I arrived in Sri Lanka with the intention of experiencing for myself what Sri Lanka could be. Before getting to this country, I knew it as “the tear drop country off the coast of India”, and I figured it might have many similarities with India, including cuisine. I saw on maps that Sri Lanks was relatively undeveloped and filled with rich wildlife and beautiful landscapes. From reading a history of Sri Lanka, I learned that the country opened itself to tourism relatively recently. I also watched some videos of people giving advice about what there is do once you arrive. I intentionally didn’t do any research about the people, cuisine, or culture of Sri Lanka because I wanted to experience these aspects for myself. I came away learning new ways to look at my own culture as a result of this trip.
I was pleasantly surprised by all that I saw of Sri Lanka: the locals were open, friendly and even very curious about my travels. While Sri Lankans have been receiving travelers for years now, they are not so used to a solo female traveler and certainly not one who looks like one of their own. From my arrival at the airport, I was quizzed about my life by multiple strangers. In return, these people would share with me stories about their own lives, including where they were from and what they did for a living.
