I love a good routine. Traveling is amazing, and the depth and breadth of experiences I’ve had have been life-changing. But with all of the “go go go” traveling I’ve been doing lately, I was craving some relaxation, and yes, routine. And Arugam Bay was the perfect place for it. Arugam is world-famous for its surfing, and I took advantage. I surfed every day (sometimes twice a day), living out my pre-teen dream of being a “surfer chic.” I also did yoga everyday, which I had been seriously missing. It’s so much easier to live an active lifestyle when you’re not worried about where you’re going to sleep tomorrow!

On top of yoga and surfing, I also spent 2-3 hours every day at the Ayurveda doctor (Ayurveda is an ancient form of medicine that originated in India, and is still very popular throughout the region). I learned a bit about Ayurveda as part of my yoga program, and had found that Ayurvedic massages really helped my bum knee (both with the pain and stiffness). So I signed up for a week long program that included massages, herbal treatments, steam baths, and lots and lots of oil! Plus, a cleanse (which all that shatkarma in Rishikesh really helped prep me for).

After almost 2 weeks in Arugam, and on the final day of my treatment, Dr. Jahufer smeared a dark red herbal paste on both knees, wrapped them both tightly in bandages, and said, “No water for 3 days.” I had thought about going north up the coast to Trincomalee (another beach town), but I figured the 3 days of no swimming (or showering) would be better used in transit. So, going back the way I came, I took 3 buses from Arugam to Ella, and then the beautiful train ride between Ella and Kandy (and then another 6 hours or so of less exciting train ride from Kandy to Colombo), and finally the airport.

Here are a few more pictures of the train ride because it’s just that good…Kutpai for now Sri Lanka 🙂