Sri Lanka – Week 1

Weligama – Hiriketiya

Well would you believe it? I’ve finally done it. I’ve gone travelling. After 3 years of harping on about seeing the world, I’m finally sitting in a little cafe in Hiriketiya, an outrageously beautiful beach town on the south coast of Sri Lanka, writing my first blog post. It’s giving Eat, Pray, Love.

I’m not entirely sure what I should be putting in this blog. I reckon I’m going to use it as a way to track what I’ve been up to, and obviously give the fans what they WANT. But I guess I should start from the beginning. So it’s the 24th April 1995 in the Rosie maternity ward at Addenbrookes Hospital. Kidding. 

After saying goodbye to my family in what felt like a scene out of Titanic, Alice, Faye and I arrived in Colombo after an 11 hour flight. The girls took a cheeky little sleeping pill, but after my last experience with a Valium where me and Mabel spent a 10 hour flight from Los Angeles hallucinating that we were seeing giant potatoes on the plane, I thought I’d go au natural this time. No luck, I didn’t sleep, but it was fine because I was going travelling mother fuckers!!!!

We headed straight from the airport to a beautiful hostel called Spindrift in a beach town called Weligama. Known for waves ideal for first-time surfers and its laid back beach party vibes, we were in Heaven. Considering I’ve only been away for a week, it’s quite hard to remember what we did, it all blurs into one when you’re living the high life I guess folks. I can see from my journal that on our first evening, at 9:50pm, I wrote:

“It just doesn’t feel real that this is going to be my life for the foreseeable, having all my shit everywhere, getting wet feet before bed because the shower and toilet are in the same 2 square meter room.” I laughed rereading that, I am so melodramatic. I was just feeling incredibly overwhelmed on the first night, so give me a break, we all knew this would be the case girlies!

Anyway, for the next 3 days we spent our days surfing the waves of Sri Lanka with the kindest surf instructor EVER. Although he did say if I was any more pink he’d “eat me like a lobster” which I was both flattered and slightly offended by. He was really fit and his eyes quite literally pierced into your soul so I let it slide. Each one of us managed to get up on the board, all completely euphoric that we’d managed to do so. Faye was top of the class, giving serious blue crush vibes, Al and I took a little longer to get into the rhythm, but the feeling of actually getting up and staying up is pretty incredible. We were addicted! As a first time surfer, I don’t think I’d anticipated how hard it would be, it’s a serious workout and the risk of sunburn is high, which for my fair skin was a laugh and a half. Also, no one told me that surfers’ rash is a thing. It’ll come as no surprise that I got that very badly, my poor thighs (and the fucking palms of my hands?) cut to shreds from the friction. 6 days later and I am still looking at the leftover scabs on both my thighs, yoga shorts just don’t hit in the same way when you’re a gammy mess. 

Anyhoo, aside from surfing and sunburning in Weligama, we took a day trip to Galle, a really interesting city that used to be a trading port on the south coast. Also a UNESCO world heritage site, oo la la. It’s full of Dutch-colonial buildings and a famous fort, so like many of the places here, a dark history, but a really special place to visit. We also took a day trip to Mirissa beach, specifically somewhere called Coconut Tree Hill where we spent the day basking with our lovely new friend Talice. She was a solo traveller so I picked her brains about what it’s been like. She told me it’s been incredible, lonely at times but she’s had a hoot, so that was reassuring. She was also ginger, and tanned, so also reassuring to see what my skin tone might look like in a few weeks. Maybe you won’t always be able to see my veins!!!

The night of our Mirissa beach day, we had our first proper night out. We put our glad rags and heels on and painted the town RED. There’s a classic drink here called Arrak, it’s sort of like a mix between whiskey and rum, taste wise. Completely lethal. To put it into context, I spent two hours dancing to techno music and having the time of my life, need I say more? It was such a fun evening and we met some really lush people. I also came away reassured that there’s lots of people doing this on their own, so when the sad, sad day comes that Alice and Faye leave, I won’t be completely bereft. 

Next up on our Sri Lankan adventure is a place called Hiriketiya, which is where I am now and I don’t want to leave… ever. We arrived here a few days ago, with the intention of going to Tangalle for a few nights, but we quickly sacked that off and extended here for another three nights once we realised we were in bloody PARADISE. It’s this tiny little beach town on a bay, and it just feels so relaxed. It’s almost like time has stopped here and everyone/everything moves super slowly, which has been brilliant for me, considering I typically work at 100mph. I mean don’t get me wrong, that’s still the case, but it’s easier to handle anxiety surrounded by crystal clear water and ridonculous food. 

I’ve got to mention the food. It’s truly special. As we all know, I’m not really a foodie and typically eat the same thing most days (avocados on toast – I am actually an idiot and in retrospect this is very lame) so it’s safe to say my taste buds have been well and truly changed for life. We took a day trip from here to this beautiful beach called Talalla. We ate at this tiny restaurant run by a wonderful guy who told us how much Covid has affected his business, alongside the economic crisis currently gripping Sri Lanka. That’s a (very sad) conversation for a different day but let me tell you, he made us coconut and cheese rotis, and sweet baby Jesus they were absolutely phenomenal. Also worth noting that we rode on scooters to Talalla, and Faye had a little accident on the way. A tuk tuk pulled out of a side road and she crashed into it (lightly, nothing to worry about). Completely not her fault, but we weren’t really sure how it was going to play out. Luckily nothing came of it and we were able to scoot off on our merry way. Not funny at all at the time, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget hearing that thud and looking back to find she was nowhere to be seen. One of the many random things that have happened but provide such great stories on reflection. Even the three of us having diarrhoea at the same time in our shared bathroom, and Faye vomiting instantaneously after is something that has not only brought us so much closer together (perhaps even too close) but is something that actually makes me belly laugh everytime I think about it. 

Anyway, that night we had a fantastic evening out at a place called Dot’s Bay House. We danced to trashy music and drank margaritas until the early hours. I wrote in my journal the next day:

“The music was like a trashy wedding, but in all the best ways. Ended up staying late with Jason and Dilly who run the bar, drinking Arrak and smoking weed until 3am. Alice also got shat on by a bird (or a monkey, tbc) at our favourite sunset bar.” A real mix of events there. This is what I guess I didn’t expect about this trip, probably because I’ve never done anything like this before, but the amount of beautiful and funny moments that can just happen is like nothing I’ve experienced before. Not that Alice getting shat on was beautiful (or was it?), but it was so funny, and just sort of adds to this layer of unexpectedness that brings such joy, often in retrospect. You obviously have those moments at home, lots of them, but I suppose it’s the new surroundings, culture and people that make it feel special. 

The people here are also just unbelievably kind and generous, every one we’ve spoken to is just so kind of, open. We had a conversation with L’Haroue (while drinking more Arrak on the beach) who runs the sunset bar we’re completely obsessed with, and he told us it’s the way of life here that brings them such happiness. The culture is just slower and having fun is so important to people. I’m under no illusion that this is wholly the way things are, we’ve also had some incredibly frank conversations about how hard things are, but never have I been in a place where people are so full of joy!

Anyway, I’m rambling. One week in and it’s been a rollercoaster, the good, the bad, the shits, all of it. I’ve cried (alot, obviously), I’ve laughed more than I have in a very long time, and I’ve seen the most breathtaking sunsets. I’ve never felt further from home, I am completely out of my comfort zone and my routine is down the shitter, but I feel beyond grateful for this experience. 

Shoutout to Alice and Faye for making this trip so special, not sure how I would have managed without them.

Right, time to go. I’ve just eaten a buff lunch and I think I might go and get a massage, although I am going to have to tell them to be gentle because the state of my sunburn on my arse is like nothing you’ve seen before. I’m a walking traffic cone.

Until next time xxx