A Few of My Favorite Things

A Few of My Favorite Things

As we prepare to leave Sri Lanka, I am reflecting on all the wonderful things that I love about the country.

First there are the people, who must be the friendliest in the world. Everywhere we go young men yell hello as they zoom by on their motorcycles,  families in their Tuk Tuks all wave with big smiles, the little kids wave and yell goodbye as we pass their houses and young girls giggle at hearing our simple good morning. Even grandmas stop us on the street to chat, shop owners greet us as we pass and everyone wants to know where we are going.

Children wanting to talk with us

Nuns at Lipton's Seat all smiles

Saris and sarongs are also one of my favorite things, all the women and men who wear them are just beautiful with brightly-colored fabric gracefully draped and flowing around them. There is an art to wearing them, especially the saris, which are five yards of fabric that is carefully pleated wrapped and pinned to perfection. The men wear the simpler sarong that is two yards of fabric sewn into a tube that is stepped into, pleated, tied, and tucked, no pins or buttons or zippers so there seems to be constant adjustment from short to long and loose to tight. Sir Lanka is definitely a more beautiful place with saried women and saronged men.

Ruhuna students ready for interviews at the Job Fair

A traditional red sari worn for the coming home from the honeymoon party

Men in sarongs waiting to sell snacks to bus passengers

Sujeewa and Margaret after a long day at the Job Fair

The flora is just amazing here with exotic plants like hibiscus growing in tall hedges and showy anthurium everywhere. And many more beauties that I have never seen before.

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The  fauna provides endless entertainment from our veranda to everywhere we go, there are playful monkeys, regal peacocks, endearing elephants, scary monitors and beautiful birds of every size and color.

A mother helping her baby cross the road in Uda Walawa

A peacock struting his stuff for the ladies

A monkey getting a tourist handout

Of course the beaches are beyond incredible, and they never seem to end.
We have had the great fortune to visit many of the gold and black sand beaches that circle the country, from Arugam Bay to Negombo and from Jaffna to Matara, their blue green waters and foaming white breakers are mesmerizing.

Our beach, can it be any more beautiful?

Misty Matara beach, how lovely!

Thank you Sri Lanka for all the wonderful memories. It has been a great year!