Its 6pm

The rustling of the keys outside the door

Scratching against the lock

“Click”

The wooden door flies open

We jump out of the couch at the sound

Passions, Arthur, Round the Twist, Ocean Girl, and Feral TV; a passing memory in amongst our short attention spans

Mothers floral perfume filling the house

Overtaking the pre-pubescent aroma of boyhood

The weary faces of our parents walking in clutching onto their work bags

‘Aiyo Pasikadha, padikadha, pasikadha’ we cry with pain and glee [English: Aiyo, I have a strong desire and/or craving for food][Sinhala: Aiyo, mata badagini kaema kannava]

Fast forward a number of years

On a road less travelled

And I am hungry no more

In fact I am quite the opposite

Well satiated in fact

On the Eastern coastline of Sri Lanka

In a small hamlet called Pasikudah

Although similar sounding…actually doesn’t mean ‘I have a strong desire and/or craving for food’

But rather is Tamil for green algae bay

 

Where there is not a touch of green in sight

Except for the serrated coconut tree fronds dotting the panorama

Miles of alabaster sand stretching out past the naked eye

And shallow reefs extending well past the champagne shores

 

Not too dissimilar to the beaches in Australia

Except for one small fact

…The unique island folk

 

With ecstasy they flock to the shores

Without any care in the world

The struggles of life neatly packed and hidden away

 

All ages and walks of existence

Young and old

Two-legged and four-legged

Leaving their footprints on the scorching sand

Venturing into the pristine waters

Cajoling, vexing and ragging

And as the 40degree heat settles

Dusk approaches

The Portello (a soft drink that tastes like Benadryl) bottles sloshed

All juiced up

Delirious

Euphoric

Buzzed

 

The pre-pubescent hoodlums bring their drums out

Reverberating to the beat of the surf

Clapping with zeal

Singing with bounce

Tipsy on the carefree island life

 

The old man dances

The rest of the beach, dances with him

Wiping away all the footprints

…for tomorrows beach goers to throw their worries away

…just for one day

Mr Kumaraswamy, a local Pasikudah legend showing us the beauty of sarong life

 

Places to Stay

There are a few resorts to stay at. 

We stayed at Amethyst Resort and would recommend staying in a Beach Bungalow where your room opens onto the beach

 

Places to Eat

Most people get their food from the resorts they are staying at. The prices for half board and full board are reasonable.

We also ate at The Crab & Lobster, Kalkudah one night. Priced between 300-800LKR for a meal. Dolphin kothu was also on the menu (for the adventurous)

 

Activities

Beaching. Snorkelling, Swimming. Relaxing. Laughing. Chilling. Dancing. Singing. Experiencing a slice of Sri Lankan island life.

 

Close-by

Batticaloa city is 30min drive south and has a few sights that can be explored in half a day including the old Dutch Fort, lighthouse, Kallady bridge

 

Aeration rating

Strong ++. The perfect get-away to kick back and immerse the never region with a fresh coastal breeze. If still unbelieving, ask our friend Mr. Kumaraswamy.