Island Country: Sri Lanka

Clear blue skies

I just returned from a work trip to the beautiful and largely untouched nation of Sri Lanka. In my free time, I got a chance to explore Colombo, its vibrant capital which I feel is perfect for a weekend getaway from India.

The best way to explore the city and take in its many sights and sounds is by foot. I couldn’t get enough of the greenery, blue skies and cleanliness all around. As a result of its colonial past, the architecture is very impressive. There are many British style townhouses, clock towers, the town-hall, museum and many other sites. The red brick colonial era Victoria memorial hospital was particularly striking. I felt like I was back in Europe.

As soon as we had checked into the hotel, lunch plans were made. A large group of us went to a popular Sri Lankan restaurant - Upali's located close to the Municipal Corporation building. The food was amazing. We ordered an Upali's combo for starters which was served with a tasty, sweet yet spicy green chutney. For main course, we dug into delicious crab curry (or Yapane Kakuluwo) and Fresh lagoon prawns curry (or Isso Beduma). The curry was bursting with flavours, a medley of fresh spices.

Outside National Museum

A few of us then went to explore the National Museum, the largest museum in Sri Lanka, founded by the then governor Sir William Henry Gregory in 1877. The building was beautiful. As we had reached an hour before closing time, we rushed through some of the well curated galleries. It was an educational experience; some of the art, coins and jewellery from the ancient times was fascinating.

As everyone wanted to shop for souvenirs and cotton clothing that the country is famous for, I decided to explore the city a bit more and headed to Galle Face beach instead. There were children flying kites of all shapes of sizes, couples enjoying the ocean breeze, hordes of vendors selling sea street food, a few joggers and the usual tourists like me. I grabbed a beer at a halal restaurant and waited for the sun to dip into the ocean. It was a spectacular sight!

Sunset at Galle Face Beach

As soon as the sun had set, the restaurant owner shouted that it was time to break fast for the people observing Roza during Ramadan. A waiter sprung into action and served a big, deep fried fish to a Muslim couple seated on the next table. What caught my attention was a small plastic bucket and mug kept on the tables, to be used for washing hands. This was the first time that I had come across this custom.

After finishing my beer and enjoying the fantastic ocean view with the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, I decided to buy some souvenirs at Paradise Road. Unfortunately, it was shut by the time I got there as it was past seven which is when most of the shops there close. My enterprising tuk tuk driver took me to Laksala, a government emporium from where I bought some souvenirs. The other places known for shopping are Odel and Barefoot.

Once back at the hotel, a bunch of us decided to head out to Dutch Hospital, a buzzing nightlife and shopping precinct. We had a great time at Tap house, a brewery which had a live band performing there. Later, we headed to The Sky Lounge at The Kingsbury hotel for some delicious dessert and a fantastic view of the Colombo skyline and ocean.

A visit to a Cambodian Silk Farm

 I visited a silk farm on the outskirts of Siem Reap in Puok District, a half-hour drive from the city centre. I was on a free tour arranged by Artisans Angkor, an establishment that creates job opportunities for young people living in rural areas, while promoting traditional Khmer craftsmanship and industry. Although our tour guide was down with high fever that morning, he made a fair attempt to engage and joke with all of us.   

Mulberry farm

The tour was highly informative; we were given a detailed understanding of the silk manufacturing process. We saw how mulberry leaves are grown, larva feeding on the leaves till they weave a cocoon around themselves which can be up to 1 km in length! The cocoons are then sunned so that they soften and the silk fibre can be easily obtained, during this process most of the silkworms die. This was particularly discomforting to learn about.

Silkworms feeding on mulberry leaves

Life cycle of a silkworm

The next step is reeling, where the filament from the cocoon is unwound. There were a couple of women seated next to a large round container with boiling water, delicately executing this task.  We then got to see and feel the raw silk that had been obtained thus far. It takes between 2000 to 3000 cocoons to make one pound of silk! Upon learning this fact, I realized that silk production or sericulture is an extremely time consuming and delicate process requiring absolute precision, without which you would need to redo any part of the line process again. I also thought back to all those times that I had bought a silk scarf while having negotiated hard for a good rate. Of course, I had no insight into how complicated the process can be.

Raw silk in different dyes

We then learnt about how raw silk is made into fine silk, and then dyed into different colours using natural dyes. It was interesting to see women there using their lower legs to fine tune a design in the silk scarves. In the end, we saw lots of women, most of them pregnant, weaving beautiful silk scarves of different colours and designs in handlooms. A wrong move while the fine strands pass through the loom meant redoing the entire process again. Just for context, it takes 4 – 5 days to complete one silk sari. India being the world’s second largest producer of silk has a lot of variety.

Colourful, well designed silk scarf

After seeing the entire process, I made a small mental note to myself that the next time I go silk shopping, I will not negotiate hard. 

Quad Biking in Rural Cambodia

On the way

While researching my trip to Cambodia, Quad biking appeared as a top attraction. Without wasting any time, I booked a 21 kms long easy tour via Quad Biking Cambodia priced at $37, a month in advance, as the slots are generally limited.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, one that I highly recommend to anyone visiting Siem Reap. 

I was picked up from my hostel in a quad bike half an hour before my tour was to begin. We zipped through the streets on a lazy Sunday afternoon, as other tourists watched in amazement. The actual tour takes places on the out skirts of the city, about ten minutes away. I was first taught the basics of riding a quad bike, familiarized with its various functions and given safety training. After a test ride with a trainer, I was deemed fit to ride on my own.  After signing a liability waiver form and making payment, off we went!

Wooden houses on stilts amidst paddy fields

I had the quad bike to myself and was following the guide on a bike in front of me. We rode on all kinds of terrain; from dirt tracks to paved roads to going cross country through barren, bumpy fields. As we passed through villages, grazing cows and hens, dried up lotus fields, paddy fields, ponds, canals and lots of smiling Cambodians outside their wooden houses; I got a glimpse into their simple, rural lifestyle.

A family of ducks in a canal

The highlight of the tour was our stop at the breeding pool for red fish. Amidst paddy fields, there was a pond that housed 200 of these orangish-red, wide eyed, hungry fish. It was an incredible sight. My guide asked me to go to the end of a wooden boardwalk and play with the red fish as he took some amazing pictures. I resisted putting my hand in as they would pick at it, much like the live fish massages in town, of which I am not a fan.

Red Fish

As the sun began to set, we rode back cross country through the fields and various dirt tracks. As I was now used to the vehicle, I decided to accelerate, which led to a bumpy, yet fun ride back to base. All in all, it was a memorable and adventurous afternoon, one that I will relish for a long time to come.