SRI LANKA - we have arrived !!

Our trip to Sri Lanka has begun.  We are joined by 4 other couples from our home here at Predator Ridge as well as Jennifers mother and father from Alberta and Sanjaya and Jennifer.. 

I have read a little bit about this beautiful country and have learned that is is mostly famous in different parts of the world for Tea !!  Some of the world's best tea comes from here.  As well, Sri Lanka exports more than 90% of the worlds cinnamon and a whole lot of pepper !

Once known as "Ceylon" this is an island country located south of India.  It is only about 20 miles off the southern coast of India!!  I have learned it is famous for its beautiful forests, beaches, landscapes and its rich cultural heritage which we will be enjoying this next two weeks.  

Our host Sanjaya (who is our executive chef here at Predator and a native of Sri Lanka) and his fiancé Jennifer have a wonderful itinerary planned for us. We will be on the 13 acre family estate in Mangalagama in their newly opened boutique hotel for three nights and will be able to to experience seeing rubber trees, some wonderfully prepared food by his mother and family and true Sri Lankan hospitality and enjoy fresh picked fruit of many varieties from the nearby trees.  

The capital city is Colombo where we have arrived from Hong Kong.  We are enjoying a stunning hotel The Heritance Nogombo here for two nights to recover from our long flights.  Tomorrow night we will enjoy the open-air tourist bus and a grand tour of this old heritage city with a large 300 year old Dutch settlement.  

We are staying for two nights at a waterfront hotel/resort - Heritance Negombo.  A great spot to catch up on jet lag and enjoy an evening open-air bus tour of Sri Lanka's largest city Colombo.  https://www.heritancehotels.com/negombo

Here you will find some photos of our bus tour around the city.  It was a beautiful evening to enjoy this 2.5 hours.  The sound system on the bus was not working well so we missed a lot of information about sights that we were seeing.  but having said that, we did enjoy time at the Gangaramaya Temple which is the most renowned Buddhist temple within Colombo city limits.  It is a spiritual oasis in the heart of the city; a shaded, secluded sanctuary from the dust, the concrete and the bustle and the noise.  

 This photo (above) is a replica of the Borobudur temple - the worlds largest Buddhist temple.  These are statues of Indonesian Buddhas sitting serenely on stacked platforms next to perforated 'stupas'.

 This fella knows where to catch a quiet rest in a crowded city!  He looks quite comfortable I would say !

 This tree is 234 years old and the Buddists believe that by praying near it they will have prayers granted and attaind some enlightenment.  It was taken as a small branch from the original tree in India.  Our guide told us that it is where Buddha attained Nirvana

 This is the Samadhi Statue and Stupa.  The immaculate white stupa in the centre of the temple is fronted by the new Samadhi Buddha statue in an intricately carved stone image house.  The forehead of the white jade statue is embellished with white diamonds and the whole structure weights 48 tons.

 These photos are inside the main temple.  You are not allowed to turn your back to these buddha's (as in taking a selfie).  It is highly disrespectful.

 Anybody want to live in this tipsy building?  Not me !

 This photo is for our friend Ray who grew up in the Salvation Army family.  His father was a senior official with them.

 This is a large tower being built by the Chinese .  Over 340 meters tall with a revolving restaurant in the top. It is designed in the shape of a lotus blossom.

Today we are being picked up by Sanajaya and we beging our tour of this beautiful country.  We will enjoy the day at a market as well as a visit to a Batik Production factory (right up this quilters alley!!) as we make our way to the Mangalagama Family Home and Boutique Hotel.  I will post again in a few days.

Sri Lanka is described as the pearl of the Indian Ocean!  To extend "Ayubowan" to someone is to extend a traditional Sri Lankan greeting wishing you a long life to the other.