Ayubowan, Sri Lanka!

With almost three months in Sri Lanka under our belt, the time has come to say goodbye. We will miss the kind and generous people, the fresh fruit and delicious food, the jungle teeming with life, the warm ocean breeze and, of course, the ever-present sun. We swam, we surfed, we explored, we shared meals with new friends and we learned what this stunning little teardrop country is all about. As the memories piled up, we tried to capture them in nightly journals and we had fun sifting through photos for our posts. 

Of course, it's not all roses down here. Locals are proud of their country, but they're also disappointed with the government for years of fiscal mismanagement. There's lots of details to dig up, but we can only speak from our own experiences. Yesterday, we - and the rest of the country - endured a government scheduled 13 hour power cut. There is a near-permanent diesel shortage, so most buses and trucks are sidelined. And the local currency, the Sri Lankan rupee, has plummeted in value in the past month.

Yet folks are stoic in Sri Lanka. They endure, they smile. And they continue to give, even when they have little. It might not sink in for a while, but the girls will see our Canadian way of life with fresh eyes when we get back, that's for sure.

For now, it's Ayubowan, Sri Lanka! Next stop, Rome...

1. Family Scoot 

"We only ran like this on our local roads, but it was fun squeezing the whole family on one scooter." - Ryan

2. They Grew Gills 

"Wave riders, rock hunters, fish chasers, routine makers, racers and divers… there really isn't much these girls didn't do in the water." - Genny

3. Safari Fun 

"We went on two safaris - Udawalawa and Yala National Parks. We saw water buffaloes, crocodiles, cool birds, wild boar and we even saw a leopard! They are rare. These were some of the many elephants we saw up close. They were so cute!" - Rosalie

4. Kottu

"It was a happy day when I was able to find a place where I could order kottu alongside a proper Americano.  Kottu is the essence of Sri Lankan food and is made by dicing up (and heating up) the morning roti along with egg, onions, chillies, spices and vegetables." - Genny

5. Disco Buses 

"Buses are different down here. And by different, I mean awesome. Each one is unique. Most blast crazy music. All drive like they don't have brakes." - Ryan

6. Power Cuts 

"Starting in March, the national government started cutting the power to save fuel. It took us a while to find the schedule online, so often we were caught in the dark. A few hot, hot nights. Most of the time, it was 6 hours a day without electricity; recently it's jumped to double digits. I hope they find a solution soon. Locals are not stoked." - Ryan

7. Uphill Redemption 

"We tried another mountain top temple hike but we actually made it this time." - Hazel

8. Kumara 

"The very first thing you notice when you meet Kumara is his smile. We saw his smile first when he pulled  his tuk tuk aside to see if we needed a ride. 'Nope', we said, 'we are all good to walk'. Then an hour later, when we were hot and tired and carrying too many groceries, he just appeared. We got in!

From this first meeting, he took us on many short and long adventures, always with a smile. His tuk tuk was one of the few that fit the four of us easily across, and it wasn't long before our tuk tuk driver became a forever friend." - Genny

9. Nisha 

"We stayed with Nisha for two weeks and she was very nice to us. She is a great cook and her curries are amazing. Before we left, she gave us an awesome cooking class." - Hazel

10. Samee 

"Samee looked after our place in Hirikiteya Beach. He's very nice and super helpful. He even makes his own funky shirts." - Rosalie

11. Talalla Beach

"This was our discovery of the trip. A quiet, slow-paced, golden sand beach with a thriving fishing scene. Every day a group of cows would walk the whole thing. Extra mellow place. Great swimming too." - Ryan

12. Wiggler 

"We named this dog Wiggler because he wiggled whenever he saw us. He was so cute, I wish we could've taken him home." - Rosalie

13. Sea Life 

"This is me at Blue Beach, an awesome spot for snorkelling. I saw fish, urchins and crabs. It was so fun." - Hazel

14. Night Life

"We crossed this beach numerous times a day. This was a particularly beautiful and clear night." - Genny

15. English "Class" 

"We read lots of books in Sri Lanka, even if they weren't easy to find. In this picture, Rosalie's reading The Diary of Anne Frank and I'm reading The Bogwobbit." - Hazel

16. Monkey Biz

"We are now officially used to having monkeys all up in our business. The girls took to protecting us with brooms. Wild times." - Ryan

17. Booster Juice 

"Samee helped us find a local clinic to get our booster shots. Fast and furious jabbage. I didn't even have time to whine about how much I don't like needles." - Ryan

18. Name That Vehicle 

"These tractor-trucks made me smile every single time I saw them. Different, yes… but effective." - Genny

19. Road Warriors 

"We rented a scooter for a day and Dad took us to Dondra Lighthouse, the southernmost point in Sri Lanka. I liked going fast." - Hazel

 

20. Pray Your Own Way

"We came across this while touring an old colonial hotel. From left to right, it's Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Muslim. At first I found it strange, but then I found it beautiful." - Ryan

21. Tough Times at the Pump 

"When the diesel ran out, it ran out everywhere. Long lines of trucks and buses, waiting for the next shipment. This taught me how calm Sri Lankans truly are. In other places around the world, people would be pulling their hair out. In Sri Lanka, it's a shrug and a smile. For now at least." - Ryan

 

22. Ayubowan, Sri Lanka 

"I love taking pictures and I have taken many that capture a fraction of the Sri Lankan essence. This one shows one of our regular routes from Hiriketiya to Dickwella, almost always by foot, seeking the beach or a local meal. The soft jungle feel, the calm and almost perfect placement of the trees and the flowers, always in bloom. This is how I'll remember Sri Lanka." - Genny