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The whole truth about Sri Lanka

14 March 2007 • Travel time: with 14 February 2007 on 21 February 2007
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This story began in the summer ...My friends and I graduated from the institute, and got a job in all directions ...Galya in Don Stroy, I went to an advertising agency, Olya to a research institute, and Lelya to a travel agency ...

In the fall, Lelya invited us to go on vacation together on about. Ceylon. At first I thought for a long time, but then I realized: why not? When will I be able to go somewhere else? In general, it's decided! Let's go!

Lelya and her Goguni agency began to prepare a trip for us ...We chose the Almaz + program. It includes 4 days of excursions and 6 days of rest in a hotel near the ocean. Departure in February, there is just the season! Since we were friends of the tour operator, they made the whole trip for us with maximum discounts, for which many thanks to them!

Finally, the long-awaited day of departure has come ...We are all a little nervous ...Olya and I are flying abroad for the first time, so we are twice as worried ...Well, away we go!

Domodedovo airport


Registration went well, although the customs officer examined my foreign passport for a long time and asked me to show my Russian passport ...I already thought that they would not let me go anywhere ...

Here, I'm sitting on the plane, we'll take off in 20 minutes. Worried…

Never flown before… Stuart said that the aircraft is reliable, it remains to trust him…

18:59. Lord, how beautiful it is! Outside the window it is already dark and the stars are visible! And below is a huge grid of yellow lights. These are the cities we fly over. If I am not mistaken, then we have already taken off from Russia and are now flying over Europe ...

9:13. We'll arrive in 50 minutes… We drank rum and cola all the way… Oh… Emerati Airlines, of course, are cool, but they feed lousy!

But dear Stuart said that when landing he would allow us to look into the cockpit! And maybe even take a picture there!

12:30 (Moscow time)

Dubai airport. Very beautiful! Huge, with palm trees in the center of the hall!

And even though we can’t go outside, we still feel the salty and humid air… It’s so unusual compared to February Moscow!

Stuart finally led us to the cockpit! She is so small! I couldn't even straighten up to my full height. But the lovely pilots allowed us to sit in their chairs and take pictures there!

Dubai has a very large duty free! Not to be compared with Moscow...Ours resembles a small supermarket, like "Kopeyka", while in Dubai it's a whole "Okhotny Ryad"! People buy everything here, even washing powder!

Everywhere you can meet Arabs in long white robes and their wives. Before, I thought that a veil is a scarf that covers only the lower part of a woman's face, but no! This is a scarf that covers the entire head, and only a small slit along the eyes allows her to see the world. Some of the scarves didn't even have this cut! Terrible...But this is a foreign culture, it must be respected.

Against the background of these people, we are in short T-shirts and with bare navels, we look at least "exotic" and everyone pays attention to us ...

20:06 (Moscow time)


Well, here I am in Colombo! The first day in this country was unforgettable! As soon as we got off the plane (where, by the way, it was terribly cold because of the air conditioning! ). We were met by a cute Sri Lankan girl and hung a garland of fresh flowers around her neck! So great!! ! Like in Hawaii! Then, we were taken to the Galadari Hotel. We will live in it for the first 3 days.

On the way, I constantly looked out the window ...It's 9 am, the heat is 28 degrees, and people are scurrying around! Everyone is in a hurry to do their own thing! Schoolchildren to school, women for groceries, and men for work ...How beautifully they dress! Almost all women are dressed in saris, and men proudly walk in sarongs! Cars are constantly beeping, even if there is no specific reason for it. Life boils...

Finally, we arrived at the hotel. He is beautiful!

The bed is amazing: neither soft nor hard, just what you need! True, they went too far with air conditioners ...It is constantly cold in the room and in the hotel itself! But what an ocean outside the window! I can still hear him making noise!

When I took a shower and washed off the road dust, I lay down to take a nap ...I managed to sleep only half an hour. Then, I got dressed and went for a walk around the city. I felt like an extremely happy person! It's great to see life on the other side of the planet! They were also interested in watching me. Each tuk-tuk considered it his duty to stop (proudly calling himself a taxi) and offer me his services, all the other cars just beeped after me. Is it really that we once reacted so violently to foreigners in our country?

But they are all very kind and did not impose their services, after the 1st refusal they left ...

Finally, I made my idiot dream come true! I tried coconut, like in the movies, drinking from a straw!

It costs only 20 rupees (count 20 cents)! Delicious and thirst quencher!

Then, I got tired of walking and caught a tuk-tuk to the hotel. Hair fluttered in the wind, he rode so fast! And I understood why they are called tuk-tuks...The worst roads are not in Moscow, but in Ceylon. When you go, everything in your head is knocking: “knock-knock-knock-knock…”. But I liked it, I felt like a lady! )))


After dinner, I went to the pool with my friends. God, what a joy it is to swim and play ball in the water, when only 12 hours ago I was smoking chilly under the snow !!!

In the evening we went for a stroll along the ocean. He is very powerful! The sea looks like a river next to it. You can’t swim in Colombo, dirty water, but who said that you can’t soak your heels with surf?

True, I didn’t have to wet them for a long time, because I noticed someone’s slippers on the sand, carried out by the surf, and some kind of spray can. Not to mention how I squealed when I almost stepped on a crab!

The nights in Colombo are amazing!

The whole sky is in the stars, and there are almost no cars on the streets! You feel like in a fairy tale!

February 1.4:30 am (local time)

Came back to my room half an hour ago. Today was a very busy day...

Sri Lankans are truly friendly people. True, when they smile at you and wish “Have a nice day! ”, it seems that behind your back they want to send you to x ...

In the morning I went with Lelei to hotels in Colombo. She had to take photos of the rooms at work. Some hotels are beautiful and some not so…

In the afternoon, we had lunch in a restaurant and finally tried the local cuisine. God, what a nightmare ...If they tell you that the dish is not very spicy - do not believe it! In fact, it is terribly sharp! What are truly spicy dishes?

Then, we went to the "House of fashion". So-so store...Not even fitting rooms! But I liked Odel! I bought myself an amazing skirt for 350 rupees ($3.5) and a bunch of T-shirts for the same price!

All this time we were driven by a driver. God, how they drive!

There are practically no signs on the roads! I counted about 6 traffic lights for the whole city! And at intersections they turn three or four! Lucky-bad luck! They don't even slow down, let alone stop! They absolutely do not care where to go and everyone is driving in the opposite direction, even beeping each other so as not to linger. Believe me, in Moscow we move like turtles, while observing all the rules!


At night, there are practically no cars in Colombo! How nice to drive on empty roads! I already forgot what it is - traffic jams! Although, during the day they still have small traffic jams ...

In the evening, our guide Gamini and his friend Pair invited me and the girls to the club. It was fun! They treated us to local coconut vodka (Arak) and fried shrimp, very tasty! And vodka is so easy to drink! It is very soft...It reminds me a bit of cognac...

Then, Para invited us to visit him.

His house is large, the walls and ceiling are white, and the furniture is wooden and brown. Believe me, not all Muscovites can boast of such a house. He said the house cost $10.000. Not so expensive compared to our real estate. The couple works as a doctor, he owns two jeeps and receives an average of $300-500 per month. But he is the director of the hospital department! Like this…

February 17

Today we visited some Buddhist temple in Colombo… Unfortunately, I just physically couldn't remember the names of these temples…. They are so hard to name!

This temple is beautiful. Everything consists of small figurines of gods… Then, we visited another temple, completely consisting of columns. It is not as beautiful as the previous one, but much more majestic!

Toward evening we again arrived at Odel. I bought a few more T-shirts and a few souvenirs for my friends...Now I need to think about how to put all this in a suitcase...Y-yes...

In the city I was surprised by the number of Buddhas

For some reason, I did not even feel the presence of some kind of mystery and religion when I was inside. Maybe I'm a cynic, but there is nothing special about these temples ...

In the evening, we arrived at the hotel. Eat local food… They have spicy bread too! Sometimes, I didn't even know what I was eating. Fish, meat, potatoes - eat one hell of a pepper!!!

Then they brought us king prawns! Blimey! They are huge! At first I thought it was lobster! And so delicious!! ! Melt in your mouth! Wish we were selling these!


In the evening, our guide Gamini came to us and brought us to try the local marijuana. They have it not bad, I was covered with two rods ...And it is not expensive, only $ 3.5. On the terrace of the room, we chatted with Gamini about our lives. He talked about his Sri Lankan, and we about Russian. The guide pounded the joint at regular intervals while the girls and I poured the rest of the rum and cola. It was great… Except for the mosquitoes, which don't even buzz when they come to bite.

Later, Gamini got a bit fussy after we started smoking marijuana. He constantly looked around and was afraid of every rustle. Later I understood why he was so afraid, because they are sentenced to death for the use and sale of drugs. So be careful...And don't buy weed from people you don't know, it's better to ask a guide. Gamini said that on the beach, local boys constantly offer it to foreigners. They add something to it and people instantly fall asleep, but the locals need it. Continuation, I think you know ...But for those who did not guess: girls are raped, and men are robbed.

February 19

Today we were in Pallanaruv (I remember that! ). It is beautiful here. I saw the famous stupas and the ruins of a once beautiful palace. Lovers of historical monuments don't get mad at me for my sarcasm, but these ruins reminded me of old Soviet dormitories...The same red battered bricks.

And the same mold between them. I understand that these bricks are thousands of years old, but it looks so similar!

In the afternoon we went to the local theater. They dance and play drums. The dances are unique and mesmerizing. We couldn't take our eyes off the stage...But most of all we liked the fire show. First, several men came out with a small Buddha altar. They knelt down and began to pray to him. And then it started! Torches appeared out of nowhere and these people, naked to the waist, began to burn their hands with them ...Everyone gasped in surprise. A gray smoke was coming from the skin, there was a smell of burning, but none of them uttered a sound. They only silently pursed their lips...Further - more: they stuck out their tongues and began to burn their tongues with torches! Oh, my God… It's a terrible sight! And how do they not hurt? And then came the culmination of the program: they brought in a path with burning coals ...These yogis did not just walk along them, they practically stood on these coals!

And not a single trace of a burn! Awesome!!!


Later, we never ceased to be amazed by the locals. If in Colombo (the capital) they just looked at us and sometimes pointed the finger, then here, in the provinces, they keep their eyes on us ...Some come up and touch our skin ...They probably think that we are somehow different from them ...Children stop eating when I pass by. They open their mouths and go numb… God… Never again will I look at African-Americans on the subway. Promise…

February 20th

I woke up in the morning and remembered how I dreamed of dumplings all night ...I’ll definitely cook them for myself when I get home ...If my stomach survives until then. I already got used to it, first I put a glass of water on the table, and then I carry food for myself ...Or rather, pepper, which they proudly call food! I salivate in my mouth when I remember hot dogs near the subway ...I try not to think about grilled chicken ...

Today we visited the most famous Temple of the Tooth Relic.

This temple is very clean and beautiful. It's full of people. Everyone prays and solemnly carries lotuses… There are guards at the entrance… They probed me all over… Clothing must be below the knee, otherwise they won’t let me into the temple. My pareo came in handy again. And the tooth itself is in a golden mortar with golden chains on top, which can be seen in the window if you squeeze through among the people ...Alien culture! A beautiful temple...It's nice that now I'm one of the few who saw this holy relic...

Later we went for a massage...We paid $25 each and were completely covered with oils))) I tried to explain to the masseuse that I had women's days, but she did not understand me and later told my guide that I was pregnant! It was unexpected to hear congratulations from him!

This is not the massage I imagined. Our vertebrae were not set at all, they just gently stroked and pressed certain points. It was terribly pleasant and relaxing ...Mmm ...I want more!

After the massage, we were brought to the Topaz Hotel and we went to dinner. Well, they have wind in these mountains! I hung my panties on the balcony to dry at night, so they flew away! My favorites were!


After dinner, we gathered at the disco. It was the disco of my dreams! A small hall with light music, with a bar at one end and a DJ console at the other. No one came to the disco except us with a guide and a bartender, so the hall was completely at our disposal. Have you ever dreamed of being in an empty hall where music plays just for you? You can do anything! Dance how you want, act how you want! We recharged with tequila and away we go! It's just a pity they have music, like in Indian films, although they put James Bland and Bryan Adams a couple of times! My girlfriends quickly got drunk, and the bartender could only wonder how these Russians manage to have fun for so long? We are 23 years old, of course, we danced until the morning!

It must have seemed strange to you that no one but us came to the disco, but I will explain. The fact is that only pensioners come to Sri Lanka, basically. They want to see the world and can afford such a vacation. All the young tourists, and there were 20 of them during my entire vacation, whom I met were Russians! Foreigners, for the most part, come either as married couples (40-45 years old) or rattling old people (from 50 and above). It is not known why this is so, probably the climate is conducive ...I urge all young people who read this essay: go to Sri Lanka in companies, like me with my friends, it's more fun!

February 21

Today we went to the botanical garden, spice garden and rode an elephant! The botanical garden is very beautiful! There are such cool trees! Finally, I saw how bamboo grows!

And yet, I liked the tree, the name of which, of course, I don’t remember, but it is drawn in the cartoon “The Lion King”, where Simba constantly runs around it or sleeps on it. I also saw Yuri Gagarin's tree. Our guide said that after flying into space, the Russian government allowed him to visit any 3 places on earth, one of which was Sri Lanka. It is said that this tree stopped growing as soon as he died...

The spice garden has opened up a lot of new things for us! What does not grow in it! Vanilla, curry, ginger, some sort of sap plant that makes body hair removal cream! I bought myself! ))) Only $28 for painless baldness of the legs!! ! They even grew a cocaine tree! According to the employee, just for the sake of experiment!

But most of all I liked riding an elephant! It was my old dream! When my friend and I were put on it, I was a little scared. The elephant was making strange noises like gurgling in its stomach.

Oh, God, there are people in the world who, even without bracelets, live like this all their lives! Well, nothing, I deserve it!


In the morning, we went for breakfast… The girls and I were sincerely happy about the cereal with milk, at least some familiar food! But the contingent of vacationers in the hotel alerted ...Some pensioners. A couple of grandpas move around with sticks...50-year-old gay men with plucked and painted eyebrows are sitting at the next table, and even in bright T-shirts! Hmmm...Last night at the reception we were told that Russians were still visiting them...Maybe all is not lost?!

After breakfast, we went down to the pool… Mmmm… The sun pleasantly heats up the stomach, Sprite hisses next to the sunbed, and the burnt Germans, pretending to read, stare at our young bodies in bikinis… Well, pensioners, I’m afraid that a relaxing holiday from this day is over for you!

We jumped into the pool, began to frolic and squeal. All the tourists who came for brunch stopped eating and stared at us.

Hee hee, there will be more!

And, indeed, we revived this hotel! In the evening, we met Russians. Young! Their names were Dima and Lena, they are from Nizhny Novgorod. All evening we played the fool and dominoes, which I won at the New Year's corporate party. When Dima shouted “Fish! » Two more Russian guys approached us. Their names were Zhenya and Sasha! Since then, everything has changed! We had breakfast, lunch and dinner with our cheerful Russian company! After breakfast we played water polo! Couples came to watch our screeching with envy… After lunch we played ping-pong, badminton and squash, and after dinner we collected whole trays of booze and had fun on sunbeds until night! You will forgive us, old people, that we did not let you sleep, but the matter is young!

Zhenya and Sasha came to this country at random ...They didn’t even have a tour, like we do, so they were very upset when they saw the pensioners.

If we had not met, the poor fellows would have been dying of boredom for 12 days!

Every evening we dressed up before going down to the bar. Galya took three pairs of heels with her! It was nice to see the enthusiastic looks of other vacationers. After a couple of days, I noticed that the other women in the hotel also began to dress beautifully for dinner. Ha! Some even hung pearls around their necks!


On one of these evenings, an Austrian approached us. He was pretty drunk and asked the guys if we were their wives? Everyone burst out laughing and explained to him that they had only recently met and we were just friends. Moreover, I want to note that all the hotel staff winked at the guys and showed thumbs up when they saw them with us! There are only two of them, and we are four beautiful girls! The Austrian was genuinely surprised! He did not expect that Russians have European faces, and at that age we can afford a vacation in Sri Lanka!

Zhenya, with a slight bewilderment, said that, despite his 26 years, he had his own store in Moscow, and we said that our salaries allow us to rest in other countries. And why do foreigners take us for such savages? Thank you for not saying anything about bears and felt boots!

Then we went to the bar, sat down at the bar and ordered cocktails. The bartender noticed that we were a little sad and decided to entertain us. He knew a few words in Russian and began to show tricks. It was amazing! He took out cards from empty palms and pulled out coins from under our glasses! Wizard! Cool bartender, for sure he would have great success in Russian clubs.

Last night, we had a pool party. The guys were a little upset, they still have 6 days to relax and entertain each other ...But we tried to light it up as it should, so that they have enough pleasant memories for the rest of the rest. The party was a success!

It's great to swim drunk at night in the pool! You have no idea how beautiful it is to look at the Sri Lankan stars lying on the water! We swam, laughed and danced all night! It was fun! The whole thing reminded me of the pool party with Pierre Richard in the movie Umbrella Prick. I envy myself when I remember this! We are very lucky that we met and had a great rest…

The next day we packed up, took a last swim in the ocean and threw coins into it. I tried to tan as much as possible in order to return to Moscow as a black man! The tan in this country is very strange ...The whole rest we went red, like crayfish, and only on the plane began to turn brown.

After the beach, we took a shower, slipped into winter jeans again and went down to the reception. Zhenya and Sasha saw us off… We joked, chatted… Sasha promised Zhenya that he would arrange a party in the pool for him in a week!

))) Then our transfer arrived, we loaded our things, exchanged phone numbers with the guys and left for the airport…


On the way, I kept looking out the window. I tried to remember every detail of this world, but deep down I missed Russian birch trees! Already wanted to go home! I can't imagine how hard it is for our emigrants to live! No heaven on earth can replace home! I could no longer see those palm trees and other people's brown faces...Home, hurry home!

Summing up, I want to say that this is a good, kind and sunny country, but I will not go there the second time ...It's like in a movie. There are films, even good ones, that are enough to watch once, and there are films that you watch again and again ...But in any case, I hope that this is not my last picture!

Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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