Something Smells Fishy

We awoke early to the sun coming up but decided to spend the day relaxing by the pool to acclimatise to the heat and humidity.  After a scrummy breakfast we walked along the beach and managed not to buy anything from the hawkers who I think wait in the bushes then dive out to sell their wares.  A not so by-chance encounter has however secured Regal cigarettes which will be delivered tomorrow from duty free???  Ask no questions sort of thing - why oh why did I worry about getting hold of cigarettes?

The beach and waters are too polluted for swimming – the sand is cleaned daily but the tide brings in the flotsam and jetsam from the fishing port down the road and we don’t fancy swimming amongst fish heads and other less recognisable fishy bits.

We retire to the poolside and enjoy the pleasant breeze which hides a deceptively hot sun (the effect of which was later revealed by Mr Lobster).  We watched the hotel staff putting up fairy lights ready for Christmas – the task of dangling the lights from the rooftop took hours as the men on the roof spent most of their time smoking and staring at the scantily clad Westerners enjoying the sunshine. 

John hasn’t chilled yet and his irritation was apparent when we were surrounded by a group of Swedes who insisted on chattering noisily – it was like listening to endless reruns of Pingu without the pictures or the humour.

We enjoyed a couple of pints in Spoons bar and diner and met a crew from Sheffield who were over for a wedding and were returning  to Manchester on a 4am flight via Doa.  We felt for them as they returned to their hotel to pack and start what sounded like a horrendous journey home in the “why do it right mode”.

After a late night we overslept and just made breakfast. We took a tuk tuk into Negombo town.  This trip feels much more like it – a hussle and bussle in the town, traffic beeping and honking – this now feels like what we’re looking for.  Bigger than expected, Negombo has a railway station which looks like it was axed by Doctor Beeching, canals that run arrow straight through the town and a couple of fish markets that lend an unmistakeable atmosphere.

First stop the train station which was like going back in time. Trying to work out which train we required blew our brains and a waiting room full of people who looked resigned to never even seeing a train suggested that alternative travel arrangements might be required.  The station master however was extremely obliging and allowed us a guided tour of the station, even taking our photo and including his thumb in the shot.

We headed to the fish market stopping briefly at the remains of the Dutch fort and the local prison.  We watched a loincloth clad inmate doing hard labour in the car park under the watchful eye of a guard frantically texting on his mobile .

We followed our noses and found the fish market. At this time of day the smell was pungent and over-powering.  At the side of the market the beach was given over to mats laid on the sand and full of salted fish laid out for drying.  Even the crows gave a swerve to these fish which are salted and dried to make them palatable. Soaked overnight in brine and turned daily until dried out, the fish are then shipped up country and are used in fish curries. ( Mental note – best avoid fish curries inland).

We met Joakim, a fish salter who had previously worked with Rick Stein when the fish chef had previously visited Negombo.  Joakim suggested that although he had helped Rick in the production of his TV programme he had little by way of recompense except for a photo of himself and Rick on the beach.  We were given a guided tour of the market – helpful as it warded off other punters looking to charge us for taking photos of the fish and the goings on in the market.  The fish were many and varied with flying fish and swordfish, squid and crab.  The heat however was stunning and after an hour of wandering we opted for a tuk tuk back to our hotel to cool off by the pool.

We kept our rendezvous with Mohammed, our snout baron but he told us that there would be no Regal today as the police had raided the airport and I would have to wait until tomorrow for my ciggies or risk getting busted - easy choice after seeing the prison earlier.