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.