War scars..

There is a big difference between hearing about and reading about a war, and actually coming to the area and seeing the scars firsthand. It's so humbling to think that every person here in Jaffna over the age of 5 has seen and lived through the nearly 30 years of fighting that took place here...

Yet the people are so happy and peaceful. Some of the friendliest SriLankans we have met so far actually.
If it wasn't for all of the bullet holes and destroyed buildings, you wouldn't even know.

Even in Jaffna city and the surrounding suburbs there is a bombed out/shot out/ destroyed house or building for every 10 or so inhabited ones. 

But the damage is really visible when you leave the city and head more into the countryside. Especially the islands. For about every 2 destroyed houses, you find 1 rebuilt. There's an overwhelmingly more number of destroyed buildings than inhabited.

And just when the people were starting to rebuild their lives, they were struck down by the boxing day Tsunami! It's not very well known that the north of SriLanka was also devastated but many many people lost their lives and what little they had managed to keep a hold of during the war. 
The ruins around Port Pedro that don't have bullet holes are from Tsunami damage.. 

It's just so sad to see all the damage here. Yet so inspiring to see how full of life the people are. Jaffna is not only a very beautiful place, it's also very humbling.
I truly hope that peace can prevail here for a long time to come.