Glutter Portraits: Sri Lankan Family Bathing In River

Family Bathing in River
Sri Lanka: Polonnaruwa, 2001

Polonnaruwa is the most northern destination a tourist can legally go to in Sri Lanka, the last peaceful city before the northern part of the country which until recently was at civil war.

It took us about three days to get up there, and since it was just after September 11th, my friend Anna and a French couple were practically the only foreigners in that area.

One day I borrowed a bike and went up the river, which actually was a 2000 year old water way that was still functioning. Many people were bathing and swimming in the river and I came across loud splashes.

I stopped to watch some kids climb up a tree and jump into the water. I waved and pointed at my camera to ask permission to take photos. The kids waved back and the woman there and I smiled at each other. She motioned for me to come down to the bank.

I did and through a series of gestures she asked me to join them and lent me a sarong. Then she handed me the soap and instructed me to wash myself as adults don’t go “swimming” as such, to be in the water is to wash oneself or do the laundry. I did so, and then tried to swim, she grabbed me and said, “no.”

I motioned that I wanted to join the kids and as she was shaking her head I slipped and realized the current was incredibly strong, and it was best I didn’t go further than the area she showed me.

I took this photo while in a sarong submerged in the water, with the camera at water level. Sometimes when you travel, you are so far away from the people, and the only time you come across “real” people is when they are serving you in restaurants and shops. I really hate that, as people live real lives in places you visit, it doesn’t exist for us to gawk at. It’s always nice to be invited.