Day 124 - We set out at 10:15 in a Pick-Me ride share. As the house is only around eight kilometers from the airport there are lots of drivers willing to do large trips. We wanted to go down the coast towards southern Sri Lanka. Specifically, we'd booked at the Coral Sands Hotel in Hikkaduwa for four nights.
It was closer to three and a half hours for the trip although we chose a route that wasn't the quickest. However, we did enjoy the trip as the driver went through places we'd never been. We'd only seen the large, national Parliament Building in pictures. Although it was opened in 1982, neither of us had actually driven close by. Of course, after passing Colombo, we headed to the old Galle Road rather than the newer Expressways. We saw Kaluthra Temple Dagaba after quite an absence.
We've passed through Hikkaduwa many times over the years, on trains, buses and vans. However, the only time we ever stayed in the city was on one of my very first trips to Sri Lanka. In 1986 we rented a car and we drove to different parts of Sri Lanka. It was my first time driving on the 'wrong' side of the road.
I'm sure we're staying in a hotel that was around during our last time here. In fact, a sign in the front now states they recently celebrated their 45th anniversary. As Jayantha says, "Hikkaduwa was a famous hippy town in the 1960s." Now this hotel offers a breakfast buffet and has 82 rooms. We also paid so that we were able to eat their buffet dinners. Some folks are staying on full board, but we will eat lunches at one of the numerous beach restaurants. Today though, we just popped into a P&S branch and ate chicken and rice.
We walked the beach and got basic bearings when walking both during the day and in the evening after our dinner. As it's now March, the busy tourist season is nearing its end. We've seen a large number but now Russians are in the mix. There are many places in the world where one can get the vibe of a young backpacker-type beach scene. I have loved them all even though I'm no longer young nor a backpacker. It does seem nice being back in one of the first that hasn't really developed into something unrecognizable.
