Day 8 - THAT'S what I'm talking about...

16:30
My abiding memories of Mirissa are of it being the most amazing place to switch off, to recharge, and to relax. After a couple of days, I’m not 100% convinced we’ve unlocked this upgrade. Today has changed that conviction.

We do the usual breakfast pantomime, and the food is lovely (and overly generous). Vicki and I watch the finale of The Traitors, because spoilers. We head out to the beach around 13:00, and find Simon and Shenda chilling on a sunbed, just out of the sun’s reach. We’re at Surf Bar, rapidly qualifying (again) as my favourite Mirissa beach bar. There’s some slightly louder than necessary chill-out music playing. Honestly, it’s a bit of a mind-fuck. We settle down for some drinks. Bean bags, chilledness, childlessness - if it comes to that. What an incredibly cool way to spend the day. We talk about important stuff, we talk about incredibly unimportant stuff. There’s some food, some natter-chatter - all the good stuff. We gaze out across the bay to the surfers, who are struggling with some more challenging surf conditions today. At several points, I find I’m asking myself if it would be possible to feel more relaxed. Each time, the answer is no - yet I’m proved wrong. I’m awarding today a 10/10 score.

21:30
We’ve got an EARLY start tomorrow, so head out in good time for dinner. We head to Mila - somewhere I’ve eaten before, and which I think S+S+V will enjoy. I remember their crab curry being sensationally good.

Mila is right on the main road, but we sit towards the back of the restaurant, so that we can hear what’s going on, without being interrupted by it. The food is amazing. I have the crab curry (again) and it’s as good as I remember it. I make a prawn curry at home with a very similar tasting sauce, but the crab lifts it several levels above my version. It’s served in a bowl with a bunch of sections of whole crab in it. I revel in the opportunity to use my crab pick to make sure I get every little last piece. Wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s very much mine. It’s not hot - there’s barely any chilli in it, but by the power of Grayskull, the flavour is intense.

Vicki has a chargrilled fish - something that looks like a Dourade, and tastes similar. SO tasty. Shenda has a prawn curry which looks amazing, but which I don’t taste. Simon has a burger which is tantalising to look at. Our meal feels like great value - well under £20 a head. We meet an ultra cute kitten, who is skinny beyond belief, super friendly, and really just hanging out with us to encourage food…

We’re back at our rooms by 20:00. There are 3 rooms at our accommodation, and the third one has become occupied. We are initially suspicious, but they turn out to be a very lovely Italian couple. One is definitely called Jacamo, and his boyfriend we *think* is called Fabio or Flavio? As we arrive back, they ask for some food recommendations, which we happily provide. They’ve recently arrived from Tangalle - our next stop. They describe it as, “A tourist town without tourists,” which really appeals to me. It’s definitely going to be the quietest stop of our trip, which we agree is no bad thing from a sequencing point of view. I remember having very fond memories of how wild the coast was in Tangalle, and am excited to get back there.

The 05:00 alarm call is looming. Time for snoozes.Läs mer