Sri Lanka has inspired foreign travellers for centuries. Over the years it has been named by different visitors as Taprobane, Ratnipidia (island of gems), Serendip (the spirit of unexpected discoveries) and Ceylon. Also, perhaps no other island has warranted so many different descriptions. It has been described as "the teardrop of India", "a pendant off the ear of India" and "a comma that punctuates the great statement of India". But my favourite is the wonderful description that only an Englishman could give - "it looks like a ham". The image of a ham was put to the back of my thoughts as the aeroplane descended to land. All I could see in the early morning sun was a great lagoon, endless palm trees and the hills in the distance.

The city of Colombo is not why thousands of tourists descend on Sri Lanka each year. It is a typically large Asian city with its busy streets and clouds of smog that hang in the sky. It is not, however, without charm. I was pleasantly surprised to find some fine old colonial buildings from the Dutch and British periods, broad tree-lined avenues and a friendly smile from the people. It has a relaxed feel which is surprising, given that on every corner there are army and police posts to guard against possible attack from Tamil fighters, who seek an independent homeland in the north of the country.

I was lucky enough to be in Colombo for its largest and most impressive festival of the year, the Navam Pasalosvaka Poya, which is held on the night of the full moon in February. It is a Buddhist festival that celebrates important events in the history of Buddhism.

The streets around the lake and park area of the city were crowded with people eager to catch a sight of the procession of musicians, dancers and performers that paraded from early evening to well into the night for two consecutive days. The elephants, adorned with colourful costume, carrying small boys and Buddhist objects, were a particular crowd favourite. Masked dancers, men in tin and brass beads, young boys dressed as crows and old men in women's clothes were some of the attractions. The fire jugglers, the acrobats and the stilt walkers particularly impressed me. They all had incredible stamina to continue their performances for well over five hours each evening. All of this was watched to the constant beat of drums, the blowing of trumpets and the occasional song.

As with all festivals, the hawkers selling their wares were out in force. Men paraded the streets with special potions, fresh fruits, lucky charms and ice creams. It was easy to forget that this was a religious festival. The temple to which the procession filed past was a curious mixture of monks in their saffron robes, police in the their khaki uniform and tourists hoping to get the perfect picture. There was even a lone elephant that had been left out of the procession and quietly munched on greenery as the noisy spectacle passed.

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