Surfer's Delight

Arugam Bay on the east coast of Sri Lanka is home to some of the best waves during season, drawing in surfers from around the world. My visit during off-season time rewarded me with a very affordable room (600 Rs / 4 Euros per night) with spectacular sea views, lots of time for interaction with locals, and empty beaches to walk, swim, and rest.

The forthcoming change is evident at every corner. Restaurants prepare their menus, guest houses fix their beach cabanas, the streets get fixed, young entrepreneurs open new surf shops, and everyone is keen to take on advice how to improve their businesses. Unlike other places, interaction with locals is frequent and pleasant.

"Green Room" - great street restaurant

The majority of the community is Muslim and their daily prayers melt with the sound of waves crashing onto the long stretches of beach. The little town is a bit tough to reach; the roads are bumpy and the buses run infrequently. But there is loads to do in the area: temples, crocodiles, elephants, miles of beaches and many surf points. But even without any of that, the days go by fast at this magic place.

Hilltop View

Hilltop View Guesthouse, Ella, Sri Lanka: A Recommendation

One of the best places to stay in Sri Lanka, this guest house offers comfortable and clean rooms, delicious home-cooked food and stunning views from their large terrace: Adam's Peak to the left and Ella Rock to the right. Even better is the all-round view from their rooftop which is only used for drying laundry. On very clear days, apparently you can see as far as the light house towers at the south east coast. The family running the guest house and the staff serving meals are super-nice and helpful. They give suggestions on popular walks without being forceful. The days pass by quickly drinking tea, eating rice and curry, and looking onto the mountains. Try their delicious vegetable soup! The rooms on the lower level have no view, but are less expensive.

View from the rooftop

View from the terrace

Terrace

Lucky

Guest house

1-2-Colombo

After 28 days in Sri Lanka I decided to prolong my stay. Too many things left undone, too many places yet to be discovered, and too much connection to this perl in the Indian Ocean. Whereas this all made perfect sense, it wasn't an easy decision to make, given the fact that I was expected to be in India and I knew I would disappoint more than one very close friend.

Once I had made up my mind, I started the bus journey from Ella at 4am. For the first time I was freezing! Most passengers wore woolen hats and jackets. I was wrapped in two scarfs and a blanket and scolded myself for not wearing socks. Temperatures were somewhere around 14 degrees Celsius, but to me it felt like I am crossing Antarctica in a T-shirt.

As soon as the sun was up and we had left the hills, it became very hot. I was drenched in sweat when the bus arrived in Colombo by noon. The Department of Immigration is only few minutes by bus from the main bus stop. Inside the building, one of the friendly security guards showed me the way.

The visa extension application process is fairly simple, but the staff is not very helpful to explain which steps to follow. Some foreigners in the waiting area offered their guidance:

1) Pick application form from the far left counter (don't expect an explanation);
2) Fill in form and glue passport picture (use finger to dip in the plastic bowl with glue);
3) Return form and passport to the far left counter (don't expect a word or a smile);
4) Wait for few minutes (fix your eyes on the clerk who will wave with your form);
5) Collect signed-off form and visit department coordinator (who thinks he is the king);
6) With double signed-off form proceed to payment counter (fees vary based on nationality);
7) With triple signed-off form go to pick-up counter (which also serves as drop-off counter);
8) Wait patiently for 30 mins (if you are lucky, waiting time can extend to 2 hrs);
9) Keep your eyes focussed on the clerk who will call out your number;
10) Collect your passport, sign the form one last time and leave this depressing place.

My plan was to return to Ella the same day and I could well have reached for dinner time had I not felt the desire to explore Colombo at least a tiny bit. So I walked through the capital in the afternoon heat. Not a good idea, especially if you are dressed in clothes suitable for the hills and you forgot that the coastal area is much much hotter!

Exhausted from my 2-hour walk, I concluded that Colombo is worth another visit. It's absolutely not as crazy as I had imagined and there are some beautiful historic buildings giving the city some flair. The seven-hour bus ride back to Ella seemed like a piece of cake and I happily arrived back in my guest house by midnight.