Feeling nice, I enjoyed an elaborate four course meal at the resort restaurant. I had the hotel staff take pictures of me in my birthday outfit, yes I dressed up for the occasion even though I’d be by myself. I ate and enjoyed the smooth sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks. If I hadn’t already deemed this to be my best birthday ever, it was. Sri Lanka had wowed me. It was everything I had wanted and more. Truly a hidden gem. An unsolicited friend. And a lifelong companion. I was moved and slept like a baby that night right after enjoying my Jacuzzi.

The next day we began the journey back to Colombo. We stopped along the way for local Ceylon milk tea. And that concoction by a small little shop off the road was the best team I’ve ever had. I don’t know what they put in it but it was divine. So maybe Sri Lanka was good at tea after all. After a quick morning pick me up for the both of us, we went for my photo opportunity with stilt fisherman. Sanju had already told me that they don’t actually fish that way anymore. Now they just sat there waiting for tourist to want a picture and then they would charge them for it. Stilt fishing was unique to Sri Lanka so I didn’t mind paying for a photo session. Sanju carefully helped me negotiate a fair price before I proceeded to pretend I was a stilt fisherman and climb up those narrow stilts. It was worth it! Even on my injured ankle that was getting better by the way... it’s only crazy if it doesn’t work I thought. The last excursion I wanted to do before I left was a boat safari.


A smooth sail down the river included a stop to visit Cinnamon Island. Cinnamon Island as the boat operator called it was a small island within the river way where an elderly man showed us and a few others how he makes cinnamon from scratch. He let us smell the bark, participate in grinding it before selling us it in powder, stick and oil form. I chose not to indulge since cinnamon can be found at your local bodega back in NY. He claimed cinnamon had all these natural health benefits. I’m not saying I didn’t believe him, I’m just saying I could get the exact same product in New York at my local bodega! As the boat sailed on, we stopped next to another smaller boat. There was the most beautiful baby monkey I had ever seen! I’m sure this was a part of the attraction but they had no idea that this short brief stop along one of the last excursions I had planned would be the highlight of my time in Sri Lanka. In Bali, I got to enjoy having a monkey on my shoulder and I thought that was the highlight of my life but in Sri Lanka, I got to hold one in my arms and have him hug me back. He was so perfect. I didn’t want to give him back. I briefly thought of Sanju, our baby monkey and I living on the island together having the time of our lives. It was brief. The moment was fleeting. And before I knew it I had to hand back the little guy to his owner.


On our way back down the river we visited another sacred Buddha temple in the form of an entire small island. A multitude of Buddha statues including one of him fasting until he starved himself to just bones, was on full display. I then asked to stop the boat at a floating coconut shop where I had my second King coconut. The first one, Sanju generously offered and bought for me back on our way to Dambulla. He said that they would charge a tourist more. Do you see why it was easy to be so smitten? He really was just a good guy. We then sailed to a fish spa. You read it right. Similar to the suggestion by a stranger in Greece, I subjected myself to having my feet gnawed on by a bunch of fish. The fish were a lot bigger than the ones I remembered in Greece. I was bit nervous at first but the tickling feeling I remember from my first solo trip came back. And this time it was so much cheaper. Sri Lanka proving once again to be the exception to every rule. Who says you can’t get a good pedicure for five dollars?