Sri Lankan Snapshot
(thomas;2018-Mar-19)
Some notes about Sri Lanka, from an email sent shortly after our arrival in Mumbai
Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2018 19:11:21 -0700 (PDT)
Dear friends, Here are some notes about the last three weeks and how we experienced Sri Lanka: * Very first impression was that it looked a little like Thailand. The building style, the cars (many pickups), the relaxed way the people dress… all much more reminiscent of Thailand than of South India. And no furious honking in the streets (save in the Tamil North)! * This first impression is reinforced after a few days. This is a gentle, easygoing country. Travelling is easy, people are welcoming and the food is very good (and quite fiery) though it can be hard to find (Sri Lankans are home eaters and there are not that many eateries which often close at 5 or 6pm to boot). * In effect a perfect introduction to travelling in South Asia, especially for those who find India a little daunting or who love beaches. The number of female travellers, either solo or in small groups is much, much higher than in India and even Nepal. Families with small kids abound. * On the other hand, Sri Lanka can appear a little tame at times. The drive, the manic energy, the sheer press of people that makes India what it is is not very pronounced here. * Alas, also like in Thailand, it is very hard for foreigners to get "under the skin" of the host society. It is all very friendly and smiles are on every face but foreigners are always kept at a great distance, unlike in India where people are willing to discuss everything, literally. * Re cars: this is as in other Asian countries dominated by the Japanese and increasingly the Indians (Tata Nano) and the Chinese. In the more than three weeks we've been here we have seen perhaps a dozen Western cars, mostly BMW and Mercedes, not counting the vintage VW Beetles of which there are many. What surprised us is the huge number, hundreds and hundreds of hybrid cars, mostly Toyota Prius and the like. We've never seen so many hybrids in any place. * Two things we found not so enticing: the weather and the blatant way foreign tourists are used as cash cows. It rains a lot and though we are in theory in the dry season in practice it can (and unfortunately does) rain at any time and at any place. Add to this the fact that it is very humid and well… the going is sometimes more reminiscent of a sauna than anything else.(We admit freely that we are good-weather travellers.) * As to the cash cow, the government boldly breaks the way with pretty steep entry fees and overly harsh rules… and the Sri Lankan people follow suit. Many shop keepers and eateries are honest but many are not. Bus conductors are notorious, we had cases when they tried to charge almost the triple fare. It is just tiring and a marked contrast to the last country we visited, Morocco. * Sri Lanka is, like Thailand and Burma, a mostly Buddhist country. Monks are less visible than in the other two places but it is clear that the clergy has a strong grip on the country. As in Burma, there is a strong nationalistic undercurrent to Buddhism… in fact, in both countries (sometimes extreme) right-wing politics and the mainstream religion form an unholy and unhealthy alliance. * Last but not least, we found there are very few sights that would deserve three or even two Green Michelin stars. The mountains were perhaps the best feature but with the uncertain weather even that was not so great. Sri Lanka is thoroughly written up by the guidebook authors (it's their job, though within reasonable limits) but very often the reality is rather less charming than the overdone purple prose. All the best Thomas + Vero
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