I want Kandy!....I want Kandy!

During the past few days, we visited several important Theravada Buddhism sites. One site in particular was a series of caves that included murals, tomb stupas and sculptures. Many of the Theravada Buddhism sites include sculptures of a reclining Buddha. Most often, these sculptures are enormous and hand carved of wood. The specific reclining Buddha sculptures that I have seen ranged from approximately 10 ft. to 50 ft.

Sigiriya is the site where the 5th century King of Sri Lanka had his palace. Although only the foundation remains today, the palace was constructed on top of a massive rock. We climbed approximately 2200 steps to get to the site. It was a pretty good workout. At the top we were able to appreciate a panorama of the lush tropical landscape. The rock is positioned in the middle of a 300-acre monastery. Half way up the mountain were a series of beautiful murals. I found these paintings to be especially intriguing because they were so different from all of the other artworks that I have seen in Sri Lanka and India. The murals included a group of women exclusively. In my opinion, in these paintings, the artist depicted a rise in the status of women. Although the women in the paintings are very sensual and idealized, they are not sexualized. Also, they are not performing any type of service or labor. Each woman in the murals has at least one reference to nature. I believe the artist portrayed these women to suggest a comparison of women to the mystery and beauty of nature.

For the past few days we have been in Kandy; the second largest city in Sri Lanka. Last night we visited a small village just outside of the city. In the center of the village was a tiny 1st century temple. The name of the temple is Maha Viharaya. Unlike the other temples and monasteries that we have visited, this temple was entirely made out of wood, including the sculptures and altar inside. The temple was decorated with a tremendous amount of patterns in bright bold colors. So far, this temple is my favorite. Unfortunately, they do not allow photography inside.

Later in the evening, we watched as the village people performed a music concert and a variety of dances. Because I was doing some videotaping, I sat closer to the back of the crowd away from the rest of the Fulbright participants. Instead, I sat with the villagers. Next to me, were four young children. One of the kids had a bag of flower bulbs. The children were very friendly and offered me a handful of flowers. Next, I took four of the flowers and placed one behind an ear of each of the children. For the next hour, as we listened to the music, we exchanged smiles, giggles and passed flowers back and forth. As we ‘played’ together, I took several photographs of the kids. During the past few weeks, I have discovered several new features of the video camera. One in particular includes being able to flip the LCD screen around 180 degrees. Both, children and adults are very amused at being able to see themselves on ‘TV’ as I take their picture. Whenever I take portraits in this manner, my subjects react with great big smiles.

Right now, we are traveling by bus to Colombo. We will stay there for a few days. Today, shortly after we check into our hotel, several of us have appointments to go to an Ayervedic spa. (Yet another tough day on the Fulbright Program! Boy, are they ever spoiling us.) I have never experienced an Ayuervedic spa treatment. From the limited information that know about it, a variety of different herbs are used to heal and/or strengthen the body. A small group of us are planning to attend a professional cricket match in a few days, Sri Lanka vs. India. I know very little about the sport but am anxious to participate in the cultural experience. It should be fun.

This morning we visited an elephant orphanage. Standing in the middle of a pack of elephants was pretty surreal. Most of the elephants at the orphanage were without tusks and many of them had other disabilities. We spent some time watching and petting them. Later, we watched as they left the park and walked in a massive herd through the town to the river. Bath time! Second to the children, my favorite video footage includes bits of various animals.

Greetings from paradise.

For those of you that have been following me on this journey- I did not fall of the face of the earth. We have been really busy traveling all over, leaving little time for Internet action. When I do have a few moments, I am usually too tired to write, spell check and at times, even think clearly.
We spent the last two days in India in Kerala. Our hotel was very close to the beach. On our last day we spent several hours swimming in the Arabian Sea. The tide was very rough. During our swim, many of us made offerings of jewelry to the sea. For me personally, I guess one diamond earring is a small price to pay for such a memorable experience.
We have been in Sri Lanka for a few days now. After the recent bomb blasts in India, I feel like I am in a much safer country now. The Indian Muhajeen has cast a large shadow over the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Elam. Hopefully, the LTTE will remain out-of-site.
Currently, we are in Kandalama, a four-hour drive northeast of Colombo. In Sri Lanka, that equates to about 50 miles (not really, but it feels like it). We are in a very remote area and it is absolutely beautiful here! It is so tropical. It reminds me of the Caribbean Islands with a hint of African safari flavor. This morning, a few of us went on an elephant ride. The experience was one I will not forget. Initially, as I approached the elephant, I noticed that the basket attached to the elephant was incredibly rocky. Accordingly, I expected that the ride would cause me to feel nausea. Fortunately, when the three of us got into the basket and the elephant began walking, it was much smoother than I anticipated. For about an hour, we rode the elephant through marshlands and forest. The two other women that I was with are very experienced horse riders. Both were pleased that they were able to take turns riding on the elephant’s neck. Personally, I didn’t share their desire to do that as I felt very content and comfortable sitting inside the basket.

So far, the main educational focus in Sri Lanka has been Theravada Buddhism. This form of Buddhism emerged in Sri Lanka in approximately 3rd century BCE. On our first day we visited various ancient Buddhist monastery sites. The grounds of the monasteries were very beautiful. The aesthetic elements used in the landscape designs are reminiscent of those applied in Chinese landscapes. This form of Buddhism has similar characteristics to the philosophy of Daoism, where "the Dao (Tao) is the Way and the Way is nature."

According to our Sri Lankan guides as well as what I have observed, Sri Lankans are very laid back. Our guide suggested that one contributing factor is that more alcohol is consumed per capita in Sri Lanka than in other countries in the world. Additionally, a common belief among Sri Lankans is that one of the most dishonorable things one can do is lose their temper. It was suggested that one would rarely ever hear a Sri Lankan person raise their voice to another individual. “Generally, we internalize our emotions” Sinharajan said. I imagine that this ‘suffering in silence’ behavior also contributes to Sri Lanka’s distinction of having the largest divorce rate in the world.
Like America, schools in Sri Lanka are not in session during this time of year. Although we will not be participating in any school visits, we have meet and seen a lot of young children here.

Yesterday we visited the largest Buddhist pilgrimage site in Sri Lanka. The Dagaba Stupa contains a relic of Siddhartha Buddha, apparently a sash belt. This was of such great value to the Buddhists of Sri Lanka that it was entombed in a magnificent stupa structure. Apparently, in 200 BCE, this structure was only second to the pyramids of Giza, as the largest man-made structure in the world. At about the same time that the Dagaba stupa was built in 2nd century BCE, the King of Sri Lanka sent his son to India to claim a branch clipping from the original Bodi tree under which Siddhartha Buddha achieved enlightenment. Upon return to Sri Lanka, the clipping was planted and grew into a strong and magnificent tree. It is claimed that the aforementioned tree is the exact tree that we visited, some 2200 years old. Hmmmmm, that’s really hard to believe.