SRI LANKA. A bloody civil war raged in the north of Sri Lanka for more than a quarter of a century. A resettlement of the embattled areas has taken place since the officially declared peace about three years ago. Infrastructure, however, is largely destroyed. Thanks to the company Thomas Cook AG, one of the urgently needed schools could be opened.

A round trip is a permanent farewell and at the same times a constant arrival. This form of travel combines pleasure with sadness; it pleases curiosity and makes the known seem pleasant. The old Ceylon, spiritual places and confusing roads. Encounters everywhere, Sri Lanka turns you in a philosophic mood. By Jennifer Latuperisa

Visiting the garden. Her eyes are sparkling. It is a mixture of curiosity and joy. Her smile is big and broad and adapts to her nose, which indeed has turned out too big for her pretty face. Her name is Dishie. Its her garden. It is Spartan but green. She touches my hand lightly, serves tea with biscuits and bananas. Apart from that, she says nothing. She only giggles hardly audibly in a little ashamed way. Fernando, my driver, translates the few words. My mere presence makes him proud. A journalist from Germany, he says proudly. Yes, she does not look typically German; her father is from Indonesia, he explains, as if I was not present. Then, he waves with a letter that I will never be shown during the entire trip. It must be something official, with important stamps and my name. I take another picture of her with her husband, whose golden elephant ring I find very impressive. It is from Indonesia too, he says, and points to the jewellery. I see, I say somewhat clumsily. On our departure, he says that their dog is a German Shepard from Germany. Well, I say.

Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Germany Sarrath Upali Kongahage said that leading journals such as Lonely Planet, National Geographic and a number of other international travel magazines had extended massive coverage to Sri Lanka as a top destination in Asia, but we need to capitalise on those kudos and ensure wider publicity with such articles abroad for the country's tourism product.

Isernhagen. Many schools offer exchange programmes to countries such as France, Spain and England. By contrast, the Gymnasium Isernhagen flies with its students to a completely different place every year: Sri Lanka.