Around The World In 80 Waves

To me who has been surfing for most of the last year the waves in front of Mambo’s do not look that challenging. Consequently I am amazed at how many people are being rescued here every day by the local surfers who keep having to paddle out and collect them once they have got themselves into trouble.

Thankfully there have not been any serious incidents yet, but there was an amusing one where the power of the waves actually stripped some Russian swimwear completely off the person who had been wearing it.

The poor soul had to be brought in to the beach laying butt naked on a longboard, providing much amusement to those watching on the shore.

It might sound titillating until you hear that the gentleman concerned, who was built like Chief Wiggum from the Simpsons, then proceeded to stagger up the beach. I would say with everything swaying in the breeze, but it wasn’t that impressive and to be fair the water isn’t at all cold here!

There is a full moon here which means that many of the bars host rather large knees ups under the moon lit sky. Mambo’s where I am staying is no exception and Saturday night was their turn to host the festivities.

I enjoyed a great night of house music and chatting to people from all over the world, but in particular a German couple and a couple from Gravesend just outside of London. 

However the party was disrupted by one of the local turtle population who crawled out of the sea and up the beach to lay her eggs.

It occurs on every full moon here, but after a short period contemplating the flashing cameras, the banging tunes and the crowd which gathered around the female visitor, she decided that perhaps there might be a better spot for her young to start their lives and disappeared from whence she came.

It was a great night and my bedroom which is right above the bar was still echoing with the thumping beat when I crashed out. However I clearly had too much to drink because Sunday was an absolute write off.

I missed the morning glass because I had to wait around for the surf shop to open so that I could buy a new leash. (The existing one has let me down far too many times now.) I was then further delayed fixing the results of the latest round of the ‘Who can put the biggest holes in Rob’s surfboard’ competition undertaken between airlines worldwide.

However I am lucky that there is a break right in front of my hotel called Mambo’s Place, and it is named after it. I have a great room overlooking the break, which is the big window you can see over my left shoulder on the first floor in this picture of me charging into the surf.

The first thing to mention about this surf was all the turtles. I stopped counting them after a while because there are so many in the water. I was afraid catching a wave would resemble a water based version of hopscotch!

I still caught my share though, even if my delays in getting started meant that it was very windy, resulting in the lumpy waves you see here and a ride like a bucking bronco. 

This wave is a reef break consisting of a few rocks, but was nothing to worry about when compared to the cheese grating reefs of the Mentawai Islands which I have become used to. Sadly the waves were not in the same league as the perfection I have been enjoying over recent weeks either, but that was no real surprise.

There is a crowd watching from the shore sipping Lion beers and cocktails so you don’t want to look like too much of a kook with so many people looking on. Thankfully I did well, surfing so far in that I almost landed on sun loungers when I got off!

I did have a lot of fun for a couple of hours here before the winds chopped everything up and I got out. Firstly picking out the best right hand line through the waves, and then trying to work my may along it to the shore following the route I had spotted from the sand.

I got out happy to have bagged my first break in Sri Lanka less than ten hours after stepping off the plane.

A quick note to let people know the Sri Lankan telephone number I will be contactable on for the next couple of weeks. It is +94 7661 53359

I am sure that while I have been away this year I will have collected more telephone numbers than Edward Snowden and the NSA!

After a lovely few days of respite from life on the road with Rick and Lou in Singapore it is time to move on to my next destination.

I say my fond farewells to all after a day of playing with their children, shopping and catching up on the blog. Rick finishes work in time to drop me off at the airport with plenty of spare time before my flight to Sri Lanka.

As far as I am aware the Sri Lankan waves are not accused of war crimes so I will not be boycotting any activities whilst here regardless of what the rest of the Commonwealth thinks.

My flight arrives on time in Colombo where I am met by a driver who takes me and my surfboard the three hours south down to Hikkaduwa. Upon arrival at 2am I am shown to my room, which is right on the beach, and in no time at all I am nodding off to the sounds of the waves lapping the shore.