Yes, I get bored easily. Yes, I have to be moving around towards something new and different basically all the time. It’s very obvious when I’m taking pictures. I can’t really stand, or sit, in the same place for hours and have my camera pointed in the same direction all the time. That’s why it’s been really fun to stay in Mirissa and Hiriketiya in places where I haven’t stayed before, I get to see it from another angle. And that’s also been apparent in my photographs, I get to document the surfing scene, and of course the sea, from another angle. So, it’s been fun!
Oh, yes. I’m updating this post a lot because things happen. Updates at the end of the post. Maybe I should do separate posts but I want to keep a positive vibe in my blog. So consider this a dumping post of strange things happening during my travels.
Now I’m here in Hiriketiya, staying at a quiet area, well all areas are pretty quiet here anyways since we’re off the main road, and the place I’m living in is also quiet. Think it’s the first time in almost a year I’ve gotten the space and time to reflect on everything I’ve gone through during the last two years or so. A lot of emotions come up to the surface, but it’s ok. I have to go through them and process in order to be able to go on.
It’s also almost the first time during my travels that I haven’t had to deal with too much other stuff like the electricity in my house going bonkers, bad wifi, changing rooms and places all the time, finding good food. The basics work. And then I work. I’m both an introvert and highly sensitive which are assets to me when I’m taking photos and editing them but, in order to function I need a lot of personal space and privacy not to be stressed out. And right now, after being social all day I really need both of those things in order to get myself back to me again.
Of course there’s the threat of Sri Lanka completely running out of electricity, and drinking water, and shortages of a lot of other kinds. But let’s hope that doesn’t become true.
I’ve only been here for a few days and I’m known for changing my mind. But it feels good. That has to be enough right now.
Edited a couple of days later: I still like being here but, some of my basic requirements are not being met. It’s not possible to lock the door to my room. I told the landlord yesterday and he tried as well , on the 10th attempt he succeeded to lock the door, “No problem” he said. Later yesterday evening and also this morning, I could not lock it from the outside so can’t leave my room. Also difficult to lock it from the inside so booked another room and am leaving. I’ll write a separate post about my experiences with Sri Lankan hotels later. When I’m settled in somewhere.
Edited again, after I left my old room: Well, that didn’t go too well. Or, I mean, in the end I managed to get out of my room alive and with all of my belongings but …
The landlord wanted me to pay the full amount of my original booking. Which I’d already changed before moving in. I refused, but tried to give him the rent for the nights I’d stayed there. He refused. I tried walking out with my big suitcase, the landlord and his wife took my bag and tried to look it into and empty room. Fortunately I managed to grab my bag and take it into my room. I barricaded the door and started screaming, tried to call the police but had very poor cell phone reception. After a while the police came since the landlord also had called them. They helped us settle for a sum and I was free to go. There’s a lot more that happened but, I have no energy to describe that now, but I’m in a very comfortable room with a great bed where I just woke up from a good nights sleep.
Update 7013: Well, went back to Mirissa. Stayed at a nice hotel where I know the owner, but it was a bit above my budget so had to change. Booked the hotel from where I took the above photos because they were nice to me and thought I would feel safe there but … the night before I was going to move there they discovered that I’d given them 7 out of 10 at Booking.com and they were not happy with that so they started sending me nasty messages, wanted me to cancel my booking but still pay commission. More tears.
Anyhow, I had booked my hotel through Booking.com so I contacted them. and they in turn contacted the hotel and helped me cancel the booking. So, thank you Booking! (This post is not sponsored by them in any way)
And my advice is: book your hotel via Booking.com and only communicate with the hotel through bookings messages because then Booking.com can go through your communication with the hotel and help you if anything goes wrong. And I know, the hotel has to pay commission to the hotel, and in times like this you want to support the local hotels. But, sometimes you yourself also need some support. And that’s where booking comes in.
And, no. I’m not sponsored by them. It’s just that I’m so grateful for the support.
But it would be nice to be sponsored by Booking.com 😉 and I do travel a lot!
Update 10001: I’m in the Maldives now. At an island which I fell in love with. It’s the perfect mix of beautiful turquoise waters and beach but has a big local community as well, which is something I like it makes the island feel more real. This morning I met a woman working for the Maldivian tourist council and told her that, and she agreed that it’s a very special island.
Anyhow, I was going to visit other islands but decided to stay here. Been changing hotels since I didn’t have a booking for my whole stay. And today when I was about to check into a hotel that I booked, through Booking.com 😉 , and guaranteed with my card I was told that the hotel was full since they thought that I would not show up because I hadn’t made any special requests. Not sure what those would have been since I’ve been here for a week already and I’d requested an early check-in so I would have time to do other things today. In the end I t sort of turned out fine since the second hotel I was shown by the manager of my original booking is a nice one and they’re paying for the difference in the price. It’s just that this sort of ruined my day. But the good thing is that there’s a beautiful view at this hotel and I didn’t spend hours on a ferry today to get here.
But this trip just keeps getting weirder and weirder.
Update 19003: I’ve just had the second hotel in a week cancel on me. A hotel I visited this afternoon and then they didn’t say anything about being fully booked. So now I have to find another hotel within my budget, and that’s reachable by ferry, and that isn’t too far away so I don’t spend all my time here in the Maldives trying to get to hotels. Oh, other things has happened too but too angry to write about that. Should really be sleeping because want to take some photos of the sunrise tomorrow. But again, too angry.
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