MATARA
To escape Una Watuna and its tourist craziness on our first day here we took the train right along the southern coast to Matara. Thalatha had always wanted to take this train, which went through lush green trees and overflowing plants on one side with, through the open window, elegant beach side hotels and occasional glimpses of beaches, on the other. It was a very local train and we seemed to stop every 15 minutes, spending as much time stopped as flying along.
It happened that Matara was pretty much closed down on a Sunday morning, but Thalatha wanted to see what the town was like which led us to walk over a kilometer down the main business street under the blazing sun in humid heat. None of us had any interest in seeing the Matara fort or any other tourist sites.
When we got to the bus station we stopped for ice cream and then took the bus back to Una Watuna. On the way back what struck me was the unending very modern side by side beach resorts all the way from Matara to Una Watuna, all with lounge chairs fronting on the beach.
BILLYBABA’S WANDERING 