Finally it was time to hit the beach. We actually went to two beaches, first Mirissa Beach and then Unawatuna, but by the time we got to Unawatuna I was in full-on holiday mode and didn’t take any photos! Also, swimming and cameras don’t really mix.

Sitting at breakfast, we saw this guy quickly scramble up a coconut palm, hack some coconuts down and climb down again. It happened very quickly but luckily I had my camera on me.

The waves on this part of the beach were a bit dangerous. Some of our group went in for a swim though. The guys were all on a crazy adrenaline buzz afterwards.

I preferred to stick to the more gentle waters on the other side of the beach. Gentle, but there were submerged rocks – doh! So now I have a scar on my foot to remind me of my wonderful holiday!

Unawatuna was incredible, but you’ll just have to imagine it. There was hardly any beach to speak of – the sand was very narrow – but our hotel was right next to the water. I tried to sit on the beach and read but occasionally a big wave would swamp the entire beach! The water was amazing though. I lay on my back and bobbed on the waves until the current floated me down the beach, then I swam back to the hotel and floated again.

I considered taking a cooking class that was on offer down the road. Marissa has taught me a lot about Sri Lankan cooking but I’m sure I could have learned a lot more in the class. Then I thought:
- do I really want to spend hours in a hot sticky kitchen in this kind of climate?
- how often do I find myself on a tropical beach?
… I stuck to the beach and bought a cookbook at the airport.