When we get to the bus station just before six
and our bus is waiting for passengers and our friendly guest house owner drops us off and makes sure we are on the right bus and says goodbye. The bus is empty at this point but not for long. We sit at the very back by the door, which actually has no door, and get our bags tucked in under our seats and settle in for the three hour ride. It doesn't take long before my SO nearly has people sitting on her lap and there are three or for people hanging out the door. Just when you think there is no way more people are getting on this bus, here comes ten more people shoving their way on. It was the most crowded bus I have ever been on. The impressive part really was the conductor making sure everyone paid. That man knows what a stressful job is.
The ride down the coast is beautiful. Despite seeing miles and miles of tsunami destroyed houses the beaches are spectacular palm tree lined with rolling blue waves. Right on time we get into Aragum bay before it gets too hot on the bus. A tuk tuk takes us from the bus station to our guest house about two kilometers away. It sits across the street from the beach and the owner greets us as we pull up. There is a mistake since the room we booked said it had a/c but he shows us a fan only and says that this is what we paid for. We say that is wrong and make him grab his computer so we can work it out through the booking website. He gets his computer and goes on to show us that the price we paid says no a/c but then I show that when he clicks on that room it's listed features has a/c. After that he buckled and gave us air conditioning at the fan only price. Score!
Having settled that we dump our things and enjoy sweet conditioned air for an hour or so then go explore Arugam Bay. The waves crashing on the beach look rough and everyone seems to be crowded in the water down at the end point of the bay. Walking that way along the beach we stop through every guesthouse on the way to ask to see what rooms they have available and at what prices. Thatch roofs are out since they are certainly not 'gecko-proof' so the rooms generally need to have closed ceilings to walls even though nothing is ever truly 'gecko-proof' in Sri Lanka. We settle on a two different guesthouses that we might possible check into another day and decide to go to the end of the beach where everyone is swimming.
There is a nice place called Mambo's at the end of the beach and we find a nice place to lounge, use wifi, and order beers in the shade. Hours go by of sitting in the shade and people watching. We meet a aussie/american couple and end up seeing them a lot in our time in Arugam bay. They end up suggesting a guest house we had not seen so we check it out and decide that this one will be where we move to in two days. That night we end up going to Mambo's again since they have a big party set ip. It is funny watching the local surfers and the expats and the tourist all mingle and dance. It was truly entertaining people watching.
The next day we rent motorbikes and ride to a national park that we can ride our motorbikes through. We spend hours going down dirt roads looking at water buffalo and wild peacocks and flamingos. There are lots of secluded beaches.
That night we go to another guesthouse called Samantha's Folly and chat with loads of other travelers about their stories and ours. the place has beers and good music without being a actual bar or club so it is a great atmosphere even if the accomodation looks like hammocks and open tents. The people and the entertaining owner make the place.
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