Tangalle - Mirissa

On the way from Tangalle to Mirissa, another coastal town, we made three stops: first at a surfer spot where unfortunately there was nothing going on and we only had a small snack, then at a so-called 'blowhole' which pushes the seawater up in a fountain like a geyser, and finally at the temple with the (supposedly) largest sitting Buddha in Sri Lanka. The temple was remarkable. One part with paintings and statues illustrating Buddha's life was ancient. Another part was relatively new and depicted vividly with statues and paintings the tortures in hell for different sins, and the third part was the giant Buddha and also a relatively large stupa.

Unfortunately, an elephant was kept in very bad conditions at the temple. It was chained up so tightly at the front and back that it couldn't even turn around or lie down. How can you treat an animal so poorly when it is needed for a sacred ceremony? It's truly disgusting.

After the beautiful Tangalle, Mirissa was like a cold shower. The main road runs directly behind the beach. What we found so beautiful in Tangalle was not present in Mirissa. What we found was an overcrowded beach, more plastic waste, beach vendors, and unsympathetic tourists.

However, there was a cool policeman who waved us down because he wanted to talk to us about our tuk-tuk journey.

We had a cute accommodation at "The Fat Mermaid", a small resort run by a French couple who also surf. However, there was no mosquito net and when my foot accidentally stuck out of the sheet at night, I was promptly bitten on the sole of my foot. That's the most annoying spot to be bitten because you can't scratch it, lotions don't help, and the bite keeps getting irritated. Overall, I didn't like Mirissa and this little nocturnal episode only confirmed my impression. Let's move on quickly!