Sri Lanka 2

Sri Lanka 2

 

First stop Negambo, a beach resort 10 miles or so north of the airport. As can be seen it is a picture postcard paradise beach and if you pay the £300+ a day, the hotel service is is to die for too. As with all of the reorts there is a top level that is fabulous, but what most people then see is just their resort and maybe a trip out to see something staged for the wealthy tourist.

My plan was always to try and have a look at the country a little less 'sanitized' shall we say.

To be honest walking into the hotels as if you are a resident rarely leads to a problem, pay cash to avoid the room number embarassment if you need anything, get a few names of staff to drop the next time and tip people, this way if you do want a bit of the high life its there for you, alternatively, there is normally a local access and just walk up the beach. Its the same sand, sea and view!!

However, there is going local and going local, as I discovered with my first nights accomodation. I d arrived late and only wanted to get to a bar where I could watch the France v Wales game so I was not really aware of where I was and had not even seen the rooms, just dropped my stuff and gone out.

As I sat on the patio with Sunni, the 70 year old, disabled servant that lived there rent free, in exchange for his janitorial skills, and asked what the strange high pitched shrieks coming from the garden borders two feet away, were, maybe bats?.... or some sort of strange bird?.... he grinned flashing his two remaining yellow teeth and told me they were mating rats!! All of a sudden the lack of a proper lock on my door, suspect wiring that sparked and crackled, broken shower, ants, lizards and mosquitos in my room were the least of my worries.........I moved next morning.

Next stop the strangely named Coconut Primative. A super small hotel/restaurant owned by the landlord of the bar/restaurant (where I had seen the rugby). Great double studio room ( approx £16 pn), good food from between £4 - £10 (if you push out the boat for lobster) and Lion lager at just over £1 for a large bottle ....... result

A couple of days chilling out,  mainly due to Edwards' wife being taken ill, so suffered the beach, bar, etc and then a brilliant visit to an elephant orphanage

 

Tomorrow I start a 15 day tour of the island and can't wait