10 Feb A Boho Retreat
We check out of Hikkaduwa today and get a car to Galle. But only once we’ve had breakfast and I have my first cinnamon tea. It’s so nice and a new fav. And good for a dodgy belly apparently.
Which is very good news for me as I’m still not right.
Villa Gady (£19 with breakie).
The homestay is a bit of a work in progress. It’s up a dirty track off a main road near Galle.
Galle is a city famous for this Fort and Cricket ground, we’ll be visiting tomorrow.
We have our own small splash pool in the trees. It’s a large room – that IS going to be a fabulous boutique stay in the future. It’s pretty nice now.
Pete doesn’t look happy.
The host is Malik and he is a right character. We get a cup of tea whilst the room gets finished up.
Malik runs an aruveydic spa and a gem shop as well as this homestay.
So we get our first taste of wood apple. It looks like a wooden apple and needs cracking with a hammer. He turns it into an aruveydic smoothie. Good for digestion.
I guess his age, random. So I win 2 white topaz gems. All very surreal.
He has big plans and shows us round – he’s building a 3rd room.
We relax and have a dip in the pool – watching birds and hearing monkeys in the nearby trees. I love it.
Pete is warming to it. His choice was an apartment with a large pool, a gym and the sports channel.
We walk out later along a busy road with random cows and the usual litter and chaotic driving.
After 10 mins of walking on the side of the express way, we get to the Indian Hut.
Like Pizza Hut.
Food is better than you would think.
An evening by the poolside reading ends the day.
11 Feb Galle Fort
We get visited by monkeys first thing – these are purple faced langurs. So cute.
Malik makes us a very Sri Lanka breakfast today – way too much and quite a lot of stodgy breads and noodles. Three curries.
Pete just wants eggs but they come curried. So Malik makes Pete fried eggs whilst I have a bit of everything else.
Malik is a talker.
The monkeys come back for their breakfast too. (I can hear them again writing this)
We get a tuk tuk to Galle Fort.
The fort is much nicer than we imagined. Very Dutch/ colonial.
Lots of nice coffee shops and restaurants.
We walk round the fort wall alongside the coast – there is even a micro beach here.
It’s scorching.
Coffee time – we get an impromptu song from an Aussie group of tourists.
We pay 500rs to get into the Galle Cricket Club bar to watch one of the teams kick a football about and have a beer. Us not them.
Pete wants to go to the beach nearby for a juice and then try the restaurant recommended by the Austrian guest staying in our homestay.
Dewata beach has a shallow bay so good for beginner surfing. Lots of young boho types hanging around.
One end of the beach has fishing boats? the other has surf bars.
The beach is minging sadly. So much litter.
We wait for a drink, no one serves us. Maybe we are too old / uncool!.
So we head to Mr Wok..its a shack along side the river. Recommended so we have high hopes.
It’s nice watching the million fish and crabs circling waiting for leftovers.
Pete has rottu and I have tuna..sadly both underwhelming. Scrag end of tuna.
We have a lovely evening though, taking a dip with a glass of red wine.
12 Feb No Visa Extension!
So we are still waiting for our visa extensions. But the online chat says there is a problem with the online system..we may need to go back to Colombo and join a very long queue! 😢
We swim and spend time in our own wee pool before walking to the roaster/ coffee shop. Expensive and so so.
It’s a tuk tuk then back to Galle Fort for dinner and a walk.
The fort area is so much cleaner and a bit like Rethymnon. Lots of hip bars and shops.
We pick yet another local ‘hidden gem’ rather than the busy Asian-Fusion restaurants.
There are 2 tables in Nissrinas Cafe. A couple of set menus on offer.
We opt for fresh lime juice and egg hoppers with home made curry.
We get cheap orange squash, 1 piece of chicken/fish and a plate full of hoppers. Background TV noise.
Shite.
We head back to polish off the wine.
