Family Overseas Adventures: Sri Lanka vs. Ukraine?

Logan’s division held a meeting in Sri Lanka last week – and invited spouses. This is the kind of business travel I can seriously encourage more of!

An 8-hour flight later, we were in a world that looked very different, but also had a lot of similarities………

SRI LANKA & UKRAINE SIMILARITIES:

Agriculture centric: Sri Lanka’s top exports are all things they grow – tea, coconuts, spices & rubber. We visited a tea plantation….seriously some people's job is hand cutting leaves...

...you job isn't so bad afterall?!

….coming from the PepsiCo world of hair nets & scrubbed hands, sanitation seemed a little light. Be sure to boil your water well when you make your next cup of tea

And, the produce is similarly limited to what is in season locally…

…so while it might get old eventually; a week of fresh pineapple, papaya and passion fruit was fantastic!

Scrappy Retailers: While there are regular stores, it appears that most business is conducted from the random mobile carts OR fronts of houses turned into stores….

given both countries’ average incomes hover around the $300/month mark, keeping costs low is clearly a priority

Assertive & Energetic Drivers: I thought Kyiv’s taxi drivers were extreme driving like fearless maniacs in tin boxes (small, cheap 4-seater cars)….. But hot damn, the Sri Lankan drivers appear equally spirited, yet have even less of a tin box to protect them……………

They mostly drive Tuk Tuks – a 3-wheel motorcycle / car with a back seat. No helmets, no seatbelts….roll down flaps on the side only if it’s raining. Despite the madness - oh how I loved riding in them!

Since our driver was unwilling to give me a go at the wheel, I’m trying to convince Logan this would be an ideal second car for us! (at $3,500 – economical too!).

Hell, I could even turn mind into a mobile store!

Scavenging Strays: Like Kyiv, you see stray dogs all over Sri Lanka……

….but my favorite scavengers were the monkeys! They were also all over the place, this one foraging through the trash till he found some food….

……then a lady walked by with a piece of fruit in her bag. He bolted up, grabbed it and took off – nearly scared her to death!

OK, LET'S BE HONEST, AS MUCH AS I'D LOVE OUR HOME TO BE A TROPICAL PARADISE, there is a thing or two that pulls them apart.....

Tropical & Lush: While it was hovering around -20F when we left Kyiv,.....

....8 hours later (direct flight!) we walked off the plane to a balmy +80F & lush palm trees....

While we had several rainy day, it was a warm tropical rain – not even enough to stop our climb up the Sigurya Fortress ...

(a very cool mountain top fortress - used to be a lion - you entered through the mouth!)

You could almost peg where people in the group came from based on their reaction…..

· “Too bad about the weather” = Africa, Dubai, Jordan
· “It’s even nice out when it rains here” = Russia, Ukraine
· No comment = Istanbul

And while the warmth & humidity is fantastic for the skin and emotional well-being, you can forget smooth hair.......

...even with the mad frizz - well worth the trade off!

Ultra-Friendly: Maybe related to the weather, or just happy to see tourists…….the Sri Lankan people are the most friendly, happy, helpful people I’ve seen in a long time.

They even make mid-Westerners seem semi-depressed with their huge smiles and spontaneous waving

Zen: Maybe a driver of their zen-ness is that ~70% are Buddhist….there are giant Buddhas everywhere….in monuments….(this one was carved right into the cave wall)

At temples & even just on the side of the road...

I learned that one can become a God by doing good deeds - and - everyone also has the seed to become a Buddha in them. You just need to achieve enlightenment.…and while no one has become a Budha in over 2000 years, the process clearly keeps people peace minded...several tuk tuks sported this window sticker....

Mother Teresa, Peace Begins with a Smile, Celebrity Wall Art Decal Quote

Armed Militia: in an interesting contrast to the zen, I saw more armed guards there than anywhere in a long time. Apparently their civil war (went on for decades after the British left – leaving the 2 remaining people fighting over power), which after years of trying to come to more peaceful agreements, ended with a serious ‘let’s just end this thing bloodbath’ ~3 years ago.

So I guess people aren’t totally convinced friendly & zen is enough to ensure safety.

Sensible Ensembles: Coming from the world of high heels & sexy, it was refreshing to see as more casual approach...

The first time I saw heels all week was in the airport at our gate to Kyiv!

Even the men clearly prioritize functionality & comfort given their openness to walking around in skirts….

So inspired by this freedom, Logan's team followed suit…..

Note several had pants underneath – given they just fold shut (no ties) it was probably for the best

Eco-Minded: In order to protect their lush, natural surroundings, Sri Lanka has adopted a few eco tactics:

200% tax on cars: Net result – a road full of Tuk Tuks. While their emissions standards did seem suspect, I suppose smaller = less fuel anyhow.
Recycling gone wild: The elephant orphanage we visited informed us that not only do elephants eat a LOT, they also barely even digest their food AND they poop a lot (16 times / day!)…….making a lot of ‘practically new’ leafy goodness in their abundant excrement..