On October 11, 2015 we left France for an exciting holiday in Sri Lanka. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by Nerandja ; our wonderful guide. We couldn’t have asked for a better leader. In addition to speaking French, he has a contagious passion for his country with its beautiful natural surroundings. During the afternoon we visited a primary school in a rural area, where the little schoolgirls treated us to a song. Although we had the opportunity to donate school supplies and books, we were touched by their own generosity in turn. They kindly served us delicious local food and tea. Our visit even got featured in the national newspaper !
Sri Lanka is a very culturally diverse country, making each day a different experience for us. One day we would be riding on elephants, the next we’d be having a traditional dance class, dressed up as authentic Sri Lankan dancers. We also visited Sigiriya, an ancient palace and temple. Yet another memorable moment was when we dressed up in sarees or sarongs for a fancy dinner party which Nerandja had organized. About eating, the food in Sri Lanka was absolutely delicious. We were fortunate enough to get taught how to make curry and how to grate coconut.
One day we went on a safari ! It rained a great deal at first so we couldn’t see any animals. As soon as it cleared up though we saw many elephants. It was a magical moment.
We couldn’t go to Sri Lanka without a trip to the beach. For most of us, as it was our first time seeing the Indian Ocean, we were very eager to get in the water. Before that we had stopped at Galle to visit an ancient fort surrounded by the ocean. Our hotel in Hikkaduwa was also right by the water. In the morning we fed the turtles on the beach.
We ended our trip in Colombo, the capital city. As cricket is the national sport, we tried our hand at it. We played a game and watched a team in training. Needless to say, we were not as good as the team members. In Colombo we also had the privilege of visiting the Parliament ; an extremely rare visit indeed since they seldom open their doors to European visitors.
During the last part of our stay in Colombo, we visited Gateway College. The students were very friendly and kind to us. At first we played games together as an icebreaker, then attended class. They also took us on a tour of their school. Some of us will surely keep in touch with the students there.
Our final activity in Colombo was shopping. Then the day finished with a farewell dinner, filled with emotion as we said goodbye to our beloved guide Nerandja.
We arrived back in France on October 24, full of precious memories as well as countless stories to tell. It was the experience of a lifetime.
Fanny Banda 1S verte
Soirée Souvenir du 11 décembre
C’est pour terminer sur une bonne note que les participants du voyage au Sri Lanka ont été invités à se remémorer une dernière fois leur séjour.
Réunis en salle de spectacle, devant un montage de photos et vidéos du voyage, les élèves ont revécu les moments les plus mémorables de leur sortie et ont pu dignement remercier les organisateurs/trices et accompagnateurs/trices. A la fin de la vidéo ils ont été gâtés de nouveau avec la remise à chacun d’un album photo et d’un petit porte-clefs.
Ensuite tout le monde s’est dirigé vers le snack bar pour déguster de nombreux mets Sri Lankais, cuisinés par des traiteurs spécialisés. La soirée s’est déroulée dans une ambiance très agréable et a été appréciée de tous. C’était une conclusion parfaite à un voyage inoubliable. Philippa Shepherd
