Waking to the sound of the sea. Mirissa

Ok. I hate resorts, I hate hotels full of tourists. I hate waking early. And here I am. BUT waking early to the sounds of the waves hitting the shore was magical. I lay in my lovely bed, under the cooling fan and just listened. The sound of the birds added to the experience. 

Soon after, spanish lessons and quizzes complete, I was in the pool cooling off. Even at 10:00am it is warm, tolerable but warm. A massage has been booked for later and right now I am sitting on my deck having a coffee. 

And now under the cool of a fan in a delightful courtyard having my first espresso for days. A beautiful rustic setting with Buddha watching over us and a whack of proper caffeine is bliss. 

A tiny shop caught my eye so of course I explored. Lo and behold they had the dresses that I love and live in at home. I am ready to retire a black one which is full of holes and here in front of me was not only a black one but a lime green as well. About $35 for the two and they are both going home with me. Yay.  I love buying clothes in these hot places. Almost always they are lightweight cotton, so cool  and handy for travel. Shame the same clothes appear in every country of the world. 🤣

And we are on our way again. This time to a fisherman’s home for a seafood lunch. Hopefully a short drive. 

We pass through surfy, backpacker villages lining the shore then stop for a bit to check out some of the fishing boats.  Branching off the main road the bus navigates small lanes where locals are going about their daily lives. Small shanty’s are tucked into the trees often overlooked by modern mansions. 

I had imagined that we were going to a seaside shanty for lunch. Instead we are in a well maintained modern home where we watch our meal cooked over an open fire at the back of the house. 

We watch a kalamari saute being cooked and then a crab curry. Of course they are both served to us with a variety of accompaniments. I spied baby fried fish. In my mind I am back in Greece sitting at an outdoor cafe eating freshly cooked marides. I scoop a handful onto my plate, demolish them in a moment and go back for more. Nothing like super fresh fried fish, crispy on the outside and tender soft in the middle. Even the crunch of the soft tiny bones is great. The sauted calamari was also tender, tasteful and a bit different. I didn’t even try any of the other food. Why would I when the fish were so good. 

Most of the others are off to Galle. Not me. More time in the bus is not something I want as much as I would like to explore Galle. So I stayed behind and hung out with a bit of retail therapy thrown in. 

My first stop was the jewellers down the road where I had spied a ring. Which I now own. That’s my purchase from Sri Lanka and I love it. 

With three or four hours to kill what to do but hang out in the pool and relax. Its not quite as hot today and there is a gentle breeze blowing so it is bearable. Climbing the four floors to the rooftop spa is the most exercise for the day and the reward at the top was a glorious massage. Strong but soothing and each stroke in sync with the waves breaking on the beach. It felt like we were on the seashore. 

I was sad it was over. The best massage of the trip for around $35. 

Sally, from our group, had stayed behind too so we lazed on the beach, me with a Mojito, until it was time to go to dinner. A lovely relaxing day but not what I came here for. 

We watched a fully clothed family playing in the surf. It seemed they had never been on a beach before and my heart was in my mouth every time a wave came along. I was relieved when the came out to the safety of the shore. 

Dinner again was in the hotel restaurant. A totally different menu from the night before but a super biryani and a stunning beef curry with a decent bite. The most flavoursome curry I’ve had. Who would have thought I’d get the best curry in a tourist hotel buffet. She who generally refuses to eat at a buffet.  

Banana fritters, coconut treacle and vanilla ice cream followed. The perfect end to the day. 

Sleep didn’t come easy and the more I tried to avoid the sand in my bed, the more I managed to have stuck to the oil on my skin. 

Thank goodness tomorrow is the last bus trip and I think my last intrepid trip. There was nothing intrepid about this and it felt like a coach trip in a smaller bus. 

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