About a hundred years ago I wrote a Master's thesis on Buddhist politics in Sri Lanka. That little gem is now collecting dust in the bowels of my university in southern Ontario. Anyhoo, after doing mountains of research on this little country and its devout people, I felt very happy to finally visit this beautiful and complicated land that has always been close to my heart and psyche.
Side: Did you know that Arthur C. Clarke, the legendary sci-fi writer, lived in Sri Lanka for over 50 years? Huh, did ya?
On my last day in Lanka, I rented a board and did my best to catch a wave or two. I paddled out and got absolutely battered. Then I paddled in and laid on the beach to catch my breath. This cat managed to catch a few though.
Once in Costa Rica, in 1998, I wiped out while surfing and gashed my melon, requiring 7 stitches. The doctor's name was Dr. Hermes and he was super cool. 5 dollars a stitch. No problemo!
Side: This little beach town on the south coast of Sri Lanka is called Mirissa. It was levelled by the Tsunami of 2004. As a result, some boats were carried hundreds of metres inland and can still be seen resting amongst the trees. An odd sight.
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