Stutiyi Sri Lanka - Gallavanting to Galle

“It’s like going to a Chinese colony”, is what someone told me when I mentioned my plans to travel there. But having heard and read a lot about the “Pearl in the Indian Ocean”, we froze on a short trip to the island nation. 

One of the view points in Mirissa (More about it later)

There are three ways to reach from Colombo to Galle – by bus, train or car. If you intend to go directly from the airport, a cab makes more sense as it gives you the freedom of taking a day tour on the way to catch the sights and sounds in Sri Lanka. Many cab drivers offer this service, and it is good to book one in advance, as it is hassle free as soon as you get off from the airport. I would advise against taking a bus, as it is not so comfortable. I will cover the train in a separate post, but would recommend it for the return journey. Even so, you do encounter the tracks on the way, as they and the road jostle for position closer to the ocean

Okay for another hour

Our destination was Weligama, the surf capital of Sri Lanka, and we went through Bentota (stopped at a resort which had a railway line going through it, cutting the restaurant from the beach), Balapitiya, Hikkaduwa and Galle enroute to Weligama. These can be covered in a day; our guide and driver Shan did a great job of managing our expectations; the points of interest are:

• Beaches in Bentota and Balapitiya – to chill, sip some of the King coconut water. Also, one can try the boat ride in the mangroves in Madu river, near Balapitiya. (We had given the boat ride a skip as we were more interested in turtles and watching the sunset at Galle)

Beaches on the way

• Hikkaduwa - for catching a glimpse of stilt fishing, and for the turtle hatcheries. A place where one can spot many varieties of turtles being cared for including leathersback, hawksbill, Green sea and Olive Ridley turtles. This was one of the badly affected spots by the 2004 tsunami, and was inspiring to see that the hatcheries tried to save the turtles, putting their lives at stake. There are some moonstone mines near Hikkaduwa, and one can enjoy the process of seeing how they are excavated, sorted and polished. I would caution against buying them unless you are a collector and have great knowledge, for me they were just a tourist trap.

The turtle hatchery that survived a tsunami!

• Unnawatuna – for diving enthusiasts, and for a hippie lifestyle (We did not stop here, just passed through)
• Galle Fort– for a viewpoint alternating between a cricket match and the sea atop a Dutch fort. As one watches the sun set, history comes alive. King Rajasinhe would have seen the same sunset some 350 years back, and here I was in the 21^st century, enabled by all technology but still feeling the raw wonder of seeing the sun set over the Indian Ocean! With the addition of a cricket ground and a clock tower to the panorama, it is very picturesque, and worth seeing the sunset from.

One of the many views from Galle fort

On the whole, it’s an interesting ride, and I would advise taking the road by the beach to reach Galle, Mirissa or Weligama. Though it takes much longer, it is that much more picturesque and helps to imbibe the spirit of Sri Lanka! While on the road, I would advise to stop at one of the many roadside places which serves the authentic Sri Lankan rice and curry. We especially loved it with the Pol Sambol (Chilli and coconut grated together to give an ethereal taste), and can be had with just about any other Sri Lankan dish – from the Kothu to the String Hopper, though having it plain may just burn your tongue (Speaking from experience 😊). This is gulped down with the ubiquitous King Coconut, handcrafted to look like a mouse.

The ubiquitous king coconut

Though we covered Mirissa the next day, it was one of the highlights of our trip, as there was a rock just off the beach, which you could climb to experience the vastness of the Indian Ocean and to hear the waves come through. 

The beach is connected to a huge rock in the ocean, accessed by wading through sandy waters and up some rickety steps. But if you brave to climb and explore yonder, you are rewarded with an uninterrupted view of the Indian Ocean from one of the Southern most points of Sri Lanka. This rock has stood testimony to the uninterrupted force of the ocean. It’s like David versus Goliath. A good place to reflect on how small we are compared to the ways of nature 😊

The Ocean and beyond!