From Kandy we went to the east coast, while Marvin was headed to Colombo. For us it is time to hit the beach again. For this we heard Arugam Bay from every local. This is also one of the surfing hotspots of Sri Lanka depending on the season. From November to April the south west is firing up. May to October you will find waves at the east coast. This is where we were headed as well!

In Arugam Bay we stayed for almost a week. We were ready to experience the cuisine, the yoga places and the nightlife. Sadly Sally got sick and she had a fever for the whole time we were there. So we couldn’t do much together. This didn’t stop me however. I went out every day surfing the waves of Arugam Bay. Only problem was that everyone had the same idea. The spot was crowded the whole day, even though it breaks on a shallow reef. Usually I tried to paddle in from the beginners spot. This takes about ten minutes, but it is the safest route. A few times I just went out as is. This has proven to be a mistake, because I cut my finger on the reef. I was lucky though compared to another surfer. He came back with 20 sea urchin spikes inside his foot. This made the 15 minute paddle not to bad.

When Sally was strong enough we opted for a walk on the beach and saw a massive dead turtle lying in the sand. This is something you don’t see in the western world that often. Once there is cadavar it is usually removed. In countries such as these it let’s you accept the harsh reality of life and death more easily. You come clean, that every living being only has a certain time on this planet.

I also went on a short surf safari to a more remote spot. The Tuk Tuk was driving through a lot of land. You would see the Sri Lankan highlands in the background. The rice fields were dried out and simply black. In Sri Lanka not only the surf season moves around the island. Also the dry and wet season follows the same pattern. It made me feel like being in Africa again. I was looking for a wild elephant. Sadly I didn’t see one. We were cruising from the road to a sand path. When we arrived at the surf spot I was a bit disappointed. Of course it was too crowded as well. The locals made it a business to bring surfers here. The second thing, that I disliked about this spot were the crocodiles, that could also swim in the ocean. I went back to surfing the main break in Arugam Bay. The beach was stunning nontheless!

It was time to leave again. I was fed up with the crowds. The locals were just dropping in on you and didn’t care about any rules. I was looking forward to a nice line-up, which I found earlier in Weligama. Even it was not season yet the waves were looking promising. We packed our things and off we went.

Sally also was feeling better again and it was time to leave our cheap accommodation, where we slept on a small mattress with a wooden floor to go back to the south. Once arrived we got back into our South-East-Asian routine. Renting a scooter, going surfing and exploring the area. The difference was absolutely clear. Unlike the east coast, where everything was dry at the moment, here the rivers were filled to the brink. It also rained, when we arrived. That didn’t stop us from. As expected the line up was not filled and I had a few waves to myself. I always prefer the less good wave with fewer than a horde of egos arguing over a wave. It also paid off as we found one of the most gorgeous beaches of Sri Lanka!

Once the sun came back out, we wished that the rain would come back as it suddenly was so hot. It felt like your skin would burn instantly. The waves were still fun and manageable. On one particular spot I just watched one person surf. I didn’t go out though, because there were some heavy sets coming in. The wave also broke over shallow rocks and I could the channels working hard. I gladly passed that opportunity and went surfing somewhere else that day!

Soon enough our time was running out and before we left the country we wanted to experience an luxurious hotel for the first time. We hopped onto the train and went to Colombo. Unfortunately the train had an engine failure and we were stuck at a stop for hours. If this doesn’t make me homesick I don’t know what will… (Anyone outside of Germany reading this, it is the same in Germany with our trains. In Colombo we didn’t do anything special except enjoying the hotel. We walked around a bit and took a few cool photos.

Then it was already time to hop onto the plane again for the next adventure.

Thank you for reading. Cheers!