Unawatuna (sounds like Lion King, right?) is NOT one of the ten best beaches in the world. We have seen many much more beautiful. Too bad we spent our beach days at less than yet another Paradise.
We stayed at the Unawatuna Beach Resort. Sounded good to me. Oh my. We got to our room and found many many ants at the door to the balcony. Lots of ants. Then I put my bag on the bed and found more. We went to the front desk, and I asked to change rooms.
Sorry we are fully booked.
Sorry the manager is in a meeting.
We do have one we could show you.
It at least didn't have ants. But it is a hotel long past its shelf life. Apparently they have built a new wing, that we were not in, and they plan to tear down the old wing. Not a moment too soon, I say.
We did meet some interesting people. A couple from Australia who take 2 of 3 big trips a year and had spent 3 weeks in Sri Lanka! Another couple who are expats from Scotland, who built a place here, and come for the winter.
Frankly I can not imagine choosing this heat. The tea plantations, yes, but the 33' and humidity here, and the poverty, and very third world, I would not choose.
The beach was a dark sand, filled with tourists, lots of Germans, Scandinavians, and Russians. The
beach was high and getting in the surf, the drop off was quick. The sunsets were less that breath taking. Listen to me, not the white powder sand, not the empty beaches all to ourselves, not the gorgeous fiery red ball of a setting sun. OY I can' t stand myself.
Tim did a dive, in very sandy low visibility , and I walked the beach. The other hotels were really third world, and I guess at least I can say ours seemed the nicest.
There was a tragedy that happened. I noticed that there was a huge congregation of locals on the beach, and snorkellers and divers in the bay. Apparently, a young SL boy, 27, at medical school in the States, was home on holidays, was drunk, and drowned. It certainly put a pall on our visit there.
We took a hotel room for the third night, in the fort at Galle. Just down the road. The hotel was gorgeous, old, started out as the govenor's mansion in the late 1800's, has been fixed up beautifully, but as a World Heritage Site, can only be done as it was. So beautiful wood, mahogany, and the setting was perfect and the service as well. A few great meals, breakfast by the pool in an interior courtyard, rather continental. Galle is an old town, dating way back, with residuals of the Dutch occupation, and they were who built this magnificent fort and town. When the tsunami came through, the dutch-built 10' stone walls held, where as the town was devastated.
To wander the fort you see a little of everything. Touts wanting some money somehow, begging, offer to take pic, tuk tuk? beautiful white cotton clothes ( those beautiful white cotton nightgowns, with cut out lace, $2!). There are VERY modest homes, very old, and run down. There are gentrified homes, and must be an expat community, ( we passed a talk being given around a table of maybe 20 expats or they looked like expats), some very beautiful jewelry shops, designed with local semi precious stones, art galleries, and funky clothes. The tourists were a mix of backpackers, and seniors.
We had some fabulous food. Sri Lankan food is very subtle. The curries are calm. I meant to buy a cook book. I will. I have one from Bali and am going to start collecting each cuisine. [I am going to an Indian cooking class next week- visit to the market, and a class, and lunch!- here in Sg]
We went to church, and it was in a small chapel. All 7 of us at the mass. It was so small I did both readings. Not much choice. Tim had forgotten his glasses! We expected the priest to toe the line and be very conservative. Well the homily was probably one of the best I have ever heard - on compassion- and we got to chat with him after. Got the low down on the conclave and the Vatican City gossip. He was a big surprise- in his white white robe, white white hair, and black black skin. The windows were open and there was a basketball game of young boys. Often the priest's voice was drowned out by the boys, but it added to the charm. I find the accent of the Singalese difficult to keep up to. I wonder if those 5 others at mass understood my accent when doing the readings!
We went by train back to Colombo. Now that was an experience! We got 2nd class tickets - no such thing as first class. It cost us $5 to have the tuk tuk drive to the train station, and $3.74 for TWO tickets 70 k to Colombo. I think maybe the tuk tuk ride we paid too much $5?, but the train was $3.75 worth. Very dirty, very crowded, we had seats, windows open for air, but I was sitting in the sun , and the temp was 33". I was melting.
But then back to our gorgeous "palace" hotel in Colombo for a day. We hired a driver to take us back south (?) to a beautiful beach, Bentota, and we did a river safari up an inlet to see crocodiles, bats, mangroves (very cool to boat through them).
These posts are way too long. Sorry. But this week was a real eye opener. I think I don't need to see India. A terribly close-minded statement, but the heat, poverty, crowds, it is a handful.
Things are so busy, I do not have time to post pics. I will.
But tomorrow very early, we fly off to Vietnam, to Hoi An to have clothes made. Yippee. I am fortified with photos of clothes from magazines, Tim will get a suit. We will get winter coats made (I call it my funeral outfit - ouch), and they make shoes and handbags, in 3 days , we are there for 6!!!!!
We are taking an extra suit case.
Oh yes, by the way SriLanka is west of us. Duh! And surprisingly north. At 35'- we are at 1'. No wonder its hot here. But oh my golly, Sri Lanka was too. Hotter I think. If that is possible.
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