More Sri Lanka !

Sri Lanka is a stunningly beautiful country.  It is lush, warm and humid at this time of year!  Our morning began with coffee on the upper balcony of the Magalagama family home - now a boutique hotel. 

A little history of this beautiful property -- the home and the village.

480 years years ago - Sanjaya's great great great grandfather travelled from Karnataka in southern India to Manna in Sri Lanka with a Sun Dial for the king.  In return, he was rewarded some land and a village to which he attached his name.  This is how the name of this village and area came about - Mangalagama.  

In the beginning the King gave the local people drums and asked them to do some drumming.  The land granted for the village and community was dictated by the distance the sound of the drumming carried.

Upon our arrival we were greeted by several of Sanjaya's family members including his mother and father and uncle.  They were as excited to see us as we to see them.  As we entered the property, we were asked to step off the bus and were then entertained and welcomed by a traditional Kandyan dance group.  The costumes were so colourful and the athletic ability was incredible !

After the dancers welcomed us, we joined the family at the front of the house for a small ceremony of lighting candles.  Each of us  individually lit a candle as we were the first guests at the Mangalama Boutique Hotel and we were celebrating this new venture! 

Dinner was traditional Sri Lankan Cuisine served in the traditional way - warm clay pots.  

Friday - 

Today we journeyed a short distance to the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala.  We weren't there very long before the elephants made their way by us on their way to their first of two swims of the day.  How wonderful to see them stroll by us within a foot or two.  

This fella is 50 years old and I was invited to step in for a photo with him.  He was abandoned by his herd many years ago and was rescued and became a resident of the orphanage.  How thrilling to wrap my arms around his trunk for a photo op and a hug !

The elephants get to walk from the orphanage compound down a city avenue to the river twice a day.  Here are some photos of our time there.

We spent a good part of the day observing the elephants as they played in the river and ate on the banks.  They get to do this two times a day and it was very apparent they love this activity.  They have to cross a street and walk down the avenue towards the water but tourists are kept back behind chain ropes that are put in place just before the elephants wander by on the street making their way to or from the river.

After enjoying the swim and play time, we walked back up behind the elephants and across the street to the orphanage where they eat and blow dust on themselves and generally enjoy life.  

Below you will see the elephants having a scrub by their handlers and oh how they love this!  They will roll from side to side in the water and get a good back scrub with the shell of a coconut.

On the way home from the elephant orphanage, we stopped in at a pottery shop and were shown the steps of making some pots.  I got to try making one and really did enjoy the challenge!  it takes a very gentle touch to mould and shape the pottery item on the wheel.  The wheel was manually driven by my foot ... kind of like the old treadle sewing machines.

Saturday has arrived.

This morning we enjoyed a fabulous breakfast and then were off for a long and lovely walk through the woods to see how the rubber tapping is done.  It was fantastic walking through the community and wooded area ...  and humid!   

When we arrived at the top of our destination, we were shown how cloves grow and how they use the land to provide food for themselves.  We bit into a green clove and it was flavourful even at that stage !   

We also saw how they cut the rubber trees to allow the rubber - which looks like milk - dribble out of the tree.  An incision is made in the bark of the rubber tree, which cuts through the latex vessels that flow between the bark and the cambium of the tree.  The latex then drips into a collecting cup which can be either plastic or ceramic.  

We arrived at the top of the property and were greeted by the owners who were gracious to invite us in and to show us the rubber sheets they had made from the rubber trees.  They kind of looked like brownish rubber placemats and they smelled like beef jerky as Joe would describe them.  This is from the smoking of the latex.

After a lunch break back at the family home, we were off again to the city to do some shopping.  I picked up some little things for the grandchildren and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the Saturday shoppers.  On the way back to the bus, we passed by a cooking / kitchen supply shop.  Anne, Laverne and I just had to have a new kitchen gadget.  It grates fresh coconut nice and fine.  We have been enjoying dishes made from this ground coconut  

Before dinner, some of us girls had planned a fun little ceremony for Sanjaya and Jennifer to celebrate their engagement and we took it a step further and 'married' them with a couple of local customs.  One of these  included the wrapping together of the pinky fingers with a gold chain and pouring water over the chain and fingers once they were joined to signify a long life together.  Jennifer and Sanjaya went along with it and we all had fun.  I am sure the family were pleased to have something fun as well.  We also celebrated Vern's birthday after the mock-wedding with a big birthday cake.  

A nice evening was had by all.  Contratulations to our dear Sanjaya and Jennifer !