We easily arrived (3 1/2 bus ride on the slow bus) at what used to be the Unawatuna Beach Resort (now called the Calamander, but also UBR), connected to Sirini's house where I often stayed when I wanted a break from the village. Really a dream hotel for a good price. We have a little balcony, updated bathroom, and a king size bed again. Fancy! We can sit out and watch the ocean, the sunrise or sunset. The weather is PERFECT, about 80 degrees and cool breezes. Everyone is so friendly, and if I bust out my Sinhala, they are bedazzled (that's the best term I can think of). They grin extra broadly and they keep asking how I learned. Then they tell each other that I know Sinhala.
Words are coming back to me, but context is everything. For example, I think to say to Yvonne to sit down, and I thought of the word "wadi-wenna". A guy was describing the New Year festivities April 13-14 and asked, "You know it, right...'alut..." and I finished his sentence, "Alut Aruddha Wewa" (happy new year). I am speaking whole sentences but things like past tense are still elusive for some verbs, and other words. Like it is weird that I can remember the words for cabbage, green beans, egg (gowa, boonchi, bitere) but not water, tomatoes or papaya (wature, takali and papol).
the coolest pool!! at our beach hotel
Okay for the good part...we were walking down the GORGEOUS beach at sunset and there are many shops. None really look familiar until I see a very unremarkable one called Samson's Restaurant. It certainly seemed familiar. We walked up and this man asked us if we wanted something. I looked at him and felt his face was familiar; I asked him who is dad is and if he owned this restaurant. He took me to a picture on the wall inside the restaurant of the "old guy" I used to sometimes chat with, and I patronized his shop and I even had a picture of both of us on my Facebook page.
The son, Madu, introduced me to his sweet family, wife, son Ramesh and daughter Kameshi. He told me Samson was sleeping when the tsunami came and it swept him out to sea. They found his body on the rocks. He informed me that about 20 people died, and the beach was very damaged. They lost m a lot of the beach and sand. (So just a few months ago the government brought some ships in and pumped tons of sand onto the beach and now it looks great. The sand is slightly coarser and I don't think the locals like it much though.
The next afternoon, the children took us up to the shrine and temple on the rocks. They talked a lot with us...we saw the sunset from there. There are a lot of updates like they now have a huge sitting Buddha in a glass house. The steps are now tile (and it is not just climbing a bunch of rocks to get there). There is a nice wall around the shrine with lights, and more.
July 31st is Poya day and I found out the in Unawatuna they have a week long festival and Perahera. I am so upset. If I had known, I could have changed our plan to go to the University first and then Unawatuna. Or something... They say a lot of people will be here, and they will put up a lot of little shops on the beach. There will be a procession of about 5 elephants, dancing and even some ritual piercing (like Kataragama).
(We DID get to see Perahera! Go to new page Ruhuna.)
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