Maries Sri Lanka Pics

Sri Lanka Insights

When I mentioned that I was going to Sri Lanka, I was met with questions like ‘Why’ or ‘Where is that exactly’. I have to admit I didn’t know much about it either, except that it was once called Ceylon, that it produces wonderful tea, and that the island had been embroiled in a Civil War. So I didn’t really know what to expect but I was intrigued with this far off place and the adventurer in me wanted to check it out. Far off indeed, it took 28 hours from Vancouver to Colombo with plane changes en route. The airport is about 1 hour from the city and it was pleasant to arrive in the middle of the night as there was less traffic and the temperature was cooler. Suggest you cash some money at the Airport into Sri Lankan Rupees. When you leave you need to change it all back BEFORE you go through Security. They do not take Sri Lankan Rupees in the Duty Free area. The shops were mostly closed on Sunday so everything was rather quiet. Sri Lanka embraces many religions – Buddhism, Hindu, Muslim and Christian. Within a few blocks there is usually a Buddha on a corner at the roadside, a gentle reminder to be present and in touch with one’s spirituality. You also may come upon statues of Ganesh one of the Hindu God’s and Jesus. An important thing to know when taking photos in Sri Lanka, is that you CANNOT take someone’s photo when they have their back to a Buddha. You will be told off in no uncertain terms. Heading North from Colombo we visited the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, where for a small fee you can feed an elephant with a giant milk bottle. You can then head down to the river and watch the elephants coming for their bath. I felt a bit sad here as these elephants will not be going back into the wild as they have had too much contact with people.  In fact they aren't taking any more elephants here, they are taken to another area where they will be able to be rehabilitated.
Sigiriya – UNESCO World Heritage Site is an amazing archaeological site. At the base of the Rock Fortress is a unique complex of Water Gardens that were so engineered that the Pebbles would create a beautiful sound. After climbing halfway up the rock you then get to climb up a Spiral Staircase which leads to a sheltered gallery where you can see the world renowned frescoes. These beautiful maiden frescoes are painted in earth pigments on plaster and originally there were 500, but only 19 remain today. After marvelling at these beautiful drawings you then walk through the Mirror Wall with its graffiti from the 6th to 14th Centuries and come out at the Lions Paws. Originally you would go through the mouth of a huge crouching lion to reach the top, but now only the huge paws remain. This rock is 1200 steps to the top and it was at this point I had to decide if I was going all the way. Fortunately I decided to climb again, although I did not look down and just took my time. If you have a fear of heights this site is a challenge. The top of the rock covers 1.6 hectares and you can see the remains of a royal citadel and several caves for meditation and bath areas. It was wonderful to just sit up here and gaze out at the incredible view just like the Buddhist Monks probably did over 1500 years ago. It takes about 2 hours to visit this site and we started our climb about 4.30PM. This turned out to be good timing as it wasn’t very busy and as we were coming down we were gifted with a beautiful sunset.

Polonnaruwa – another UNESCO World Heritage Site – is a medieval city that rose to fame as the capital (10th-12th Century AD) after the decline of Anuradhapura. What struck me about this site is the non commercialism, at least for now. The monuments are quite well preserved and you sense the grandeur of Sri Lanka’s past. There are a few sacred temples, both Hindu and Buddhist that require you to take off your shoes. Your tootsies can get quite hot on the stones so you may want to bring a pair of socks which is acceptable. The Gal Vihara is a group of four massive images of the Buddha, cut from a long piece of granite and at one time each was enshrined within a separate enclosure. Dambulla Caves – another important Sacred Site. Dates back to the 1st Century BC and is an amazing complex of five caves containing 150 Buddha images. It was first used as a refuge by an ancient king who on regaining his throne, commissioned magnificent carved images within the rock. Jeep Safari to Minneriya National Park, one of Sri Lanka’s key wildlife reserves. This was a great experience although rather a bumpy ride. We got to see the Asian Elephants in the wild and the scenery reminded me of Africa. Bentota Beach, a wonderful place to finish up and unwind before going home. The Indian Ocean was warm, the beaches beautiful. This area was not hugely affected by the Tsunami. We went to an Orphanage where there were girls from 7 to 19 and some of these children were orphaned during the Tsunami. They sang a very touching song about the event, and one of the older girls danced a beautiful dance for us. It was an emotional visit and most of us had tears in our eyes as we left.

There is not much infrastructure in Sri Lanka and the roads go right through the villages so there is always something to see, like roadside vendors selling fruit, lush vegetation and witnessing the people’s daily life. The downside is that these roads are quite narrow and sometimes there can be major traffic holdups, and it can take much longer than anticipated. There is currently only one airport in Sri Lanka, but there is to be another on the Eastern side of the island. Although there are not so many tourists from North America, the Europeans, Russians and Middle East visitors are heading here and many of the hotels we visited were full, even though high season had not yet started. We ate mainly in the hotels and the food was excellent. Sri Lanka has the hottest curry in the world apparently, but they do tone it down a bit in the hotels. Most of the meals were Buffet and there was usually a large selection of curries plus International dishes, salads, soups and amazing bread. Sri Lanka was occupied by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. The coffee was also surprisingly good and the tea of course was wonderful to drink.

Lunch in Sri Lanka

I certainly didn't lack for food on my recent trip to Sri Lanka.  In fact lunch at Heritance Kandalama was probably one of the best lunches I've enjoyed in a while.  This hotel offered a la carte and I chose the seafood dish that you see in the picture.We also enjoyed an incredible Carrot Soup, Salad and Dessert.  While enjoying lunch we got to watch the monkeys right outside the dining room window!  This hotel appears to be in the middle of no-where but is really very conveniently located close to the UNESCO sights of Sigiriya, Dambulla and Polonnaruwa.  You can enjoy these archeological wonders and then come back and relax in this eco-friendly environment, enjoy the Spa and spend quiet time.  

All of our meals in Sri Lanka were wonderful, mostly buffets which worked well as there was such a wide variety to appeal to everyone.  There was always local Sri Lankan Curries which are reputed to be the hottest in the world, (although toned down a bit in the hotels) but you could also choose from a huge selection of International Dishes, and the desserts were amazing, sometimes we just wanted to start with them!  Delicious Ice-Cream and I was always excited when we found 'the room'.  Many of the hotels had a room in the dining area dedicated entirely to desserts.   The tea of course was simply the best but surprisingly we all agreed the coffee also tasted good.  The other highlight  was the fresh assortment of fruits every morning - pineapple and papaya especially. 

A' dessert room' at Cinnamon Lodge 

Hangzhou and Mt Huanshan

One of my favourite places in China is Hangzhou
which is now only a 45 minute ride on the high speed train from Shanghai. Or you may want to go by road and visit one of the ancient water villages en route. I find it a nice break from the hassle of Shanghai and many Shanghai residents feel the same way as they like to escape here on the weekends, so best to go there mid week. I love the setting of West Lake where you can hop on the trolley that goes around the lake, enjoy a nice walk or go out for a boat ride. It is a great place for people watching and relaxing. Away from the lake you can walk in the old street , visit the Temples and the tree plantations.
It is good to spend 2 nights here, either as a side trip from Shanghai or continuing on by road to Huanshan Mountain, the inspiration for many artists. You will need another 2 nights, the first night you will spend at the base of the mountain and the next morning you take the cable car up and spend the night at the top. (You must pre-arrange this or you will never get up the mountain – there are thousands of local tourists also wanting to enjoy the sites.) The next morning get up early for the amazing sunrise before heading down later in the morning, or spend another day if you like lots of hiking.

Walk the Great Wall of China

This is a trip if you are feeling fit, energetic and enjoy trekking.  Travel through the lush mountainous areas north east of  Bejing in remote areas and away from the crowds.  A fascinating journey on the backroads allows you to observe closely the everyday life of villages and offers great opportunities to interact with the locals.
It is an 8 day tour to and from Beijing departing Oct 08 or Nov 05 2011 at CAD $1256.00 and several departures in 2012 at CAD $1395.00.  Includes 7 Breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners, English speaking guide, Comfortable Hotels, rural life experience of one night in a local village, one night in a homestay and one night in a Farmers Inn. 
For more information click here or contact Marie to make your booking.

July Lavender News

Lavender is in bloom and it is a great time to come out and enjoy some Yoga Outdoors, walk the Lavender Fields and browse in the farmgate store.  Here are some upcoming events.

Tuesday July 05: 7.00PM - 8.15PM.  Evening Kundalini Yoga in the Garden 4 week series starts
$48.00 for the series or drop in at $15.00 per class

Saturday July 09:  9.00AM - 11.30AM - Enjoy Yoga & Meditation followed by a garden chat with Robyn about the benefits of Herbs.  We will choose an herb from the garden and learn how to make it into a Culinary Oil to use at home.  $25.00   (Yoga or Garden Chat only - $15.00)

Friday July 15:  7.00PM - 9.00PM - Full Moon Celebration.  Come and enjoy Yoga and Meditation in the stillness of the Garden, learn how to clear your energy and make your own Aura Cleanser using the power of Crystals and Essential Oils.  $30.00

Saturday July 16:  9.00 - 11.30AM - Enjoy Yoga & Meditation followed by a garden chat on Lavender and its many uses.  Robyn will demonstrate how to make Lavender Water and we will pick a small bundle of fresh Lavender to enjoy at home.  $25.00 (Yoga or Garden Chat only - $15.00)

Pre-register for all events at least 48hours prior. 

Full Bloom Farm, 2926 - 248th St, Langley

http://www.fullbloomfarm.ca/

www.insighttowellness.com/Lavender

Foot Massage in China

It always amazes me how one can just show up for a Spa Treatment in China.  We arrived at the Spa without an appointment and were ushered upstairs to a private room for our party of four and within seconds were brought hot tea and immediately after that 4 attendants came in with a big barrel of water each.  I was told we were having the 2 hour foot massage and I was a bit apprehensive and wondering what they were going to do with my feet for all that time!  I'm also quite ticklish and I'd never had a foot massage before so this was going to be interesting.  First our feet got soaked in the hot water and then we got to lie down and one foot got bandaged up in a hot towel while they worked on the other.  It was really interesting to watch the synchronicity of the attendants - it seemed to be down to the second where they would all start slapping our feet at the same time!  After the feet were done (I was quite relieved) the legs and arms got massaged, the fingers pulled and then we had to lie on our tummies.  The attendants then used hot rocks wrapped in a cloth to massage our backs.  After this the knees got attention - they used a ginger poultice on each knee and wrapped them in very hot towels for at least 5 minutes.  This was really soothing and I still felt the effects long after the towels were removed.  Great way to end a day of walking around. So the 2 hour foot massage turned out to be a very pleasant experience, except for the few moments when I got a bit ticklish!!