Unawatuna 2

I decided to take it easy for the day. There wasn't any sight that I had to see in Unawatuna, it was just a place to relax. I came down to a Sri Lankan breakfast: pancake containing caramelised grated coconut, roti, dhal, hardboiled egg, bread, butter, jam, and plunger coffee. All included in the lodging.

The shirts I washed in the bathroom the night before were satisfactorily dry so I washed the underwear too and hung them out.

The dining area of Bedspace.

Local resident.

I moseyed down to the beach. It was blazing hot out and the pictures I took had hard shadows unlike the previous evening's.

I retreated to the Kingfisher hotel and restaurant ordered a caipirinha and a bottle of water.

When I felt sufficiently hydrated I ordered a lunch of prawns with salad and chips.

After digesting some of my lunch, I wandered over to Sunil Garden Coffee and had a coconut tart with the iced coffee. The lime was a nice touch.

Then it was back to Bedspace to listen to music and nap.

In the evening I hailed a tuk-tuk to visit the Japanese Peace Pagoda.

It's on a headland with views of Galle bay. The air wasn't totally clear so the view could have been better.

There is a small monument to the victims of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Sri Lanka suffered severely despite the distance from Sumatra because of a large population living near the coast and degradation of the environment. The east coast was badly hit but the southwestern coast which has most of the tourist beaches also suffered. Even on the west coast, a train on the line between Colombo and Galle, the same line I used, was swept away by the waves and some 1700 passengers died. This is currently the largest toll for a rail disaster.

A cempedak tree with fruit in the vicinity, not sure if it was wild or on someone's land.

Back at Bedspace, after another shower, I came down to dinner. The restaurant was buzzing with guests, from other lodgings also, since it's the best place to eat in Unawatuna. I had the crackling pork belly with mash.

And finished off with a chocolate brownie topped with ice cream.