Musings From Nancy's Hammock
Trip Start
Jun 14, 2010
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65
148
Trip End
Ongoing
Tangalla, Sri Lanka
Monday, September 13, 2010
I have, however, had a few close encounters with nature: When walking along the beach at Negombo we were constantly intrigued by the tiny hermit crabs dashing down their holes to get away from our big feet. On one occasion, a large hermit crab about 5" across was just coming out of a hole as I walked by I stepped on it to my absolute horror! I knew in my head there was no need for alarm but it was a tactile experience of claws and shell which nonetheless sent me scuttling across the beach faster than the crab, making alarming noises that sent Terence into a state of high anxiety without the information to understand what had happened!
My next contact experience was in just a few days ago: I noticed in our travels across Sri Lanka that screens over windows and other openings to the outdoors were becoming scarcer. At our hotel in Negombo, the openings were netted, and in Kandy and Ella we could close the windows tight. However, in Arugam Bay our beach hut had open rafters and huge cracks between the clapboard; so I went to sleep the first night with my eyes open, putting lots of confidence in our mosquito net. The downstairs bathroom also had open walls and a half-completed ceiling; but all was well. However, in Tissamaharama the bathroom window was completely missing! In spite of this, my new-found confidence prevailed as I sat on the throne for my morning constitution until I felt a rather large, scurrying plop on my right shoulder. Much to my horror a black lizard about six inches long decided to use my shoulder as a stairway down into our room! Terence was just waking up and was left trying to decode my squeals of horror and dancing around as a signs of a serious attack from a deadly serpent or my overreaction to a benign fellow creature of our rented accommodation. Needless to say the lizard scampered away more threatened in reality than I could ever feel, for we never saw it again.
I can handle almost anything in the daylight--even a tree full of sleeping bats over our heads! On our evening walks back to our various hotels along quiet lanes or along the beach with only our flashlight to guide us, I have not had any more surprises. So I must conclude that surrounded by the absolute beauty of nature, here on this island, I am feeling safer by the day and beginning to dismantle the wall of fear that I arrived with.
I have similar feelings of fear and trepidation in the evenings when we are walking around the unfamiliar streets of the towns we stay in. There always seems to be a predominance of men standing or sitting around. Most are very friendly and ask what country we come from, our names, or how long we’re visiting Sri Lanka. However, there are times when I know I am gripping Terence’s hand tighter and increasing my pace to match my increasing heartrate. I am aware that my tension and self-inflicted fears has an impact on Terence and I asked him about this. He said that it does affect him and he uses about 15% of his energy monitoring what is going on for me and in figuring out what his role as my ‘protector’ may be. I have certainly appreciated his support and I know I would not be able to do this type of journey on my own as I see so many other single women doing.
As we speed by the villages on the bus from one town to the next, I am very aware of all the brightly coloured feminine dresses and long black braids of the local women. I notice women looking out of huts, women carrying loads on their heads, women in the fields, women selling coconuts on the street, women carrying children. I struggle with the huge bill boards pasted along the highway containing images of white women or very pale skinned South Asian women selling products. I feel saddened that there is this pull to emulate the values of the West, as if somehow they are ‘better than’ rather than just different. I struggle with the reality of being the rich, white tourist staying at hotels which are served by local people. This is such a very old disparity the world over, whether in Mexico, the Caribbean or here in Sri Lanka. I imagine that along with the recognized need for tourist income is a sense of resentment of white people and their demands by the locals who must serve in order to survive. I think that is why I am finding myself increasingly drawn to doing more volunteer work while I’m here, because then I can somehow balance things out a bit and give back from my skills and my heart rather than just my wallet.
I also ponder what is it to be Canadian. People say to us continually that they have heard that Canada is such a ‘nice country’. It is a lovely country. However, when I search my memory for traditions, rituals, and culture I have a hard time to come up with what it is to be Canadian. Canada is such a mixture of different cultures and different histories that in my mind this becomes a jumble of complex layers through which I have drifted in and out of my whole life. As we travel and my being takes in the texture of these new places, I wonder how these experiences will impact my life upon returning to Canada and reshape any sense of what it means to have a Canadian identity.
Comments
It was lovely to read your musings - it's been awhile!! I imagine women there have a greater sense of community than we do as they rely on each other more. By the way, you have done very well in all those strange places. Love ya.
Hi there! I was looking for hammocks in Sri Lanka (trying to find an alternative to eBay) when your blog showed up in my search. After reading through a few of the posts I want to comment that the two of you write wonderfully about your adventures. I'm a Canadian living in Colombo for the next 10 months and no doubt will be using your blog here to help plan some of my travels. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!