June 22,

Happiest Birthday to THREE of our nephews!!!  Hope you all have a blessed day!

Yesterday, we started with yogurt and muesli for breakfast. We took our time getting around, packed up, and awaited the caretaker arrival @ 1100. Jeff paid him and we left this nice home. We transition on to Nilaveli. Again it is only a couple hour drive. We decided to drive to Black Sand Beach at Kokkilai, but on arrival the roads kept getting smaller, and smaller. We backed out, literally, to get to a place to turn around. Then we went back along the same road to a cut off  road that went inland to around Kokkilai Lagoon. We cross from the Northern Province to the Eastern Province. I don't think I had noticed the province signs before.

The terrain is all varied rocky hills to sand dunes, sand beaches to forests, grain fields (rice, maybe some wheat) to lakes. We arrive into Nilaveli town a bit early for check-in at our place so we went for lunch. We stopped at Palmera Resort and Restaurant, it was about the only place open. (Today starts a holyday.) We ordered Mongolian Fried Noodles and an Onion Cheese Omelet with fries and salad. Also each had a juice – watermelon and lime. It was good and not overly much. Finished we went to our place to check-in, Theepan's Guest Home. We were escorted to our room. It is more like a hotel/studio room. We have a small two chair table with coffee/tea kettle and a small bar frig. A large double bed, not queen and a wet bathroom. It is very clean and has AC. We are here seven nights, as we hope to do some diving. We unloaded. and settled in. I caught up on blogs. Then we went to the local beach.

As we walked closer – more and more traffic, and people. Wow! The beach was packed with locals. Many Sri Lankans on the beach and in the water. By far the most people we have seen enjoying the water since South Africa. But pretty sure there were more people here. I don't know if it is because it is Friday evening, the holyday, or maybe both. (We are here long enough, will have to compare.) We walked to a little stand store and a larger store – have to get breakfast stuffs due to our place not serving breakfast tomorrow, and probably not many places will be open. Back to our place, light supper and watched You tube. Bed by 2200.

Today, we had muesli and yogurt again, then around and about by 1030ish. We first went to Poseidon Divers. We signed up for four dives – two on Monday and two on Tuesday. This is the main reason we came to this area. The diving is supposed to be good over here (not as great as the Maldives).

Next we drove into Trincomalee. It is a larger city and has a big natural harbor. Jeff got some cash and we found a higher rated hamburger place for lunch. It was 4 Doner. We had Double Quarter (two beef patties); Chicken Wrap; and Cheese Peri Fries (topped with sprinkle of Peri spice sliced hotdog, mayo, and catsup). It somewhat satisfied our hamburger craving. There was a bit gristle in the hamburger patty, but it is the closest we have had since South Africa. Finished, we stopped at a bigger Cargill's store, got our stuff and we impulse bought a dark chocolate, coconut bar– it was so good!😋😋  Then drove back to our place in Nilaveli. 

We watched some You tube and went back out on the beach around 1700ish. Again, the beach was very busy. We found where the busses are parking- there are a bunch. After we walked the beach a bit, we went through the bus parking area. There was an ice cream tuk-tuk and a bread tuk-tuk playing their token tunes. We finally bought some stuff from a bread tuk-tuk! We got two different kinds of cookies. We walked back at our place and had a light supper and our cookies.

Blessings to all!!!