreciated. I told Chandra and Susani I wanted to venture out to see Brief Garden, the home of famous architect Geoffrey Bawa's brother. I asked how much a rickshaw ride would cost, and they made a few phone calls and got a few quotes. Chandra then got a smile on his face realizing he had the day off (he also works at the Budget car rental counter at the airport). He said, "I tell you what. I'll take you on the motorcycle and you pay for the petrol, 200 rupppees, and that will save you 550 ruppees!" I told him this was really kind of him, and yes, I was up for the adventure, let's go!
What a great way to experience the countryside, on the back of a motorcycle! (Mom, it's ok they wear helmets in Sri Lanka.) So many beautiful bungalows with the distinct Sri Lankan carved wood gingerbread details-- LOVED IT! Fields, rivers, incredible trees.... great views. Brief Garden quite amazing too, I loved how much the home highlighted the incredible nature around it.
Chandra also took me to the Kasoga Sea Turtle Rescue Project. A batch of baby sea turtles had just hatched the night before! They were super cute, and I got to hold them! Touching baby animals is always better than just seeing baby animals. This rescue project protects the eggs while they are hatching, and then releases the babies into the ocean. Locals like to eat the eggs, so to discourage this the Rescue will pay people per egg that they bring to the shelter. It works! Cool place.
Also picked up a DELICIOUS young coconut, that was ORANGE, and way tastier than an Indian green coconut. It was bottomless. I slurped for a long time.
We went to a pharmacy where I could change my Indian ruppees, and on the way back he dropped me off at the Chaplan Tea House and said, "See you later for dinner!" Wow, thanks, Chandra! I really enjoyed the tea house and was especially excited about the Sri Lankan grown gunpowder green tea! Made some purchases, as I mentioned at the beginning. It is good, fresh tea, supposedly some of the best in the world.
I went to the ocean that afternoon to take a dip amongst a bunch of Sri Lankan families. First swim in the Indian Ocean and I've been on it for almost four months now! It felt great, and powerful. I'm always humbled by the pull of an ocean wave.
Dinner was extremely delicious. Sri Lankan food is sort of a mix of Kerelan and Tamil food-- they have the fishy and salty soupy coconut curry of Kerela that is super flavorful, as well as the dry coconut chutney of Tamil Nadu. It tastes a little different though because I think they use raw onion, so it's sharper. Some different spices too I think. After dinner Susani showed me how to tie a Kandian sari. I had observed all these ladies on the airplane wearing their saris in the craziest fashion with pleats poofing out the side and fanning out like bird feathers. The folks at Wasana got a big kick out of this. It was fun.
In Colombo I stayed at a gem of a home-- Parisare totally blew me away. It was in ritzy old colonial Cinnamon Gardens, and is where Mrs. Sunetra Ilangakoon lives. Her husband was in the tea business, and when the family relocated to Colombo he said, "How can I be cooped up in the city like this?" He was a huge nature lover, so he built this house with very few walls-- a room will just start in a corner, and then in the opposite corner it will evolve into a magical garden. INCREDIBLE. All the gardening was done by this man, and I really appreciated his work. It was also super 70's because that's when they built it-- vinyl chairs, squared off minimal japanese details, concrete floors. Sunetra is a beautiful old woman who greeted me in a batiked house dress and a unique British accent. She explained to me how I was staying in her daughters room, look, this was my son's room.... She told me the whole history of the house and her sweet and gentle soul of a husband who had recently passed. She also saw me admiring the amazing old family pictures she had everywhere, so she came to explain. "This lady was my mother, this was my grandmother who was the first woman in Sri Lankan parliament.... This is seven generations of the men in my husband's family." I mean, wow, old school colonial Sri Lankans. Old tinted daguerreotypes of people from the past in the most elaborate costumes. This was Sri Lankan history, right here. I could have sat and talked to this woman for ages, she was so lovely. I just wanted to have her tell me everything she knew. She said opening her home as a guesthouse with just the three rooms was the best thing she ever did. Of course she has tons of grand kids who come from the UK to visit as well, and she showed me all their pictures. Then she had to go do some charity work, and was off for the day. It was such a treat just to be in this place. This house, the National Museum, Bawa's Gallery Cafe, and the incredible homegoods at Paradise Road were all highlights of Colombo.
