TANGALLE
The main resort in the south of Sri Lanka.
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The key point of our trip to Sri Lanka was the city of Tangalle. It is considered the southern capital of the country, but tourist flows, which the east of Sri Lanka is famous for, have not yet reached Tangalle. Therefore, we really wanted to see the authentic Sri Lanka, living its everyday life, large deserted beaches and incredible nature. And so, our group of pioneers walks through the streets of Tangalle. We are surrounded by a lot of street advertising and schoolgirls in white uniforms returning home from class.
A typical street in Tangalle, as well as in neighboring towns, looks something like this:
The format of supermarkets selling household appliances here is slightly different from those that we saw in Ukraine. Our sellers are too lazy to pull refrigerators out into the street every day ;-)
After wandering around the city, we went to the beach, where we saw how the locals were pulling a net, abandoned at night. Seeing how hard it was for them, I dropped everything and rushed to help!
And, literally in a minute, I was "accepted into the team" and the work of the fishermen went more fun. ;-)
When the entire net was on the shore, the first part of the dismantling of the catch began - the search for the inedible and throwing it back into the ocean. Look at what toothy giant the fishermen let back into the water (And it turned out to be a puffer fish, in our "dog fish", which is eaten in Japan.
But this delicacy can only be tasted by chefs who have been studying for many years and getting a license to prepare it. Because it is a very poisonous fish and there is NO ANTIDOTE to it! If you cook a puffer fish a little more or a little less than the norm - it kills! Every year, several Japanese die from a poorly cooked "dog fish"). The Sri Lankans are not ready for the Japanese risks and just throw the puffer fish back into the ocean. The next stage of fishing is the division of large fish between fishermen. By what logic the fish was distributed, we could not understand, but the offended did not seem to be observed. And the final part of fishing is the division of "small things". This process is reflected in the photograph behind my back. Unlike large fish, small fish were handed out to everyone: the kids who came running from the surrounding streets, and even the dogs walking along the beach, also got a few fish from the catch.
But such fishing is the lot of "amateurs". Real professional fishermen in Tangalle go to sea at night on their boats, and in the early morning they sell their catch right in the port. Once we forced ourselves to wake up early and went to explore a very atmospheric market. At the port, we were greeted by dozens of fishing schooners and seafood traders. The main fish of the sellers is tuna, seventy percent of the fish offered were tuna. But there were also shrimps.
I thought for a long time whether to put the next photo, but decided that "you can't throw words out of the song" and this should also be shown. This is how stingrays are sold at this fish market. I confess that we were shocked by what we saw. Therefore, if someone is too impressionable in Tangalle, then it is better for him not to go to the fish market.
At the very beginning of the article, it was already said that city residents are not spoiled by the number of tourists. As a confirmation (and also to convey the atmosphere of this place), I am posting a video we filmed at the fish market in Tangalle. You will see that we are the only tourists there.
It is much more pleasant to walk around the central city market, which is located near the bus station. The abundance of vegetables, fruits, all kinds of greens is impressive. And the prices? The prices are not at all expensive, and no one canceled the bargaining :-)
Here are a couple of genre scenes filmed in the market and a boy playing with red bananas bought there.
And now some useful information: the main grocery supermarket is called "Food city". It is not difficult to find it, leave the central market on the side where the road passes. Cross this road and move to the right. Go through the big banyan tree, cinema with movie posters and Bingo! You are in front of a store with a red sign. In the photo below you can see what the storefront looks like and a typical showcase in it. Advice for those who smoke: it is better to come to Sri Lanka with your own stock of tobacco products, because it is forbidden to display packs in stores in stores and to purchase them you need to specifically ask the seller to open a separate cabinet with 3-4 varieties of cigarettes. The cost of cigarettes in this country is discouraging: the cheapest local "Goldleaf" cost ten, TEN dollars per pack, and some "Rothmans" all fifteen! You will not find alcohol in Tangalle shops either, it is sold in separate minimarkets, which are more like cages for predators: solid thick grates and a small square hole through which the goods are dispensed. We have met only two such minimarkets in the city; they are located on the street that adjoins the central market on the left, as viewed from the road. And, closing the topic of trade: you will find an ATM if you leave the market on the road and go to the right on the same side where the market is located. After a few hundred meters, there is a bank at the turn of the road to the left.
Commission of 300 Lankan rupees per transaction ($ 2). Don't thank :-)
Of the inspiring places that have been seen in Tangalle, the river that cuts through the city can be noted. In the water itself, the discerning eye of the traveler will be able to see a little debris, but the general plans with overhanging palms and bushes of pink flowers are wonderful!
Well, enough about the city, we are still at an ocean resort, so here's a selection of beach photos from this magical island called Sri Lanka ...
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Here are some more interesting things that we noticed on our journey:
1. Vertical drawings on Sri Lankan rupee banknotes.
2. Proud lion on the flag of the country.
3. Feet in the sand.
Now, a moment of thanks. I would like to say a huge thank you to all the hotel staff
" Ceylon Sea Hotel & Spa ", which did its best to please us with its care. The guys served us breakfast on the beach, took out a guitar in the city when we wanted to sing, and even took pictures with us :-)
One day, the hotel guys, who have already become our good friends, took us quietly to the Lankan wedding and we were able from around the corner ;-) to look at the performance of one of the most beautiful rituals in Sri Lanka. The photo below shows the wedding musicians who performed at that wedding posing for me in festive costumes.
And when the day of departure came, the entire hotel staff, including managers and directors, came out to say goodbye to the cheerful Ukrainian tourists. It was very touching and pleasant. If we are going to go to Tangalle again, we will definitely stay with our friends :-)
Summing up the trip, I can say that the city of Tangalle allowed us to get a little touch of the great Lankan culture, opened its beautiful endless beaches to us and gave us many new impressions and friends. And this is how our farewell photo from the hotel turned out.
