The pretty surprises started as soon as I got on the plane, welcomed by the charming hostess bearing the traditional uniform. Even if I have stolen several times with Asian companies, the Sri Lankan Airlines“The official uniforms were rather unusual for my westernized eye!
The Osaryia costume
Hostess wearing osaryia, traditional costume, showing the belly
What surprised me the most was the fact that they showed their belly. I must admit that I was perplexed at first, as I thought that showing the belly in Asian countries was considered a scandalous practice.
It turns out that it is not like that everywhere. Do you see what’s going on when you don’t read travel guides? You will always be surprised!
As soon as I arrived at the hotel, the receptionist also wore traditional Osaryia, with her exposed belly. Sinhalese women proudly show their belly, who do not have to be flat or super lean, like our western idea of the beauty dictates.
This is one of the reasons why traveling fascinates me so much: each culture is unique, including the concept of beauty and body shape. Sri Lankan women with their belly, Thailand and most countries in Southeast Asia with their obsession with white skin.
Do you want to know more about the traditional Osaryia and read interesting facts on typical scathing dresses? Discover this articleIt includes beautiful photos and fascinating information. I loved it!
The first day at Lakeside Cinnamon HotelThe plan was to make a visit around Colombo, but the lazy buttocks in me decided that I prefer to go for a relaxing afternoon, trying a mud massage in the hotel spa (a word: great!).
What I did not know is that being lazy would have given me the fantastic opportunity to testify to a traditional Wedding Weddingalso known as “Poruwa ceremony”.
I went to my room and I caught my camera to document the whole experience of the spa. I then headed down to sit outside and enjoy the swimming pool with the lake view.
As soon as I reached the hall, I instantly knew that something great was happening: drummers and dancers paraded traditional costumes, surrounded by a crowd of finely dressed people.
I was trying to find my way to the rear outlet, when I saw it: An incredibly beautiful bride, all dressed in a traditional ivory dress, posing for photographers. I was impressed, she was sitting a few meters from me, and I took incredible photos of her and the groom together. What an experience! The surprise, being in the right place at the right time and being able to sneak in a traditional wedding. It was indeed my lucky day! (To see more photos of the event, see my photo gallery!)
Curious fact:
I think I have a sixth sense to identify weddings or wedding proposals on the road: It all started in New York, when I took beautiful photos of a knee guy, offering her girlfriend a sunny afternoon in Central Park. Then it was the turn of Cambodian wedding, in the suggestive setting of the Angkor Wat temples, and now again, here in a fantastic hotel in Sri Lanka. I was so excited! Do I have to take this as a sign to change my mind and ultimately overcome my aversion to get married? Who knows ..
Curious facts on dyhalese weddings
The “poruwa” is the traditional decorated wooden platform, where the bride and groom are exchanging their wishes in Sighalese marriage (with Buddhist influences). To find out more about this beautiful ceremony, special rites and other interesting facts on dyhalese weddings are read here! By the way, after the event, I took a photo on the poruwa placed in front of the pool, too bad that my mobile was shit and that the photo was too dark!
Perfect timing indeed, as after wedding photos, I was going to live one of the most relaxing experiences of the year at the Azmaar Spa . When it was a question of deciding what type of treatment to have, My first request was “Do you also have a jacuzzi?”.
For those who don’t know me, I have something for swimming pools and jacuzzis. No wonder I loved my stay at Cinnamon! (And no, the fact that they have kindly paid our stay has nothing to do with that, I paid for my spa treatment and I was valid for $ 25 so much!).
So what about the jacuzzi then? Not only did they have one, but I was delighted to discover that I had a private room just so that I could use, which means: I was in paradise.
I was literally drooling! The massage took place in a room on the left of the jacuzzi room, where I was covered with mud and wrapped like a spring roll with plastic then covered with a blanket.
The lady has massaged my head for a few minutes to release tension, then left me alone to enjoy the music and oriental perfumes.
The plastic film covered my whole body so as not to be able to move, but I felt so relaxed that I fell asleep for a few minutes. After treatment, they left me alone to enjoy a jacuzzi full of sparkling water, candles and pink petals everywhere. Uhmm Excuse me, I’m not the bride, but you can leave the petals and the candles, wow, I laughed for excitement 🙂
Warning on the use of this spa
For those who like the treatment of the spa, there is a serious side effect: you will be late for any programmed activity later, because you will not want to leave. NEVER!
Finally, after the first official day in my Sri Lankan trip, we were ready for a real adventure: the Safari Elephant in Kaudulla National Park, Where these majestic creatures live freely in their natural habitat.
It was my first safari of all timeSo you can imagine my excitement! I have obviously already seen elephants before, but my feelings towards them were far from exciting.
I only saw them miserable, used to entertain tourists in Thailand and Cambodia, mistreated and beaten. Traveling in the long term changed me a lot. I will be honest with you: before the trip, I did not shit on how the animals were treated (this is what ignorance does to people, and I am very ashamed to admit it now).
I grow up thinking that the elephantsThe lions and tigers that occurred in the local circus worked very well. Now that I know the truth, I appreciate their business only if it is in their natural habitat. SOI considered this safari as the first time I have really seen elephants in my life.
I could write a thousand words on my experience at the Kaudulla Park, but I would say that by taking only hundreds of photos for 15 minutes, I just stopped. I placed my camera on my backpack and I felt a little stupid. For the first time in my life, I could admire these creatures in nature, and I didn’t want to see them through the camera lens!
So I sat down and just appreciated their slow movements through the car window. I had already taken a lot of photos, and I was sure they were no different, even less, compared to others. I wanted to keep this special moment printed in my memory, rather than just on a camera.
It was the wisest decision I made during this trip, and I will never forget these calm moments inside the car by taking advantage of their presence and forgetting the frenzy to capture every moment on a camera.
Closing note:Respect elephants
Elephants are some of the most incredible living creatures, let’s set a little conscience on how they should be left alone in their natural environment. Don’t be blind as I was. We may not save the world by avoiding mounting them for fun, but we can at least show them a little respect. Please take the time to read this articleIt’s really instructive.
