Train Yard. Sri Lanka. 1999.

Half-way through Peace Corps in Jordan, we got a vacation and voted to go to the nearest tropical paradise which happened to be Sri Lanka. This was 1999 or so. The airport got bombed just after we left so I guess I could get a solid date based on that. Things with Iraq and Israel were already tense, plus we were non-Muslim women living in rural Jordan so it didn’t occur to us that the Sri Lankan Civil War would impact our feeling of being on vacation. I was personally excited to wear three quarter length skirts without getting looks.

That night, we caught the last bus for Adam’s Peak which was ruled by four or five young men. They tried to make us nervous by driving recklessly through the mountains. At one point, the radio was flung out of its compartment onto a nearby seat. I figured they probably didn’t want to kill themselves and didn’t worry too much about death. However, this is probably why we got an attitude with the drunk checkpoint guards with machine guns who ordered everyone off the bus. We decided to stay on the bus with the kind of determination used to ensure we didn’t sit next to men on Jordanian buses, which is consistent with cultural norms. Patience is your best weapon in these situations. No one likes to work too hard or wait too long.

Stairs to Adam's Peak. Sri Lanka. 1999.

You start climbing the stairs to Adam’s Peak around 3am so that you get to the top by sunrise. The hotel had no vacancy when we arrived so we slept on the floor for 3-4 hours before the climb. I can’t remember if we paid for that priviledge. The Sri Lankan music and lack of sleep gave the climb a surreal, David Lynch feeling. Very fitting for a pilgrimage, regardless of the purpose.

Adam's Peak. Sri Lanka. 1999.

These photos were taken from our trip to Adam’s Peak. Maybe we took the train from Ratnapura. The train broke down, and we walked to the road to catch a bus which had no windsheild. Some people who I had shared my water with on the train helped us make most of these decisions. None of this seemed unusual to them.

At the top of Adam’s Peak, you are above the clouds, and the regulars wear towels over their heads. We didn’t know to bring towels, but it is cold and you are sweaty from the climb so it makes sense.

Photos & Text by Judith Ossello