Pigeon Island and Nailaveli Beach
On Sunday we took a boat to Pigeon Island with Joanna and Yasith (Diyath brother) to do some snorkeling. Remembering a similar boat trip to an island in Greece where the speed boat was crammed full of tourists (standing room only) with no life jackets, I carefully quizzed the man offering us the boat tour – how many people maximum? Are there life jackets? I felt satisfied that the 40 minute boat trip would be safe however when we arrived at the boat I realized that forgot to ask one important question – are there seats in the boat!
Anyways the boat trip was very nice and we saw the most beautiful uninhabited beaches on the way to Pigeon Island. Once we reached the island we were greeted by a soldier with a gun (weird) as well as dozens of young guys desperate for a picture with Joanne and me. They were swarming us and at first I thought it was a set up to steal our video camera but in the end it was fine and the guys were just having fun. I felt pleased that I was as popular as the beautiful 19 year-old Joanne, until one of the guys cried with glee “a photo with my Canadian Auntie” as we posed for a picture. Pooh - I am old!
There was a family swimming near us who were having such a good time. They begged us to come and swim with them and offered us some unripe mango with chili powder, as well as the use of their beach mats. One guy introduced himself to me as “Ronald Regan” and said that the other swimmers were part of his “clan”. They were having so much fun I took some video of them, which I will try to post later.
Yasith accidentally went swimming with Joanne’s cigarettes in his pocket so after a couple of hours we left for the Nailaveli Hotel in search of cigarettes and lunch. The boat driver dropped off on Nailaveli beach – which is one of the most beautiful beaches in Sri Lanka. We walked to the hotel only to find that it had been destroyed in the Tsunami and would not re-open until February. Luckily we were able to get directions to another nearby hotel where we were able to get both lunch and cigarettes. The owner was a professor who had come to Sri Lanka to work at a university but the pay was so low that he decided to go into the hotel business and now provides free lessons in English as well as other subjects to the community.
Anyways the boat trip was very nice and we saw the most beautiful uninhabited beaches on the way to Pigeon Island. Once we reached the island we were greeted by a soldier with a gun (weird) as well as dozens of young guys desperate for a picture with Joanne and me. They were swarming us and at first I thought it was a set up to steal our video camera but in the end it was fine and the guys were just having fun. I felt pleased that I was as popular as the beautiful 19 year-old Joanne, until one of the guys cried with glee “a photo with my Canadian Auntie” as we posed for a picture. Pooh - I am old!
There was a family swimming near us who were having such a good time. They begged us to come and swim with them and offered us some unripe mango with chili powder, as well as the use of their beach mats. One guy introduced himself to me as “Ronald Regan” and said that the other swimmers were part of his “clan”. They were having so much fun I took some video of them, which I will try to post later.
Yasith accidentally went swimming with Joanne’s cigarettes in his pocket so after a couple of hours we left for the Nailaveli Hotel in search of cigarettes and lunch. The boat driver dropped off on Nailaveli beach – which is one of the most beautiful beaches in Sri Lanka. We walked to the hotel only to find that it had been destroyed in the Tsunami and would not re-open until February. Luckily we were able to get directions to another nearby hotel where we were able to get both lunch and cigarettes. The owner was a professor who had come to Sri Lanka to work at a university but the pay was so low that he decided to go into the hotel business and now provides free lessons in English as well as other subjects to the community.
posted by ~chill~ at
3:55 AM
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