Arugam Bay truly is a surfer town. I'm back at Siam House bar just after a delicious 200 rupees lunch that was spicy enough (along with the humidity and heat here) to get me streaming sweat during and more than an hour after my meal. The food? Steaming hot fish curry, potato, vegetable sambol, and more vegetables -- about four bowls of food surrounding one large bowl of rice. I'm stuffed. Anyway, yes, it is truly a surfer town, as people wake up early, surf, nap the late morning, afternoon, then surf some more. A guy is passed out a couple cushions away from me partly in the sun as I type.
Today is Poya, which is the regular local full moon holiday. No alcohol is sold throughout the country, and people have the day off. As a result, here, it's a three-day weekend, and the beach is pretty packed. This is also why I am not headed out for Yala National Park until tomorrow. Hopefully with Alfonso, though I haven't yet been able to locate him today.
It's a lazy day, and also a one of those blah days. Last night was crazy. In the later afternoon I walked out of my room to meet Tyler, a 21-year-old surfer from Malibu, who was traveling around for about three months all over the place (Fiji, Australia, Indonesia), and in Sri Lanka chasing a good wave. We chatted as I proceeded to snack away from ginger ice cream to dinner. We both were stuffed when we headed over to meet up the surfers at their party, which was open to the whole village. As I walked out, Ramesh and Liz came by and told me to be very careful, that there were a lot of locals out, and to watch my drink. Liz ordered Tyler to chaperone me back later. Not wanting to ruin his good time, I later told him not to worry. I would figure out a way back.
The party was set up around the Bay near "the Point" surf break. There was a stage, tents, lights, and the "boom boom boom" of pounding base and music, which could be heard up the beach. The DJ was great, but the place dying for more Westerners. Most of the locals stood around excitedly, some sat. We found a spot and got some beers. Then they started bringing about mixed juice with Arrack for free, free cokes, then free beers, then free appetizers and food. I wished I hadn't eaten dinner. I had a bit of dessert, but that was all I could muster. I finally located Alfonso, at another table. He had been waiting there for me for more than an hour at that point. I felt bad, and bought him a beer. The event featured local dancing, fire dancers, words from the final surfers (Nat Young, was the guy's full name), and lengthy boring words from local "dignitaries" who were usually CEOs, and the like. (Huh?)
More Westerners soon found our table. Two Swedish girls, Emma and Tove (pronounced Toove), Sarita, and a Frenchman named Herve, who was amazed that I could speak French. Everyone was about 21 to 24 years old. I felt old! It's funny though, most of the time in my travels I've really hit it off with Swedes, and last night was no exception. Emma and Tove, girls after my own heart, started constructing a tower of their empty plastic beer cups. The tower grew and grew, and I probably have about 50 photos of this effort. Locals started bringing us more cups, and we kept drinking more beer to add to the growing tower. I went to the bathroom with my handy flashlight, behind the military checkpoint area. When I came back, the tower had fallen. A Frenchman a table away, who was a lot older, had thrown a cup at the tower, and made it fall. I think he was trying to flirt.
We built again, and again. The third time I suggested a pyramid-style, and sure enough we were able to build high and mighty this time, as well as sturidly, and I put my chocolate eclair with a spoon stuck through it at the top. It was beautiful. Local media came by taking shots. They asked me what I thought about Arugam Bay. I said something to the effect of: "It's really lovely here, but I think locals need to learn to treat Western women with respect."
The guys were somewhat shocked by my comment (no idea why), and I told them that it was a real problem. But, that otherwise, the place was just perfect. We'll see if that actually ends up anywhere. I saw no notepad and they didn't take my name, which made me more keen to talk to them.
After a while, we all decided to head to Siam House, and hang out there. There were a few bonfires along the beach, and the walk back around the bay was nice. The crowd as Siam's was pretty quiet, but eventually picked up at about 10 p.m., and looked like a jungle of locals surrounding a small isle of Westerners. The locals really really really got into dancing, adn the place stunk. They thrusted their bodies all up along the edges, near the bar, and good luck to the person (in this case me), who tried to walk through them to the bathroom. Move? Me?
At about 10:30 p.m., we all picked up and headed to another beach bar spot, "Mambo's" with a French girl Alex (from Paris), and three other guys as well: Chris and Tom from England; and Sam, who was born in Dublin, lives in Vancouver, and is ethnically Lithuanian and Jewish. Woah, a mouthful. Tom was in town doing a volunteer computer teaching program just north of Hikkaduwa on the western Sri Lanka coast, and Sam was doing a volunteer medical program there as well. They'd rented motorbikes and drove the nine or so hours to Arugam Bay at 5 a.m., and I was surprised to see them alive. They told me they nearly died about 67 times that day, especially playing chicken with some buses. "You have to drive like a Sri Lankan," and I believe it.
Mambo's was a nice scene...with a better DJ than at Siam's, but as the night wore on, more and more little strange incidents occurred. Not so strange, was a frog in the toilet...trying to climb out. No, I didn't pee on it. There was also a man passed out on the steps up to the toilet. Locals who kept trying to say stuff and whom I successfully ignored (I have stopped feeling bad about it, well, most of the time, but especially when drinking). The Swedish girls were not so good at not feeling bad about ignoring them. As a result, one was groped such that her dress was turned up and she was nearly flashing the place, and another had her butt grabbed. In both instances, some "less shady" Sri Lankans nearly got in fights with the shadier ones, which was a bit comforting. One guy, named Santa, seemed to have designated himself the Western women's protector, though he was somewhat questionably dressed, with his board shorts so low on his waist that you could definitely tell the forest from the trees.
Anyway, I stayed out of trouble, avoiding random gropes as much as possible, and when in questionable situations, thankfully getting help from Alex or another girl who saw stuff about to happen. Poor Herve felt like a policeman, he said. And Tyler, who'd somewhat chaffed at being the only guy on the beach with us when walking to Siam's earlier (amid dozens of Sri Lankans), turned in early. At one point Tuve went missing, and a couple girls looked for her for a few minutes, but couldn't find her. I walked about the lot twice and checked the toilets, finally finding her walking up and around the side. She said she'd been to the toilet, though I hadn't seen her there...
I was starting to get exhausted, but I didn't want to talk the roughly half-mile back to my place along the beach alone. That was a sure sure way for trouble, but that was the only way back. I spoke with Alex, who told me Santa would set me up with a walk back. Santa talked to someone who would drive me in his jeep, but Alex steered me away (he's been drinking, we'll find you someone else). Eventually we got Sam to walk me back. I felt kind of bad about pulling him away from the party, but well, it was a rather short walk and he seemed cool about it. I got back to my place with no water, and thirsty as heck. Most of the stores were closed. I collapsed into bed. I had to be up early today to surf, well, maybe.
I woke up at 8:30 a.m., but then not really until 9 a.m., or 9:30 a.m. did I drag myself out of my room. I was late to meet up with Alfonso, who had pleaded out earlier at the first party spot last night (he had a local party he was going to)...It was a bit strange with Alfonso, as I could feel the other younger Westerners judging him and looking at him like a crazy man. I talked him up and tried to make him feel included, but I think he was uncomfortable. I'm hoping to run into him today at some piont, actually, because we were supposed to travel out together tomorrow. We'll see what happens...I'm hoping he doesn't think I ditched him.
Anyway, this morning, I got out of bed, walked over to "Hakeem's" for breakfast. A roti with coconut, banana, and honey, plus a bit of ice cream. It was more like a dessert, and I felt a bit sickly sweet after that. I tried to drink some water, but was just too tired. I walked over to the surf shop then, and picked out the longboard I'd rent. I ended up picking out a 7'10 board, which is shorter than an actual longboard. I thought I'd give it a go. Turns out it wasn't exactly a good day to be "brave" or whatever the proper term is here, maybe adventurous.
Oh yeah, I also bought a 500 rupees bathing suit, my old one was just ragged. It was initially 1,000 rupees, but I found some possible mold/mildew growth and so was able to bargain it down. Typing that out doesn't make it sound like a good deal, but I think it was...
Anyway, I hit the beach and there are tons of people out there, lots of locals. The nice thing on the board though is that you paddle out and are basically on your own away from all that noise, just waiting for a nice wave. Problem was, the current was somewhat strong, and the waves breaking hard on the beach near the "easier" areas that weren't full of coral (or apparently, jelly fish!). I ended up out drifting on the board thinking about nothing in particular, and feeling somewhat ill. I didn't think I was hungover when I woke up, but I felt hungover as ever after paddling out. I was dehydrated and a bit dizzy too. I drifted about thinking about surfing in Malibu more than a year ago now, and suddenly realized I was nearly 3/4 of a mile down the beach and heading out to sea! (A tour of the Indian Ocean perhaps?)...So there began a good amount of paddling, and soon enough I regained a foothold on civilization. By then I was exhausted and my leg hurt, oddly enough. Later I realized I was bleeding in two places as I'd knocked myself out on my fin at a couple points early on. I dragged myself out the water, deciding to try another, better day in the future. The board felt too heavy...and my legs stung. Leave it to me to injure myself along a sandy beach all out on my lonesome. I dropped the board off, and the guy didn't have me pay a thing (maybe because I was so pathetic!)...and then I went back to my place. Reveled in the shower, and then lay under my mosquito net exhausted and slowly drinking water. After about another 40 minutes, I decided to go out and find something more to drink and eat. I was tired, but unable to sleep, or unwilling to truly try. I grabbed lunch, and well, the rest is history...I have to head to Pottuvil for the ATM later today (fingers crossed), and try and find Alfonso. I do have a plan regardless of whether I locate him, but it will probably be a lot better (and cheaper) with a travel buddy in Yala National Park.
Whew. Okay, gonna see if I can hitch a free ride into town with some people at my place. Taking it easy tonight, really...
IJW
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