. ♪ >> anthony: sri lanka, formerly known as ceylon, was once the crown jewel of the spice trade.ace, ginger, cinnamon, chilies, and curry, the envy of the world. these spices built empires. >> anthony: wow. >> kumar: this is the chicken curry. then you have a potato that is spicy. >> anthony: right. >> kumar: then you have the beetroot, and this is one of the traditional samples of sri lanka. >> anthony: right. kumar lopez is a tamil who works for the sri lanka press institute. we sit down for lunch at a local rice and curry joint. >> anthony: so last time i was here was nine years ago. things have changed a lot. >> kumar: i think, yes, i think the fact that we are able to eat today without even thinking that there could be a bomb that could go off at any moment, it certainly a bigger peace that you couldn't expect before. but i believe that peace can go to another stage, another level. in the mindset of those who have been impacted by the war, i think there needs to be further work to be done. >> anthony: after world war ii, the british left sri lanka. over time, the buddhist si