Turtle time

View from the room

That good old travel disappointment started to kick in again as we prepared for the expect mess up with our accommodation for the beach. We had booked four nights on Agoda for a resort a few months out from our trip and about a month after the booking we got an email saying that we couldn't have the first night, as they were full (in other words they sold rooms to Agoda that they didn't even have). So we rocked up to turtle bay resort (literally, the road was the worst thing ever, huge pot holes) expecting for them to send us to their sister hotel), however, to our relief they checked us into a great room overlooking the ocean as we had originally tried to book for the full four night, and relieved, we hit the beach for a beer.

For about 5 minutes. We thought it was all over, we were safely checked in to our room, nothing could go wrong now - until he manage came to see use. Turns out we did have to move (pissed us off too, after having told them the situation at check in) but luckily someone had  not turned up, so we just had to move into a downstairs room rather than down the road.

After the messy beginning with the hotel we tried to clear the slate and enjoy the isolation. The beach was empty, other than a way up a small fishing spot where the men pulled in nets for hours on end and surfed small boats in through the rough waves. There were only 7 rooms in the hotel and we often felt as if we were the only people around, we could see down the entire bay from our second room upstairs (from night two) and it was a truly an amazing place.


'Chef', as he became known, would come out after dinner each night and check we were happy with our meals. Luckily the food was pretty tasty overall, they even did a Sri Lankan breakfast for us on our last day as per our request (Sri Lankan breakfast is sooooo good - currys, hoppers and all sorts of tasty treats.... Including coconut sambol - fresh chilli, lime juice and coconut, all ground together).

Then there was the night the power went out, we had a SWARM of bugs attack the restaurant followed by dinner and wine by candle light. Free wine of course. The staff seemed very concerned that the guests were going to be upset by it all, but I think most of us seemed to have no worries. Given the isolation it is not surprising. It also gave us more time to chat with Fran and David, the semi-retired poms we had made acquaintances with. The only problem with having no power was it also meant no air con.... Not such an easy heat to sleep in, even with a few cocktails behind us.

Spike and Gayan looking down the lagoon

Temple

Our second to last day at Turtle Bay we went for a little look around the area with a local tuk tuk driver, Gayan. And he was fantastic. He was enthusiastic, cheerful and informative. We were told the story again of the young Sri Lankans who drink and fight, this time related to the fishermen (last time it was cricket fans). We had a look around the fishing village, there were so many boats, mainly the small ones with the outriggers and heaps of tangled nets balled up.

The real point of interest in the stop was where he took us down to the lagoon entrance. Earlier we had visited a pagoda, where Gayan had told us about his tsunami experience and here, in the lagoon, was where he was that day. It was there that he was with his friends when it hit and he was swept down the lagoon 1.5kms. Gayan and his friend were very very lucky to survive that day, and they lost 10 of their friends. He said how it had been in Sri Lanka post the Boxing Day tsunami, and the incredible amount of aid that got everyone back on their feet. Gayan had received a new tuk tuk from the Red Cross, which lead him to where he was today, a 32 year old local tuk tuk driver. It is hard to explain how it feels when you are told a story like that, he told it so matter of fact. For me this reflected how common his situation is around Tangalle. How normal it now seems. Everyone has a story of how they were effected.

He also took us up a rock in the bird sanctuary to look down the lagoon at the water buffalo and to a beautiful temple, where there was both Buddhist and Hindu symbols of worship. It was a beautiful temple, only, some of the painted walls were peeling badly and I don't know how long the images will be remembered. It is always a shame to see deterioration of such historic and special places.

It was sad to be leaving turtle bay, but we knew we had a treat in store once we got to colombo.

And back to colombo we went. A couple of hours in a car and then we were destined for another train ride.  Another frustrating travel moment, where our driver brought us train tickets, and after assuring us many times that he was getting the tickets we asked, for we ended up sweating the next four hours away on a smelly train towards colombo.

All that melted away instantly when we arrived at our hotel. We had a domo, our personal butler.... I think that gives a pretty good idea of the awesomeness that is this boutique hotel. They would make any cocktail you could want and the service was outstanding. I also had a massage here too, and it was much less invasive and nicer than the others we had had in Sri Lanka.

One room of our suite at Casa Colombo

Random fact - the cost of tuk tuk is (in nzd) about $5000, a small as car $17000, not cheap to seat up a driving business in Sri Lanka considering the average household only earns $350 per month.

The Sri Lankan president gave an elephant to Japanese.... Somehow I think he wants something.....