6. The first day of our trip through Sri Lanka

Hi there, here we are again.

The first day of our tour started in Negombo and the surrounding area. Sam, our guide for the next few days, drove us towards the fish market.

On the way, we stopped at a Hindu temple and listened to the sounds. Since it was our first temple, we were completely fascinated by the impressions. Next, we visited a Catholic church, which was very nicely decorated. In the process, the first interesting fact about Sri Lanka: In Sri Lanka, different religions live together peacefully. Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and Muslims.

When we arrived at the fish market, the smell hit us immediately. It was more like a huge place by the water, where the locals and fishermen spread out and dry their catch. It was definitely very interesting to see, but a bit unpleasant due to the heat and smell. Marcel stayed in the car and instead saw his first snake.

We continued to the actual fish market. There too, we were immediately hit by the smell. Irina, Marcel, and Robert were brave. Josefine walked around with a tissue on her nose and hardly dared to breathe ;-) The market was bustling with activity, the sellers tried to outdo each other and generate the most sales. The variety of animals was very interesting for us, but it probably wouldn't have been good for our stomachs.

We continued on and crossed the road of the fishing village, where no tourists are usually found. That's the way we like it the most. Right in the midst of the local commotion. We stopped at a small square where a fisherman was drying his few fish in the sun. Sam approached two boys and asked if they would take us on a small boat tour through the nearby mangrove forests, and yes, sure, they would love to. Cool, we got into the small boat and the boys paddled with us four heavy Europeans across the river. That was really cool! The landscape was super beautiful. We also spotted the first animals, which impressed us a lot. Giant herons sat on the green branches and flew over the river and our heads from time to time. To our surprise, we paddled to a small island in the middle of the mangroves, where a holy statue stood and it looked very idyllic. We took some photos and let the moment sink in. Then we got back into the boat and started rowing back. We thanked the boys warmly, gave them a small tip, and set off again.

Then Sam showed us "his" fish market where he always goes shopping. This market always starts in the afternoon. Luckily we were there too early. We didn't want to experience the smell again.

Sam let us get off every now and then, we walked a little bit, but for the most part, we drove in the air-conditioned car. We had to get used to the heat and humidity.

On the way back to the hotel, we drove through the streets of Negombo and got closer to the locals. The school children had just finished school and gathered in front of the school to go home. Students usually have classes from 8:00 am to 1:30 pm here. Everyone wears school uniforms, which are uniformly white, but have different colors of ties and hairbands for girls depending on the region. The students are either picked up by their parents, walk home, or are driven home by tuk-tuks.

In the evening, Sam organized a canal tour for us by boat. The canals date back to the Dutch, who conquered the country from the 17th century onwards.

We drove through magnificent forests of plants and gradually discovered the vegetation more and more. We saw kingfishers, including the very rare black and white kingfisher. Suddenly we made a stop at a small farm. We got out and were supposed to follow an old man. Okay, what awaited us was amazing. The man climbed the palm trees and tapped the slightly fermented palm sap - palm wine. Without any safety equipment, he walked among the palms at dizzying heights. The man was 65 years old, admittedly, he looked older ;-) Eventually, we got a taste that was just a matter of habit. We drank it friendly and thanked him very much for this acrobatic performance.

On the boat, we sped towards the sunset at full speed. Huge fruit bats flew over us, waking up now. What an experience.

The next days should be just as eventful as the first day. We have a lot to report.

Stay tuned ... Josefine & Robert

P.S. You can also follow us on Instagram. There you will find beautiful impressions of our journey.

If you are not on Instagram, don't worry, there is a lot to see here too ;-)