This island is entangled in a mass of florid vegetation teeming with strange animals, but most exotic of all is the human population. Sri Lankans seem incapable of producing anything bland, whether they are making history or just making lunch. Something of the island's tropical abundance gets into everything they do. The way they play politics is sometimes deadly, but certainly not dull; and their cricketers play the one-day game with the prolific flamboyance that won them the world championship (in 1996), which in turn was a cause for uproarious and prolonged celebrations. The numerous festivals that pepper the calendar are enjoyed with the same energy and flair.

The fertile Sri Lankan soil has to support not one population but many. Whilst this racial diversity has been the cause of much strife, it compensates with a diversity of culture and skills. Unbelievably, despite the civil war which raged for so long, there is a remarkable degree of mutual respect between the different races, who all seem to share an inexhaustible optimism.

Away from the trouble hotspots interracial rivalry is fought out with games of "we got here first" in which claims of long occupation of the land are pitted against each other. The Sinhalese have an exact date for their arrival by boat from Northern Bengal but the Tamils claim that their Dravidian ancestors got to the island before that date, walking across when there was a land link to their homeland in Southern India. The Muslims in turn can date the first Arab sailors to very ancient times. These claims and counter-claims may seem surprising since the people who are the undisputed winners of this backward race through history, the Veddhas, beat their nearest rivals by thousands of years. It is a shame that their victory should have been rewarded by persecution and eviction. Sitting out of the contest are the Burghers, descended from Portuguese and Dutch colonists, who, apparently ashamed of the brevity of their sojourn, mimic their more established neighbours in dress and language.

This ethnic diversity has brought great richness to the island. It is not a cause for war and hate but a cause for celebration and smiles. At least the Sri Lankans haven't forgotten how to do that.