Woke up at 6 in our cabana and couldn't sleep. Well, no reason to waste good vacation time - what would be the best option: Go running on the beach or go fishing? I figured Hiroko would like to join me for a run in the afternoon so I decided to go fishing.

I sneaked down to the beach with my gear in the rucksack and heart beating heavily. What was waiting for me in the water? Tried a few casts in the sea with a silver lure. Difficult because of the big waves. After a couple of casts I decided to try the lagoon side instead (yeah, that's where all the nasty stuff is, like crocodiles...you might want to wear closed shoes if you want to move around in the reeds here...) but where I was standing it was too shallow to be really serious. Decided to give the ocean side another go. Threw a few times - and BOOM- on the third cast I was in. Something really big and heavy was on the hook. I fought like crazy with a racing heart. It pulled line out and I rolled it back in. I was gaining in on the fish. At last I was able to actually see the fish as I pulled it closer - it was something big alright. I used the breaking surf to bring in the fish closer and finally it lay there on the wet sand as the wave was receding. In a glimpse I could see a big fat silvery body with very big scales. But what the devil? The lure was lying on top of the fish. Had I - God forbid it - hooked it in the body? SPLASH a big wave crashed down on me and the fish. Something bit me in the toe under water. What was going on here? I fell on my behind and as the water receded again, I could see that I had hooked myself in the toe and the fish was gone. So it turned out that as the fish got twirled around in the surf, it had become un-hooked and the lure was lying freely on top of the fish (I had not hooked it in the body..phew).

Later during the day we went swimming (Philip and Michael) and fishing (Me, with a vengeance) A Srilankan guy comes up to me and the following dialogue takes place:
-Did you catch anything? said he.
-No, nothing so far. But I had a bigun on the hook this morning,  I replied. A big silvery fatty of a fish. Big scales. Do you know this kind of fish? (Hoping to get enlightened).
-Was it red? (Probably thinking it could be a Red Snapper)
-No, it was kind of silvery, like silver colored.
-Oh, I know this fish. I am a fisherman, although I don't fish right now because it is out of season.
-Do you know the name of it?
-Yeah, that is a White Snapper. Very taste, good for barbecue. Where are you from?
-Denmark
-Where do you stay?
-Galaxy Lounge
-Do you smoke something?
-No, nothing at all.
-OK. Because if you want something, I have it.
-Oh, no.
-OK (lost interest in the conversation and went away)

Today Hiroko and I took a tuk-tuk to Pottuvil to do some shopping. Needed a straw hat, sun lotion (we are using the stuff by the bucket in our family right now) and some bait for fishing - shrimps would be good. So we asked the tuk-tuk driver if there was a fish market in town. He answered in the affirmative. Being dropped off in a foreign world with people staring suspiciously at the unlikely, exotic sight of me (a Westerner) with my Asian wife, we followed the stench of rotten fish (no lie) to find the fish market. It led us into a labyrinth of narrow alleys of fruit and vegetable stands, where everybody was trying to push us their products. Did we not want tomatoes, or potatoes or something else, that we didn't even know what was? No, thanks. Keep smiling and keep going... The smell grew stronger. Lo and behold, the last narrow passageway opened up to some fish stalls. Many different kinds of fish on sale, big ones, small ones. Some seemingly offering more flies than fish. And boom, there it was, an old guy pushing fresh looking prawns. Yes, please, could I have some of these? 300 lkr for these? (1,80 Eur) The man showing me the amount of shrimp. Sure, whatever. The man, feeling pity for a stupid tourist like me, giving me back change, corresponding to a price of 250 lkr.

Bought some very cheap stuff and hurried back to our tuk-tuk, which took us back to our well-known, comfortable world at the beach.

We chilled out in the bar over lunch and did some wave-wrestling in the second half period of our swimming time. Then went on a very pleasant run with Hiroko along the beach. Combined it with swimming in the lukewarm water. Swell.

In the evening we went to the upscale Danish place, The Stardust, almost next door along the beach. Had a brilliant dinner with home made ice cream, where they had used coconut milk instead of regular milk. We tried the coconut-chocolate with roasted cashew nuts. It was delicious! Here is something to start experimenting with when we get back home.

Sitting in the bar with a beer right now, writing this blog. Rest of the family is sleeping in the cabana. Pea, the manager, is starting to turn the lights off, so I guess it is time for me to join them.