Jan 16 Day 3

Good morning! Great nights sleep and breakfast, and we both have a swim. Love it.

I have some work to do – invoices and certificates plus finding plumbers and builders for a big leak – before we can go out.

We have a coffee with our sea view and arrange a car to take us to Bentota.

The car ride is about 1.5 hrs and we get to Siroma Villa. This one is £35 a night.

Siroma Villa has a big pool surrounded by flowers. We have a large room, air con and a patio. Welcome drinks of freshly made passion fruit juice arrive.

Manjula is our host. I see chipmunks, a million birds and an iguana in the first 20 mins!

We do a ‘not very nice’ walk in to the beach. 20 mins on roads and lots of lazy street dogs – the occasional bark.

The beach is across the railway line. Trains here have people crammed in and some are sponsored by Coke. Full fat coke is all you can get.

We will get a train back to Colombo.

The beach is so clean, quiet and unspoilt.

A few beach beds and a couple of hotels. We walk and have a beer – booze is the thing that is most expensive. This one costs as much as a beer in spoons!

There are restaurants along side the railway line and we pick one. The Trax Garden.

I’m not going to lose weight here. The spicy tuna sri lankn curry was coconut-creamy and amazing. Pete had chicken and chips- he’s been delicate since our £1 canteen meal yesterday.

We get a corneto from Cargills – like Spar and everywhere – and head home.

Zero mosi bites so far.

Our bed is a big 4 poster with mosi nets and isn’t hard. I am out quick, but Pete hasn’t adjusted yet and is wide awake.

Jan 17 Day 4

Pete wakes me at 8.55 – we are having breakfast at 9!

He’s not slept well. Barking dogs. I never heard a thing through my ear plugs. He said he could still hear them through his.

We have a typical tourist-level eggs and toast plus fruit for breakfast.

I’m in awe of the chipmunks and the colourful birds, specifically the pool cleaner.

https://www.instagram.com/reels/audio/25633528756263900/

Writing this, I’m listening to the magical sounds – off to get my Bird Identifier going.

Mid afternoon we walk to the beach – doesn’t seem as long as yesterday and we see our fav reptile – a small monitor lizard.

The beach is busier with locals as its a Saturday, and there is a big event at the posh hotel. £300 a night, so not sure they’d let us in. Too scruffy.

Instead, we find the Espirit bar for a beer!

After discovering the supermarkets don’t sell beer!!!!! What???? We head back empty handed.

We pick the Olive restaurant tonight – food looks amazing. But we forgot to say spicy so it is so bland and luke warm. We get chillies added. But not a patch on last night.

On the road / walk back we discover Sri Lankans like to cycle in the dark. No lights just to make it more interesting.

It’s tea from our fabulous hosts whilst listening to the nightime birds before bed.

I’m stuck on page 1 of my sudoku book. Rock n roll.

Jan 18th Day 5

So this time we asked for Sri Lankan breakfast. OmG. So good. Spicy daal and egg hoppers. We are getting something else tomorrow. YUM.

Lazy day – with only a group of monkeys disturbing our eat/sleep/swim repeat routine.

I didn’t get a picture of the monkeys. But these ones had long tails and super furry faces!

We get a tuk tuk to Morgalla beach across the bridge from where we are now. It’s another quiet beach with bars and a few restaurants. We are thinking of staying here for 5 nights.

Pete picks Rainbow Restaurant- his meal is awful lemon chicken. I get veggie noodles – which look awfully like maggi noddles out a pack. Another disappointment..the beer is good and we watch the sunset though.

We find a Wine Shop as the supermarkets don’t sell beer. It’s quite a furtive exercise as you are ushered in.

Jan 19 Day 6

Today we go on the river safari.

Bentota Ganaga River starts at Morgalla beach, it’s really weird to see the waves coming in to the river.

The river cruise is 2 hours in the mangroves spotting huge fruit bats, snakes, a massive owl and a fish eagle.

Plus baby crocodiles and one sleeping 3 metre daddy crocodile.

It’s a nice wee trip.

After breakfast it’s another day of rest – I fall asleep for 2 hours.

We walk on to the beach again and go to Tuna Tuna Restaurant. More up market and I have the juiciest tuna steak. Wow Pete’s tuna curry is good too! Hurray!

We sit out at night with citronella incense keeping the mossies at bay!

Jan 20 Day 7

I hardly slept, Pete had a good night. My afternoon snooze did me in I think. I was awake till 4am!

A routine has developed already. Spent the day in the pool and then off to Randys Coffee for a drink and a game of chess.

Walk to the beach and then tea in one of the restaurants over looking the railway.

Tonight we have booked Tuna Tuna again.

Jan 21 Day 8

So we are due to move accommodation today. But we don’t we extend here instead.

Our usual walk.

We have a beach day. The water is very warm, like a bath, but with big waves. Pete loves it.. I’m a complete woose in my swimming goggles choking on the sea water. I give it 10 mins… twice.

We get burnt – must be the sea dips as we are sitting under a big umbrella.

Night time I watch the fireflies!

Jan 22  – 25 Day 9 – Day 12

So these days have rolled past with increasingly amazing Sri Lankan breakfast, swims, afternoon tea and walks along the beach.

We found a nice wee beach bar (Amal) for sunset drinks and a great little family run restaurant (Prem) just across the railway track.

Sadly on the Saturday we did witness a Russian lady receiving CPR on the beach. Pete tried to help the lovely nurse from Hull who tried so hard to save her.

We shared a drink afterwards and ended up in the restaurant together – think everyone was in shock 🙁

On the last day Nirupa made us a lunch of rice and curries and eggs!

Our lovely host then brought us Sri Lankan savouries and a box of dates for our train ride.

She gave me two hair grips for my hair as well… this has been a really special place.

Before we said our final fairwells, I got a picture of the pair of tiny birds that sleep next to each other every night on the porch to the main house.

And a final one of Tuti the dog!