Middle-aged flash packers

Time to move on. Goodbye Unawatuna. We probably stayed too long as your charms are not for us. However, we accepted you for what you are and made the best of it.
Hikkaduwa got the most awful write up in the Lonely Planet guide for Sri Lanka. So bad we thought we wouldn’t bother going. However, the waitress at the French Lotus told us it was her favourite beach. As we have been thrown curved balls by Lonely Planet before, we thought we’d give it a go.
Not a great start when we arrived as our accommodation appeared to be abandoned. Eventually someone appeared and said the manager would be with us shortly. We were lead to a building behind what we thought was the hotel. The “manager” came and greeted us once he put the hoover down. This poor guy does everything here. At 6pm he was still cleaning out the rooms.
Anyway, the room was fine bar the ants and there was a nice pool so all good.
We decided to check out the beach and have a walk around. It was lunchtime so we sat at a restaurant and got ready to order. It was so uninspiring I decided we should go back to one we saw earlier and I’m so glad we did.
A whole nest of turtles had just hatched there and were making their way to the sea. I can’t tell you how excited we were. These tiny little things that grow into massive sea beasts, struggling their way down to the sea – it really is the most amazing thing to witness.
I followed one I named Harry. Harry was a bit dim to be honest. He plotted a direct route to the sea and followed it, regardless of the pitfalls in his way. No swerving, no diversions, just straight ahead.
Footprints are very difficult for baby turtles. You big footed men, lumbering about, not giving a hoot about turtle hatchlings. Don’t you know your huge footprints are the difference between life and death? Poor Harry got stuck in one and if there had been any sea eagles about, he’d have been done for. Luckily, a very caring young lady had the foresight
to fill in the footprints in front of Harry which helped his journey immensely.
Well meaning but clumsy footed tourists are also a huge danger to baby turtles. A very large Russian lady nearly trod on poor Harry while filming another hatchling.
Despite all the obstacles, Harry made it to the sea. A wave came and took him. I expected him to be spewed back up on to the beach, but no, he was taken away into the sea. Farewell Harry, you made it. Goodness knows what will happen to you now – my thoughts are with you Harry.
The rest of the day was spent exploring the enormous and beautiful beach of Hikkaduwa (I do hope you’re listening Lonely Planet) . It knocks the socks off Unawatuna and has a laid back hippy vibe which is nice.
Unfortunately it began to rain before we managed to complete the whole of the beach, so we jumped in a tuktuk and headed back to our strange deserted home for the next few days.