Last week was all about sun, sand and surprise as I made a trip to Sri Lanka to give my mum an unexpected early birthday present. I haven’t been back for a while, so I thought I’d make it a big one by whisking the family away for a few picturesque days by the beach.
Casting Bentota as the stage for my surprise, I thought “the weather ought to be pretty good down south this time of year”.
And how...
We were greeted by endless blue horizons and verdant splendour.
Though we relished the 5 star creature comforts of Taj Hotels' Vivantha, they were eclipsed by the sunny opulence of the south’s beaches. The previous night’s sodden temperament had been washed away to reveal a stunning aquamarine sky with nary a cloud in sight. Dappled sunlight flitted through the rustling palm trees as I was subjected to endless rounds of selfies with my mum, who as it turns out, is more of a millennial than I am.
We spent a few halcyon days alternating between swimming and dining on sumptuous Sri Lankan fare. One of my favorite meals was at the Ocean View, an aptly named rooftop restaurant in a remodeled train station.
When we got back home, Mum wanted to cook a home meal and who was I to turn an offer like that down? After filling her in on my current dietary requirements (no salt, no oil, no sugar, all steamed), she whipped up a delicious meal of poached kingfish in spicy mustard sauce, accompanied with steamed vegetables and Sri Lankan lunumiris, a kind of a chili-based chutney. It was incredible and I did manage to take a picture before wolfing it down.
'Healthy eating, Mum-style'
There were more surprises in store though. The next day, I took the family out for a decadent birthday brunch at The Fishery, a sleek beachside seafood restaurant at the Pegasus Reef Hotel, a stone’s throw from the family homestead.
There, the family & I went all in, eschewing the à la carte menu and picking our seafood right off the boat. Chefs were on hand to advise on the best ways to prepare each of our selections.
I selected a rather large Grey Mullet, steamed with a lime & chilli dressing. My dad was also rather conservative, opting for two choice tuna steaks, grilled. My mother & brother chose an assortment of fresh fish, shelllfish with sides. We complemented the meal with a parade of ‘Ara-coladas’ - a Sri Lankan take on a cult favourite, swapping out the rum for arrack. For those uninitiated to this quintessentially Sri Lankan flight of drunken fancy, arrack is a local spirit distilled from the sap of coconut flowers and tastes like a heady cross between rum & whiskey.
'If you like Ara-colodaaas...'
Suffice it to say, it was quite the feast. Like with all meals in Sri Lanka, there’s barely any time to take any decent pictures, tastebuds overpowering the camera-tapping thumb:
The rest of the day was spent in sunny idleness back at the family homestead. Naps are big in our household...
'Ample spots to catch a sunny siesta'
All too soon, it was time to make my way to the airport to catch the red eye back to Dubai.
As I reclined in the Emirates lounge, I realised this was fun, fulfilling trip. Mum was over the moon about my surprise visit, Dad was suitably satisfied and my brother was... well, my brother (JK!). Realization slowly gave way to resolve.
I foresee many sunny siestas & dappled dalliances in Sri Lanka over the coming year.
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