I wrapped up my trip to Sri Lanka with a visit to Galle, pronounced “gawl” in English. I chose to stay in Galle Fort, which in retrospect was a mistake. I am sure I would have enjoyed staying at nearby Unawatuna much more, despite it being overrun by tourists. I hadn’t even planned on visiting the South or the beaches of Sri Lanka, but my rigorous schedule that nearly killed me made it possible. I was so exhausted by everything I had done in such a short amount of time, that I needed the break the South offered.
Galle Fort is an old Dutch fortified fort built on top of an old Portuguese port. Yup, the Dutch and the Portuguese also thought Sri Lanka looked appealing and decided to colonize parts of it. Galle Fort is built upon a peninsula that juts out into the Indian Ocean. Galle Fort is quite nice, but definitely more upscale than I typical prefer. The tourists were older and the focus was on boutiques and art galleries. The Fort was rather quiet at night, though it was nice to go strolling through town to see the old Dutch architecture. The two main attractions are the Fort walls and the lighthouse. At sunset, everyone walks the Fort walls and the sunset is stunning against the old walls. If nothing else, Galle Fort is a beautiful and easy place to relax. The food is also excellent here. For breakfast is enjoyed perhaps the best coffee, fresh bread, and hoppers at Serendipity Cafe. Dinner was kottu at Hula-Hula near the Fort walls.
Nearby is Unawatuna, a little beach city near Galle Fort. I went for a day and really enjoyed it. Unawatuna is a beach paradise, and while there are a lot of tourists (and locals), it was still laid back and fun. It’s only 15 minutes away by bus at a cost of 20Rs (15¢). Tuk tuks will try to charge 300-500Rs ($2.50-4), but the bus is fun and the walk to the beach from the main road is full of interesting shops. Just walk out the main gate of Galle Fort to the bus station. Bus employees will ask you were you want to go and steer you to the correct bus. The ticket man on the bus will tell you were to get off and take your money for the ticket. Almost anyone along the road will also help you flag down a return bus to Galle Fort.
I found the wood carvings around Galle and Unawatuna to be really cool. The little wood boats that a man hand carved were all the rage with the local kids, but I was fascinated by the traditional masks called Vesmuhunu (“Devil Masks”). I ended up buying two of the masks from a lady who’s husband carves them buy hand, one for subduing enemies and bringing friendship and the other to bring peace, harmony and prosperity. Let’s see if they work!
