After spending some quality time in Chennai airport with no wifi as we weren’t with vodaphone. Did have a yummy biryani though. Skyroam our little portable wifi device was blocked. Super weird ……. We were so hanging out for some connection to the world . Just had to wait a few more hours…..
After a short flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka only an hour, we arrive, yeah……….Skyroam is on as soon as we touch down. Super excited so ridiculously silly but we have been deprived. Going through customs was so easy those immigration guys are super relaxed they didn’t even look at our visa or the immigration card thingo. We were having a moment of what’s the address where we are staying, couldn’t find it, stressing out for no reason so wrote nothing . It didn’t seem to matter. Coming into the duty free area is super funny you could pick some whitewoods washing machine dyer even a new fridge if you so desire or a large flat screen there were so many stores selling this. We just bee lined it to the gin shelve and bottle of Mmmm Bubbles . After getting a wad of Sri Lankan rupees from the ATM our driver was there to take us on a nearly 4 hour drive to Marwella Hideaways near Tangalle.
We arrived about 10pm at night starving but totally caught up with social media that kept us busy in the back seat while our driver drove like a man with a mission along the freeway. We thanked our driver for getting us there safely. The staff at the house met us with broad smiles Indika and Malkanthi the cook had dinner ready and waiting. It was like wow…… Tuna, Dahl and two different salads of okra and beans. So tasty…. Very much appreciated. We thought we are in for a treat of delicious food.
Mawella hideaways was bought by Nicola & Ewan after the 2004 tsunami they were given permission to renovate the 3 houses and they did an excellent job keeping it simple with a very natural decor. No air con just the lovely breeze from the ocean everyday keeps things just right and ceiling fans. We loved hearing the sound of the ocean its like lullaby going on in the background so soothing beautiful for the soul. The decor was very pleasing to the eye and easy to live with for our 10 days of heaven. Its is situated on a horseshoe cove with a very strong presence of the fishing community. Many large and very small fishing boats on the beach. Mainly the small fishing boats would go and catch the local fish. It wasn’t the season for the larger fishing boats as they are apparently for larger fish. Two evenings a large Catamaran parked out the front of the bay in front of us. Looked beautiful. Most days we would walk for about 40 mins up the beach to swim in front of the other hotels for a swim as the swell would sometimes be around 2m but mainly close outs quiet a strong swell though but fun your bathers would be full of sand . We came back and read for the afternoon, dinner was usually at 7pm.
We had decided after the first night that we would just let Indika and Malkanthi do all the cooking as it was so tasty. Super cheap too. Breakfast was a spread of fruit most days Malkanthi would make beans of some description . Also the curd and treacle was amazing, we would eat a whole pot of it. Piggies, I know but a great Sri Lankan combo. The chick peas with a chilli sambal and freshly grated coconut was the winner. Coffee of course. She would cook enough for 4 people breakfast so we would have the leftovers for lunch. Perfecto…. After breakfast they would ask what we would like for dinner, curry was most diners or grilled tuna, lobster, Curry tuna sounds weird but worked, curry prawns, curry potato, curry pumpkin, curry beetroot, and some stir fried greens Okra salad and sambal of coconut. She also made some pakoras one day hoppers and string hoppers that you would have Dahl or a veg curry with and chilli sambal. So healthy hardly any carbs so I think we lost weight, weird I know.
Tony one day walked up the side street to find a shop to buy some nuts to have with beer. Every day at 5ish we would have a gnt or beer sometimes you just need a little snack with those beers. So off he went down the winding path towards somewhere hopefully a little shop or something. The local dogs were harassing him so had to be very mindful not to be bitten on the ankles. An old local guy came rushing out of house climbing out of the window with sarong on with his big belly protruding said g’day mate which took Tony by surprise, asking where you goin?, to a shop, Tony replied he ran back inside grabbed his shirt was very willing to take Tony to his favourite shop as I don’t think to many Australians come here, mainly British folk according to the guest book and walked with him to the shop which was just next door. Tony got some nuts, local guy wanted a reward for showing him the local shop and very keen on a cake so Tony was very happy to buy him his treat which he scoffed down like no tomorrow. We rarely saw any locals just on the beach the fisherman we would have a chat with. One day the department of Environment was on the beach doing a survey about groins. They asked us our opinion about them and I remembered Tyron did a project at school in geography about them so recited that and looked half intelligent, they took that on board and bid us fair well. Happy to help. Another day we were walking back and many locals on the beach gathering we thought it was the local neighbour hood watch meeting as the ladies were there as well as the children. But we were wrong a local guy was in the water had been for 2 days had fallen off the large rocks around the corner must have been fishing and the swell had been huge the last few days as it was a full new moon. That was sad to hear and witness.
We had dogs around the house a black and white one and another tan dog they belonged to Indika, would like to hang with you or come for a walk with you down the beach sit and wait while you swam and come back. There was monitor lizards in the garden those cute little squirrels, a mongoose we think after consulting Indika saw some monkeys one day but briefly.
We didn’t really go out and explore at all only just walked the beach was totally slack I know but we thought we where in heaven. No tourists like ourselves. Travelling for such a long time we need to consolidate finances. Keep it simple and relatively cheap sometimes.
On the 23rd March Tyron and Marley were having their engagement party. We had been chatting with them up to the lead up. Super excited about the party at home. Ruby organised for us some beautiful flowers and a lovely bottle of bubbles for them both. Very much appreciated. They were very surprised. They had around 50 guests even though we couldn’t be actually there as part of their day we had a couple of FaceTime chats and cracked the bubbles and cheered with them to a great happy year ahead planning the wedding which is on March 14th, 2020. Yes, we will be back by then.T
Bentota about 3 hours drive north of Marwella Beach. Villa Bentota, http://www.paradiseroadhotel.com So beautiful the decor was similar to the house we just came from. Natural timbers with black and white and a good smattering of antiques and art. Right on a very quiet beach of Bentota. The quirky part of this place to stay was there was the train that runs to Galle going straight through the bottom of the garden. Didn’t really hear it during the night. We ate some beautiful food the staff were wonderful. We even got a room upgrade. That was amazing. It was a wonderful 5 nights. Swimming in the ocean was so warm, eating ,chilling. Had a lovely chat with an Indian lady at the pool one day she was a, grandmother she was there with her family and two of the sweetest little boys. When you tell people what you are doing and your journey for this year. It’s always a look of whaaattt, you’re doing what……..
Time to leave paradise road and head to the Maldives. Just a very short flight of 90mins. We came to the Maldives last in 2015. Staying in a more up-market island. Which are amazing the rooms are beautiful but you pay good money for that privilege, not this trip. This time we are returning to a place we came to in 2005 the year after the tsunami had hit the islands. Dhonveli it has a surf break that only guests of the island can surf, Pasta point also another surf break you can get to on a Dhoni called Sultans or Honkys and Jails. Arriving we can see that things have changed in the last 14 years and I am not sure for the best. Tony first came here he is thinking in the early 1990’s when there was not much here with Mark & Leo and they had a little shop in the middle he remembers that sold hash. That would have been handy for some chilling under the umbrella, me thinking. I think our neighbours in the next room could do with that OMG, arguing at 7.30pm about mundane things then at some ungodly hour of this morning she was going off with every second word F—k. I think she needs some chill pills if only that shop was still here. the walls look like they are made of stone but maybe its paper.??
Went for a snorkel this morning as we could remember the best reef in the lagoon it was full of colour and fish. Thinking 14 years later that reef should be awesome. It’s gone, all dredged or something hardly any fish all dead coral. My heart is so sad, disappointing. Expecting coral and it’s gone.
One night it was earth night they had a huge bonfire on the beach and some locals girls dancing it was a really hot night especially with the bonfire.
When we got here 4 days ago the surf was pretty good. Tony went out but as we aren’t travelling with his own board and just hired one. He wasn’t happy with that so didn’t go out very much. The right equipment makes the experience a lot more enjoyable when it yours. So I am led to believe.
Last night and afternoon Atoll Travel took us out on their boat to do some snorkelling. We saw turtles and reef sharks it fabulous drifting along with the strong current. There was 16 of us on the boat, some of the surfers have been coming here for the same week for the past 15 years or more. Really nice group of men and others have been coming here for some 40 or more years. Now that is commitment. They are now in their 70’s and still out there ripping it apart. Tony I hope you don’t think it time to hang up the board yet because those guys are certainly and inspiration to the sport they love. They all look super fit too.
It was a fun night last night they had a cocktail party for the “Returners” Yummy snacks and GnT’s a great band played too. It was from 7-8.30pm but I think the last song was played at 9.30pm. It was so hot dancing our bodies where encased by sweat. Had a fantastic dance with one of guys from Byron Bay he was 72 my he could dance. The whole night was a blast. Today mmmmmm………..Been awhile since we drank more than two drinks. Then we missed dinner. Had so much fun, dancing and chatting.
Tomorrow we leave paradise pack those bathers away for while as we are heading to Nepal,Tibet and Bhutan for 20 days. Another amazing adventure awaits.
tonyandsharon 