Mount Lavinia

After nearly ten hours in the air, an extra four hours waiting at Malaysia airport and one hour in a van with a very carsick woman, I have arrived at Mount Lavinia Hotel, Sri Lanka. The hotel is situated on a very pristine beach, although the sand is a little darkened because of the storms last night. Nevertheless, I have a great view from my room which means, a chance to take some photos! As soon as the photos are uploaded, you will be able to see them.
The hotel was established over 100 years ago; it was here during the 1900's and even survived the two world wars. The building has an old wing and a new wing, although both buildings possess some very intriguing architectural features. The hotel workers wear unique attire also; just think about that villain from the movie Jumanji and you will know what I am talking about.
The Sri Lankan's here are so hospitable, not just because it is their job to make us feel comfortable but I feel that they are genuinely interested in other cultures and just wish to share their experiences with you. Mind you, their english is more than satisfactory. I am not surprised, considering that Sri Lanka's history had been influenced by the colonisation of the British.
The country is also westernized; I was surprised to see a McDonald's and a Pizza Hut on my way to the hotel. Although tempted to try out a Sri Lankan Big Mac, I opted for curry, hoppers and other Sri Lankan cuisines instead. Wow; the food is spicy as hell...
I don't know if it's the mass amount of curry powder that they put in their food, or the bags of peppers that they cook with but the curry here has a very strong kick to it; almost like a kick in the lower region, which eventually spirals up to your stomach and burns your throat with a blow torch. After finishing this post, and washing out my mouth, I will take some pictures of the cuisines here and put it in my next post...

Apart from experiencing Sri Lankan culture, I am also here with my mother to attend a conference; the Open International Integrated Medicines University Medicina Alternativa 48th World Conference (It’s a long name but trust me when I say that the conference was not as long as the name). I attended the opening ceremony with my mother, who is on the board of chancellors in the university. So as she sat on stage, and I sat in the rows of men with suits and very long beards (I was underdressed), I listened to what this conference was all about.
This was a conference for the integration of worldwide medicines; western and eastern medicines are talked about in hopes that we can heal the body totally. Basically, this conference aims at exposing the science of complementary medicine such as acupuncture, homeopathy and laser therapy. It's a little new age-y but I am interested in how this conference progresses, considering that this event has been held for 48 years now.

So now, I am off to the second day of the conference and will be back soon with more posts and pictures.
P.S
Sri Lanka is not as hot as I thought it would be...