We passed through the largest metropolitan region of the country to get here today. By the time we had finished our continental breakfast at a bakery along the Galle Road, travelled through Petta, and walked up the Kopiwatte Road to the driveway, the journey clocked in at around two hours. Travel here can seem like a lot of work though. Buses complete with each other and all means of conveyance for limited road space. It can be hot, dirty, and crowded. As soon as I reach a destination, all I want is a a shower and a drink, and not necessary in that order!
It seemed like such an oasis getting back to this little patch of green space where the house sits. There seem to be many more houses in this area with each visit. The town of Minuwangoda seems to have grown each time we come. I hope the new bus stand being built will allow for an interesting municipal space in the center of the city. It’d be great if it ended up as a civic park but, unfortunately, that just won’t happen.
I will never, ever again complain of local taxes in Canada. For the relatively small investment as a percentage of income, we get safe sidewalks, manicured city landscaping, and well-lit streets. First, as I’ve mentioned before, in North American we all claim to have ultimate freedoms. Yet in reality, we’ve bi-lawed, regulated, codified, and zoned ourselves some nice places to live. Structure and order take precedence over freedoms. Here it’s the wild west in terms of regulations. Perhaps more importantly for this country, when there is insufficient cash, adequate infrastructure simply cannot be created and maintained.
This said, it is certainly Sri Lanka’s turn now. With the three-decades of war over, it’s time for this country to begin catching up with its many Asian neighbours who are no longer classed as developing. Sri Lanka should be poised for better days. It still has an excellent national education system, a long history with the English Language, a key geographic location, and abundant human and natural resources. It needs to find better leadership, a unified spirit of internal and external cooperation, and a way to ensure all benefit from an improving economy.