Morning in Galle

Charming though staying in an old fort may be, I didn't think Galle merited more than a day, so I had only the morning before moving on. I woke before sunrise, as expected, backed up the photos in my camera to my tablet, and wrote in the diary to pass the time until breakfast. For some reason, a Sri Lankan breakfast wasn't available that day, maybe the cook was on leave. This was the first inkling that I had arrived in the shoulder season. So I took the Continental breakfast. The pattern for western breakfasts, repeated throughout Sri Lanka was: toast or pancakes, butter, jam, tea or coffee and fresh fruit. The plunger coffee was passable but of course not barista. The fruits were papaya, pineapple, and banana, with a slice of lime.

I went for a clockwise walk on the fort wall. From there one can see the coastline, as the fort is on a peninsula. Notice the strong surf. Except for the northwest quadrant of the avocado shaped island which faces India, the coast is exposed to the open Indian Ocean and there is no land to the south before Antarctica.

The most common bird in Sri Lanka is the crow, no doubt because of the rubbish that is openly dumped all over. Dogs looked healthy if small and thin probably because they get fed by the Buddhist Sri Lankans. If you want a good life, come back as a beach dog in Sri Lanka. There's nothing for them to do but laze around all day.

But I also sighted less common bird species.

Couples were having appointments on the wall. The shade of choice for Sri Lankan ladies is the umbrella. At the northern wall I could look back on the modern town of Galle, not of much interest to visitors, except for the bus and train stations. There was some kind of circus or rally happening on the green.

I passed a party dressed in traditional Sri Lankan garb. It seemed be a wedding party photo shoot.

A bit further on, a man with a cobra in a basket tried to interest me in paying to take photos of them. I declined.

This is a tuk-tuk, a Sri Lankan taxi, really a 3-wheeled scooter. This one must have been the pride of its owner because it was shiny. A driver later told me most were made in India. Except in Colombo where some have meters, the fare is negotiated. Fares aren't exorbitant; short rides start at 100 LKR. Despite bargaining, as recommended, I always felt that I had paid more than locals. But I didn't bargain hard. What is a dollar or two for me might be a meal for them.

The beach at the eastern side of the peninsula.

The lighthouse at the southern edge.

A restaurant which probably served Chinese tourists and other foreigners wanting a change from standard fare. A lot of Sri Lankan restaurants claimed to offer Chinese or Asian dishes, usually vaguely Thai due to the proximity with South East Asia. I wasn't game to try, to avoid disappointment.

Sri Lankans swimming in an area slightly protected from waves by reefs.

At the tip, looking back on the town and the lighthouse.

Another guesthouse, on Rampart Street, like mine.

The western path.

Strong waves crashing on rock outcrops.

Rewarding myself for hard work with a gelato. The quality was quite good.

I showered and checked out. I met the German co-owner of the guesthouse. She was planning to take a trip home as the high season was winding down. The guesthouse arranged a run to the bus station in a tuk-tuk for me. And that was the end of my stay in Galle.