Cycling to the beaches in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka 9/2023 (Stop 4)

23 September 2023 Trincomalee From Anuradhapura, it was a 3-hour bus ride to Trincomalee on the east coast of the island. All along the way was the jungle, with houses nestled in it. Some coconut and banana trees and paddy fields made the jungle look more domesticated. Otherwise, trees and bushes seem to grow around and over the houses at will. They live well, much better than our pigeonholes. So the 3-hour drive was a breeze, even though the bus was not air-conditioned.

I arrived in sunny coastal Trincomalee in the late afternoon. I rented a bicycle and was ready to ride out to see the beaches. After a quick late lunch, before I could leave the restaurant, the sky darkened, and the rain came pouring down, washing away my plan.

The next morning, I eagerly rode to the Uppuveli Beach. This was a beach Trincomalee would be proud of. It was quite long, with fine white sand and waves that roared just a little. On the beach were foreigners, almost all white before they tanned. Unlike Maafushi in The Maldives I just visited, they, except the men, wore bikinis freely. The beach was almost entirely at the service of the foreigners, the locals busy feeding them and making them tipsy.

I then rode frantically to try to catch all the well-known spots in one afternoon. As I cycled around, the locals would smile and say hello. The young ones did often stare, but with smiling faces and curiosity; I could almost read what was running through their minds. They made my day.

The Fort Frederick, Dutch Bay, and The Inner Harbour, all featured the sea that was calm and soothing. They were still underdeveloped and underappreciated but I am sure it will one day be transformed. The crows, and there were many of them, were already crowing about it.