Run Forest Run!

Early on in my travel plans I was sure to ask Shermin whether I would be able to run while in Sri Lanka. Running regularly had not been feasible while I was in Ecuador, partly because of the terrain and partly because of the culture. I was thrilled when she told me I could run down the main road near the field station. My excitement was somewhat curbed when I saw the driving habits of Sri Lankans, but fortunately the road is wide, not terribly busy, and drivers seem to take pity on white folks and generally give them plenty of room when passing. My hope was further boosted when I learned that Lizzie also enjoys running and would enjoy joining me. So, the day after my arrival, we decided to take a short ten minute run to get a feel for the area and gage the reactions of the locals.

Well, we got some reactions. Everyone was amused, and almost every car that passed us honked and cheered us on. The stoic faces of old women broke into toothless grins, little children called after us, and a few street dogs joined us. I am pretty sure we will start a running revolution by the end of it. And the nicest thing was that I never felt harassed, only slightly embarrassed. Our neighbors think we are absolutely bonkers – who runs in the sweltering climate of Sri Lanka?! All of the reactions were friendly in nature, no one was menacing. One of the most wonderful things about Sri Lankans is their smiles. Most Sri Lankans look very serious as they are going about their business, which can be very intimidating because I can’t understand what they are saying or thinking. But if you muster up the courage to smile at them, their faces immediately melt into brilliant smiles.

Lizzie is a great runner, but doesn’t love it as much as I do and has come up with a brilliant idea. Ashoka has offered up his bike for our use and Lizzie suggested that she could bike as I run. I can’t even imagine the looks this will inspire… I think we are going to give it a go tonight.