Just close your eyes and tip the water quickly,’ Manike says encouragingly. Trying not to think about how murky it is, I do as she says and, with a little too much gusto, dump the bucket of water over myself, losing my footing and nearly my sarong. Manike cannot help but giggle as I attempt to retrieve my dignity. It never occurred to me that bathing by a well would be so difficult!
An invitation to stay with Manike’s family, who live in a remote rural village, came as I was nearing the end of my month-long trip in Sri Lanka. Tired of staying in hotels, I jumped at the chance; this was the authentic experience I was craving. They live in a mud hut in a village called Siyambalanduwa, one of the poorest in eastern Sri Lanka, and predominately a Sinhalese Buddhist farming community.
