Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka,
Today it has been 3 days since I arrived in Arugam Bay on the East coast of Sri Lanka. I forgot to write my journal entries, but here I come back to it. I moved from Hiriketiya in the South, with a 4h drive.
While all of the country is in lockdown (called ‘travel restrictions’), here in Arugam Bay, almost everything is open. You can walk freely, go to restaurants and cafes. Even though it is a small town, it has all one needs. It feels great to be able to finally live ‘normally’. The aspect I like less is that it is an entirely touristic area, living of (foreign) tourism. You can see it through the options available and the type of people around here. As usual, I prefer non-touristic areas; but this aspect is the exact reason why it is now open and free. So I can’t criticize much, moreover, there are very few tourists right now compared to what there usually are. I like it so far. There is access to the countryside, and pure nature is close by, just a little south with the Yala reserve, and Kumana National Park. There is also the Lahugala Park a few km West. I have seen elephants on the road, and I have heard of the flying foxes staying not far too. There are also crocodiles in the lagoon nearby, and monkeys are very present too. I will stay here until the lockdown is over, or until a time when I will be able to continue to explore the country without major obstacles.
Buffalo on the highway 
Buffalo curd 
