Sri Lanka continued...

So it's been a very long time since I've written anything about anything on here. Since Christmas I've enjoyed another trip to sunny Sri Lanka and most recently an amazing trip to Jordan. Before I can share any stories and photos from Jordan, I have to finish off my Sri Lankan adventure.

I wanted to wrap up my Sri Lankan posted by mentioning the great people I met while I was traveling there. More than any other holiday, I found that in Sri Lanka it's impossible to go away without being touched by peoples' kindness, and especially their stories of survival and loss through the Boxing Day tsunami. Every person that I met from Hikkaduwa had a story, and most were very open to tell it.

The owner of the hotel we stayed at both times told his story of being separated from his family for days in the aftermath, and brought a tear to everyones' eyes.

One of the shops we frequented was a fabric shop called Anula's. It was run by Anula and her husband and located on what was left of the beach after the tsunami. I went there originally to look at the beautiful duvet covers displayed outside, but after ordering one of my own, Anula invited us to have lunch on her front porch overlooking the ocean. Anula's husband spoke of his own experience in the tsunami; how he survived by climbing up a power pole but knocking all his front teeth out in the process. Despite their hardships, they were happy to be 

Anula and her husband looking very stern for some reason

Another of the fabric shops we went to numerous times was run by Lanka and her mother. We originally went in to get some tops that were displayed outside, but subsequently went back for just about every item they had. The perk of shopping in these little stores was that you could pick out the fabric you wanted from hundreds of samples hanging all around the shop, and choose the pattern from the hanger samples, and they would sew it up for you in a matter of hours. Suffice it to say, I came home with lots of clothes.

Lanka and her mother in the shop

On the Best Day Ever, while at the temple for the full moon celebration, we met a boy who touched our hearts. I noticed him eyeing us from a distance and when he approached he asked, "What's your name?", in rather good English. We responded in kind with our names and asked him his name. He responded with, "Photo?" That was apparently where his English ended. He pointed to the camera and then himself. After traveling in a few other countries where children will expect money for having a photo taken, that's what I was expecting. So I was surprised when all he wanted to do is look at a photo of himself on the tiny screen of the camera. After that was accomplished, he quickly scampered away with the biggest smile I've seen!

"What's your name?"... "Photo?"

And last but definitely not least was the staff at our hotel. From the servers for breakfast everyday, to the maintenance staff, everyone was beyond friendly and helpful. Even bringing us a huge tub of the jam served for the toast and bags of the same tea served for breakfast. I felt the greatest sense of community traveling and staying in Sri Lanka both times I was there. A truly welcoming place and a hidden gem that's quickly being uncovered by many now.