Our week-long fall break this year took me to Sri Lanka. I had a friend in high school who was from Sri Lanka, and I had seen her pictures, eaten her delicious food, and experienced her genuine friendliness. So when one of the other teachers invited me to come along, I of course said yes!
Janna and I booked our tickets for Sri Lanka before we even left the States, so this was really a surreal experience when we finally got there.
Getting there was an adventure. Our flight to Colombo (the capital of Sri Lanka) flew out of Singapore, which we were very excited for, so that we could enjoy a few Western comforts on our way through. But the only flight we could get to Singapore gave us about an hour in Singapore airport... and in that time we would have to get through customs, immigration, check in again, and then get through security... wonderful. On the taxi to the airport in Jakarta, we were talking about our plan of action, when we realized that Jon and Lauren's tickets to Sri Lanka were a later flight, so they wouldn't have to rush. How our flight managed to get changed, I have no idea, but I'm blaming it on KAYAK.
Our flight got into Singapore on time, but sitting in the back of the plane, we didn't get off very quickly. I've always wondered about the people who run through airports, and I finally realized what they feel like. We got to the check in counter, and they had closed check in... so no flight for us! We asked about the later flight that Jon and Lauren were on, and that was completely booked. When we checked online to see about finding more tickets, the only seats available on any airline were thousand dollar business class seats.
In our frustration, Janna looked at me and asked to pray. She asked God to show His power. Asked Him to really do something awesome. In my head, I doubted. I didn't think that God would actually do something to get us on. I was trusting in chance.
We decided to have a seat in the coffee shop, treat ourselves to a taste of fall--pumpkin spice lates. And believe me, that totally made up for the missed flight. We decided to go on standby for the flight Lauren and Jon were on. So all morning we waited. Into the afternoon we waited. And we got two tickets for the flight!
We get through security, make it to the gate, meet up with Jon and Lauren. We checked our tickets to see where we were sitting. Janna and I had the pair of seats right behind Jon and Lauren. And that, my friends, is God using His power to pour out little blessings on His children, just because they have faith that He can.
We made it to Sri Lanka, met our driver, and started in on the best trip I have ever been on. Seriously, the next few blog posts that I share with you are a glimpse into the best week I've ever had, at least in recent memory. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed the actual trip... though I don't think that's possible. So you'll just have to take a trip to Sri Lanka yourselves.
The first night we stayed in Negumbo, a coastal city a little north of Colombo. Our hotel was a short distance from the beach, so we were able to watch this beautiful sunset over the ocean. Such a wonderful first night.
The next morning, our driver, Presanne (more about him later), took us around the city to see some sights. The beach, Hindu temples, a harbor, fisher's market, colonial church, and old jail. It was fascinating to hear a little about the culture and history of the country.
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| Colors. Amazing vibrant colors. |
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| Keeping the offerings looking beautiful |
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Hiring a driver can be kind of expensive. But when you see the public transportation, you realize how blessed you are to have a personal driver. Here is a bus. We affectionately named them Crazy Buses. The Crazy Buses were everywhere. In the city they were crazy. In the country they were crazy. Flying around the curves in the mountains, they would end up on two wheels, almost hitting multiple cars as they passed others. I will never, EVER, get on a Crazy Bus. I will walk... though if there are Crazy Buses around, I don't even know how much safer that would be.
On our way out of Negombo, we traveled through the plains, full of fruit farms. This being said, there were countless little shops along the way selling the delicious fruit. We stopped at one and had ourselves some fresh coconut, mango, and wood apple (which I was NOT a fan of). The rest of it, delicious!
We were on our way to a safari at a national park, but had a few hours to kill. So Presanne took us to a friend of his sister's friend... so something along those lines. There's a lake a short distance from the house, and Presanne suggested we go "bathing." Ummmmm... But realizing that they all speak Australian English, we figured this bathing meant swimming... at least we hoped. So we changed in the reeds along the edge of the lake and took a dip in the lake.
Partway through our time at the lake, this woman graced us with her presence, taking a bath and washing her sarong. Ladies and gentle men, traditional Sri Lankan life.
After swimming, the family invited us in to eat. We were just expecting to try one vegetable that we had talked about earlier, but found ourselves with a table full of home made Sri Lankan food. It was delicious!
What was even more special was the hospitality we experienced. This family didn't know us at all. But they allowe us to swim. They invited us into their home, which the husband has been building for the last 17 years. They prepared a huge meal for us. It was such a beautiful experience, one that I use when someone asks me what my favorite part of the trip was. There were no other tourists, hefty entrance fees, hawkers trying to sell handicrafts, or overpriced curry. Just a family who wanted to make a few American travelers feel welcome in their country and in their home.
A special thanks to Jon and Janna and Lauren for their fantastic photo skills on this trip. It would not be as well photographed without them.
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