Food was a consistent theme throughout our trip, and New Year’s Eve was no exception. We arrived in Sri Lanka shortly before the holiday. I'm glad we had at least we had some time to rest, because on NYE I went to what was pretty much the biggest and most extravagantly awesome party I’ve ever attended. Photo documentation follows as proof of Teh craziness.
Dinner in Sri Lanka is usually served later in the evening. We arrived well after 8... but we were still some of the first people to get there.
People started getting up to eat dinner around 10pm. No, seriously. And there were literally rooms full of food.
Copious amounts of meat. Pasta bars. Tables upon tables of cheeses. And sure, this was a huge party with hundreds of people - but the amount of food was absolutely mind boggling.
There was an entire room just for desserts, with a fruit sculpture at least ten feet tall.
And attached to the dessert room - a room of chocolate.
Yes, you read that correctly.
a room full of chocolate.
You would think that eating so much food would make people feel sluggish and tired. Nope, not so much. There were two live bands who played all night, alternating every hour or so.
People danced for hours. Hours!
I danced and took photos and then danced a little more.
When midnight approached, the band ordered everybody on the floor. So hundreds and hundreds of bodies crowded towards the center of the room, armed with poppers and streamers. And I went too.
And there we danced and shouted as the band played in the New Year. But even though crowds kinda freak me out - it was a really, really wonderful experience. To be literally surrounded by my family all happy and smiling - it was just awesome.
So - midnight right? That’s about the time people start heading home, right?
Nope! There were still hours and hours of dancing ahead... and at about one in the morning, the Baila Dance-off began.
"What's Baila?" you say?
Now is the part where I shut up, and let the pictures do the talking.
Oh yeah. A Baila Dance-Off. Round after round as the judges ticked couples off the floor, two by two. And after that, it still wasn't over.
We stayed and danced until 4am, at which point breakfast was served. Then people danced and ate and danced even more. When my family and I finally went upstairs at around 6am, the party was still going.
What can I say? Sri Lankan people know how to celebrate. =D
Happy New Year, everybody.