Although Sri Lanka has become known as a violent country due to the negative coverage in the last decade, in reality this turbulent area mainly centres around the north of the country. As soon as we headed South of Colombo by train, we felt a peaceful atmosphere, friendly people, and a few interesting and almost empty sights. We stayed in one of the coastal villages before heading further South to the town of Galle.

This town is supposedly very old, and an old Dutch fort testifies to its age. Built more than 300 years ago, it is an evident witness to the Dutch influence on this island state. But there is more, behind the port area you can find old houses and a hotel. Strolling along the coastline of this town certainly gave us a quiet impression of Sri Lanka.

We also stayed some time at the beach at Weligama, and in its vicinity we saw fishermen sitting on poles sticking out of the sea, waiting for their catch. An incrdedible sight! At last, we turned inland for some exploration of the plantations here, notably coconut and rubber. We were especially impressed to see where rubber (which we know in such different forms!) actually originates from.