Category Archives: Sri Lanka Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural city of 5.6 million. Thanks to its large natural harbour and its strategic position along the East–West sea trade routes, the city has a long and colourful history, some of which is still evidenced in the historic colonial buildings dotted between temples and […]  A walking tour with a companion and a camera is a great way to get to know a section of city, and to absorb the local colour and history. I was lucky enough to have a friend who had been living and working in Colombo, Sri Lanka, for a few years before I visited the […]  Sri Lanka was a delight! I hadn’t done any homework prior to travelling there, so it was also a delightful surprise. I expected (and got) colonial architecture and Hindu temples (see: Temples, Rains, and Ruins), but the number and variety of Buddhist sites in the country (eg: Dambulla Cave; Avukana Buddha; and Sigiriya) surprised me. […]  Sri Lanka is said to be the oldest continually Buddhist country in the world. When Buddhism first spread beyond India, the two countries that embraced the teachings were Gandhara (lands that are now in northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan) and Ceylon (called Sri Lanka since 1972). Buddhist scholars believe that the Buddha visited the island […]  When ever I think of Sri Lanka, I think of water: lotus and lily ponds, flooded rice paddies, dams and reservoirs, and rain. Lots of rain. I was travelling solo on a trip that had been originally planned for two, and although it was November, the south-western monsoon clearly didn’t realise it was meant to […] |
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