Weekend in Nuwara Eliya

Okay, I've got Backlogged Blog 2 on my flashdrive, but technology here is sketchy, and it's not reading it. I'll keep trying, and post that when I can. It's about my Northern Tour. In the meantime, Here's what I did over the weekend!

So a bunch of people from my program were planning on going to Nuwara Eliya over the weekend, and leaving right after Sinhala class. Originally I wasn't going to go with them, but on the spur of the moment, I decided to join them. Let me tell you, I'm really glad I did, because it was an awesome trip.Nuwara Eliya is about 2 or 3 hours from Kandy, and in terms of elevation is the highest city in Sri Lanka. The drive there was quite simply the most beautiful view I've ever seen. There are steep, rolling hills hundreds of feet high, draped in a lush green jungle. Waterfalls tumble down the cliffs into the lake at the vally floor, and sunshine beams down through wispy clouds. When people imagine paridise, this is what it looks like.The city of N.E. is a bit different, but every bit as interesting. In Sri Lanka it's sometimes called "mini-England." For one thing, it's downright chilly. A strong wind constantly assails you, and the clouds rolling through the streets at ground level bring occasional spells of rain. It feels as though the entire city rests on the edge of a storm that never quite hits.
The People:People dart around the streets bundled up in knit caps and coats. As in the rest of Sri Lanka, people are absolutely tickled when you speak to them in Sinhala, and knowing even a tiny bit of the language opens a lot of doors. Warm clothes especially are super cheap in NE, and the same fleece pullover that you buy for $60 in a US department store can be bought for $6.50 here. On the whole, my interactions with people were really positive, and left me with a great feeling.
Sri Lanka does have a problem when it comes to women though. Young and/or unmarried men are in the habit of cat-calling and sexually harassing women (especially young women). The problem is much worse for foriegners, because the media portrays western women as being sexually uninhibited. On this trip, it was just Will Cole, me, and 7 women, so we all had to be really vigilant to make sure nothing worse than cat-calling happened.
One time some of the others were buying some dresses in from a street vendor in an allyway, and some slightly-rough looking young men were hanging around at the entrance to the ally. I ended up striking up a conversation with them, and everything turned out okay, but I definately didn't feel safe (and when they asked what hotel we were staying at, I said I didn't remember).
Other things:On the whole, the NE experience was really positive though. For instance, some other young people met us on the street while we were walking to lunch. They told us about a "Fun Fair" that was going on at the nearby "American school." After arriving, we found out that it was a non-profit vocational school for Sri Lankan students who didn't get into Universities, and they were having an activity where they all designed and executed a business venture. Western music was being played through a sound system in the driveway, and we all bought tickets to a haunted house. It was really good! We also met the director of the place, who was a really friendly Canadian man there with his family. He invited us to teach there for a semester, if we were so inclined.That night we stayed at "The Princess" hotel, and got two rooms for $17 each. It was pretty cold, but we all managed alright. We were going to go for a hike to Worlds End in the morning, but when we got up at 6 it was raining, so we all 9 of us combined our blankets, climbed into bed together, and snoozed for another 2 hours. When we woke up, we had cookies and crackers for breakfast. It was wonderful. Later on, we went to a tea estate, and drank some free tea. Nice.
Hey, Sri Lanka is pretty cheap, so if you want me to bring something home for you, put in your request. Possibilities include (but totally aren't limited to) Sarongs (skirts for men!), dresses (if you tell me your size), cold weather wear, batik (a style of dying clothing or art), knick knacks, a thumb drive (a bit cheaper here than in the states), tea...a monkey. Y'know, whatever you want. No promises, but I'll see what I can do.