Articles By: Natalie Lampert
‘Finding Nemo’ in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka
For as long as I can remember, my father has told stories about his summer-after-college backpacking adventure through Europe. I grew up hearing tale after tale of inviting hostels, friendly strangers, and exhilarating overnight train rides, all from “that summer in Europe.” When my parents moved my family to Germany when I was fourteen, I
The Oldest Tree in the World in Sri Lanka
The oldest tree in the world is showing its age. It’s been tended to by an uninterrupted succession of guardians for over 2,000 years, but what remains of the Sri Maha Bodhi (the “sacred Bodhi tree”) is a large branch supported by a golden railing, surrounded by a protective and sacred temple.
Public Transportation in Sri Lanka
I caved. I swear I had no intention of stopping for a snack, but I decided I did in fact want to be the girl who has eaten at a McDonald’s in eight countries. Maybe not something to extensively blog – I mean brag – about, but it’s a traveling quirk that maybe will come up in dinner conversation
Safari, Sri Lankan-style
I’m sitting in an open-air safari Jeep in the middle of a vast, grassy plain, drinking hot ginger tea while watching three herds of wild elephants play, eat, and mate. I’m in the Matale district of Central Province, Sri Lanka (near the famous Sigiriya rock fortress) and while I’ve seen plenty of wild elephants in Kenya and Ghana, I’ve never been this close to them!
On Being a Monkey in Sri Lanka
During the past few weeks, I have felt particularly far away from the U.S. There’s nothing like a storm of historical, damaging proportions and a dramatic presidential election (not to mention celebrating Thanksgiving with a ten kilogram jackfruit instead of a turkey) to make you miss home!
