Travel Eat Drink Like a Local

Traveling along the southern coastline, en route to Thissamaharama, Yala National Wildlife Park or Kataragama,  you can take a detour to a major town named Hambantota. In the past, 30 years ago, we would always break journey here and spend overnight at the Hambantota Rest House before proceeding on to the next leg of the road trip. Hambantota Rest House is on a hill top, overlooking the natural Hambantota Bay and it had a long open veranda outside the rooms. Early in the morning you could watch the fishermen pulling in their catch ashore and in the night you could watch the hustle-bustle of fishermen heading out to the sea. All lit with hand held torches then. The place is in existence even today. To my great dismay it's an unkempt shady drinking hole now. The town that went through major destruction in 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, currently has been tuned in-out, upside-down and has gone through very serious developmental changes. It's home to a new sea port, an international a...