Photographic Memories #11
As every traveller knows, when you look back through old travel photos, many of them trigger wonderful memories. With no current prospect of travel even domestically let alone worldwide, we will have no new adventures to blog, but we do have many such memories….
Photo #11: A Sri Lankan Welcome
This photograph recalls one of our most humbling experiences in all our days of travel so far. In August/September 2015 we travelled across Sri Lanka from west to east, making our way from Colombo to Trincomalee, via Kandy and Sigiriya. On our first day in Sigiriya we were introduced to Mangala, one of the few local tuk-tuk drivers able to speak a little English. Striking up an unlikely friendship, Mangala became our unofficial guide for our stay in the village and enriched our time there with helpful advice and much detail around Singhal and Buddhist cultures. He even shed tears as he told us stories from the Tamil civil war of just a few years earlier.
Mangala stunned us by inviting us to a meal in his jungle home, a modest stone block dwelling just outside the village. According to custom, guests must eat first, so we had the unusual experience of eating our meal under the watchful eyes of the whole family, who were not allowed to enjoy their food until after we had left. Mangala and his wife had laid on an amazing feast of all types of food, an incredible gesture given their very humble existence; we felt absolutely honoured. Sri Lankans are notoriously short people: to give perspective to the photograph, Michaela herself is only 5ft tall.
9 Comments
normareadtalktalknet
What an honour it is to be invited into someone’s home .. wonderful 😍
Phil & Michaela
It was a massive honour and one we will always remember 😊
Annie Berger
I was so touched by the generous hospitality extended to you both by your new friends in Sri Lanka. Isn’t that part of the allure of overseas travel when we are honored to enter a home for a meal. That also speaks volumes about the effect you had in your initial interactions with your hosts.
Phil & Michaela
It was wonderful. We were lucky to get an insight to family life in Sri Lanka, they have 2 lovely children too so with 4 generations under one roof we got a real feel for how they stick together and care for each other with such limited resources. We will certainly visit them again if we get to go to Sri Lanka again.
Monica Singh
Such a humbling experience. Apart from scenic views, I think hospitality is the next big factor that we fall in love with on a destination visit.
Phil & Michaela
Hi Monica, thank you for reading. We agree, hospitality of the people is wonderful and gives you a real insight into whichever country you are visiting .
Kritika Panase
This was a real treat to read. Must be an enriching tour to relish a local treat .. nothing satisfying than that; moreover an opportunity of a life to witness the culture, food and life in close proximity. You guys are blessed!
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Rohan, it was an honour to be invited into someones home and a real insight into life within that country
Rohan
This was a real treat to read. Must be an enriching tour to relish a local treat .. nothing satisfying than that; moreover an opportunity of a life to witness the culture, food and life in close proximity. You guys are blessed!