ASÍ ES SRI LANKA: el país “más barato” de Asia | ¿Cómo viven? 🇱🇰 — Transcript
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- 0:00Imagine yourself driving one day and you come across an elephant blocking
- 0:04the street, asking you for bananas to let you pass.
- 0:08Then you go up in a tuk-tuk, drive through an extremely dense city
- 0:11with the tallest tower from South Asia, to finally arrive in villages where
- 0:15there are more monkeys than pigeons, where men live in the middle of the jungle.
- 0:21You move a little further and a leopard passes a few centimeters from you,
- 0:25and finally you come home to learn that the president has resigned by email.
- 0:30All this and much more is possible possible in this country.
- 0:33Welcome to Sri Lanka.
- 0:47We are in Sri Lanka, a fascinating country historically known as Ceylon, Serendib,
- 0:54the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, or the Tear of India.
- 0:58Here nowadays, more than 22 million people live here, and in this video
- 1:03we're going to see a little bit of everything, from big and lively
- 1:07cities to striking natural beauties.
- 1:09With a little luck, we might even cross some elephants, leopards, some sloths.
- 1:14Say no more, let this adventure begin!
- 1:18Normally I would say let's go for it, but we're in Sri Lanka,
- 1:21so I'll say happy amudem.
- 1:23We begin in the city of Colombo, undoubtedly the largest and noisiest town
- 1:28in the country, about 6 million people live throughout the metropolitan area.
- 1:33And yes, it's very busy. You can feel it.
- 1:35It's really noisy. There's a lot of buildings.
- 1:38There's street commerce everywhere.
- 1:40It has that charming and pleasant atmosphere typical of big
- 1:44cities from all over the world.
- 1:46Something we've noticed is that these streets are full of tuk-tuks.
- 1:50I would say this is the most common vehicle that you see everywhere.
- 1:53I mean, everywhere.
- 1:55They even call them crazy tuk-tuks because they drive crazy, my friend.
- 1:59They go for it.
- 1:59Actually, you know what, let's continue to provide information
- 2:03from a tuk-tuk ride to feel the ambience of Colombo, of the metropolitan area.
- 2:07How do tuk-tuks work, which I tell you is the most common way
- 2:11of transportation, is that they usually have a taxi meter.
- 2:14Here's the taxi meter, but my friend didn't turn it on.
- 2:17Okay, it happens a lot everywhere in the world, right,
- 2:19that the taxi driver has his taxi meter and everything but then
- 2:22he doesn't turn it on.
- 2:23Just ask beforehand that how much, and you need to be able to negotiate, my friend.
- 2:27The tuk-tuk is very popular, firstly because the traffic in this city
- 2:31becomes heavy and Secondly, because it's very cheap.
- 2:35For normal distances, say 15-20 minutes, you can spend the equivalent of $1, $1.50.
- 2:41Besides, let's talk about currency in Sri Lanka.
- 2:45Here they use the Sri Lanka rupee.
- 2:48I believe that's the correct pronunciation, which at the date of me
- 2:51filming this video, it's approximately 310 rupees for a dollar.
- 2:56And this is one of the most affordable countries on the entire Asian continent.
- 3:01Really, here as a foreigner coming from the other side of the world, world,
- 3:05we find prices like nowhere else in terms of transport, food,
- 3:11daily expenses in general.
- 3:13The low prices that we can find here are really, really impressive.
- 3:17Although be careful, because for locals it's a very different reality.
- 3:22We're talking about the minimum wage in this country, which is generally,
- 3:25according to many factors, about 20,000 rupees per month, which is
- 3:30equivalent to $70— actually less than $70.
- 3:34And it becomes even more complicated when we consider For example, the prices
- 3:38of vehicles, motorcycles, tuk-tuks.
- 3:41Later we will talk about this, but yes, these things are usually
- 3:45very, very expensive.
- 3:46If we approach the question of languages, you should know that this
- 3:50country has 3 official languages.
- 3:53These are Sinhalese, Tamil, and English.
- 3:55In fact, everywhere all the signs you see will be in that order because they
- 4:00correspond more or less to the percentage of the population who speaks them.
- 4:04At the top, Sinhalese, which by the way has an alphabet which is
- 4:08magnificent, splendid, it is syllabic, certain characters accentuate sounds.
- 4:13Tamil also has its own alphabet, which is completely different,
- 4:17and English, a result of the fact that for many years
- 4:20Sri Lanka has been a colony of the United Kingdom, so
- 4:25that's why it's also everywhere, and the majority of people who went
- 4:28to school in this country will speak at least basic English.
- 4:32This really impressed me, by the way.
- 4:34Everywhere English is very easy as long as you Tarzan it.
- 4:37English should be Tarzaned as a common courtesy for more effective communication.
- 4:42For travelers, it is very convenient.
- 4:45It's quite easy to get around on your own.
- 4:47And yes, I think this is good introductory information to know a bit of the country.
- 4:52Oh my God, the traffic is really intense, like rarely elsewhere.
- 4:56It feels a lot— well, yes, like when you visit New Delhi, for example.
- 4:59It feels that atmosphere, Goodbye, my friends, goodbye!
- 5:03Next time, eh, next time!
- 5:04Good guy, good driver, and yes, it's not for nothing that they call them
- 5:09the crazy tuk-tuk, because they go hard, they sneak everywhere.
- 5:13It is estimated that there are nearly 1.2 million tuk-tuks registered
- 5:17in the country, plus those who are not registered, imagine, maybe a million
- 5:21and a half of these little cars.
- 5:23We're currently walking in the Peta district, which is, let's say,
- 5:26the most commercially active center.
- 5:29There are really stores for everything: clothes, suitcases, hair salons, shops,
- 5:33food, everything, absolutely everything.
- 5:36It's really full movement here.
- 5:37This is where the working population is located.
- 5:40Fun fact about Sri Lanka: did you know that this is the country with the most
- 5:44public holidays in the world?
- 5:47That's because every full moon here is a day public holiday.
- 5:50That is, at least once a month you will have a public holiday and people really
- 5:55don't work, they don't go to school.
- 5:56And this, the fact that there are so many public holidays, is explained by the fact
- 6:01that this country is predominantly Buddhist, and the presence of
- 6:05Buddhism Buddhism is noticed everywhere.
- 6:07You just have to keep your eyes open in the streets.
- 6:09For example, there are Buddhist flags galore, really everywhere, everywhere.
- 6:13You see a multitude of Buddha statues scattered everywhere,
- 6:17sporting every color imaginable.
- 6:19Buddha in a variety of distinct postures, they are everywhere.
- 6:23Just take a quick stroll down any street keeping your eyes open and you will come
- 6:28across something related to Buddhism.
- 6:30And it's very beautiful to see the diversity in the streets.
- 6:33You see a lot of people, of course a lot of veiled women, right,
- 6:36following followers of Islam, but you also see a lot of women wearing
- 6:40beautiful saris, divine, a typical garment not only from here
- 6:44but from this entire region. It's nice.
- 6:46We're going to a gala, for example, something elegant, and the girls wear
- 6:50their saris, but like impeccable.
- 6:52Today there is no more civil war or war with other countries.
- 6:55Today we can say that Sri Lanka is at peace, and let us hope that it
- 6:59stays there for a long time.
- 7:00I want to ride in a public truck, a public bus.
- 7:03The designs are really amazing.
- 7:05Let's see, in many parts of the world we see the typical minibus,
- 7:08the bus well painted, very pretty.
- 7:10We saw some beautiful ones in Guatemala for the channel, in Pakistan,
- 7:14very beautiful ones.
- 7:16However, here, frankly, the designs are just as impressive, if not superior.
- 7:20And you have to be very keen, that is to say, I see that people
- 7:23even come down with the bus moving.
- 7:26We have witnessed situations where passengers get on and off as the bus
- 7:29continues on its way, with people hanging on the outside.
- 7:33Fares for a bus ride start at ₹30, which is equivalent to approximately 2
- 7:37Mexican pesos or 10 cents on the dollar.
- 7:40And depending on the distance and your honesty to tell the driver where
- 7:43you go, the price increases.
- 7:45Let's get in one, no?
- 7:46Let's see, to get the right experience.
- 7:49Okay, let's take this bus.
- 7:51Frankly, we don't know its destination, but let's go.
- 7:54Hanging there, hope for the best.
- 7:55It's cool, there's a speaker. Oh, that's great.
- 7:58The design doesn't stop there, the design extends to the interior as well.
- 8:02Yes, it's rush hour indeed, as we observe in many places.
- 8:06During working hours, point, it is necessary to remain standing.
- 8:09This is a complete reality.
- 8:11Reality.
- 8:12In fact, the bus constitutes the most efficient mode of transport for local
- 8:16population, surpassing the tuk-tuk, which is a private service
- 8:19and therefore more expensive.
- 8:21In addition, there are no subway or cable cars here.
- 8:24The bus is what there is, the bus is what remains.
- 8:27And frankly, it's nice but full.
- 8:29You can feel the atmosphere of the lively area of the city.
- 8:32I love that the guy comes around collecting money with his money rings,
- 8:35just like in Mexico. It's the same, the same.
- 8:37He comes with his wads of bills as if they were rings.
- 8:40The driver here has like his figurines, I think it's Hinduism, excuse my ignorance.
- 8:46He has a little lamp that moves.
- 8:48No, no, honestly, Mexicans and Sri Lanka, same persons despite
- 8:53their distinct beliefs.
- 8:54Traveling to India, Sri Lanka, or the cities of Mexico, it's very similar.
- 8:59Orale!
- 9:00Mission accomplished, really nice, but damn, we sweat a lot in there.
- 9:04No, it was hot.
- 9:05That thing was really, really hot.
- 9:07Listen and let's see, we're currently in the big city as I told you.
- 9:11Later we will explore more nature and wildlife and so on.
- 9:15Don't get but it's always good to know the capital.
- 9:18By the way, the capital of Sri Lanka is not Colombo.
- 9:21The capital itself, I'm going to read it to you because it's very difficult.
- 9:25Sri Jayawardene Purakotte, which is actually a town right next to Colombo.
- 9:30It's practically the same thing.
- 9:31It's the metropolitan area.
- 9:33My advice to residents would be to rename it Colombo or simplify
- 9:37the name because that's cool.
- 9:39When they ask about the capital of Sri Lanka, yes, oh, it's— I
- 9:41already forgot, already forgot.
- 9:43Wow, what about this guy that we just met here in the street?
- 9:47How are you, my boss? Good.
- 9:48Okay, okay, okay. Good life, my life then.
- 9:50I mean, just look at his flow, his jewelry, his clothes.
- 9:54He's truly a genius.
- 9:56We're told that he works in the transportation industry and people
- 9:59know him a little bit on social media. It's cool.
- 10:02He's a crack. Nice time, my brother.
- 10:04Check all the billboards on the street.
- 10:06It reminds me a lot of the first time when you go to Tokyo, doesn't it?
- 10:09And you're impressed by all the neon signs and letters,
- 10:13things that you don't understand.
- 10:15But obviously much more chaotic.
- 10:17Indeed, here to cross the street you have to dare and have faith
- 10:20that you will not be hit.
- 10:22Absolutely, it is undoubtedly a city in details, full of life.
- 10:26I have never considered Sri Lanka from this angle.
- 10:29Usually we associate Sri Lanka with nature, elephants, and Buddhism,
- 10:34but never to such busy and noisy streets, and I like it a lot.
- 10:37Something that unfortunately continues to happen here in Sri Lanka and which is
- 10:42even completely legal is that they have elephants to offer walks for tourism
- 10:46purposes, for entertainment purposes, let's call it as we want.
- 10:49It's having the little elephant chained right here.
- 10:52Look, in the middle of the street we found ourselves with this elephant
- 10:56that they chained in this place.
- 10:58I want to make this clear, this is not an invitation to do so
- 11:00when you come here to Sri Lanka.
- 11:02On the contrary, I invite you not to do it at all.
- 11:04It's unfortunate, isn't it, for such a majestic species?
- 11:07And yes, they sell the rides, and the most unfortunate thing is
- 11:11that the law authorizes the sale of these elephants, which are also sold at very
- 11:16high Theoretically, as the law regulates it, the government,
- 11:19is that to be able to buy one of these elephants, you must demonstrate
- 11:23that you have a large space to keep it.
- 11:25They check your family background, that there isn't a record of animal abuse
- 11:28or something, that you're going to treat them well, between quotes, not so bad,
- 11:32and that you're going to take them for walks not too much tiring, like
- 11:36a limit of kilometers per day, etc., etc.
- 11:38In more or less told, it's not like you buy them from private
- 11:41traders, but you buy them directly from the government.
- 11:45And the way they manage to train them is that at a young age They put them very
- 11:49heavy chains and spikes that hurt them if they use force.
- 11:53And that's how the little elephant develops a kind of a fear.
- 11:56And that's why such a strong species, because let's be honest, if he wanted out,
- 12:00he could make a disaster, kill us all and run away.
- 12:03But since they are little ones, they instill fear in them.
- 12:06They put these spikes on them which hurt their legs when they move.
- 12:10And this is how they manage to train them. It's very sad.
- 12:13It's very ugly.
- 12:14I guess when you come, frankly, don't support that.
- 12:16And it's not hard to find them.
- 12:17I mean, now on a random street like that, we found them, and as if
- 12:21nothing was happening.
- 12:22But yes, personally, I would tell you, when you come to Sri Lanka, don't do it.
- 12:25But if it's possible, yes, it is, it's possible.
- 12:27We are staying in a very cool but very pretty hotel which could well
- 12:31be called the Monkey's Den. Look at that.
- 12:34Look how many little monkeys there are.
- 12:36And they're everywhere, but really, really everywhere.
- 12:38We saw them from breakfast, like on the roof.
- 12:41And you see them playing, you see them chasing each other,
- 12:43they throw themselves off the roof.
- 12:46At one point an iguana came and they were fighting a bit, like they wanted to ambush
- 12:50him, but then the monkeys got scared.
- 12:53And then there's another part from the swimming pool.
- 12:56You see monkeys running, but "genomel" monkeys, like really big ones.
- 13:01A fight with one of them, I think you'd lose.
- 13:04There are peacocks too, they really are everywhere.
- 13:07They are very used to humans.
- 13:08Obviously they advise you, it's a bit of an order,
- 13:11brother, don't try to touch them or feeding them because it can be
- 13:15dangerous and it's not cool.
- 13:17Look, 2 meters away, there they are taking care of each other,
- 13:20taking each other off leaves. It's cool, really.
- 13:23This resort is very, very pretty and it's like a hotel in the middle of the marshes.
- 13:26Really, it's very, very pretty. Exactly.
- 13:29I have the impression that this is the face that we see the most
- 13:31of Sri Lanka, no, as through the world, as if there were monkeys everywhere,
- 13:35nature beyond crazy city.
- 13:37Don't be afraid, little one, we are safe here.
- 13:39We went up a little towards the north and we sailed here on Lake Talcoté.
- 13:44It's very cool that by law it is not allowed to have motorboats to reduce noise
- 13:50pollution and also to protect the water, no?
- 13:52So everything must be done here by rowing.
- 13:55We just hired a strong guy, so he's a brother who really, really, really got it.
- 13:59And our guide of the region explains to us some very beautiful things about here.
- 14:03They take great care of nature, they take great care of animals.
- 14:08To fish, you must have a special license, which by the way, fishing is the main
- 14:12economic activity with the rice crops.
- 14:15And from here we see a lot of birds, a lot of monkeys too, we saw some there,
- 14:19many beautiful flowers, fruits of everything, and we are
- 14:22told that we can even see crocodiles.
- 14:25Watch out for crocodiles, okay?
- 14:27Really, it's very pretty, we breathe very well here,
- 14:29it smells like rain, you know, like that good smell of rain.
- 14:33It's beautifully pretty here.
- 14:34We moved on from the noise of the city, the horns, the very high density
- 14:39of population, to this quiet paradise.
- 14:41We breathe deliciously.
- 14:44Yes, Sri Lanka has a bit of everything.
- 14:47Wow, we fly over with the drone and it's crazy that we are alone here.
- 14:51I don't know what happened today, people said I won't go, or maybe because
- 14:54it's raining a little bit, I don't know.
- 14:56I mean, look at this shot, it's really impressive.
- 14:58We are the only little boat here.
- 15:00I see there like a mattress floating in the water and that's all we see.
- 15:04And it's really about divine, divine, divine.
- 15:06No, frankly It's beautiful that they take so much care of nature around here because
- 15:10that is something very precious, a paradise.
- 15:19Here I'd like to introduce you to the good Porramala.
- 15:22Porramala welcomes us here in his field, on his land, to give us
- 15:27a walk in the jungle.
- 15:28Porramala belongs to the Vetta ethnic group, which is an indigenous
- 15:33group that lives here in Sri Lanka.
- 15:35Currently there are perhaps 3,000 to 4,000 betta distributed across the country.
- 15:41We're currently in the Ratugala area where there are about 400.
- 15:46Mama, catch your hondamaya.
- 15:47He already taught me to say thank you and more or less hello
- 15:51and what a pleasure and stuff.
- 15:53It's very interesting.
- 15:54As we see, this is how they live without shoes, covering themselves
- 15:59only the private parts.
- 16:00They let their beards grow, they let themselves grow hair.
- 16:04This is an ax. Okay, the ax is important.
- 16:06He will explain different explains things to us later.
- 16:09They hunt to eat, they fish, they have their own crops,
- 16:12their own language, of course.
- 16:14This is very interesting and we are grateful for this opportunity.
- 16:18So let's go!
- 16:19He taught me to say let's go and it's mangachamu.
- 16:22Oh, and by the way, I didn't even tell you, to come here we
- 16:25obviously went quite far from the city.
- 16:27We're currently in the central part of the country, but rather in the south.
- 16:31Yala, yes, it's crazy, like their feet don't hurt, like nothing at all.
- 16:35And to establish contact, all it took was our guide, as if I told him a few words.
- 16:40Obviously, we also offered him to give him a tip, and it's up almost to everything.
- 16:45Me, all stupid, saying, "We're going to the jungle,
- 16:48I'll put on long socks." No, brother, we have to cross the river.
- 16:52So let's go barefoot like the good porra mala.
- 16:55That's cool, there you go, huh?
- 16:57We're ready for what's to come.
- 16:58So come on, here we go.
- 16:59Imagine a Komodo dragon shows up here.
- 17:02The water is cold, and it's even good for refreshing us
- 17:05because it is really very hot, honestly.
- 17:07And now what I'm going to do is I'm going to put my shoes back on because You never
- 17:11know if there's a sharp branch here or a centipede, or what else do I know?
- 17:15We clearly don't have the powerful souls of the good Porramala.
- 17:19Porramala shows us how to make a little joint out of the jungle.
- 17:22They make a cigarette with this, it's called the bidi.
- 17:25Just look at this, it's a little joint, and if I've learned something about
- 17:29traveling so much is that people love to get high as fuck.
- 17:32Really, all of them, all of them.
- 17:34Look, here we can see that an elephant has clearly passed by.
- 17:38Do you see that? Because everything is crushed there.
- 17:41Yes, elephant passed by. Says my brother.
- 17:44Yes, it's daily. Here, more evidence of an elephant.
- 17:46Here's a big, massive, and heavily piled of dung.
- 17:49Okay, he might be close.
- 17:51Let's keep our eyes peeled.
- 17:52Look, he's showing us something very interesting.
- 17:54Every time they venture here into the jungle, they leave
- 17:57an offering here for the deities.
- 17:59Let's see, they're animists.
- 18:00So today, in modern times, you will come across many who might also
- 18:03be Buddhists or Hindus because there's already syncretism and the influence
- 18:08of religions and so on.
- 18:09But traditionally, let's see, the Vedda are more than 10,000
- 18:12years old, their culture. So they're animists.
- 18:15As they believe in their ancestors, in the spirit of the earth, the tree,
- 18:18the stone, etc., etc., which is very cool.
- 18:21And here they leave as an offering a few leaves so that the divinities
- 18:25protect them and watch over them.
- 18:27So as if to say, okay, protect me so I don't fall or I don't get
- 18:31hurt by an animal, so I don't run out of water, whatever, whatever.
- 18:36Wow, that was super beautiful and moving. Ceremony.
- 18:47And basically now they explained to us what it was.
- 18:50He made a song, poetry, as for the ancestors,
- 18:53as for their spirits, as if he had connected to the earth,
- 18:56gave thanks for the fruits, for the trees, for insects, for everything.
- 19:00It was a deep connection.
- 19:01And it's a way of thanking the deities who are here, the divinities who give them
- 19:05food, who give them life, who protect them.
- 19:07So honestly, very beautiful.
- 19:09I feel, wow, very, very moved.
- 19:10Okay, then now we just have to put our leaf here and this way,
- 19:14on the Maya, on the Maya, and ready. We thanks them all.
- 19:17How pretty that is.
- 19:18Our brother Ramallah also explained to us here that in his generation it
- 19:22wasn't very normal to go to school.
- 19:24Very few people of his generation and previous generations know how to read
- 19:28and write, but nowadays this area is actually much more modern.
- 19:32They have more roads, they have electricity, young people
- 19:36are starting to have a telephone.
- 19:38There's no phone signal, no, they are quite disconnected in this
- 19:41regard, but young people are already going to school, and about 80%
- 19:45perhaps of young people know how to read, know how to write, which is very cool.
- 19:49But he told us that the school of him and his ancestors, it was
- 19:53more like the countryside.
- 19:54It was more like learning how to hunt, learning how to make medicine with plants,
- 19:58because yes, they didn't really go to hospitals.
- 20:00They were giving birth here in these communities, which, let's see,
- 20:04although they have certain structures, are still very, very, very rural.
- 20:07Oh, look, he's showing us his arm.
- 20:09He says he fought with a bear here for honey, because yes, these brothers
- 20:12collect honey to make alcohol and stuff.
- 20:15Oh, he bite him!
- 20:16Yes, he really did.
- 20:17Wow, wow, wow, it's crazy.
- 20:19They got bitten for honey, literally.
- 20:21Ask him who won the fight.
- 20:22He won, he won because he had the ax.
- 20:24He won.
- 20:28He says he didn't kill the bear but just scared him, like, uh, go away, go away.
- 20:32And that is why it's important for them to always carry their ax, because
- 20:35they never know when a risk may arise.
- 20:37In fact, our guys tell me that here on social medias.
- 20:41Not a long time ago, a case of a Hueta leader went viral, which
- 20:44was supposed to fly elsewhere for a trip.
- 20:47So he didn't know that he can't take his ax into the airport,
- 20:50so he got a special permit because he wanted to get on the plane with his ax.
- 20:54And for reasons of his culture, they granted him a special permit only
- 20:58for this occasion, because yes, the brother said, what if a bear
- 21:01came out of nowhere on the plane?
- 21:03And yes, look at him where he goes with his ax.
- 21:06In fact, his name Porramala means one who handles the ax, and they tell us
- 21:11that is a very common name for them.
- 21:13That's it, we say goodbye to the good Porramala.
- 21:16Mama, get you gondamaya.
- 21:19Really interesting to know
- 21:21more about his lifestyle.
- 21:32Look at this, we just found some kids here playing cricket in a And let me tell you,
- 21:38here football is not the most popular sport.
- 21:41Here the king is cricket.
- 21:43People play it everywhere. That's what you see.
- 21:45It's the most popular sport, the one who sells the most,
- 21:49the one who is consumed the most.
- 21:51Just like in India, for example.
- 21:53I actually thought it was like baseball.
- 21:55No, frankly, the truth is that it doesn't have too much to do with it.
- 21:58In fact, on the date we are visiting here in Sri Lanka, the World Cup of Cricket is
- 22:03happening and there are advertisements everywhere.
- 22:06Everywhere.
- 22:06In bars you see the match schedule, advertisements.
- 22:10In sports stores they sell cricket uniforms, cricket bats.
- 22:14Yes, cricket is the king here.
- 22:16It's the sport that moves the economy.
- 22:18Children aspire to be professional cricketers, and it's very funny to see
- 22:23street cricket that, well, as it happens in all sports, it's
- 22:26normal for the ball to fly, to go away.
- 22:29Here too, the kids see the ball fly away, but look at this.
- 22:32I mean, here they put a Fence with spikes and kids jump like that
- 22:36for the ball with that?
- 22:37Better build them a fence because someone's going to get hurt here.
- 22:41We can see that children are playing with a tennis ball, for professionals it's
- 22:45different, and we also see that in the absence of sticks,
- 22:48they put a chair, hehe, they're creative, I like that.
- 22:51You have to be resourceful, see, for example, when I was a child I played
- 22:54football with a simple plastic bottle which served as a ball, and the goalposts
- 22:59were made of two flip-flops.
- 23:00And it's actually very nice to see street cricket, it's the sport that animates
- 23:04the country, the one who people are passionate.
- 23:07We're currently driving on a road where we are informed that it's possible
- 23:11that we could find some elephants.
- 23:13In fact, there are signs suddenly like elephants crossing.
- 23:17We got ready and stopped at a store before setting out the trip, a small local shop,
- 23:22and we bought a few bananas there because we're told that they love bananas,
- 23:26that they often even block the roads, and that they don't move
- 23:29until you give them a banana.
- 23:31By the way, the men who ran the banana shop were also hueta.
- 23:35It was very interesting to see, yes, there's the huetas in the modern world,
- 23:39owners of their own little shop and so on.
- 23:41And on this road we have already seen deer as well as a kind of a lizard,
- 23:46particularly long and unique.
- 23:48We also saw buffaloes, a lot of water buffaloes,
- 23:51that's the name of this species, of which I am told that here they consume
- 23:54a lot of their milk and they eat their meat.
- 23:57We'll see if we see anything else, like a big elephant.
- 24:00Oh my God, look, look, look, we see one there, there it is!
- 24:04We'll to get closer.
- 24:06Oh, look how crazy it is!
- 24:08Yes, we found an elephant here on the street.
- 24:10Oh my goodness, it's absolutely gigantic!
- 24:13Here, have a banana, my friend, a banana.
- 24:15Orale!
- 24:16It feels— how can I put it— the hand is rough.
- 24:19And look, he devours them in one go.
- 24:21Eh, bye, beautiful elephant!
- 24:23Wow, well, the myth was true.
- 24:25See, on some roads here in Sri Lanka, you actually come across some elephants.
- 24:30It's magnificent.
- 24:31No, seriously, Seriously, it's incredible.
- 24:33I loved it, I really did. It's splendid.
- 24:36I believe this is how human-elephant interaction should unfold.
- 24:40The elephant approaches you because he knows how to get a big banana,
- 24:43knowing that the human hand will offer fresh fruit.
- 24:47I loved it, how sweet.
- 24:48We'll see if we see any others.
- 24:50Look at another one here, an impressive specimen.
- 24:53This one seems smaller, by the way.
- 24:55Wow, it's fantastic.
- 24:57Hello, kid, we're here, we're here with the banana.
- 24:59Here, little one, a banana for for you. See you, brother.
- 25:02Bye.
- 25:02There you have it, 2 elephants in like no time.
- 25:06Further on, we see another one.
- 25:08Hey, these tuk-tuks are crazy.
- 25:10The elephant can clearly overturn the tuk-tuk.
- 25:14Well, us too. Yes, no, all of us.
- 25:16Hola!
- 25:17That one's size is really massive.
- 25:21Those in the tuk-tuk were scared to death, that's for sure.
- 25:25Another one, look, another! Hello, elephant!
- 25:27Hello, little one, we bring bananas. They are peaceful.
- 25:33How sweet that we were able to see the elephants like that.
- 25:36Well, I mean, in the streets.
- 25:38I don't know how we hear about Sri Lanka, not just chained together
- 25:41like we saw before. Good, good, very, very cool.
- 25:44And let's see, this elephant thing in itself is already
- 25:47very cool, frankly, very impressive.
- 25:49But also it called my attention a lot to the fact that in the streets we
- 25:53see a lot of peacocks crossing signs.
- 25:55Yes, like elsewhere there are chickens or Ducks, here they are peacocks.
- 26:00To prevent them from being crushed, they put up these signs.
- 26:03We see them everywhere.
- 26:05And look, this whole animal crossing thing is so, so common that there are places
- 26:09where they built pedestrian bridges for the animals,
- 26:13because they know that during the migration period they must pass
- 26:16from one side to other, but roads have been built in the middle.
- 26:20So they made bridges for them to cross, and they explained to me that they are
- 26:24designed to support the weight of elephants, large herds of deer.
- 26:28In short, tons and tons can circulate there simultaneously.
- 26:32Orale!
- 26:33Yes, I have never seen this anywhere else in the world— pedestrian
- 26:37bridges for animals. Wow!
- 26:43We're currently doing another tuk-tuk
- 26:48ride through the villages of Dambulla.
- 26:50It's very pleasant here and bright green, really green.
- 26:54Here the people harvest all kinds of fruits in abundance
- 26:57and the place is clean.
- 26:59Honestly, it looks clean, like there isn't a lot of trash and so on,
- 27:03as if there existed this culture of taking care of things, which is very cool,
- 27:07very, very, very good.
- 27:08Oh yeah, look at this, see how much cultivation, it's very cool.
- 27:12Here it rains almost every day, at least in this season we are visiting.
- 27:16Yes, just check the river overflows here.
- 27:18Wow, so I am told that sometimes everything, everything is flooded.
- 27:22Well, yes, season rains.
- 27:23My brothers are taking a bath here.
- 27:25Wow, if life gives you water, use it to bathe, and these guys
- 27:29have it perfectly understood.
- 27:31We met some very friendly locals here and we just asked them like,
- 27:34could we visit your house to discover the life outside the city?
- 27:37And what a magnificent residence, truly spacious, very spacious.
- 27:40They have their coconut field like that and grow all kinds of things.
- 27:44Very spacious.
- 27:44The shower is outside, for It was really nice and the
- 27:48family was very communicative.
- 27:50When we go out towards the villages, it seems like we breathe differently
- 27:53and people have more space.
- 27:54Yes, everything is very, very green. Tasty, tasty.
- 27:58We drove to a very magical place called the Cave Temple of Dambulla.
- 28:04It's literally a Buddhist temple set in a cave and it's truly impressive.
- 28:10Around 150 statues of Buddha Buddha are carved here.
- 28:14One of them is a monumental statue of a Buddha in a reclining position carved
- 28:19directly into the stone of the cave.
- 28:21Many of the paintings we see on the ceilings were never retouched
- 28:25and they're almost 2,000 years old.
- 28:28And the story explaining its creation is also very interesting.
- 28:33See, it is said that around the year 100-something before Jesus Christ,
- 28:38there was a king who had to hide when people from present-day India
- 28:43came to invade the land and wanted, of course, his head.
- 28:46The king had to go into hiding to save his own life, and it is said that he remained
- 28:5214 long years hidden here between these caves.
- 28:56He lived here all alone, just from the wild, taking refuge inside the caves.
- 29:01So when the armed forces finally regained power and he was able to come out,
- 29:06of his cave and announced to everyone, hey, what do you think, I am alive.
- 29:10He ordered the construction of this temple to honor Buddha because he felt that it
- 29:15was the strength of Buddhism that kept him alive and hopeful.
- 29:18It is said that there are nearly 80 caves and most of them actually have a lot
- 29:22of statues and paintings, but nowadays you can visit only 5 of them, which are
- 29:27the largest and safest for visitors.
- 29:30It is full of people, by the way, that must be be said,
- 29:32and since you have to go in barefoot, it smells of feet inside, but strong.
- 29:37It smells like cheese, doesn't it?
- 29:39Here you can take photos inside without any problem, but there are a lot of signs
- 29:43that say don't take selfies, don't take photos that could be
- 29:46disrespectful to religion, not to touch, not to sit in certain places.
- 29:51Obviously, it is a place of religious worship.
- 29:53It's also very particular to see how even in Buddhist ideology there's a big
- 29:57confrontation between religions.
- 29:59Blatant proof, at the very entrance of the temple there's a sign which says
- 30:03that it is prohibited from entering with a hijab or burqa or something
- 30:07that covers you, following the attacks which took place
- 30:10around 2019, so they said no, no, no, under these outfits they could hide things
- 30:15explosive or similar, so from now on you can no longer enter
- 30:19with a burqa or with long outfits or anything similar here at the temple.
- 30:23And coming back to architecture, it is unreal to observe
- 30:26the structures that they've done.
- 30:28It is said that previously this entire rocky part of the mountain was completely
- 30:33painted because there remains a specific section still colored, like if
- 30:37there was only a small painted fragment.
- 30:39So they say everything was like that, everything was like a massive piece
- 30:44of art, but because of the rains, humidity, etc., etc.,
- 30:47it has been deteriorated.
- 30:49There's a lot of mischievous little monkeys walking around.
- 30:52There's also a lot of cute little ducks that you can tempet,
- 30:54it's definitely worth it.
- 30:56Great place, 10 out of 10.
- 30:57This is the Independence Monument of Sri Lanka.
- 31:01We learned that Sri Lanka is actually a country relatively quite new.
- 31:04February 4th, 1948 was the day they obtained their independence.
- 31:09Before that, they were a British colony.
- 31:11And right in the center, we can observe a statue of the very
- 31:15first prime minister of the country.
- 31:17There are lions everywhere.
- 31:19Well, it's a very significant animal. It's even on the flag.
- 31:22What do I tell you?
- 31:23This is a very special flag and very colorful.
- 31:26Basically symbolizes the union of the people of Sri Lanka.
- 31:29The lion who's holding the sword symbolizes strength, values, and courage.
- 31:35The reddish-brown color, let's say, that surrounds the lion represents
- 31:40the Sinhalese people as well as deeply rooted Buddhist beliefs.
- 31:45The orange next to it represents the Tamil people with all the beliefs of Hinduism.
- 31:49The green color represents the population who follow Islam,
- 31:54and all the yellow that surrounds it, the other minorities, where the Jews,
- 31:59the Christians, etc., etc.
- 32:01This basically symbolizes that all are united in the great nation,
- 32:06and the monument is cool, it's very beautiful,
- 32:08it has a lot of very refined finishes.
- 32:11A little controversial is the fact that next to the national monument there's
- 32:15a very large flag of Buddhism, as if to say, yes,
- 32:19our national flag includes everyone, but let's not forget
- 32:22that the majority are Buddhists.
- 32:25And this monument, the Independence Monument,
- 32:27is located in one of the richest neighborhoods of Colombo.
- 32:31Here we see many pretty squares, magnificent residence, and many
- 32:35important embassies are located here.
- 32:38It's like the nicest area.
- 32:40It's pretty, it's beautiful, and yes, it's one of the most visited sights of Colombo.
- 32:45We're discovering a bit of the chic side of the city here, and it turns out that,
- 32:51for example, to have a premium brand car, let's call it that way, you must be
- 32:55doubly rich, because as it is an island country and there is no
- 32:59really automotive industry, everything has to be imported by ship.
- 33:04So for a vehicle, you pay practically double its price elsewhere.
- 33:09To give you an idea, just to buy one of One of those tuk-tuks
- 33:12that we see literally everywhere here can cost you the equivalent
- 33:15of over $3,000 to $4,000.
- 33:18No way, elsewhere does it cost what, $1,000 I think, right?
- 33:21From $1,000 to $2,000.
- 33:23They're showing me a website of used cars here and look, a Mercedes CLA of 2019
- 33:29costs 27.5 million in Mexican pesos, that's what, 1,800,000?
- 33:35That's about $95,000 for a 2019 Mercedes.
- 33:39So how much does it cost to have a Ferrari here?
- 33:41A G-Wagon?
- 33:43I am really stoned, but I would like to point out that these
- 33:45are the prices of cars, and particularly luxury cars.
- 33:49But in general, Sri Lanka, as I said, is a country which for the rest
- 33:52of the world could be very affordable.
- 33:54You can eat in many places for the equivalent of a dollar.
- 33:57An average house in Colombo will cost around $60,000 to $70,000.
- 34:02So yes, it is especially the automobile sector and the luxury sector
- 34:06where prices goes up to the moon.
- 34:17We are on safari.
- 34:19We currently are in the Yala National Park.
- 34:22It's very cool.
- 34:24We're here in a vehicle that, wow, it's amazing.
- 34:27And we could see leopards, elephants, many species of monkeys.
- 34:31Actually, right there we saw a whole Disney movie, little deer
- 34:35living with little monkeys.
- 34:37We are told that they have a friendship relationship and even of complicity,
- 34:42because as both are terrified of leopards, they warn each other like, bro,
- 34:47there comes the big guy, and it's like, let's get out of here.
- 34:49So they warn each other.
- 34:50The monkey makes its little noise, the deer make it sounds— I don't
- 34:54really know how the deer does.
- 34:57Somehow they understand each other.
- 34:59It's like the magic of nature.
- 35:01The park is very cool, very well maintained.
- 35:04There is a security check, everything is protected.
- 35:07The rules are clear: you don't get out of the vehicle.
- 35:10So far we have only seen wild peacocks.
- 35:13This seems curious to me.
- 35:15I have never seen them like this in nature, like free.
- 35:18We also saw a few hares, which I am told that they are essentially— what is that?
- 35:23The bottom of the food chain.
- 35:25They are eaten by everyone: birds, leopards, giant iguanas.
- 35:29Oh yes, there are some big iguanas, they are huge.
- 35:32We saw a lot of birds too, a very beautiful green bird
- 35:36that eat bees, and deers.
- 35:38One might think that the deer is also at the very bottom of the food chain,
- 35:42but I am told that it's very difficult to catch them.
- 35:45And there we hear that other guides whispering that there's a leopard lurks
- 35:50around there, but I am told that the leopard is actually
- 35:53the hardest to see because they are observant and patient.
- 35:57They will not attack their prey just like that.
- 35:59No, no, no.
- 36:00They will observe it for minutes, hours, maybe all day, and when
- 36:04the time is right, rácate!
- 36:06So basically, we don't find the leopard, the leopard finds us.
- 36:10What a disturbing information.
- 36:12Oh, look at this crocodile!
- 36:14Crocodiles, there they are, quiet, relaxed, brother.
- 36:18And there are peacocks which run very fast, they are quite clever.
- 36:23A little elephant, look over there, wow, it's super cool, very cute.
- 36:28In fact, he's alone, he's like walking on the water by himself,
- 36:32just chilling and pooping.
- 36:34Look at this turd, wow, he eats and shits at the same time,
- 36:37the two best things in this life if you ask me.
- 36:40It's magnificent, I loved it, and I'm told that he's probably an adult
- 36:43because he's starting to take tints. Hola!
- 36:47Oh, a leopard!
- 36:48We managed to see it.
- 36:49Wow, how majestic! Look at this.
- 36:52It's crazy because everyone is aware.
- 36:54And just check, since it's super touristic here, there's quite a traffic jam.
- 36:58I mean, I'm showing you the reality.
- 37:00I could say we were the only one who see it and all that, but in true,
- 37:03that's not the case. Look at that.
- 37:05Oh, what a massive animal!
- 37:08Wow, that's super impressive. Look at his skin.
- 37:11It's funny where The word of mouth spreads.
- 37:13Everyone is here to see the leopard. Very epic indeed.
- 37:16But at the same time, I think we have disturbed him, the poor guy.
- 37:20No, that is to say, the guy says to himself, oh,
- 37:23I'm going to go out and do a leisurely ride, and then boom, all the humans.
- 37:28Look, look. But hey, we leave him alone.
- 37:30And yes, that's why we can't get out of the vehicle, because yes,
- 37:33for him we are a very tasty snack.
- 37:37What an imposing animal.
- 37:38We're told that they have seen this leopard before and that it even already
- 37:42has a name, and that name is actually Lucas.
- 37:45Now he's walking towards here and all the cars are letting him pass.
- 37:49Look, what an organization! He's very close.
- 37:52Look at that. Wow, how scary!
- 37:54How impressive! No, what a celestial animal!
- 37:57I were able to record it even in slow motion.
- 38:00Wow, what an impressive animal!
- 38:02What do I tell you, super Super cool, really super cute, magnificent animal,
- 38:06and also very crazy to see how the whole tourist movement gathers there
- 38:10to be able to appreciate it.
- 38:11I mean, that's why you come to a safari.
- 38:12Here the good Indika is showing us his photos, and wow, these ones are awesome.
- 38:17What beautiful photos of Indika, eh? What a professional.
- 38:20Truly a very good safari experience.
- 38:22We saw a bit of everything.
- 38:23Yala National Park is very cool.
- 38:35This massive structure that we see here is the tallest building of all the country
- 38:41and the tallest tower in all of South Asia.
- 38:45This is the Colombo Lotus Tower, which has an approximate
- 38:49height of approximately 350m.
- 38:52Wow, that's pretty massive!
- 38:54And beyond the fact that she's very beautiful and very impressive, she
- 38:58represents a major conflict of interest.
- 39:01I'll tell you, it's complicated, but I'll try to simplify it.
- 39:04Around the year of 2022, Sri Lanka was, under many interpretations,
- 39:10on the verge of disappearance.
- 39:12They had an economic crisis, wow, but brutal, and they were
- 39:16in debt to many countries.
- 39:18Their reserve of dollars was exhausted, and To this are added other factors,
- 39:23such as, for example, that in 2019 there were terrorist
- 39:27attacks by Islamic groups.
- 39:29This has already affected the country's tourism a lot,
- 39:33but then the COVID-19 arrived and boom, that was another big blow.
- 39:37And then the years passed, they were just starting to recover, and
- 39:41there it was, the great crisis of 2022.
- 39:45Electricity was cut for periods of up to 12 hours.
- 39:48People had to queue for days to get gasoline.
- 39:51People came out to demonstrate violently in the street.
- 39:54Discontent grew, made of still a tense and horrible situation which we
- 39:59wouldn't wish to anyone.
- 40:00And the president had to flee the country and then resign by email.
- 40:05That's crazy.
- 40:05It's even seems a little comical to me that just like that,
- 40:09just like you quit your job right at the office that you didn't like it anymore.
- 40:13But you didn't have the courage to tell your boss face to face and it was like,
- 40:17"Boss, excuse me, I am sending you this letter with all due respect,
- 40:22but the truth is that you already have me up to my balls." Exactly,
- 40:26but from a president of a country, he didn't have the disposition, he didn't
- 40:30have the balls to say it face to face.
- 40:32But hey, what does all this have to do with this tower and the other
- 40:35structures around the country?
- 40:37Well, to get out of this crisis, crisis, there is no official version of what
- 40:41happened, but what is said in the press is that it was necessary to obtain
- 40:46different supports from several places.
- 40:49Between others, of course, the International Monetary Fund
- 40:52intervened, and it is also commented a lot— this with an asterisk because I
- 40:57don't want to be attacked— there is no official version as such
- 41:00that China had to rush to help.
- 41:03And China, well, it's It's well known that they like to peek into several places, no?
- 41:08She likes to allocate budgets in different countries because they have
- 41:12a strong culture of expansion.
- 41:13That's why, it is also why it's possibly the most powerful country in the world.
- 41:17So for a long time they have been flirting with Sri Lanka.
- 41:22A clear example is a huge complex that they offered to Sri Lanka towards
- 41:26the '70s, which we went to see.
- 41:28It's very luxurious, it's very good.
- 41:30In this complex are exhibited, for example, statues of the first woman
- 41:34first minister that ever existed in the world,
- 41:37who was from here in Sri Lanka, and from her husband,
- 41:41who was also the first minister to renounce the constitution
- 41:44of the United Kingdom to implement the constitution of Sri Lanka.
- 41:48Beyond this subject, it is a complex that China has offered.
- 41:52They offered another massive and similar concert venue called the Theater Lotus,
- 41:57and they also put in the money to be able to build this massive tower,
- 42:02the Columbus Lotus Tower.
- 42:05So for many people, it is very polemic, very controversial that this was built
- 42:10here in this place really prestigious of the city, because yes,
- 42:14a lot of people in Sri Lanka say like, hey, how did we really get out
- 42:18of the crisis, and what did our leaders really promise to China to come to rescue
- 42:23us by putting so many, many resources.
- 42:27Look, we don't know yet, and still to this day there's a great
- 42:30uncertainty about this subject.
- 42:37We're going up to see the Sigiriya Palace, and wow, what an impressive structure.
- 42:42Really, there's no other way to say it— impressive.
- 42:45Basically, many years ago, a king had the wonderful idea of I want
- 42:49to build my palace on top of a rock.
- 42:51And yes, as soon as you enter, well, you see the rock, which is very beautiful,
- 42:55it has a very unique shape, and you go up a lot and you see
- 42:59the structure that humans have built.
- 43:01There are about 1,200 steps, many staircases, and structures are now
- 43:05more modern so that visitors can come more easily.
- 43:08Look, also from here we see a Buddha, but wonderfully impressive,
- 43:12that is to say, we are very, very far away and Look at this structure.
- 43:16How high should it really be?
- 43:18How long did it take them to do?
- 43:20I'm telling you, here there are Buddhas everywhere and there are very
- 43:23impressive ones like this one.
- 43:24That is, how do we see it from here and no tree hides it?
- 43:27It's impressive.
- 43:28And it also caught our attention the amount of small dogs that there are.
- 43:31This brother, how did he get here?
- 43:33He has already taken his nap because he's tired.
- 43:35Look at this.
- 43:36And we saw monkeys too, a family, mother, father, son.
- 43:39What a cutie with a hairstyle like a mushroom, it seems.
- 43:42Very beautiful, a lot of wildlife, a lot of nature, and several monks come here.
- 43:47We noticed we all want to see the top of the palace.
- 43:50Oof! And now we come to the famous Lion's Legs.
- 43:55Look at this!
- 43:56These are legs that are carved directly in the mountain.
- 43:59Very impressive, very crazy, and even more so that we believe
- 44:02that before it was a whole lion.
- 44:04Really, this whole big wall we see now is supposed to be before a massive lion
- 44:09and that the entrance to the palace was through the mouth of this feline.
- 44:13Of this there is not much evidence over the centuries it has erased,
- 44:17but the legs survived and until today they are quite good, that is to say.
- 44:22But just imagine it before, holo borgo!
- 44:25We can continue to climb according to what we see to get to the top, but no way,
- 44:29look at this queue, and me the truth what I wanted to see is how were the legs.
- 44:33I wanted to imagine what this supposed entrance was like to the lion's mouth,
- 44:36so with that I am more than satisfied.
- 44:39Another day we will come back when there are fewer people because yes,
- 44:42it is very touristic here, and I am told that on national holidays
- 44:45there's triple the number of people.
- 44:46Well, very beautiful, very cool, undoubtedly a demonstration of skill,
- 44:50of humanity, and also of the madness of kings, isn't it?
- 44:53And their ambition. Very crazy, very impressive.
- 45:00Well, there you have it, a bit of Sri Lanka.
- 45:03Wow, what a magnificent country, really.
- 45:05I leave here delighted, especially with the welcome
- 45:07given to us by the people here.
- 45:09How friendly everyone is, what a smile.
- 45:12I leave extremely happy.
- 45:13What a great adventure was this one. How did you see it?
- 45:17What did you think of it?
- 45:18What did I forget to document?
- 45:19I would love to read you down here in the comments.
- 45:22Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for joining me on one more
- 45:25adventure, and we will meet us again in a few you guys with a new video.
- 45:28Bye! Stuttet euch wohl!
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