Green Park Hotel Trincomalee! My new home.

My first couple of days in Trincomalee have been fantastic.  I am thoroughly enjoying the area.  The beaches are so amazing, and virtually untouched by tourism.  I am living at the "Green Park Hotel", which is not a very fancy location, but it is on the beach so I am very content.  It is unfortunate that Sri Lankans do not know what Westerners are willing to pay money for, because they have totally set up the hotel in a very backwards fashion.  The main dinning area overlooks the street, which is not a visually appealing sight.  The view consists of some run down buildings and unkept houses.  In behind the dinning room is the kitchen and a storage area... which of course over looks the beach and water.  If you ask the hotel to sit at a table in the back, they say no, as that is where the hotel staff eat their meals and is not suitable for foreigners.  So crazy.  

Out the back of the hotel!  I love it here!

The design of the bedrooms is not much better.  Again, the most prized rooms overlook the street. My room does not even have a window!  It has a door made out of painted plywood, which can be opened.  It has a second story view of the street.  I open it in the morning for some fresh air (it is not cool, but airs out the room), but since it does not have a screen I do not like to leave it open too long.

The beach just outside of my hotel is used by fisher men to dock their boats.   At all times of the day they can be seen coming and going from the shore line. About 6 or 8 men will go out in the boat, cast out their nets and drag the net back into the boat.  I asked one of the hotel staff if a certain time of the day was the busiest for boat traffic, but they said it doesn't matter they fish at any time of the day.

After eating rice and white bread for several weeks, it was time I did a little exercise.  Last night I strapped on my running shoes and decided to go for a run.  It was both amazing and hell at the same time.  The breeze off the water made running bearable.  It was a great to be outside and getting some exercise. I had many men and women who were walking along the beach stop to watch me as I passed by.  Exercising is not something many people do in this country, as it is too hot.  A few of the fishermen had a good laugh, and rather plump looking man in his "bathing suit"(actually very tiny underwear with a giant rice belly hanging over top) mimicked me; he ran around in a circle, dramatically kicking his knees high up into the air so his friends near by could  have a good laugh.  Whatever rice boy!  I also had a stray dog briefly chase me down the beach for a little bit.... that was scary. You never know what disease they carry or if they have rabies.  Despite all this it felt so good to be exercising again.   Now the true sign of dedication is if I repeat it.

Tuesday March 27th.

I did another run along the beach and added some push ups and burpies to make things interesting. I even did some military presses with a log I found.  This time I had a whole crowd of men watching me from a short distance away.  Gross!!!  It was like I was a circus freak or something.  Whatever!  I feel better exercising, so I think I am going to have to develop a thick skin when it comes to men watching me.

Sneaking up on a fish.  You can see his stash of fresh fish hanging out of his left pocket, in a bag.