Sri Lanka - Colombo to Mirissa

A quick half-full flight from Chennai and i'm in Sri Lanka. The guide books tell of pollution, noise, hassle and scams. This is of course relative as I've just been in India: Colombo is sleepy town! Walking off the plane the heat difference is noticable and as soon as I get out of the terminal sweat literally runs from every pore. I've already lost a few kg's in India. If i lose 12 in total it makes up for the weight of my backpack and i'm neutral! (jokes)

I'll try not to make too many comparisons with India for obvious reasons but i will say that it's a cleaner, friendlier, more accessible alternative. Colombo has a city centre banking district, the streets have pavements (bliss) and there's even western style supermarkets, of which India has none.
I stayed in a beach hostel south of Colombo called Adikram. Cute hostel, i would recommend. There are 3 mixed dormatory rooms (sleeping naked not an option) and the rest of the place is the owners house. A quick jump over the busy train tracks and you're on the stunning empty beach. All the tourist resorts are further towards Colombo.

I was sharing my dorm with one other. A 70 year old (next birthday) spritely lady from Finland. She had been travelling since her husband died, and had pretty much done the whole world looking at some stat's she kept. She SMS'd her daughter every day to tell her she's ok still.
I went for a drink and some food with her one evening and i then realised that she likes a drink! I had to duck out after 2 (large) Lion beers as my tolerance has gone right down from not drinking. She had 3 Lions then wanted to go to a nightclub! (which never happened). 70 is the new 20 apparently.

Spent a day in Colombo getting hassled most of the time. People who just want to practice their English, and then take you to a shop, or ceremony. Constant "Hello!" from tuk-tuk drivers and guides wanting to show you the real Colombo. A beautiful sunset on the city promenade, where EVERYONE had gathered and food stalls had popped up from nowhere. Spoke to lots of genuine people, families would come over and say hi, wanting to know where you're from. Had a tandoori with two locals lads who were out looking for girls, but with no luck! I wished them luck and headed home. Thought about a bus but it was such a nice evening i did a Forrest Gump and just carried on, walking all the way home.

Caught a bus from Colombo to Galle and got off, expecting to find accomodation. Turns out there was a music festival on so i had to re-think and head further out: 16km further out. The only place i found was somewhere called the Lace Rock Cabanas. Walked in and no-one about. An elderly Indian man asleep on the floor woke up and through broken English I ended up in a room. No passport taken, no money or anything. The Cabana was right on the beach, with booming crashing waves and palm trees it was lovely, but it was dead. I have no idea if anyone else were in any other rooms. I left and got the bus to Galle to check out the Dutch fort and old town: very beautiful. Got back to the Cabanas and still no-one about. Went to bed. Got up and still no-one about! Decided to (after finding someone) pay and leave then head further down the coast, this place was soul less. Don't go here!

Next stop Mirissa. Incredibly picturesque surfing beach with lovely restaurants dotted up and down the palm fringed shores. Found a room for a great price, in the back room of this lovely family home.
I wanted to surf but looking at the enormous break (about 0.5km offshore) i decided against it. The shore break was hectic itself, some waves looming over you and booming down onto the beach. I love it and spent most of the first day getting thrown at the beach by the waves then chilling with a curry under a palm tree.
There's not much social here. No dormatories and all couples or friends. Had fleeting conversations with people at the cafe's but people aren't interested in making friends when they already have their friends here!

Went whale spotting. This part of Sri Lanka is on the migration route and they come here to feed. Of course as soon as someone realised this multiple companies were created, fishing boats converted into whale spotters and tourists pay a bomb! That is unless you're staying in my room! The father could get great rates, almost half of what some people paid on the same boat and I was told not to tell the other tourists about this.
Me, a portly Italian chap and four mid-twenties French girls had the top "luxury" platform, with comfy mats on the floor and a better view. Down below were the people that paid a wedge. After a 1 hour ride out we spotted two blue whales in the distance and we raced over but their tails were in the air and they dived down. Twently minutes later up again for air then the HUGE tails in the air and down. Quite incredible creatures, the size is bewildering. To think animals so big are just cruising about down there gobbling plankton. After a few more viewings our driver heads back, much to the disgust of a Russian chap who starts raising his voice to stay longer, even pushing our driver. The other Sri Lankan men hanging about (there's always some hanging about) bunched up and the Russian man shut up.
I have a new favourite thing. On the way back we spotted flying fish. Wow, these guys can fly fast! Skimming the water and plopping back in. I'm maybe going to have some of these when i get a flat but i'm not sure on the logistics. Maybe two tanks, one either side of the room so they can fly between. I will need to think about this more.

One tuk-tuk journey i took the driver seemed nervous. He kept looking at me in his mirror. Eventually he asked me if i wanted to go for a beer. I said no, i want to get back. Silent for a few minutes he then said "sir, do not take this wrong. Do you want sex?" Assuming i misheard over the noisy tuk-tuk i said "sorry?" He repeated. I said "No. I don't like men in that way. I like women!". He seemed pretty embassased by asking and I told him it's fine, don't worry, there's nothing wrong with being gay, but of course it's not the done thing in Sri Lanka and he begins to tell me that he's married, his wife is 6 months pregnant and he does not get sex at the moment. A this point we arrived. Dumbstruck and unsure what to say I just thanked him for the ride!