i to i's itinerary includes 1 night's stay at a hotel near Colombo to begin the transition to Sri Lankan life (translation: much sleeping).
I woke at what looked to be near-dawn, and not having a clock, thought I'd best get dressed and start the day. I wandered downstairs to find a startled hotel employee who asked if I was having trouble sleeping. Me, no trouble at all! By the way, could you tell me what time it is?
It was 5am. So, I sat on the lawn for a few minutes, enjoying the last bit of the "super" moon and then returned to my room for some tossing and turning until I was certain it was closer to breakfast's 7:30 start time.
The hotel staff found great humor in my early rising. Apparently I am the first volunteer to arrive ridiculously early to breakfast; most are late. As most might imagine, it was a first for me too.
Before leaving the hotel, we practiced some Sinalese on the beach. We interrupted the lesson to eavesdrop on an unfolding beach ritual. An Indian man surrounded by a small group of people gathered by the shore. The man was wearing only a white wrap and carrying a small bundle about the size of a loaf of bread. After some preparation and a few deep breaths, he got about knee-deep in the water, turned his back to the ocean, and threw the bundle over his head. He then knelt twice, forehead to sand. The water was rough and he stumbled a bit as waves crashed, nearly losing his wrap at one point.
As he rejoined his group, our Sri Lankan coordinators explained that this was a funeral ritual. It was so simple, so basic, so very human. Another stark reminder - life is short. We're lucky to live while we can...I'm glad I'm now finally here in Sri Lanka.
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