Trincomalee, Sri Lanka<\/p>\n
July 1975<\/p>\n
We wandered around town and found a small cafe.
\n\u201cIsn\u2019t this one our taxi driver also recommended?\u201d I asked Charles.
\n\u201cYes.\u201d Charles nodded.
\nWe went inside and ordered toasted cheese and meat sandwiches. No
\ncoffee, but tea was served and it was delicious.
\n\u201cCeylon tea,\u201d the waiter said proudly. \u201cBest in the world.\u201d
\n\u201cYour English is good,\u201d I said.
\n\u201cThank you! I worked on cargo ships for many years. I sailed all over
\nthe world.\u201d
\n\u201cAre you a Sri Lankan?\u201d
\n\u201cYes. I returned home to look after my family.\u201d he said, looking around
\nto make sure no one else was in the cafe. \u201cWe\u2019re Tamils.\u201d
\n\u201cWe read about the Tamil Tigers in the newspaper,\u201d Charles said.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re calling for an independent state, where we are respected,\u201d the
\nwaiter said.
\n\u201cI understand,\u201d I replied. \u201cAre the Tamils a minority in Sri Lanka?\u201d
\n\u201cYes, and we\u2019ve formed a group to fight for our rights. There is no other
\nalternative. We will fight to the end.\u201d
\nCharles and I sat silently, taking it all in.
\n\u201cI\u2019ll bring you more tea,\u201d the waiter said.
\n\u201cIs it the group the police think took the dingy from the boat?\u201d I whispered
\nto Charles.
\nCharles nodded.<\/p>\n
The waiter returned with more tea. Charles ordered another sandwich.
\nI told the waiter our nice taxi driver, from Colombo, had recommended
\nhis cafe.
\n\u201cMy cousin,\u201d he said, and in a hushed voice warned us not to talk publicly
\nabout the politics of Sri Lanka. \u201cIt\u2019s not safe.\u201d
\n\u201cIn America,\u201d I said, \u201cminorities also have to fight for their rights.\u201d
\nHe nodded.
\n\u201cYour cousin is a nice man,\u201d I said.
\nHe smiled. \u201cHe also sailed the seas for many years. But the Indian
\nOcean is different because of the mawsim.\u201d
\n\u201cMawsim?\u201d I asked.
\n\u201cMonsoon in English. Arabic in origin, mawsim means fixed season.
\nIn the North the winds blow from the northeast from November to
\nMarch, and then switch and blow from the southwest. The fixed seasons
\nare called the Northeast and Southwest Monsoons.\u201d
\n\u201cIs this what causes cyclones?\u201d Charles asked.
\n\u201cNo,\u201d the waiter said. \u201cCyclones are tropical storms. They form over
\ntropical oceans with high winds of hurricane force.\u201d
\n\u201cOh dear,\u201d I said. \u201cThey sound dangerous.\u201d
\n\u201cIf you cross the Indian Ocean in mawsim season, you are guaranteed
\na few cyclones.\u201d
\nCharles asked a few more questions about the Trincomalee area and
\nasked for the bill.<\/p>\n
Going out the front door, I almost tripped over a grossly disfigured
\nman sitting on the sidewalk, leaning against the wall, outside the cafe.
\nHe held a tin cup, hoping for coins. I asked Charles to give him some
\nchange.
\nOur waiter appeared in the doorway and told us to drop the coins in
\nthe cup.
\n\u201cHe\u2019s a leper. An outcast,\u201d the waiter said. \u201cSits here most days. I feel
\nsorry for him.\u201d
\nMy mind reeled, remembering images I\u2019d seen of leper colonies in
\nfilms. Leprosy was common in Bible times, and was used as an example
\nof sin\u2019s destructive power. \u2018Unclean, unclean,\u2019 a leper was expected
\nto call out. To think, this terrifying disease has been around since
\nancient times. The thought made me shudder. Why was this man here
\nand not in a leper colony? Why wasn\u2019t he receiving help?
\n\u201cIsn\u2019t leprosy an infectious disease?\u201d I asked Charles.
\n\u201cYes, but not so contagious. Children are more likely to get it than adults.\u201d
\n\u201cFrom contact with body fluids?\u201d
\n\u201cYes. From someone with untreated leprosy.\u201d Charles answered. \u201cThat\u2019s
\nwhy our waiter told us to drop the coins in his cup.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat a horrible disease,\u201d I said. \u201cRemember the man we saw in India
\nwith the giant elephant legs? Elephantiasis?\u201d
\nCharles nodded.
\n\u201cEveryone else was so skinny; people and cows. And the poor man
\ncould barely move with his heavy legs.\u201d<\/p>\n
We stopped in the crowded souk. Colorful displays of green beans,
\ncarrots, peas, and yams got our attention, and the prominent exhibit
\nof fresh fish impressed me. The market was alive with noise and the
\nsweet smell of spices and local fruits. One stand was cooking freshly
\nmade stuffed patties. We bought several, and some fresh fruit to take
\nback to the boat.
\nProcessed milk products were relatively new to Sri Lanka and local
\ncheese was hard to come by. We found a cheese made from powdered
\nmilk; bought a small piece and sampled it. Not the tastiest, but hey
\nwhen in Sri Lanka.
\nWe discussed whether to buy a chicken or seafood, and decided to
\nwait until we talked with Mia about what foods were needed on board.
\n\u201cI suspect Mia is a bit territorial in her kitchen,\u201d I told Charles.
\n\u201cNo doubt,\u201d he replied.
\nThe locals were friendly and helpful. A few spoke some English, but
\nwe mainly communicated by pointing. \u201cInternational sign language
\nis amazing,\u201d I remarked, as we headed back to the boat.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Trincomalee, Sri Lanka July 1975 We wandered around town and found a small cafe. \u201cIsn\u2019t this one our taxi driver also recommended?\u201d I asked Charles. \u201cYes.\u201d Charles nodded. We went inside and ordered toasted cheese and meat sandwiches. No coffee, but tea was served and it was delicious. \u201cCeylon tea,\u201d the waiter said proudly. \u201cBest … <\/p>\n