Getting to know Sri Lanka
First a geography and history lesson.
Sri Lanka is the size of Ireland or Florida and has a 22m population of which 74% are Buddhists.
It was colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch and British as part of the expansion of Europe through trade routes in search of spices.
In spite of the invaders there was still a Singhali kingship based in Kandy.
Sri Lanka still the biggest world producer of cinnamon though most famous for its tea.
Under the Bandernaike family of father, mother and daughter, the first-ever female Prime Minister, Sri Lanka moved towards a Republic in 1972 ending Ceylon’s status as a dominion.
The use of Singhali as a language disenfranchised the Tamils, a mainly Hindu community in the north, whose militant secessionist wing the LTTE or Tamil Tigers assassinated one president. In 2009 General Fonseka put down the LTTE ruthlessly.
The other main disruptive force was the Tsunami killing 15,000 people.
Sri Lanka has many tourist assets. English is widely spoken, the beaches are glorious, it’s relatively easy to get around and 5 star hotels are appearing.
It’s 5 1/2 hours ahead of GMT and a ten hour flight.
Above all the people are incredibly helpful and friendly. It does not have the in-your-face poverty of India nor the tacky sex tourism of Thailand. Vietnam remains my favourite Far East destination but Sri Lanka runs it a close second.
Whilst the Rusters have been at cricket I have sunbathed by the Indian Ocean, swam and used the spa. I liked the Marriott at Wellgama Bay and Daffers approved of its Big Fish Restaurant. Fishing is a big industry centred around Galle and the fish is fresh and plentiful. We like the Barramundi which I thought was an Australian white fish akin to turbot.
Today we moved into the Hambonrota resort on the south at the luxurious Shangri La hotel with golf course.
The Rusters and others on the party need to relax and come to terms with England winning a Test match on foreign soil.
It’s a large spacious hotel on the edge of the Indian Ocean. Great place to relax and unwind.
