CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
DESTINATIONS
DESTINATIONS
The Dreamtime, or the Dreaming, portrays the Aboriginal beliefs in spiritual existence. According to the tribes that first settled down in the continent, the Dreaming's roots date all the way back to the very begging of the creation of the world. The meaning and ideology of the term is generally not so well-understood by non-indigenous people as it is referred to as part of the culture of one of the early nations, which differs from modern perceptions.
The Spirits were the creators of everything. They made the land and the seas, the rocks and the plants, the sky and the earth. They were the higher power and the Australian Aborigines spent their lifetimes honoring this power, which guided their path and shaped their way of thinking. Not only creators of everything, which could be seen as well as felt, the Spirits also gave the Aborigines the Dreaming.
The time when everything started existing according to the initial Australians, was called the Dreaming. This is the foundation of the continent's culture. The origin of the Dreaming goes way back - 65 000 years back in time to be exact. The Ancestors of the nation shaped the land, forming some parts of it as sacred. The Aborigines were very careful and overprotective of those places, strongly believing in their significance.
The Australian Aborigines are known to have believed that the world didn't have any shape and was therefore empty. Darkness dominated, and life was simply asleep, but this changed when the creation began happening. After the Dreaming and the influence of the Spirits, objects began taking shapes and came to be. They created the four elements: water, earth, air and fire, as well as all the planets, the Sun and the Moon. The Dreaming therefore is a continuous process, which never ended. It is a small cosmos on its own, unifying the past, present and the future into one.
The Australian Aborigines' home riches so many vivid areas of the continent, including Fraser Island, Tasmania, Palm Island, Groote Eylandt and Mornington Island. The Aborigines had very strong believes in relation to the powers of the land, claiming that they never owned it - it rather owned them. The only reason they were able to call it their home is because they were looking after it and the land was taking care of the people in return.
Equally important to the Dreaming was the tribes' understandings of the disappearance of the Spirits. There came a time, when the creators of everything vanished from sight. Some of them were thought to have started living in sacred places, which is why the Aborigines perceived their homeland to be so sacred. The ancestors of today's Australians used to believe that the creators started living in rocks, in water holes and some went up to the sky to guide the people from above and keep them safe. Others transformed completely, taking the forms of the rain, the lightnings and the thunderstorms so they could be part of peoples' life.
Among the hundred's different Aboriginal languages, there isn't a word to describe 'time', because to them this simply doesn't exist. Dreaming and Dreamtime are used to replace it and summarize the ideologies of the Aborigines about everything they knew, everything they could see, feel and experience. This is why the Dreaming has such a vivid, and overwhelming meaning and has survived the obstacles of time. For the past couple thousand years, the Dreaming has built a rich cultural heritage that can identify a whole nation.
Read more about the Land, its connection to people and the way it has been perceived from different generations in the very first print issue of ORIGIN. The Land Issue covers varied topics, most of which remain related to cultural aspects of the land and its importance.
A lot of people travel to explore places and learn about them which is the message that ORIGIN wants to spread. With traveling, however, comes certain responsibilities that we should all be aware of. Elephants riding has become a popular way to explore locations by land. People have been doing this as part of their trips, mostly to places such as Thailand, Nepal, Cambodia and other parts of Asia. It is a common thing to see in certain places in Africa as well. We investigated the activity to explain why it is wrong and riding elephants should be banned everywhere.
Our first print issue studies culture and traveling represented through the land. We explored various location around the globe and learned what makes the land so valuable, which nations cherish it and how it helps us establish an identity. Traveling is important to us but traveling responsibly and making an impact is what we feel proud to stand behind. This is why riding elephants as a way of amusement should be reconsidered.
Let’s talk about the details. Elephants are very caring and extremely intelligent animals. It is a well-known fact that they never forget anything. When kept in captivity instead of spending their life in the wild, elephants die younger. Unlike in other species, this is common for the gentle giants and is often a result for stress.
Many African cultures respect elephants, believing they symbolize strength, loyalty and power. However, power can be a very tender concept. Elephant used as a tourism tool suffer from great pain daily. Elephants can be hurt very severely from the weight of carrying people and a trainer on their backs. The reason for this is the design of their spines. They have sharp protrusions, extending upwards from their spine instead of having round spinal disks. The protrusions and the tissue that serves to protect them can be harmed easily from weight pressure. Once a damage to their spine has been made, there is no going back and sometimes the harm can be irreversible. While this can’t be physically seen, the harm that the chairs can do to the elephants’ skin is. It is often the case that the chairs and the weight on their back can damage the animal’s skin and cause pain to their body. The chair, called Howdah, that gets attached to their backs, rubs on their skin and can cause blisters, which can sometimes get infected.
The training that elephants are required to go through when in captivity sometimes adopts a traditional Thai ‘phajaan’ or ‘crush’ technique. Explaining the technique would compare it to the animals’ spirits constantly and continuously being broken by the means of torture and social isolation. This is done in order to tame them. Elephants are wild animals, this is their nature as they are born in such conditions. Making them safe and obedient around people requires them to go through such training. As horrible as it sounds, in some places young elephants are taken away from their mothers to be abused with nails, bull hooks and bamboo sticks to make them obey rules, given by people. The animals often lack sleep and are starved to become submissive.
Actions from such nature are cruel and harmful as the technique is used to crash the animals’ spirit. Once wild and free, elephants become a source of tourism and entertainment. Nobody, who cared about sustainable tourism should ever ride an elephant.
In a sense, elephants have a human soul. They socialise and feel everything – pain, happiness, grief, sadness etc. They spend their life building families and finding friends. The largest land animals are a gift from nature and it is our responsibility to take special care of them and make sure they live according to their nature. Many animals, who are kept in captivity, are forced to live in isolation and carry heavy loads all day long, which is a wrong way to treat them. Their strength and power shouldn’t be abused but treated gently and celebrated by people. Elephants require minimal care to stay happy and healthy, which comes from giving them freedom to behave naturally and socialise. It is our responsibility to be culturally aware while traveling and make sure to spread awareness about the problem.
You can read the rest of the article as published in the LAND issue.
SRI LANKA ITINERARY
From surfing at Hikkaduwa to climbing Sigiriya Rock and seeing leopards in the wild, here is how you can best experience Sri Lanka
Words: Emily Georgieva
Photography: Tabitha Turner, Jasmin Chew, Sasha Set, Chuttersnap, Andres Perez, Mathilde Langevin, Oliver Sjostrom, Bucography
18 November 2020
The tropical vibe of Sri Lanka will have you wishing you can stay there forever. The natural beauty of the country is beyond any description you could possibly hear or read. The locals are kind and welcoming to travellers, which explains why most people who visit are likely to go back again.
With everything that the country has been through, the attacks that happened last year and the recovery from the country's civil war, Sri Lanka needs thriving tourism more than ever. As we are sure you will fall in love with the country from first sight the way we did, we made a list of things you should plan to do once you get there.
A train ride from Ella to Kandy
An unforgettable experience, this train journey is one of the most popular tourist activities. The train passes one of the most scenic route you will ever have the privilege to see. Tea plantations will surround you from all sides and and the relaxing journey will only cost you just little under a pound.
Hike Little Adams Peak
Sri Lanka is known for its stunning landscape and the abstract shapes of the land. It doesn't get better than a hike up the hills of one of the most mesmerising mountains in the country. Ella is known as a hiking hot spot and it sure does live to its reputation. The hiking treks are well maintained and each step further reveals an even more phenomenal view of the tea plantations and the mountain range in the distance. We recommend sticking up with the hiking paths as the panoramic view from the top with leave you feeling in awe of the country.
Book a safari in Kaudulla National Park
Sri Lanka is one of the few places on Earth where you can still see leopards in their natural habitat. With so many national parks to choose from, you won't make a mistake whichever one you decide to explore. We recommend Kaudulla National Park because the experience will be one-of-a-kind. As you board the jeep that will take you in the wild, groups of elephants relaxing by lakes and monkeys playing in the trees will become the norm. If you are there at the right moment, you might even spot a leopard.
Climb Sigiriya Rock and Pidurangala Rock
Often referred to as the eight wonder of the world, Sigiriya Rock hosts a fortress on its top, sitting 200 meters above the jungle below. It is a must-see spot, especially if you are a lover of the outdoors. Head to Pidurangala Rock if you want to spend the entire day following hiking treks. It is the home of a temple, but this is not the only thing that makes it interesting. As it is an adjacent to Sigiriya Rock, hikers can wake up at sunrise and start the hike from one rocks to the other, enjoying exquisite views if Sri Lanka all day long.
Hike the trek through a Tea Plantation in Nuwara Eliya
If you head to Nuwara Eliya and are lucky enough to make friends with the locals who work on the plantation, you are in for an incredible experience. Most of us drink tea daily or at least every week so being able to walk among the tea plantations is a must-seize opportunity. You will learn so much about the history of the place, the tea and the people who work there that we guarantee you'll appreciate Sri Lanka from a completely different perspective.
Surf at Hikkaduwa
Hiking and going on train rides across tea plantations are not the only ways to enjoy the beauty of Sri Lanka. Grab a wet suit, some sunscreen and a surfboard and head to Hikkaduwa. The place is visited by only a handful of tourists and locals. Just imagine the warmest water you have ever surfed in, an endless stream of perfect waves and in the distance you can hear the songs of the exotic birds in the jungle and see the peacocks relaxing in their own little piece of paradise.
Walk around the markets
The markets are a great way to get to know a place better. With so many different ones to choose from, you can spend quite a lot of time just trying the fresh fruit and veg, buy locally sourced products and chat to the vendors, some of whom love to ha e their pictures taken by tourists. Head to the markets in places like Nuwara Eliya, fill your shopping bags and learn how to prepare some of the local dishes so you can bring a taste of Sri Lanka back home.
RELATED STORIES
NOMADSofORIGIN is an independent annual publication with a focus on sustainable travelling and global cultural values. Each issue features interviews, engaging articles and photo guides, which take our nomadic readers through different destinations and introduce them to local people's perspectives.
SOCIAL
© NOMADSofORIGIN Magazine 2023. All rights reserved.