Like the Hawaiian word Aloha, the Sinhalese language has one word for hello, good bye and good wishes. The word is Aybowan, and we heard it numerous times while we travelled in Sri Lanka. We enjoyed our two weeks in Sri Lanka, with its verdant greenery and friendly people who embrace tourism. In addition to the history and nature we've blogged about, we also learned about their modern culture, the food and different animals. This is the Seema Malaka temple designed by Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa in the 1970s. It's a conscious statement of restraint and cool tropical modernism in the bustling heart of the capital, Colombo.
This is the current Sri Lankan flag. It was adopted first in 1950 after independence from the British, then it was modified to add the stripes in 1972. The golden lion with the sword represents bravery and has been part of earlier flags for hundreds of years. The four 'bodhi tree leaves' surrounding the lion represent Buddhism and the four Bramaviharas, or divine abodes, which include loving kindness, joy, equanimity and compassion. Buddhists are the large majority here, about 70% of the people. The orange stripe represents the Tamils, who are Hindu. And the green stripe represents the Muslims and Moors (Jewish), with about 10% of the populace. The acceptance of all four religions can also be inferred from seen in how many official public holidays they celebrate: 26 plus 2 bank holidays!
Everywhere we went we heard people appreciating the current peace in Sri Lanka. The bloody civil war from 1983-2009 extracted a huge toll on this country: emigration, economic stagnation, loss of life and terror; no one wants the peace to end. And yet, the peace feels somewhat tenuous. There seems to be a lack of trust between the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims. During our visit, the LTTE (Tamil separatists) filed charges of human rights violations with the UN, and several Muslim businesses were bombed. We read several editorials encouraging people to open their hearts and develop an inclusive Sri Lankan identity. We hope peace and prosperity will continue here.
The food in Sri Lanka seems similar throughout the country. It’s typically listed on a menu as “rice and curry”, which is an understatement of what you get with a typical meal. Rice and curry consists of no less than 4 vegetable dishes, rice with a choice of meat (fish, beef, chicken or pork), and it’s all-you-can-eat. It is traditionally eaten with the right hand, no utensils; the idea is that you can taste the food better if you feel it. (Kerala, India also has a similar cuisine, calling their typical food “meal”, which is also eaten with the hand.) Here’s a picture of the most elaborate rice and curry we’ve eaten. For the foodies in the group, we will explain the dishes going around clockwise:
* Eggplant curry was one of our favorite dishes. Prepared sweet, salty and with a touch of vinegar, it was the dish we often had second or third helpings (12-1 o’clock)
* Kabocha is a Japanese squash, which was simmered in a broth until tender (2-3 o’clock)
* Fried plantains were crispy and slightly sweet (middle and 3 o’clock)
* Jackfruit curry was another favorite. The unripe jackfruit are cooked but the mature jackfruit can be eaten raw. Also included below is a picture of the jackfruits growing on a jackfruit tree - we read that the fruit can weigh up to 80 lbs. (4-5 o’clock)
* This Sri Lankan green has a flavor similar to parsley, but milder. It's served raw, finely chopped. It reminded us of tabbouleh.
* Ladies fingers, as okra is called in Sri Lanka, was also curried. Kristina still finds it slimy, but Pete likes it. (7 o’clock)
* Coconut with chilies and onions is more of a condiment, which is also served with the typical Sri Lankan breakfast of string hoppers (noodles) and curry (inner 8 o’clock)
* Umbrella fruit chutney is quite possibly the best chutney we’ve ever had. The umbrella fruit is firm enough to hold up under the heat of cooking and was deliciously spiced. (9 o’clock)
* Rice (middle and 10 o’clock)
* Banana flower is used quite frequently in Sri Lankan cooking. It has a texture similar to olives, and it’s prepared by sautéing with salt and other spices, making it a savory treat. It (10 o’clock)
* Papadum is a fried wafer. The north Indian version includes black pepper and cumin, but the Sri Lankan version is plain. (11 o’clock)
While in Dambulla our rice and curry lunch was served on a lotus leaf. We were impressed with how big the leaves were.
And we saw lotus plants growing, with big, beautiful lotus flowers too. Everything grows bigger in the tropical climate here!
The fauna is also bigger. This is a monitor lizard. We saw several with the largest about 6 feet long. They are aquatic, so we saw them around water or swimming in lakes.
There are lots of peacocks and peahens here too. Here are photos of a proud peacock displaying his tail feathers, and another running through the jungle.
We loved watching the monkeys. Ever mischievous and active, they were constantly interacting by wrestling, stealing food (often the flower offerings) or grooming each other. We took many monkey photos!
We hope you have enjoyed learning about Sri Lanka and will consider making your own visit to this fascinating country sometime in the future.
