Silence is Golden: One Week Vipassana Meditation Retreat
Posted: July 6, 2012 Filed under: Sri Lanka | Tags: Buddha, insight meditation, meditation, Sri Lanka, travel, vipassana 3 CommentsFor my final week in Sri Lanka, I lived at Kanduboda Siyane International Insight Meditation Center. I had been looking forward to this retreat for some time, and was a major highlight of the trip for me. Under the tutelage of my wonderful and beautiful teacher, Rev. Wimukthi, and with the guidance of the Center’s head monks, I studied and practiced vipassana meditation.
Practicing vipassana, meaning “insight”, meditation has had a profound effect on me. I know I will always remember this one, simple week so fondly. The people that I met, the food I ate, my simple room… Sometimes when I close my eyes I can see it all so vividly still.
“You like spicy?”
Posted: July 6, 2012 Filed under: Food, Sri Lanka | Tags: curry, food, spicy food, Sri Lanka, travel Leave a commentThat was one of the first questions I was asked upon arriving to Sri Lanka. Foolishly, I said yes, and I was promptly handed a warm roll of bread, stuffed with spicy, curried vegetables (called a vegetable bun, a common breakfast staple). It scorched my mouth, much to my surprise, and I was instantly awake, despite landing at 3:00 AM in the morning, and being jostled around a car at sunrise.
My taste buds never rested for the remainder of my trip. Most meals ended with me in a pool of sweat, three or four glasses of water sloshing around inside me, and begging for some delicious, sweet pineapple or watermelon to put my mouth at ease. I wouldn’t trade the pain for anything in the world though. These curries are as delicious as they are spicy, outrageously so.
Sinhalese Dhall (Lentil) Curry Recipe
Posted: July 6, 2012 Filed under: Food, Sri Lanka | Tags: dhall curry, lentils, recipe, Sri Lanka, travel Leave a commentNote: This recipe is relatively small (about two servings as a main dish), but bear in mind that the most traditional Sri Lankan meals are comprised of up to five different curries at once, along with rice, papadums, and sometimes a small salad.
Sinhalese Dhall Curry (as taught by Karuna)
100 grams (about 1/2 a cup) of lentils, soaked for 30 minutes
1 small onion, sliced or diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup coconut cream
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp mustard seed powder
1/2 tsp chili powder, more to taste
10 curry leaves
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
In a saute pan, sweat your onions and garlic on medium heat. Add liquids and lentils. Stir in the remaining ingredients, mixing well. Stirring often, cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until sauce thickens, stirring as needed.
Serve with rice. To be especially Sinhalese, eat with your fingers 🙂
Reintegrating
Posted: July 5, 2012 Filed under: Random Tangent, Sri Lanka | Tags: going home, meditation, reintegration, Sri Lanka, travel, vipassana 3 CommentsOkay. So I have been back for a month, officially. I have to be honest; readjusting to coming home was extremely hard for me, and I am still trying to get through it, taking it day-by-day.
This One is for the Ladies: On Safety in Sri Lanka
Posted: May 3, 2012 Filed under: Sri Lanka | Tags: safety, solo female travelers, Sri Lanka, travel Leave a commentWhen I first embarked on my journey, I was riddled with reservations and self-doubt. I was worried about being lonely (more than I was worried about being alone, and before I even started thinking about the safety issues that could arise as a solo female traveler). Now, for the month that I have been here, I have only felt lonely for the handful of times that I was especially homesick. Besides these rare occasions, I have been lucky enough to often be in good company, and so gradually loneliness fell by the way side. When I am alone now, I savour it, sit with it, take the time to reflect.
Adam’s Peak
Posted: May 3, 2012 Filed under: Sri Lanka | Tags: Adam's Peak, pilgrimmage, Sri Lanka, travel Leave a comment
7 kilometres.
Around 5500 steps.
We climbed and summited in about 3.5 hours,
about 7 hours of walking total.
One Month!
Posted: April 24, 2012 Filed under: Sri Lanka | Tags: Adam's Peak, Kegalle, Pinnawala, Sri Lanka, travel 1 CommentWell, its almost been a month, and it has seriously flown by. I’m wrapping up my time with the elephants this week, and I’ve gotten to do a lot of surprise activities. Perhaps a reward for being such a hard worker? I’ll go with that…
I got another chance to bottle feed the babes, instantly making us life-long friends. I helped clean out the closure for one of my favorite elephants; in addition to being blind, and having a bullet still lodged under his skin, Raja is the oldest elephant at the orphanage, and has exceeded the average age of Indian elephants (he’s estimated to be 80, most Indian elephants live to be 70 or so). One of my favorite things to do after the big herd marches back up to the orphanage from the Maha Oya River, is helping to bathe the smaller, sick herd. Tikiri always spoils me with trunk kisses. She loves it when you blow in her snout, and she blows right back! Dumari loves laying down for her bath, and enjoys a good scrubbing. I am definitely going to miss these ladies.
What surprised me, and I only realized recently, is that I have grown really attached to the little cliff-side town of Kegalle. I love taking my half-hour walk to the internet cafe, passing the usual people at the usual times. We always exchange smiles. I’ll be sad to leave here on Friday, when I move to Ja-Ela (about 45 minutes outside of Colombo).
Planning on doing the Adam’s Peak pilgrimage this weekend. I’ve been told we’ll have to start climbing around 9:00 PM to summit at sunrise. I can’t even imagine walking over night! I am excited and anxious for the challenge.
Ayubowan,
K
Lessons from the Laborers
Posted: April 18, 2012 Filed under: Sri Lanka | Tags: elephants, Pinnawala, Sri Lanka, travel Leave a commentI have been having a blast with my fellow laborers with whom I muck out the elephant closures every morning. Although most of them haven’t had the luxury of higher education, and several of them are often a little bit cheeky, they are always quick to pass on some wisdom behind mucking-out, which I have found can actually apply to life! Here are a few lessons that I’ve learned…
Unawatuna, Southern Sri Lanka
Posted: April 17, 2012 Filed under: Sri Lanka | Tags: beach, sea turtles, Sri Lanka, travel, Unawatuna 5 Comments
A merchant on the beach at Unawatuna
With the New Year holiday putting the country at a complete stand still, I headed south with the other foreigners and tourists and found myself in Unawatuna. Largely devastated by the 2004 tsunami, Unawatuna recovered so rapidly thanks to the help of all of its’ past visitors who remembered the quaint beach-side town so fondly. There is still plenty work to be done, and unfortunately the beach has shrunk down substantially and will continue to wash away with every monsoon season.
Ayubowan!
Posted: April 8, 2012 Filed under: Sri Lanka | Tags: elephants, Kandy, Kegalle, Pinnewala, Sri Lanka, travel 1 CommentGreetings from Kegalle, Sri Lanka! After quite a long journey trying to get here, I finally made it early last Sunday, and I dived in immediately!
The first day that I arrived, another volunteer and I took a tour of Kandy and the surrounding Hill country. We stopped at scenic views, took a tour of a tea plantation (one of Sri Lanka’s biggest exports), and visited Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic. It is pilgrimage season here, so there were many devotees at the temple; it was surprising to feel so calm and serene in a place that was so crowded! Afterwards we enjoyed a show of some traditional Kandyan Dances and drumming, which featured beautiful masks and a wonderful insight into the culture and their folklore.
I started my first day at the Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage the very next day. There are currently 83 elephants at Pinnewala – 50 females and 33 males (of which only 3 are tuskers). I promise to give you more details on Pinnewala when I can! In the past week since I started, I have bottle fed baby elephants, helped bathe sick and injured elephants, and even learned some elephant commands. Every day though, I am knee deep in elephant poo until about 10:30 in the morning, helping the workers muck out the elephant closures. After all of the dirty work, I get to walk down to the river and watch the elephants bathe and play, and I get to sit much closer than the tourists! I spend a lot of time with the mahouts (the elephants’ caretakers), and I am learning more and more about the elephants and Pinnewala every day.
As it turns out, I will be here for Buddhist/Hindu New Year, which is next week. So until next time, suba aluth avurruddack vewa (happy New Year)!
P.S. I look forward to sharing much more with you all once I get back, especially pictures!
kristinthevoyager 