Sri Lanka Anyone? Around the World 6

Destination: Columbo, Sri Lanka
Date: March 2012

The Sri Lankan dancers that met us at the port in Colombo
March 2012

Our one and only day in Sri Lanka, we decided to make a beach day.  Our day at port was cut short because we had to get to Mumbai earlier than expected so we only had from 8:00am-12:30pm to enjoy the country.  When we got off the boat in Sri Lanka we walked out of the big shipping dock and found a taxi driver to take us to the beach.  The driver we found charged us $60 US dollars to drive us in a military style open air van to Mount Lavinia Beach about 12 kilometers from our dock.  Since the traffic is so bad in Sri Lanka and there is no real freeway system it took us about 45 minutes to get to the beach. 

In case you were wondering where Sri Lanka was located.... ;)

Our taxi in Sri Lanka which was basically a small pick-up truck with a covered back and two benches facing each other
March 2012

Some of our group in the back of the taxi in Columbo
March 2012

Bailey and me in the back of our taxi
March 2012

 After many stops, honking of horns, bumps of cars both in front of us and behind we finally got to the beach.  We had to get out in an alley that was filled with abandoned bricks and trash, cross some railroad tracks, and then walk along the tracks to get down to the beach.  As we walked along the tracks a train came by and was only about 2 feet from us.  It was as close as I have ever been to a moving train in my life.  We held each other back and quickly made our way away from the tracks.  Since the train was so close it scared us all to death. 

Our dangerous walk along the railroad tracks to the beach
March 2012

Yes we were this close to a passing train and Bailey wasn't satisfied that Clay was a safe distance away
March 2012

Once at the beach we found six beach chairs with umbrellas that we were able to rent for $1.80 each about 200 Sri Lankan rupees.  We got ourselves settled and headed out to the waves.  The ocean was beautiful and had great waves for body surfing.  Our friend "J" was the best I’ve ever seen riding the waves all the way in like a true pro surfer.  

Our sweet set up with homemade and extremely heavy lounge chairs featuring my good friend "S"
March 2012

We saw some Sri Lankan fisherman a little ways to the right and to the left of us pulling on some large rope but we didn’t know what they were doing.  Then we realized they were pulling in a large fishing net and we had been swimming in the middle of their catch!  Clay and Trent soon grabbed hold to help the fisherman and we had a great seat to see what the nets brought in.

Clay and Trent help the local fishermen bring in the days catch
March 2012

Our friend "J.R." is just like a little kid pulling in the catch
March 2012

Our friends "C" and "D" had some local meal of curried rice and chicken and we sat at our lounge chairs drinking our .50 cent bottled diet cokes and Fantas, while we watched the fisherman and the show going on in front of us.  It was exciting to see and we felt lucky to be apart of it.  Plus the waves were great and it was really a very nice beach in this part of the world.  We only saw a few pieces of trash but that wasn’t until after the large net was pulled in and so I think it was trash that had been pulled in by the net.  

The disappointing catch after pulling in the net for over an hour
March 2012

The fishing turned out to have a disappointing bounty with only about 2,000 very small fish about the size of a finger.  There was one baby shark in the net and the fishermen were excited about that since they could sell it to an aquarium store and make a little profit.  

The tiny shark was the only good part of the catch that day
March 2012

In the end we spent about three hours at the beach.  We shared some great company with some of the local surfers and peddlers selling their shells and sharks teeth.  We felt the sand of Sri Lanka and swam in the Indian Ocean.  It was a different experience and though the surf instructor that was trying to sell me a lesson had dark skin, and an Indian accent, and bobbed his head in a circular motion, he still had beautiful wavy black hair tied low behind his head and his beaded necklace tight on his neck.  He wore a fitted surf t-shirt and ill fitting board shorts that made me think he could easily fit in with the crowd in So Cal.

When we left the beach we said our farewells and headed back to our military style van and rode the forty-five minute ride back to the ship.  We had our driver stop for ice cream and cokes at the gas station and we got lots of smiles from these great people piled in busses, taxis, rickshaws, and mopeds that couldn’t stop staring at these white Americans. We didn’t mind because most of them had great big smiles on their faces.  So we waved and smiled back but I refused to blow kisses though my friends "J" and "D" kept trying to get me to!

Clay deciding what little trinket to buy before boarding back on ship
Sri Lanka March 2012

Our boat at dock in Sri Lanka
March 2012

Safe & Happy Travels!