13 Nov. Waligama-Mirissa-Waligama

I always planned today would be a beach day. This area on the south coast of Sri Lanka is reputed to have great beaches and good surfing conditions. They're right.
I got up in good time, so as to use the day well, and had breakfast at a small street cafe a short walk from my digs: two bread-type thingies and a cup of black tea. The pastries may not have been from Denmark but they were pretty good for the tiny money.
Why do the men taking fares on the buses thin k they can get away with dreaming up a price for a journey? Twice today, the guys have blithely said "500 rupees". Even a dim-witted tourist like me knows (or can ask) what the going rate is for a given distance. 100 each way, Waligama-Mirissa-Waligama. It's not bloody Concorde mate. It;'s hardly a bus.- borderline walking distance in the heat. The journey's only around 6 km.
At Mirissa I found a little veg market and started grabbing some shots. On my way out I got accosted by a lovely old lady (prob. around my age) who obviously wanted to try out her English on me. Knock me over with another feather, but she insisted I go with her to her house for tea and watch her do her 'hand-weaving' or crocheting lacy things for dressmaking (I think)..
I keep getting adopted by old ladies. It's brill! Pitiful as well I suppose.
I managed to find The Secret Beach that some people have been recommending. It must be the worst kept secret in the whole country but, thankfully, all of the little coves and beaches that seem to make up the secret were not overcrowded. The sand was golden and fine, the sun was hot and the water was clear and warm. Awful really :)
But nothing's perfect. I trod on a rough patch of sand/rock and gave the underside of my right foot a good old scrape. Hopefully, the salty water will clean out the cut.
It was darned hot today. I went for a second swim in the main public beach in Mirissa (local spelling by the way). The temperature kept rising into the afternoon, so I scarpered back to my digs in Weligama.
This gave me time to eat the strange green vegetables that the kind lady this morning - strangely garlicky in taste. I've taken a photo so the doctors in the local A&E can work out a treatment plan if needs be.Read more