Let's go surfing

Good evening dear ones. we are now in Mirissa, another small town on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Mirissa is known for its beautiful beaches, vibrant nightlife, and extensive leisure activities.

As we travel further, it becomes more touristy. Gone are the days when we felt like exotic creatures, gone are the many small moments with street acquaintances, merchants who didn't speak English, or the family that cooked for us in their tin hut in the evenings.

Here, on the other hand, you can find everything that the backpacker's heart desires. Granted, everything is still in its infancy and not perfected down to the last detail. But that is of course exactly the charm that appeals to backpacker tourists. Here, there are hostels for all wallet sizes, a vibrant nightlife, and many Sinhalese Rastafaris and surfer dudes who know exactly the effect they have on the mostly female backpackers.

Right next door is one of the top ten beginner surf spots in the world, Welligama Beach. And if we have that right on our doorstep, we certainly won't miss out. In fact, we have caught the surfing bug and we have been taking a surf course on the beach, or rather on the water, for the past two days.

If you think that surfing is easy if you can already snowboard, you are mistaken. It's a whole different ball game. The currents, the powerful waves, the hot sun, and the constant getting up and falling down really drain your energy. After an hour, your arms feel like jelly and you need a break, a shady spot, and at least a liter of drinking water to flush down the ten liters of saltwater you have swallowed in between.

Speaking of flushing down... Of course, such a journey does not go by without side effects. I spent the whole night in the toilet yesterday and today it was Sina's turn. Whatever we have caught there. Maybe it was just the sun and the saltwater from the sea, who knows.

Thankfully, we have chosen a slightly more upscale hotel in Mirissa and will be staying for a total of four nights. This way, we can at least have a clean bathroom and a comfortable bed for regeneration.

Actually, there are also moments on such a trip where not everything goes according to plan or can be seen through rose-colored glasses. In the past few days, I have also had some serious conversations with some locals. It's a lot about the current political situation, the influence of foreign cultures and immigrants, or allegations of corruption and scandals. Not so far away from what we thought we had left behind a few weeks ago.

By the way, we have also left behind the idea of going on a whale-watching tour. Quite curious, because just a few weeks ago, that was the reason why Mirissa absolutely had to be part of our itinerary. Mirissa is the place from which probably the most boats and tourists in Sri Lanka start on a 4-5 hour tour into the Indian Ocean every day to observe dolphins and especially whales in their natural habitat. Apparently, it is currently high season and the probability of encountering blue whales is extremely high. Unfortunately, the number of tour providers and boats that go on the "hunt" for the sea giants every morning is also very high.

We think that in the end, everyone has to reconcile that with themselves. For both of us, it has become clear that we do not want to support this.

Tomorrow we will go to the jungle of Unawatuna once again. Here, we have rented a treehouse in the middle of nature for two days before finally driving to the noisy Colombo for one last day. Well... Our tour is actually coming to an end. How time flies...

In this sense, see you soon dear ones. Hugs, Sina and Matti.