...and rewind

To be honest, in the past 7 weeks I have certainly seen much less than most tourists on the classic 2.5-week tour. I skipped some of the 'main attractions' for purely financial reasons, and in the end, the tenth temple doesn't really interest you anymore. The obligatory safari was too expensive for me, the few wild elephants on the side of the road and the monkeys jumping around in the alleys were enough for me. I didn't visit the famous Lion Rock (also too expensive) or go for an expensive Ayurvedic treatment. I also didn't visit any of the dozens of tea factories - my blood-sucking hike through the plantations to Ramboda Waterfall was definitely enough. In short, I failed as a tourist.

But if you ask me, that's completely okay! Because I believe I can claim to have had an authentic journey. A journey in which I could gain a really good impression of the country and its people without clinging to the thick travel guide. Because even though I didn't want to spend a lot of money, I had something much more valuable in abundance - time.
Unlike a vacationer who enjoys their well-deserved holiday, doesn't turn every penny and just wants to have a good time for 2-3 weeks, the classical backpacker tries to travel around with as little money as possible for as long as possible. Without a return ticket, with plenty of time, and the goal of escaping the German everyday life for as long as possible with the savings. I proactively organized a 3-month visa before my trip so that I wouldn't have to rush here and could freely decide how long I wanted to stay. In my opinion, this freedom allows you to take the time to pause and extend your stay a few nights if you really like a place. So I ended up staying in Weligama for a whole month, even though this town was never on my list (and I don't even have a list :D). After 2 weeks, I moved from Beatroot Hostel to Basecamp Yoga Guesthouse, and I also "worked" there for 2 more weeks. My job description included doing 90 minutes of yoga every morning in our wonderful shala overlooking the sea, then enjoying an amazing, newly invented breakfast every day, and spending the rest of the day running the reception and working on my own projects or going surfing with the guests. In the evenings, we took our guests to the best western and local restaurants in the area - and that was the job. Terrible, I tell you.

Anyway, at Basecamp, I had the opportunity to take care of a slightly... well, more upscale clientele of guests. I was always amazed at how much the perception of a country can differ depending on whether you treat yourself to a nice vacation or, like me, wander around without a plan and a lot of money. As you already know, I had some struggles, especially at the beginning, and I was overwhelmed by the mentality and way of life. By now, I have learned to understand and love the people here, but they still have an extremely pushy and rude way when they want to sell you something. The constant bargaining and debating are part of it, as well as the doubled prices for tourists in general. I always had to smile when our guests reported with radiant eyes how incredibly friendly everyone is here. Yes, of course they are friendly to you when you pay 3000 LKR for a taxi ride that would only cost 30 LKR by bus. Or when you spend a lot of money on a snorkeling tour even though you could just go alone with a snorkel. Don't get me wrong... I have met incredibly nice, generous, and hospitable people here. And just because they want to sell you something completely overpriced, that doesn't contradict their friendly mentality. But you should still differentiate and be aware that at the end of the day, you are mainly just a walking wallet and the people here know very well that we would spend the money they earn here on ice cream for a day back home. But there is also another side to the perception: for example, one of our younger female visitors asked me with fearful eyes if it is dangerous to go out alone in town during the day. And I couldn't help but burst out laughing.
By the way, there was one single situation where being a tourist definitely helped me: when there was a power outage again, just when my credit card was stuck in the ATM - 3 days before my departure. The locals were certain that I wouldn't get it back for another 2-3 weeks, because that's how things work here. Luckily, my Sinhalese friend Nilu encouraged me to make a scene like an angry upper-class lady in the bank branch, and boom - I got my card back the next day. Well, you just have to figure out how things work in Sri Lanka...

Please don't be upset... of course, you can also have a super authentic travel experience as a vacationer. What I actually want to say is that in the past 7 weeks, I got to know a wonderful country. With extremely diverse nature, from lush tea plantations to dense jungles and beautiful beaches. With warm-hearted people who like to share their stories and street food. With crazy bus drivers, toothless fish sellers, and long-haired beach boys. With incredibly delicious fruits, colorful birds, and super cheeky monkeys. But also with way too much plastic waste on the beach and roadside. With an unbelievable number of stray dogs huddled in corners. With political unrest between the many faith communities, even though it's surprisingly harmonious to live together on a large scale. And with residents who are careless with their precious resources and wildlife. And that's even though I have only explored a fraction of the country. BUT: I certainly won't be here for the last time. And at some point, I will definitely come back as a tourist and treat myself to a 3-week tour with a private driver who chauffeurs me to all the sights, instead of being sweaty and squeezed in a bus and enduring the overtakes in panic. Then I will cuddle up in big beds with clean sheets in the evenings, instead of sharing a dorm room without air conditioning with 5 drunk Israelis. But even then, I will still enjoy calling a tuk-tuk in Sinhala and eating my curry with my fingers...

But for now, I'm heading to Phuket to complete my 4-week yoga teacher training on Koh Phangan starting mid-November. But since I just decided on all of this a few days ago, I'm completely unprepared for what awaits me in Thailand, as usual! I don't even have a travel guide with me! :D But that's exactly what makes it so exciting...
I'm glad that I could give you a glimpse into my journey and experiences in Sri Lanka, and maybe I encouraged you to skip the travel guide and return ticket next time :)

"Tourists don't know where they've been -
Travelers don't know where they're going."