It is early in the morning of Good Friday here, so it will be interesting to see how the day unfolds on the ship. Since passengers come from many different cultures and beliefs, not everyone will attach meaning to the day, and so the program of talks, activities and performances looks pretty much the same as any other day. (They do hold services on different days for those who wish to attend.) But I noticed some hot cross buns were available at breakfast time yesterday in the general smorgasbord area, and I would not be surprised to see fancy Easter eggs around on Sunday. This is the start of four days at sea on the way to Dubai.
Going back to Colombo . . .
I meant to say that our guide maintained that Buddhism is not a religion but rather a philosophy of life. But I guess its meaning and how it is played out in someone’s life would depend on the individual and their own degree of enlightenment.
What amazed and pleased me as we drove around Colombo was the many beautiful buildings and gardens. The influence of the Dutch and English colonial times was very apparent. So although we saw areas that were run down and crowded, with the inevitable deterioration where building are not maintained, we also saw great stately buildings, beautiful kept gardens, and many sporting fields, dominated by cricket of course. There were parts that even reminded me of Melbourne. And there is an increasing number of luxurious high-rise hotels being built, each will its own lovely gardens, something we did not see anywhere else on our travels. One, to be named Shangri-La, is supposed to be the ultimate in ‘7-star’ luxury. As well, new business centres were being built, and down at the waterfront, land was being reclaimed from the sea, this huge project in the hands of Chinese developers.
So Colombo is certainly on the move and our guide was telling us that its famous Ceylon sapphires and other precious gems, as well as its spices (particularly cinnamon) and teas are all highly sought after and are behind its strong economy. And yet I did spot a small number of people sleeping in the streets. Then again, we have homeless people in western countries too.
I was really pleased to hear that the literacy rate in Sri Lanka is 98%. Schools and all the books and other materials are free, and children from impoverished families learn next to those from wealthier families in the same classrooms, and cannot be distinguished by their appearance, as everyone is expected to dress very modestly. There are opportunities for every child to win scholarships to boarding schools, and to study at university. Those who wish to become engineers and medical specialists and so on are given the chance to study at Oxford and Cambridge with full financial support - the only expectation is that they then invest their training back in the country for ten years. If they decide to remain overseas, then they must pay the money back. Clearly this encouragement and provision of opportunities for top level education and training is great for the country. Clearly the country’s leaders are enlightened people.
I was also inordinately pleased to see many children’s playgrounds. The lack of these and gardens in the overcrowded high-rise cities we had visited in other Asian countries really bothered me. Here the schools had great playing fields and open spaces.
The next place we visited after the temple was Freedom Square, where the people celebrate their independence from Britain, gained just after the end of World War 2. Its design is modelled on the artwork and architecture of the past. All but the last of the following photos were taken at that site. The last was taken from the bus looking at another expansive garden.
In Part 3 I will conclude my tale of Sri Lanka.
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