Hippies and Happy Hour

My next stop finally took me to the beach, to Arugam Bay. Arugam is known as a surf enclave on Sri Lanka's east coast, and offers excellent weather and waves between June and September, when the monsoon is still raging on the west coast. I arrived just in time for the end of the season on September 30th, craving sunshine and eager to get back on the board. The weekend before, Sri Lanka's surfing championships took place here, but by the time I arrived, the hustle and bustle was gone and some hotels and hostels had already closed. I checked in at the Beach Hut Hostel, where, thanks to the end of the season, I paid just $4/night for a double room with private bathroom. It was a bit sporadic and run-down, but with direct beach access and a great bohemian atmosphere - definitely a recommendation from me. I immediately checked out the numerous surf shops for a good deal and strolled through the town. It was the first time that I could really stroll around alone without feeling the initial intrusive behavior of the locals, and man, did I enjoy it. Everything and everyone here seemed relaxed and leisurely enjoying the day, even the tuk-tuk drivers honked only half as much as elsewhere. I spent the evening with Julia, another solo traveler, listening to great live music. We stumbled from one happy hour to the next, something that seems to be hard to avoid and characterized almost every evening in Arugam :D While surfing at Whiskey Point, a spot a bit off the beaten path, I met Gil, another solo traveler from Israel. Well, "solo traveler" is relative in this case, as Arugam seemed to consist of 90% Israelis at that time. As a predominantly Muslim town, it seems to be the new top destination for Israelis, so there were entire stretches of beach, hotels, and parties designed exclusively for this target group. Gil confirmed that the typical Israeli behavior in the water (not giving a f*** about surf etiquette and dropping in on every damn wave) also reflects their mentality on the streets, which is why Gil was trying to escape them. He seemed to be the confirming exception to the rule, and so we explored various surf spots in the region and - happy hours. My friends from Kandy had also checked into the Beach Hut by now, so I could again freely choose between party time and social time - fantastic, I tell you! During the day, I usually drove alone or with Gil in a tuk-tuk to one of the many surf spots in the area, and in the evenings, we hung out with our hostel crew, enjoying numerous mango mojitos and Lion Lager in the cozy beach bars. Since it seemed that everyone knew someone at the next table, groups of 10-15 people from all over the world came together, speaking a mishmash of different languages and laughing.

One of the most exciting things about traveling alone is that you get to know yourself again and regularly push the boundaries of your comfort zone. You don't have to consult anyone about your decisions, but you also bear the responsibility on your own. There's no one to blame if the accommodation has more cockroaches than pillows, the nice beach restaurant turns out to be a total tourist trap, or the tuk-tuk driver rips you off again. Besides having a lot of alone time, during which you can either like or dislike yourself, you quickly find connections.
But now back to the evenings in Arugam: Personally, I find it just as interesting to observe who takes on which role in a new group and contributes to its dynamics. Through numerous random side jobs, I have gained a decade of experience in forming new teams and assessing personalities, and yet I am always surprised by people, including myself. Despite, or perhaps because of the occasional language barrier, a great deal is based on humor. I loved it when Cameron told Scottish jokes that only he found funny because we didn't understand them due to our lack of (dirty!) vocabulary. Nevertheless, we laughed hysterically, more about him than the joke, simply because his laughter was so contagious. It's funny to joke around with each other, using various stereotypes about other nationalities and realizing that they all have some origin. Quite frequently, I was teased for my supposedly very typical German behavior... because I preferred to pack my backpack the evening before departure and carefully store everything in my vacuum bags, or always knew exactly when and where which bus was leaving. But since I usually also knew where the next happy hour was or where to get beer at half price, everyone benefited in the end ;) The 3 French brothers who were part of our group often pretended (with a grin) to shiver from the cold when they touched me because I was, in their view, an emotionless icicle, just because I refused to participate in the annoying double-cheek kissing at every farewell. Anyway... Arugam was wonderful and a little paradise that I will definitely miss. Even though in the end, we had to pay more for our drinks bill at the hostel than for accommodation+food... ;)