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About Shakya
Shakya, 13, lives in north London. She went to Sri Lanka, the country where she was born, which is a big island near the south of India. Shakya is Buddhist, and she was really excited about going to the holy Temple of the Tooth.
Shakya's diary
Saturday 23 March
I had to leave the house at 6.30am! We had loads of luggage because it was 12 years since I'd seen my family and we had heaps of presents to hand out. As we entered the airport I noticed a really long queue, and at first I didn't realise it was for Sri Lanka. I had never realised it was a holiday attraction, I'd only thought of it as my birth home.
Sunday 24 March
When the plane doors opened, smelly, damp air wafted through. It was very humid and hot. I couldn't imagine what it would be like in the daytime. I was surprised to see so many people out and about. Then I found out that adults and children were awake this early to go to work in factories.
When I met my relatives, it was like meeting a face for each of the names I knew. I felt so happy to be with them, and a bit like a princess because I was surrounded by presents. There was an awkward silence from my family, who wanted to hear me speak!
Tuesday 26 March
Today we took a train to a city called Kandy. The trains were so crowded people were literally hanging off them.
We saw lots of people gathered by a river. They were washing themselves and their clothes in the mucky waters and gossiping at the same time. Men were washing in one part and women in another.
Wednesday 27 March
We visited an elephant orphanage, where the elephants were being bathed and fed. It was strange seeing them moving so freely about and so close to you, but the sad thing was that most of them were chained up or being guarded. They seemed quite tame and used to the chains, though. When I touched an elephant, it felt very hard and the hairs on its back were rough and wiry, but from far away it looked cute and cuddly.
Watch the elephants' bath-time here.
Click here to find out where Shakya went next
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Me doing a spot of last-minute flute practice!
Bath-time at the orphanage
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