My First Journey into the Free World: A 1991 Adventure in Sri Lanka

In September 1991, I arrived in Sri Lanka at the age of 22, ready for my first journey to a faraway destination. The world had opened up, and I intended to have a look around.

I had packed silken shirts. This tells you something about my optimism and rather less about my understanding of tropical weather.

The shirts and the climate had a disagreement

Stepping off the plane in Colombo, I met the heat properly for the first time. The shirts that had seemed such a good idea at home promptly attached themselves to my skin. I had imagined arriving looking reasonably presentable. The climate had other plans.

Then came the journey to Bentota, which took about four hours. It was an introduction in its own right: busy roads, unfamiliar sights and far more happening outside the window than I could take in. There was certainly no danger of mistaking this for the journey home from work.

Bentota, images taken primarily in 1991

Two weeks, and a great deal to take in

During those two weeks, I explored Galle, where the old fort, narrow streets and sea breeze gave me plenty of reasons to wander slowly. I had come a long way to see somewhere different, and Sri Lanka was making a convincing job of being different.

Sigiriya: the view involved some effort

At Sigiriya, I climbed Lion Rock. The view from the top was wonderful. Getting there involved enough sweat to settle any remaining doubts about my wardrobe choices.

Looking out over the green landscape, I began to understand the difference between looking at a place in a book and actually standing there. The photograph never quite explains what your legs went through.

Sigiriya, images taken primarily in 1991

Old cities and new impressions

Anuradhapura, Kandy and Polonnaruwa added more layers to the journey: ancient stupas, the Temple of the Tooth, old ruins and places whose history reached far beyond anything I had experienced at home.

I was absorbing a great deal, though I would not pretend that two weeks made me an expert. Mostly, I was a young visitor looking around with considerable interest and a rather full head.

Anuradhapura and Polonaruwa historic sites, images taken primarily in 1991

My English was still travelling economy

My English was limited, but I found ways to communicate. People were welcoming, and between a few words, smiles and gestures, we usually managed. “Usually” is doing a little work in that sentence.

For a particularly memorable example, there was the family celebration we were invited to. Dinner, unfamiliar customs and a bowl of water taught us quite a lot in one evening.

The beginning of something much bigger

Looking back, Sri Lanka was more than my first long-distance holiday. After growing up with borders limiting where I could go, simply being there mattered. I was making discoveries for myself, including the occasional discovery that I knew considerably less than I had thought.

The heat, the people, the landscapes and those first encounters stayed with me. So did the feeling that the world was finally somewhere I could explore, rather than merely inspect on a map.

It was a good beginning. The silken shirts may have disagreed.

Continue with Sri Lanka, Where the Sun Still Rises With Hope, or the childhood map dreams behind these journeys.