Sunday, March 25, 2012

Sri Lanka: The Teardrop or the Emerald Island?


Our journey around the world continues as we officially leave Southeast Asia behind with our visits to Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand now complete.  Now we focus on Sri Lanka, the large teardrop island off the southeast coast of the Indian subcontinent, and of course India itself.

Never a part of India and with a completely different culture and tradition, Sri Lanka has always been in the shadow of its larger neighbor on the continent.   Formerly known as Ceylon, Holland America was paying its first visit to Sri Lanka in many years primarily because of the political strife that had occurred there for the last few decades.  Forty years ago, whoever would have thought we would visit Vietnam as tourists?  The same applies to Sri Lanka whose civil war ended quite recently with the killing of the rebel Tamil Tiger leader in 2009.  (One wonders if ever tourists will enjoy the wonders of Baghdad again.  But Vietnam and Sri Lanka give it some hope.)

Sri Lanka (Ceylon) had long been on the trade route going back to the days of the Greek, Persians, and Romans.  Going back to the 15th century, the Portuguese had established a foothold.  The Dutch, followed by the British assumed control there until 1948 when Britain granted independence to Ceylon.  Over the years a mix of Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims populated the area.

During the recent era of political strife, the city of Colombo, and other parts of Sri Lanka were no place for tourists.  In fact our tablemates, John and Gerda told us of Gerda’s harrowing experience in Sri Lanka on her last visit in 1983.  She was with her two daughters coming back to their hotel in Colombo when fighting broke out and the streets were awash in gunfire.  Her first husband was elsewhere in Sri Lanka at the time.  Gerda clearly remembers her young daughters seeing people killed and lying in the streets.  Their trip back to the hotel was less than pleasant and they left the country as fast as possible.  This was her first return visit since that time and she said her daughter said she would feel much better when she heard that her mother was on her way from Sri Lanka this time.

But no worries today.  The events that gave rise to the reference to the Teardrop are over and peace reigned supreme today.  Our guide today said that Sri Lankans are essentially a peaceful people and that people are thankful that the events that brought on the civil conflict are in the past.

We had elected an excursion called Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage by Train and Motorcoach.  There was a two price system for this excursion – one with a 3 hour ride by motorcoach and the other with a Viceroy train, and old, elegant train car which undoubtedly was for first class travelers.  We had chosen the less expensive option since it was $100 cheaper to do the visit by bus, but Holland America offered one complimentary excursion to suite guests who had booked early and who were doing the entire cruise.  This was a change from the past since previously they had done a special event excusive to suite guests.  On our 2009 Grand Voyage, we had gone to an Air Force Museum on Remembrance Day (Veterans’ Day to Americans) in Christchurch, New Zealand where there was an outstanding dinner, World War II vintage entertainment from “the Andrews Sisters”, and more.  Last year on the World Cruise there was a special event at the Celsus Library in Ephesus.  This year, as part of the economic cutbacks at Holland America, we could pick one shore excursion from an approved list and we had chosen the train version of the elephant orphanage tour.

As we waited for our tour to be called, my eye began to burn from the sunscreen I had applied.  In the three minutes I was in the public restroom caring for my eye, our tour was called.  Al went on ahead and was in a different group from us all day.  Barb and I were in a second group that had to wait until the time the tour was scheduled to depart in case stragglers arrived just in time.  Al’s group boarded the train and we never saw him again until lunchtime at the hotel near where the elephants were located.  When we got on the train, we had to scramble for seats. I found a double seat but didn’t realize until the train was ready to leave that we would face the reverse direction of the train and our seats were in recline position and they couldn’t be adjusted.  Barb’s not a happy camper when she has to travel facing back.  I don’t care for it but it doesn’t make me sick like it does her.  She leaned back and closed her eyes, missing the interesting sights of the Sri Lankan countryside – all because the sunscreen had burned my eyes at exactly the wrong time.  We communicated the problem to the attendant who found her a seat in a small connecting car.  That one wasn’t air conditioned but at least she could face forward and had some fresh air.  Later she moved to a dining car and sat at one of the tables facing forward with the window open and was able to enjoy most of the trip.  We enjoyed watching the unique scenery of Sri Lanka which included people in small towns, people in the fields, cows and water buffaloes, dense and lush foliage and even, at quite a distance, a mother using a tub of water from a nearby river, to bathe her small child.

When we arrived at the station nearest the Elephant Orphanage, we were told to gather all our belongings as we would be taking a motor coach back to the ship in Colombo.  That came as quite a surprise as our tour description clearly state that we would take the train in BOTH directions!   Very interesting …

When we arrived at the Elephant Orphanage, we were walking to see where the elephants bathed and also to the restaurant overlooking that area where we would have our buffet lunch.  We were asked to step out of the path of several elephants that came lumbering down the street from their bath.  As we walked, it behooved us to watch carefully to avoid stepping in a few piles of football sized elephant droppings!  We had the opportunity to watch the elephants of various sizes including a few baby and adolescent elephants in the stream.  There had to have been more than a couple dozen in the water, enjoying spraying the water on their backs on a hot sunny day.  It was fun watching the mother elephants watching out for their babies.

I should comment that the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage was established in 1975 to care for seven orphan elephants.  It grew and elephants were sent from all over the world.  It’s the only program of its kind in the world and has grown to become a conservation and educational site which fosters the breeding of the gentle, intelligent Asian elephants.  The Asian elephants are smaller and more trainable than their African counterparts.  The elephants found on Sri Lanka are the largest of the Asian elephants. The first baby was born at Pinnawela in 1984 and elephants are free to find mates.

After some time for the requisite shopping, we walked a short distance to view the elephant feeding.  Several elephants, with the assistance of some willing guests and the elephant handlers, fed bananas, watermelon and other items.  They drank water from some bottles as well.  There was one elderly elephant that was virtually blind but quite obviously was beloved at the orphanage.  We were told as well that the elephant had been shot several times but survived.  Another appeared to have lost its front right foot but we never learned how that occurred. Without the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, certainly several of these elephants would never survive in the wild.

After several delightful hours there, we boarded our buses for the three hour return to Colombo.  That was the part of the excursion that had been unexpected since we had been told through the excursion description that it would be by train both ways.  The drive through small busy towns was interesting with many people out on the streets on a sunny Saturday afternoon.  What we all noted was that vendors seemed to be selling the same things in each particular village.  In one place we saw all kinds of places selling car seats (not children’s but front or back seats of cars) with many of them on display in front of stores.  Another place was selling plastic children’s toys, yet another had lots of fresh pineapples, and another with toilets for sale.  Some were just the bowls, some had tanks as well but they came in various bright colors.  How can there be a market for so many of the same product in such a small locality?

Back to the ship, I saw a group of young girls from an orphanage that performed for those on the ship before we returned.  Holland America always chooses a charity in a particular place and this year they chose this cause in Sri Lanka.  Some fundraisers were held including a silent auction of watercolor paintings by guests and a dunking of ship celebrities like Cruise Director Scudder, Port Lecturer Haenni, and Captain Mercer.  A generous cash donation of about $5000 (about half of which was raised by passengers that was matched by Holland America Line) and supplies were made to the orphanage.

We did inquire at the Shore Excursions office about the bus ride versus the train trip back to Colombo and they had been made aware of the situation.  There was a possibility that something might be done for the people who paid for the tour but not for those who received it as the complimentary excursion and who based choosing this one on the description as written.  Later we heard that Holland America was caught unawares too and that it had been a decision by the excursion provider without Holland America’s knowledge.  But there has been no explanation to us so we are left to wonder where the real truth resides.  If there is any change, we will note it in a further blog.

It was a great excursion and we enjoyed our time seeing a country that neither of us knew much about.  Our day ended with one of our favorite groups that had performed on the 2009 Grand Voyage, “The Unexpected Boys” who sing many of the songs of the Four Seasons.  They are very energetic and always do a great job.

And next … three ports and four days in India!

CT

(PS:  We miss our proofreader, Pam!  It was one month ago tomorrow that she flew home from Sydney.)

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