The Deep South: Turtles, surfing and an old fort

And once again a week has flown by and now the end of our Sri Lanka trip is approaching.

But let's rewind a few days:

After our elephant safari we headed south. The first stop was Tangalle or Rekawa, a smaller neighboring town. Great, lonely stands, turtles and, above all, lots of rain awaited us here! Because it's still monsoon season in the south of the island and there's a chance of one or two outdoor showers.

Our accommodation (Green Turtle in Rekawa) was right next to the Turtle Watch Center. Here you try to protect the turtle eggs and "accompany" the babies into the sea - so that as many as possible survive. We were lucky and were able to accompany the hatching during our stay.

We also planned to watch the large turtles laying eggs - but we weren't so successful here.

After two nights we moved on to Weligama. In this bay you can find good waves all year round (even in the rainy season). That's why we threw ourselves on the surfboards again for 4 days. Our surf instructor Manju (Surf n' Lanka - the best surf school!!!!) was really able to teach us a lot and Magnus is now even surfing hardboard! Given the number of bruises, I was very happy with my softboard ;)

After our last surfing session on Thursday morning, we set off for Galle (with a lot of sore muscles) - our last stop before the journey home.

Galle is known for its old fort, which was first built by the Portuguese (16th century), then the Dutch (17th/18th century) and finally the English (19th century) and used as an important trading place. Many buildings are still well preserved and are a reminder of the past. Our accommodation (Beatrice House) also takes us back to the Dutch colonial period, with meter-high wooden ceilings, verandas and great wooden doors.

Through the Galle Heritage Foundation we received a city tour from an archaeologist who explained to us the history and significance of Galle. From the cinnamon and elephant trade to the overthrow of the Portuguese by the Dutch, explosive chambers and secret tunnels, we were able to discover the diverse corners of Galle.

The fort itself survived the 2004 tsunami almost unscathed, while the city of Galle on the mainland was very badly affected.

Of course, on our last days here in Sri Lanka we picked up one or two curries.

Tomorrow we'll take the train to Colombo and the airport. This is the last blog entry.

See you soon, we look forward to seeing you!