Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Day 1 - First Impressions

Day 1
The plane flies over India, flitting onwards towards Colombo, as it prepares to land I have my face about 2 inches from the window, trying to take everything in that I can in those final two minutes. I see scores of palm trees, red roofed houses and small brown rivers. The ocean looks amazing. When we finally land the first thing I see is very jarring. Helicopters painted with a jagged green and brown camouflage stripes are parked right next to the landing strip. Makeshift bunkers with slots for guns also dot the runway. It was an instant reminder that this is a country recently at war.

I grab my bags and get off to wait for the taxi to pick me up. I'm breathing deeply like I've just stepped onto the moon, trying to get lungfuls of the damp Sri Lankan air. The heat isn't bad but the humidity hits like you like a punch and causes you to sweat profusely. I sort of stagger around, trying to take it all in, the typical airport horde is there, clambering for family members, bags, etc.

Then my ride screeches up. I hurl my bags into the back of a green mini van and I instantly remember what I've forgotten since I've started my research on Sri Lanka. Driving is BRITISH style here. Riiiiiight. I jump in shotgun with the driver so I can remind myself throughout the drive to look right then left to avoid being mowed down by a bus or a three wheeler. Shortly into the trip the driver pulls out a glass bottle of liquor and starts drinking from it. I stare at him in disbelief as well he's on the job, the job is driving and its maybe 9:30 am. “Hey buddy isn't it a little bit early for that?” My words dont register. We pass giant buddhist temples, lovely homemade lanterns and color-blocked flags everywhere. Apparently I've just missed Vesak, the celebration of Buddha's birthday, which is a shame because from the aftermath it looked like a hell of a party.
As we make our way through town clouds roll in on the horizon and then open up, drenching the whole place. At this point I connect the two words - MONSOON and SEASON and realize I didn't even pack an umbrella. How's that for prepared?

I dashed out of the rain into my host family's house, an older woman welcomes me and I sit down, only to face a pair of 7 foot tall pair of elephant tusks curving over one of the most beautiful dark carved wood couches I have ever seen. I couldn't help but stare. I hadn't seen elephant tusks outside of a musuem. We went over some basics and then she showed me to my room, and handed me a chilled glass liquor bottle exactly like my driver had, full of cold water. It ends up everyone here keeps glass bottles...

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