... snakes & neon monkeys ...
Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 12:35PM I guess that being an ex-eastern-bloc baby, travelling to somewhere that required crossing an international border was something of a mystery. I have concluded that it must be something in my genes - growing up "back home" was severely lacking in international travel, for obvious reasons. Maybe this has contributed somewhat to the excitement of loving something as mundane as jumping on a plane to new destinations. I love to travel. Not just getting to the destination and enjoying the "after". That too of course, but no, its way more than that. It is the actual act of travelling that is full of wonder, anticipation and excitement. Needless to say, it doesnt mean carrying a suitcase big enough to be able to fit into - I positively dislike bulky luggage, it screams stability, putting down roots, a long visit - i.e. dull. A simple bag with the minimum of necessities for comfortable and slightly decadent travel says it all - a flying visit, always fresh . Camera and film being the necessities of course. I mean, one can replace a passport relatively quickly, but medium format film in a foreign country? Forget about it!
Anyway, I digress. The point of the post is to tell you about a very recent trip to a brand new destination for me, the lovely island of Sri Lanka. A few weeks before the trip, I had an incredible invitation to assist the lovely Polly Alexandre on a wedding in Galle. Few hurried vaccines later and a quick check to see if the passport was still in working order and not peeling apart (the dangers of travelling light - it usually sits in a back pocket somewhere, getting terribly squished), I was on my way to Colombo for a new adventure. One full of jumbo shrimp (as in A380 sized, almost), cobras, monkeys in day-glo outfits and the most incredible food I have ever tasted. The people were so kind and welcoming, the climate deliciously hot, it was pure heaven. Not to mention, having someone to talk to who loved talking as much as I do. Polly and I talked, and talked, and then talked some more, and pretty much talked again. It was pure vocabulary bliss. Needless to say, not a single bit of this trip had a "meh" moment - each moment was full of new things, new places and new experiences. Sri Lanka, I will definitely be back, get your jumbo prawns on the barbie!
