Sri Lanka is known for its rich, full-bodied Ceylon tea, fishermen on stilts, and staggering beauty. If you want to visit an elephant sanctuary, trek to a mountaintop monastery, or swim (and surf) in crystal-blue waters, this teardrop-shaped island in the Bay of Bengal is the place to go.
In contrast to its warm, soothing climate is its long history of civil war. The conflict that raged from 1983 until 2009 between the mostly-Sinhalese government and the insurgent Tamil Tigers had a profound and lasting effect on the population.
But none of that has curbed Sri Lankans’ welcoming temperament nor the island’s natural charms. There’s world-class street food — all manner of crunchy, savory fried things, spicy curries, and tropical fruits like nothing you’ve ever seen before. There are sparkling waterfalls, whale watching and leopard sightings, and an iconic train ride through lush green jungles dotted with colorful flowers. All giving truth to the name Sri (Resplendent) Lanka (Island).
In this episode, we explore Sri Lankan legend, get nostalgic about Duran Duran, hear the details of a remarkable airplane adventure, and get very curious about wood fruit. Then we recommend five great books that took us to Sri Lanka on the page, including an adventure memoir by the world’s best travel writer, an unusual crime story, a colorful cookbook, and two dream-like novels set during the civil war years, one of which Mel clutched to her chest in a hug.
Read the full transcript of Sri Lanka: Remarkable, Relentless, Resplendent.
Perhaps you’d like to listen to music while digging into these links.
And some photos to set the scene…
The Sri Lankan Civil War and Its History, Revisited in 2020.
How Sri Lanka’s runaway President went from ‘war hero’ to fugitive.
Sri Lanka president Rajapaksa emails resignation letter to parliamentary speaker.
Everything you need to know about Sri Lanka before you come.
Ceylon tea is a Big Thing. You might be wondering what does it taste like?. There’s a Ceylon tea museum for that! And here’s a beautiful video about the whole Ceylon tea production cycle.
If you grew up in the ’80s, maybe Duran Duran introduced you to Sri Lanka. DuranDuran.com has a nice essay about the locations in the iconic music videos, and here’s a first-person account: I Wanted to Live in a Duran Duran Video so I Went to Sri Lanka.
Treat yourself to beautiful photos and stories about Sri Lanka’s wildlife.
In case you love train trips like we love train trips: 5 awe-inspiring train journeys in Sri Lanka.
The Dying Tradition of Sri Lankan Stilt Fishing, Captured in Powerful Photos.
Serious Eats: An Introduction to Sri Lankan Cuisine.
Everything you need to know about Sri Lankan lamprais.
Statement 1: A common word in the English language began as the Persian name for Sri Lanka. The former names of Sri Lanka, the etymology of serendipity, and The Three Princes of Serendip.
__Statement 2: When Joan of Arc was alive, a person could walk from Sri Lanka to India. __ The scoop on Adam’s Bridge and satellite images.
Statement 3: The first commercial flight to circumnavigate the globe accidentally landed in Sri Lanka. The recommended article from Medium: This Plane Accidentally Flew Around the World — and if you want more: Pan Am’s First Around-the-World Flight. Here’s an article from the NavyTimes and tech specs from Boeing for the Clipper. The Pan Am Historical Foundation has a good essay with great images.
Michelle de Kretser is the author of The Hamilton Case. She talks about her homeland and her approach to writing in this interview with World Literature Today.
Cynthia Shanmugalingam is the author of the cookbook Rambutan and the founder of the restaurant of the same name. She talks about her cookbook in this Q&A with Food52 and tells Vogue about the inspiration for her restaurant.
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