Food in Sri Lanka

Truth be told, sometimes we didn't have a clue what we were eating! The Sir Lankan language of Sinhalese is difficult to translate with google and we haven't seen a lot of the foods before:

The red prickly fruit to the right are Rambutans. It's 'soft' prickly, doesn't hurt to hold and you peel it like an orange. The fruit inside is semi-translucent with a pit and is very tasty (doesn't taste like anything we've ever eaten).

On top of the rambutans are small, olive-size fruit called Gadugudas. The skin is tough to separate and you use your teeth to open. Inside is very sour that the Sri Lankans love but we said 'yuck'.

 

Cathy tried the orange King coconut (front and right) which tasted good but really was just like ordinary coconut juice.

The red bananas to the left are excellent. I'd say they were the best tasting bananas I've ever had. A fruit we didn't get a picture of that's a bit larger than a tennis ball, but hard as wood is a wood apple (duh). You have to smack them open and saw with a sharp knife to get inside. They taste like an extremely ripe Canadian apple (another yuck).

Vegetables and spices are another story:

The lady selling vegetables in the market spoke no English and it was hard to determine if we were looking at cucumbers, squash or even if you'd eat some of them (I got the green beans, thanks!).

For main dishes, there was a lot of fish and chicken with curry. Buddhists don't eat meat as they don't kill animals. Several times we heard "Muslims kill our cows and eat them" which gives you an appreciation of the feelings between the two sects. We really found it strange with people using their fingers to eat- rice, gravy dishes, vegetables- with their right hand. Some Muslim women would move their veil forward with their left hand and bring the food up with their right hand so you wouldn't see their mouth. Thankfully, restaurants offered utensils which we took eagerly!

Next up- India

Ceylon Tea- Sri Lanka

According to the most recent stats, Sri Lanka is the fourth largest tea producer (after China, India and Kenya) and the third largest exporter in the world (Behind Kenya and India). The country is known globally for their Ceylon tea which incidentally was the name of the country until they obtained independence from Britain in 1948 and then changed their name in 1970. Central Sri Lanka has acres and acres of tea plantation:

It was interesting to watch the women pick tea leaves. In describing how fast they do it,  imagine a good pianist racing their fingers across the entire keyboard in seconds. Women pick dozens of tea leaves in a matter of seconds and only pick the new leaves at that:

From there it is dried in long kilns for 8 days:

Then force-air-dried for a few extra hours, rolled and chopped and then the leaves are sifted and the stems separated (for mulch):

There are various grades of tea; there is green tea, pekoe and black tea, etc. White tea comes from the bud of the leaf. Did you know that Earl Grey is flavored? 

The negative aspect of this industry is that the women are paid by the bag making only $3- $4 Cdn per day (the average wage in the country is $3 per hour). Come rain or shine, they do this daily. And it's not all that glamorous when picking leaves in the rain as the lady's picture illustrates:

That said, tea is a major export for Sri Lanka and the economy. It is the country's largest employer, directly or indirectly over 1 million people and fills about 20% of global demand.

Buddhism and Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Sri Lanka

We visited the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Sri Lanka that has a fascinating history:

First, if I may, a bit of history of Buddhism and Sri Lanka (the country is about 70% Buddhist) where Buddha statues are seen throughout the country, like this one built:

The Buddha, or "enlightened one," was born Siddhartha Gautama in Nepal in the 6th century B.C. It is said that after experimenting with different teachings for the first 3 decades of his life, and finding none of them acceptable, he spent a fateful night in deep meditation. During his meditation, all of the answers he had been seeking became clear, and he achieved full awareness, thereby becoming Buddha. For the remainder of his life (till age 80) Buddha traveled and preached in an effort to lead others to the path of enlightenment. When he died, it is said that he told his disciples that they should follow no leader (hence no leaders, only Buddhist monks and some in training quite young):

Back to our trip: according to Sri Lankan legend, when the Buddha died, his body was cremated and his left canine tooth was retrieved from the funeral pyre by a disciple who then gave it to the King in Nepal for veneration. History shows that it travelled through many countries and kingdoms before eventually ending up in Kandy and its present home. In this special temple, Buddhists visit en masse to pay their respects and pray:

At first I was somewhat reticent about people praying to this 3 story shrine but they could say the same to Christians for praying in front of an altar or wood cross. That said, this temple is steeped in religious belief and I marveled at the beauty of buddhists leaving lotus and water lilies as physical expression of reverence:

Buddhists have basic beliefs and doctrines to live by much like other religions striving for goodness. A Buddhist's life also follows 5 basic rules:

Sri Lanka First Impressions

Sri- Lanka- we're definitely in Asia. How can I tell? Have a look:

Plus, there are squatters in the public toilets. And eating? Well, Sri Lankans eat with the fingertips of their right hands - with no cutlery. Enough said about bathroom habits.

We were initially reluctant to visit this island off the east coast of Southern India because of the civil war which ended in 2009 when the Sri Lankan military defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil (remember the Sri Lankans stopping the Gardiner traffic in Toronto and University Avenue traffic in protest?). Some say 40,000 civilians were killed before the Tamil political organization was smashed. Now Sri Lanka is one of the fastest growing economies of the world.

But it's still a poor country. Take a major city street in the capitol, Colombo:

Not that you need skyscrapers for world class status, but this is pretty indicative of a 'flourishing' commercial street. Plus, the driving is insane:

They say it's worse in India and other parts of Asia- but right now, it's pretty high here on the richter scale. I doubt we'll get bombed by ISIS during our trip but these tuk tuks which comprise about 30- 40% of all traffic could be the death of us. Ordinary 2 lane traffic is at least 3 and 4 deep with cars, tuk tuks and motor bikes. There's only 2 highways for the whole island, i) a 33 km stretch from the airport to downtown and ii) from Colombo to somewhere down south. Every else it's only 2 lane, sometimes 4.

But this country over 20 million is steeped with history. There are many frescoes and temples dating back to 1600 BC and the history does not disappoint- like this Hindu temple in Kandy getting renovated:

We're looking forward to really exploring this island and get a flavour of the buddhist, hindu and muslim way of life.

Cape Town and Garden Route- South Africa

South Africa is an absolute gem! I was extremely surprised at the beauty and diversity of this country. I loved the English being spoken, even if I could only understand half the words as the accent is harsh; and what a thrill to read a menu in English so I knew what I was ordering. A huge surprise was the lower cost for top quality food and wine (and sparkling water) which is the lowest we've experienced in all our travels so far.

And yes, we climbed Cape Town's 3 km sheer rock climb up Table Top Mountain:

I'll just add that I threw my hiking shoes out afterwards but Cathy took them out of the garbage the next day so I wouldn't miss our future climbs around the globe.

We decided to do the Garden Route tour- it's a 1,000 km drive from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth going along the southern shores of the country. The beauty is spectacular. Many, many vineyards but in particular- the Vergenoegd Wine Estate where they 'employ' about a thousand Indian runner ducks that spend the day eating bugs and snails in the vineyards:

We visited the Cango Wildlife Ranch where they were caring for many endangered species. Here's the Madagasgar lemur whose habitat is on the small African island just to the East of South Africa:

Unfortunately, with the destruction of their tropical forest habitat, Madagascar's lemurs have become the most endangered animals on the planet.

I also didn't know that the Peacock is an endangered species:

Poaching, indiscriminate use of pesticides and lax laws in killing the peacocks for their feathers, have put the peacock into an endangered peacock population.

The seashore along the southern coast is gorgeous and the beaches plentiful. I fell in love with Wilderness beach:

The beautiful sandy beach and attractively priced monthly leases had me thinking of coming here during Toronto's winters. Plus the beautiful sunsets:

Another surprise of the landscape are the many mountain ranges, full of Eucalyptus and Pine trees:

Next up- Sri Lanka

End of Apartheid- Nelson Mandela

When you actually see the jail that Nelson Mandela was held in on Robbens Island just off Capetown for opposing apartheid (think Alcatraz) you can't help but feel humbled. He slept on the cement slab for most of the 18 years he was there:

And when you understand the extent of Mandela's involvement in ending apartheid and his rise to President, you feel incredibly uplifted:

Apartheid was a South African government mandate (set up in 1948) classifying non-whites, particularly blacks, as inferior to whites. In Cape Town, the government took legal ownership of their land and forced them into tin roof makeshift houses in 7 shantytown districts outside the city. Black people were not allowed to share food, bars, sports areas, restaurants, beaches, and toilets with white people. Apartheid laws determined where people should live and work, who they could go to school with, have as a neighbourhood or friend and who they could marry. White people ruled all of the economy, politics and education in South Africa.

There was actually a 'pencil test' that was performed in defining a black person. If the pencil stayed in the hair when inserted, you were classified as black and had to carry papers. If that failed, then the 'nose test' was given- blacks didn't have a sharp nose but a rounded nose and once determined, you were classified as black and lived a black life.

Mandala spent his life opposing apartheid, was jailed for 27 years because of this and wasn't released from prison until 1990. But it wasn't until 1991 that apartheid was dismantled and not until 1993 that nonwhites were allowed to vote. Mandela became President of South Africa in  a free, democratic election in 1994 as head of the ANC (African National Congress); this party has held power ever since.

Mandela has many famous quotes but I offer you one:

The Truth about Cape of Good Hope

We are visiting Cape Town, South Africa and it is turning out to be an amazing experience. But I must say I'm rather gobsmacked at knowing the 'real truth' about Cape of Good Hope. Please let me explain...

I think pretty well the whole world has been duped into thinking that the Cape of Good Hope is the most southern part of the African continent that divides the Atlantic and Indian oceans, just like Cape Horn is the dividing line between the Pacific and Atlantic in South America. That's what they've been saying in Geography text books for decades. What a shock when I found out this isn't true!

It is true that a Portuguese explorer back in 1488, Bartolomeu Dias, first made markings and title of this barren stoney point at the bottom of Africa. He had originally named it the "Cape of Storms" because of- well- the big storms that happen here. But when he got back to Portugal to tell the King about it, the King said "no, no, no Bart, this won't do". He told Bart that if other explorers heard about the storms and difficulty in sailing around the Cape that they might not go. He said "Bart, we need to be more hopeful about this... I've got an idea, Let's call it Cape of Good Hope- get it?" And because he was King- well, that was that. This gave the spin of a prosperous sea route around Africa to get to the spice trade and the Orient.

The big shocker? It turns out this Cape isn't the dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian oceans afterall, nor is it the most southern point of South Africa!! Bart's guys jumped to this conclusion too fast and many years later it was scientifically determined that a place about 250 km further east is really the dividing line and most southern body of land. But because the King said so, geographers just kind of made a note of this tiny discrepancy.

It is correct at the site though- the sign at Cape of Good Hope says the most South- Western point of the African continent:

And one last comment about this 'Cape', it's only 50 km south of Cape Town and the scenery is amazing compared to the treacherous land around Cape Horn in South America. In fact, the whole coastal region down from Cape Town has gorgeous seaside resort towns and villages. Here's a pic of Camps Bay:

And Hout Bay:

And on the other side of the point, here is a pic of False Bay:

The story on the 'false' part is that initially it was Cape Bay but because it really isn't the Cape they called it False Bay!!

Safari Highlights

Doing a safari is an incredible life experience. We did a walking safari staying 2 nights in a tent out in the wilderness (which we later learned was a 'serious' safari), then a Jeep safari staying at different kinds of lodges. We did actual lodges (running water, toilets, comfy beds), stayed in hard-roof tent lodges (basics) and a soft-roof mobile tent lodge that actually moved with the migration (I'd say tenting with the lou inside the tent). It definitely wasn't a Hilton Hotel experience while driving around in an Audi. Jeep safaris are rugged (but in a good way I guess) and it's a lot of off-road with dirt flying around at all times. We did about 1,700 km, the equivalent of going from Toronto to PEI on roads resembling our north country gravel roads but with no gravel or grading and then no roads at all!!

That said, the scenery was breathtaking. Here's a sunset at the Tarangire National Park:

And a sunrise when we were at the Ngorongoro Crater:

And here's a pic of the scenery from a spot in the crater itself:

We saw hundreds of different animals and birds. Some of our favourites? For monkeys, it has to be the Black Face African monkey:

There's also an animal that looks like a miniature deer, but it's not. It is less than 2 feet high fully grown and is called a DikDik:

We saw 3 different types of gazelles- the largest being the Topi, then the Grant and the smallest is the Thompson:

We saw 4 different cats- male and female lions, a leopard, cheetahs and a cat I didn't even know before called a Serval (about the size of a dog):

Here's a shot of a lion on a kill hunt through a herd of wildebeasts: 

You can see the wildebeasts are either looking at her directly or running away because  she's going to have one of them for dinner. 

We saw hundreds of elephants, the favourite being a mother and baby:

Did you know that elephants eat over 150 Kg of berries, shrubs and grass a day? 

We saw thousands of zebras; their marks are incredibly beautiful and they seem so majestic:

And one other favourite- the giraffes were awesome to watch while eating treetops:

There is an the eco system in the parks that is not pretty but is a reality. All the cats kill and eat other animals- primarily wildebeasts, zebras, gazelles and even DikDiks if they're hungry enough. Once they finish eating their kill, this next group finishes off the carcasses- jackals, hyenas and vultures:

And just as lions are king of the land, crocodiles are king in the water (they're bigger than our alligators in North America): 

They can easily grab a wildebeast or zebra crossing water, tire them out in their efforts to get out from their jaws, drown them then put them by the river bank for eating a few days later. That's the bad part of doing the safari and watching the kill be eaten (we saw this almost every day of our trip).

Back to nicer parts of the safari- we saw hippos that basically stayed to themselves both in water and out (did you know they only eat grass?):

And the beautiful flamingos! We saw some in groups, then if you can believe it, over 500,000 of them together in the Ngorongoro Conservation Reserve:

And we were incredibly fortunate to watch the migration of the wildebeasts and zebras in the Northern Serengeti. Each year, these animals do the trek from the south up to the north, a 500 Km journey taking about 8 1/2 months up and down. Here, they are crossing the Masai Mara River: 

There are 1.6 million wildebeasts and 600,000 zebras that do this trek. Not all make it- either they get killed by lions, leopards or cheetas along the way, get killed by crocodiles or they aren't strong enough to cross the Mara River with the current and they drown. When we were at the Mara crossing, we saw 2 wildebeasts being killed by crocodiles and 2 being swept away by the river current.  Still, watching the migration is an unbelievable experience.

Would we do it again- absolutely! The beauty of the scenery and the animals is hard to describe; I hope I've captured a bit of it.