Mari and I finally make our words true and flew to Sri Lanka during Christmas. We had already got one of her friends, Aline, arrived there one day before and we joined her hotel in the midnight of 23rd.
The first view when we got out of the hotel the next morning was pure light blue sky and deep blue sea, with some coconut trees. The dream scene came in such a sudden that I hadn't realized that we were already on the island. Walking along the road for some minutes, we passed by some stands selling green color drinks and orange skin coconuts, all looked exotic. Then we arrived at the train station, took the train where there was no door at all. People all stared at us, we were the only foreigners on the train, I also looked carefully into them, they all have well shaped figures, slimmer in general, super fit and long legs and proper outfits, better than I imagined for an underdeveloped country. One cripple came onto the train and began to beg, then played a drummer, gave some taps as if it would helps train to move with a better rhythm.
It was barely 9 am, we arrived at the beach in Panadura , not a big one but clean like in the paradise. Taking a greedy breath, thinking of the pollution of 295 in Shanghai, great escape! No more freezing, no more misty, warm and shiny sands gently tickled the soles, we took a spot and lied down, leaving sunlight watering all the exposed part of the skin. I felt myself just fully melt in the air, it englobed me subtly without any stimulation, as if the skin has lost all its sensation and is perfectly integrated into it.
We approached to the sea after a while, sea water jumped into my feet wave by wave as a game, the shallow bank allowed me to go deeper until sea covers my waist. A local family is playing a water ball. We joined them. The waves kept pushing us back to the bank, and the ball took all the chances to flee away. Either by waves or by wind.
After a while, Ridma, my friend Aline's friend's sister came to pick us. Later on, she and her family proved to be one of the best people I have ever met. She took us to her and her mom's house to have Christmas lunch together. Mami already began to cook. Of course, the local food was the highlight. She prepared the Cudles, a kind of fried balls made of tuna and potatoes. There was also Bringjol, the dish looked quite similar to eggplants, but it was because the plant got fried, the texture was more solid with darker color. We also got other curries, fish meat, bettrave and nachos on the table. Aline has travelled to a lot of countries before and was also in India last year, she was quickly adapted and ate with her hands. Sri Lanka, like in India, is one of few countries that use hand to eat meals. Freestyle. I was a bit reluctant to do so in the beginning, but my other little girl side of mind was saying: come on, you're getting too old and stubborn to try new things? You want to belong to those boring people who never want to change?
Aline playing with the dog
Ridma's garden
Cudles still in the pot
Bringjol, a local fried veggie
It did required some skills to mix sauces and rice without leaking those harder grains of rice out of fingers. I didn't really enjoy sticky sauces crawling on my hand skin and nails, but it was a funny and tiny mindset chanllenge after all.
Like many other Sri Lankan families, Ridma's family is Buddhist. They are not supposed to kill animals in a direct way. Therefore, their house is also shared by a kitchen wall of busy ants, a bunch of birds flying acrossing the rooms, a transparent house lizard, a sneaky squirrel in the backyard, apart from Aline's friend's dog.
We headed to Galle after lunch, a historic city 2 hours of car away from Panadura. It used to be a battle field among Dutch, British and Portugese. Dutch people built up the defense stone wall to prevent strangers to enter, and also brought the religious culture into the island. We saw a Dutch temple, and a street called church street. Among others, there were also Arabic church and Islamic church. I'm not really sure if it was an overlap, anyway, we spent the rest of the day lying down on the stone walls to see the sunset. The ship in the sea far away was still like a house.
Dutch temple
Watch tower
Ridma drove us to the hotel at the beach, we found a restaurant nearby. Although we were really full from the generous lunch, we had proper dinner for Christmas Eve. Mari, Aline and Ridma ordered curry and Mami had seafood with rice. I had cuttle fish with salad and chips. Surprisingly,they didn't sell alcohol, the runner is buddist and during holidays like Christmas l, it is not allowed to sell alcohols. Oh well... Merry Christmas!
