Hikkaduwa

Today I set off to finally travel alone by bus and train. I don't want to miss this experience with the locals.

I don't really care about the destination, but since I don't just want to go back and forth, I decide on Hikkaduwa.

A tiny beach town on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. There is the over 4-kilometer long Narigama Beach. From April to October, you can surf excellently here. In winter, however, the Indian Ocean is calm, making it a perfect place for snorkeling and swimming. Here you can admire and even feed lots of giant turtles in the shallow water along the coast, as this is one of the areas in Sri Lanka where they hatch their eggs.

I set off relatively early, dressed a bit more conservatively than usual, as I don't want to attract attention. With a long skirt, hat, and my backpack, I head to a so-called "bus stop". Of course, there are no bus departure times. Either you wait long or very long, or you are lucky, like me, and it comes right away. Bold like a young teenager, I raise my thumb as I hail the bus. The bus stops next to me, even though I haven't quite reached the bus stop yet. To ask the bus driver about my destination, I take the first two steps. Just as I get in, the tires screech and the bus drives off. I quickly notice how the driver shakes his head from side to side as a response. For a brief moment, I have to think, and then it comes back to me. Here, head shaking means yes. However, a fellow passenger points out that I have to change buses in Ambalangoda. Well, I think, but now I'll just enjoy the bus ride. I notice the bus driver, how he operates the pedals barefoot, holds his phone to his ear with one hand, and sings along to the loud music. Bus rides in this country are known for their fast and daring driving style. Just my taste. I'm being rocked back and forth, and for the first half of the journey, I have to stand, but quickly realize that it's impossible to film like this. After being kindly offered a vacant seat, I gratefully accept. I'm lucky to sit in the front row to experience the action up close. One situation is pretty precarious when two oncoming buses overtake a Tuk Tuk at the same time and realize that there isn't enough room for both on the road. And as the distance between them gets smaller and smaller, they naturally honk loudly and flash their lights. By the way, I'm sitting in one of the two buses. After this exciting maneuver, we suddenly stop. At first, I think that the ticket inspector wants to change money in the shop, because money is collected directly on the bus, but then I smile, as he purposefully heads to the Buddha right next to the shop and mutters a prayer. Practical, I think, so it seems to have been set up specifically for the kamikaze drivers.

Well, I survived and had a lot of fun with the fast driving.

The journey took a total of 45 minutes and cost the equivalent of €0.50.

We reach Hikkaduwa and I'm not particularly impressed with the place. Every other person speaks Russian and it's very touristy here.

The shops not only look the same, they also offer the same things.

I buy some souvenirs, negotiate prices, and then exhausted, I lie on the beach to watch surfers 🏄‍♂️ or those who want to become one, when I notice a bay with sea turtles. Seeing these animals live is of course very beautiful and I am really impressed by their size and proximity to them.🐢

Before embarking on the adventure with the train, I buy some cake for Thamiya to bring joy to him, his son, and his mother. Of course, I can't resist and enjoy it without showing any sign of regret.😋

The train is delayed by 20 minutes, and I calmly buy a ticket at the counter. I pay even less than the bus ride cost; only €0.25.

Now I have enough time to observe the people around me. Samil joins me and we start a conversation. Well, he tells me his story, how he survived the tsunami. Simply terrible how he regained consciousness among many dead and was finally saved severely injured by a monk. The train arrives and we say goodbye friendly.

There are 3 classes on the trains here, but my train only offers the 2nd class. Actually a shame, as the best atmosphere is always in the 3rd class, as I was told. The train is not overcrowded, but I still choose a place on the footboard to get the best feeling during the ride.

The train only goes 30 km/h, so I dare to do it and apart from losing my sunglasses, only good things have happened to me.🙏🏼😄