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Published: February 28th 2024
It’s not surprising, but I really struggled to get to sleep last night! Probably because of the sad news. Finally, I got to sleep at about 2:30, and then did sleep through until 8am. I sat and had a coffee with Ella whilst the yoga were yoga-ing, and before breakfast!
Breakfast was different today, with a transient table of people, it seems very different. Saba had gone back to France, but there are quite a few new faces. Today’s breakfast was soya and vegetable burritos with chickpeas… and all of the usual spreads and bread, with the addition of papaya crumble, fruit juice and a healthy shot! I rarely know quite what I’m eating until after the event, but I always eat it, and I always enjoy it! There is often a spicy, curry like vibe to the food, even at breakfast!
Today we are going Galle. The tuk tuk arrived to pick us up at 11am. It should take about an hour….. or maybe not! You never can tell with Ella! Our first stop on the road was to arrange to have custom made bamboo blinds made for the yoga shala. I didn’t realise that the curtains have
been a temporary measure until the blinds get made! I can understand the reasoning. The sun is so ridiculously hot in a morning! But that was a hard job to complete! luckily we had Nilu with us. He manages the transport for Basecamp - both tuk Tula and cars, and he is our driver for the day. He seems to support Ella when language is needed. We couldn’t have done it without him today.
We got back on the road to Galle, but had another stop, we stopped at Turtle Beach in Dalawala. The Dalawella Beach turtles are famous in this region as there are so many of them swimming right off the beach here. They often swim right into the lagoon, meaning you don’t even have to snorkel to have an epic encounter with these beautiful creatures. We bought some food, a bag of greens, to take into the sea to feed them. We just waded through the water to feed them, and watch them swim in the crystal clear ocean. What an experience!
The final part of the journey took us into Galle. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Southern Province. It is
the capital of Galle District. Its architecture shows, initially Portuguese, then later the Dutch, and finally European influences throughout the town. In December 2004, the whole area was devastated by the Tsunami caused by the Indian Ocean Earthquake. In fact, it devastated most of the island.
We stopped for lunch in one of the small streets. There are so many choices on offer. As we were making our decision, the skies opened, the rain poured, so we jumped inside the nearest restaurant!
I chose the burger; it was huge! We should share one meal, as the portions are too big for me! Ella was quite disappointed as they didn’t sell beer! We enjoyed lunch, the downpour didn’t last long, we sauntered on through the streets towards the old fort wall, which is one of the main sightseeing spots in Galle. We walked along between the various ramparts and gun turrets.
We met back with Nilu for the return journey, with yet another surprise stop, this time to do kitchen utensil shopping for Basecamp. Shopping done! I enjoyed the time we spent in Galle. It offers a completely different view of Sri Lanka.
We finished our trip
at 4:30. We got dropped off at Paradise Cove for a sea dip to cool off, drinks and the sunset. Hopefully the rain will hold off. I’m having an iced ginger tea….. and ooof… the ginger is strong! Ha ha
We got a tuk tuk back to Basecamp. Tonight’s main task is to cut Ella’s hair! I did it in my room with kitchen scissors and a tail comb… not my preferred tools for the job, but they sufficed! Tonight, Ella wants to go to the Ice and sauna. That’s ok, I get to drink coffee, and catch up with my blog! The guy in the coffee shop convinced me to try his new drink that he has created! I’m in! It’s espresso coffee with soda, lime and ice! Yes, not bad, maybe it’s a bit heavy on the line, but otherwise… ok!
We walked on to Bangkok Kitchen, I certainly didn’t want to eat again, so just had some spring rolls to nibble on, Ella had soup and satay chicken…. Then finally, a tuk tuk home. It’s only 9:30pm…. I’m done in! … Until tomorrow!
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ANGELA
non-member comment
Turtles and all that.....
What a great day....what a great experience you are having! And I'm enjoying every minute back home. Keep wondering what it would be like to hire a Tuk Tuk in Hull for a trip out? ??????