Smiling Sri Lanka

What kind of place can go through being pounded by a tsunami and still come out smiling in the face of the scars left on the country? Staying for almost ten days in Sri Lanka, I found the people warm and full of smiles, and even the massive problems they've faced have not detracted from their sense of hope.

Sri Lanka was originally known by the Sanskrit name Sinhala, meaning "lion people," which is the origin of the name of the main ethnic group, the Sinhalese. It is a Buddhist nation with temples all over the island where a constant stream of lay people bring offerings of flowers or sit and chant Buddhist scripture and prayers. Perhaps it's because of this strength of faith that the Sri Lankan people were able to so quickly recover from the wounds inflicted on their nation.

Heading southward from Colombo along a coastal road, my eyes are met by beautiful tropical scenes, with coconut trees waving in the breeze and the deep blue ocean stretching out into the distance. But as I get closer to the places worst hit by the 2004 tsunami, scenes of devastation become increasingly frequent. I see a shelter built by a local man with a photo of his dead wife and son hanging inside as a memorial. On the wall, he has written the message "This is a photo of my wife and child in the door of my home."

While it may be financially poor, Sri Lanka is rich in resources-golden coconuts with delicious flesh one can scrape out and eat after drinking the milk inside; vast amounts of fish, with dozens of people trying to catch them with traditional net-fishing methods; and bustling markets still being operated in traditional ways. Because the Sri Lankans hold the natural environment in such regard, wild animals are everywhere, and it's not uncommon to see monkeys, buffalo, and peacocks alongside the road. And if you're lucky, you might even get to see a wild elephant come out for something to eat!

This is a country of primitive, unspoiled beauty, and if someone greets you with a smile, the best thing you can do is greet them back with an even bigger one.

The days of sorrow have now passed

See the children smile

As always, the pain has subsided

And the children's eyes sparkle

With faith and with hope

For the future

At the edge of Lake Tissa stands an ancient tamarind tree, majestic and peaceful.

Sri Lankan Buddhist laity often make offerings of flowers to the Buddha. This photo shows Tissamaharama Temple, said to house one of the Buddha's teeth.

Traditional Sri Lankan "stilt fishing": The fisherman sits atop a wooden pole sticking out of the water, catching fish as the tide comes in and relaxing as it goes out. Unfortunately, very few fishermen today continue to use this method to actually fish, with more doing it to make money off tourists by posing for photos.

At a market in Kudawella, a vegetable vendor weighs a customer's purchase using a traditional balance.