Monkey Wars at Hirikiteya

From Mirissa to Hirikiteya

We breakfast at our accommodation (and pack- yuck), before our driver picks us up.

We are informed in advance that we have a new driver today because yesterday our regular  driver, Lorenzo, was rear-ended and his car is in the shop.

Driving here is crazy. It seems the road lines are used as guide lines and people often drive down the middle. I can see why all the tuk-tuk and cab  drivers have Buddha or a god of their choice on the dashboard. 

In Sri Lanka it is easier to get around using drivers than renting a car. It’s cheaper and definitely less stressful. A one hour drive in an air-conditioned sedan is about 35 CAD and the same trip in a tuk-tuk is about 25 CAD.

Today we are doing the one hour drive from Mirissa to Hirikiteya. Our host in Hirikiteya has told us that once we reach the town to not use the fastest route shown on Google Maps as it’s impassable for cars. 

Well, I hate to imagine what bad roads are like because the alternate route to our family run guesthouse (and other businesses, restaurants, spas etc) is very narrow. If a car or tuktuk is coming from another direction, one driver has to go onto the shoulder or reverse until there is more space to pass.

At one point it is so tight with a number of cars going in both directions that one local driver gets out of his car and directs traffic; having our car reverse off the road and helping other cars getting past within a fingers width of each other. 

Hello Hirikiteya

It’s 11am when we arrive at our guesthouse called Wilson’s Place, so we drop our luggage off and head out to explore the beach town.

Hiriketiya is filled with health conscious surfers. There is a zen feel to it. There are tons of Ayurvedic spas offering massages, consulting and other health and beauty services. There is no shortage of yoga and meditation studios. And of course, many health conscious, delicious places to eat.

John and I find a restaurant with a view of the bay and beach where we watch the surfers, both beginner and expert, ride the waves. I am surprised that people don’t run into each other. Hiriketiya’s crescent shaped bay is known for it’s great surfing waves.

John and I order bowls of tuna, veggies, chick peas and mungbeans. I get a king coconut to drink. Yum. I can stay here all day.

We decide to explore the town. I stop at numerous spas and yoga studio’s researching how best to use our down time.

Toque Macaque Monkey Business

Walking through a jungley area, I am startled when a toque macaque monkey jumps out of a tree in front of me. Next thing I know there are a whole bunch of them and then they get into a fight with lots of monkey screams. Click here for a short video.

Hiriketiya was a well kept secret however now that it’s been discovered, you can see lots of signs of development. In a number of years it will be as busy as Mirissa. I am glad we are here while it still has its zen-like atmosphere.

Wilson’s Place

We head back to our room at Wilson’s Place which is now ready for us. The shutters of our room are drawn and the air conditioning is on…just what we need. Wilson’s Place is in a more peaceful area but still only a short walk from the centre of things.

Getting into a Zen Frame of Mind

After a short rest, we head into town for a light supper before heading to Dots Yoga Centre for the “New Moon Ceremony”. John notes that there is only one other guy in the class.

The first part or the practice is setting an intention and meditating upon it. Then we do yoga and then more meditation on our intentions. I am sorely out of practice. The class ends with drinking blue lotus tea and picking a tarot card. On the walk back to our guesthouse, I ask John what intention he meditated on. He says his intention was not to make intentions and that he found the class a little airy fairy. I tell him that my intention was to be a better wife…but I can’t keep a straight face.

When walking back after yoga on a dark part of the road, we hear the monkeys fighting in the trees. Combatative little fellows.

Further on, in another dark area, we hear the calming sound of frogs croaking in the night.