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Tbagous
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Tag: Sri Lanka
Do I feel lonely sometimes or my last tribulations in the land of the Lion aka Lanka,
In the last days someone asked me if I felt lonely sometimes during this journey. To be quite honest I never thought about it before or maybe never conceptualized it that way. I love to travel alone because it pushes you to meet new people, to connect, stay positive and see anything as a new opportunity. I have to confess something that will shock you or even make you crack a laugh. I AM SHY. I have been since I’m a kid. Not so many people knows about this even less agree to believe it. Thanks I guess to the way I act and interact with people. I’m most of the time perceived as layback, relax, arrogant but certainly not shy. I’m ok with that and the people that I truly met know me and they know I love them dearly.
So travelling on my own requires of me to go out of my shell or comfort zone a lot of the time. I’m always so surprised about the results and the number of friends I make on the way. I met many peoples during this last 4 months some that will only cross my path during this stride of my life some I will meet again like no time have passed. So yes I do feel lonely sometimes when I have to part ways with a big group of friends or when one of my closed ones have their birthdays at home. But the sorrow of those moments always hides new encounters that bring a different spice to this adventure.
Lately I met a crew of French guys that are really good surfers, the kind that actually standout at the peak (in the water). I was part of their crew for the last couple of days and that was the bomb. I went in bigger, hollower and faster waves, took more critical drop and more severe wipeout but also more tasteful waves.
Sri Lanka was a blast, missing it already but can’t wait for the next uncanny encounters…
Mirissa review or how to live in PARADISE?
To be fair after 10 days in Hikkaduwa, I was sort of drawn to Mirissa. Lonely planet and others great outdated for their times sort of guides will tell you in letter on paper that it is a blue cove of paradise. Well guess what? They are fing right. My first thought weren’t of that sort dough. When you arrive by the road there is a massive sign saying: “Welcome to Mirissa tourist place”. Yeah forgot to tell you hence the fact that Lankans don’t use the latin alphabet their grammar is let say fixable ;). Then you will arrive on the main road with shacks and buildings on both sides, my first thought was: is this it? Of course my driver didn’t know where my hotel was even dough he said yes to that question 45 mins ago. I guess Lankan drivers have shorter memories than Dory the Pacific Regal Blue Tang fish in Finding Nemo. It is only when you hit the beach that you truly realize how beautiful this place is. See for yourself the picture above ;). So let me ease your way into this shred of paradise.
Food Zephyr is by far my favorite place. It is a white wood house 200 meters of the right of the beach main entrance. 
Colorful beanbags are randomly disposed at the entrance. I have to admit it has been my canteen for the last couple of days. Yes I do feel at home there. The view is gorgeous. I like it because they dare to be different they offer other things than all the places on the beach. They are peculiar. If you don’t get their batter-fried prawns with wasabi mayo well you miss a byte in paradise. Their fresh passion mojito is to die for. Don’t forget you are in paradise anyway… Dewmini Rotty place deserves is number one place on the trip advisor list. 
It is a bit remote, well hidden in the back streets of Mirissa but their Iced coffee is worth the search. Staff is friendly and I like the way they mix Lankan food with occidental ingredients. Try the chocolate and peanut rotty toped with vanilla ice cream if you don’t like it, I will reimburse you hence you bring me your bill. Beside from this you can find good coffee at the beginning of the town. All the other restaurants offer pretty much the same menu not worth it but they do cook fair fried noodles…
Surf 
There are 2 main breaks in Mirissa and one secret spot not far away.
- The first one is on the right. I asked and searched the net; I didn’t find any name for it. So lets call it Urchin Feast. In honor of the urchin that will poke your feet if you go out the wrong way ;). It is a reef break the easiest way to get in is around the big rock before the spot. The right start at the end of boulders, the further you go the longer you ride will be. It is an easy wave but you will have to get some speed in order to pass the sections. When it gets to 4 feet the left will start to show up about 80 from the big rock and is a punchy fun wave to ride. The only thing you have to be careful for is the get out of the water part. When you face the beach don’t go to the right where the fish wooden pole is; aim for the opposite side. Look for the biggest tree on the beach, there is a 2 meters wide channel that is a manageable way out. U can also decide to paddle around the rock again ;), if you want to build up your muscle mass in order to impress your lady.
- On the left side in the second creak, there is a wave called lazy left. I know there is several waves called Lazy left in Lanka. This one even has signs so hard to miss. It is an easy left, that is a beautiful ride when the size comes up to 3 feet. Below 3 feet without wind it will be packed with beginners without knowledge of priorities and big epoxy boards, not a good mixer if you get my drift. Sometimes when you paddle out it feels that a couple of blind tomahawk missiles are pointing at you.
- There is another spot further away. My buddy and I had to look for it. We were the only 2 surfers in the water. It was a bit of hike especially barefoot. But it is way worth it… I believe the search is part of the surf experience so I leave this one to your investigating skills.
Sleep Mirissa is filled with accommodations for every budget. Walk around ask, talk, trust your instinct and smile it will lead you for a good part of your journey.
- On the beach if you have a bit of green notes in your pocket I reckon the best move is probably the Club Mirissa, indeed their room are at 9.000 rps a night AC, breakfast and dinner included. You will find some places for 8.000 on the beach but it will be in wood constructions; which means you can hear anything when u are in bed and be aware that there is some loud parties on the beach…
- The Sea breeze Lodge from what I heard is one of the best deal you can have 3.500 rps a night AC, bfast included and it looks clean. Make sure you ask for a room at the back because the road is quite close.
- My favorite one is the new Mirissa Beach Inn dough. It isn’t on the beach no more. It is a small hotel of 5 rooms in retreat from the road. The mattresses are as wide as the smile of the owner, rooms are simple, beautiful and clean the way my mom would like it. This means ultra clean. I will let you negotiate the price but you should be around 5.500 with bfast and AC.
Last tips for the road If you are looking for a good massage at the end of a long day of surf Badora spa is the way to go. It is a remote little spa up the hill and it will cost 3.000 rps for an hour and a half. From what I have heard the whales watching trip aren’t worth it at all. You are packed with 50 other pigeons on a small boat, fed anti nausea pills to only see the back of a blue whale if you are lucky. Don’t forget to walk up the hill to the yoga temple (there is a small path right next to were the 2 policemen are stationed). The view on the Mirissa bay will be worth your sweat. If you need a good fix for your board, it won’t look as good as new but at least your board won’t look like she had acne eruptions go to Samaru in Weligama. The trip will take 5 mins and 400 rps. The repair will cost you about a 1.000 rps. See you soon in our World Tbagous, 
Sri Lankans uncanny facts and my present steam of thoughts,
The world has been my new home for almost 4 months now. I stayed in many different places, packing and unpacking is becoming natural. It actually consists on opening my board bag and throwing everything I own in it. Like a snail I see my bags now as my new home. The more I travel the more I want to leave stuff behind. It is quite an exhilarating feeling to actually leave your apartment without being sure of where you will be for the next 1 to 10 years. So today well actually tonight I would like to write about what I learn about Lanka and also about myself lately.
Lankans are a bit rough on the first encounter; service is surely not in there first nature. They are smart and tough negotiator; some are quite the ‘filou’ type. For instance the owner of the place I’m staying at would tell the Russian couple that just arrived that the AC is broken in the all hotel in order to save the money from the electricity bill. But like Amsterdam, yes the city, Lankans will grow on you. This is something I came to realize in the past few days. As soon as they feel that you are coming back, try to speak their language and just be plain nice, you will see their true nature. You will always have a table even if it is plain busy, they will let you do your latte behind the bar the way you like it. Your Tuk-tuk driver will ask you to stop paying him and will negotiate prices for you and that is quite something to witness. They teach me words in Singali everyday and expect me to understand thing beyond what I have learned it is a really swell feeling. 
Another thing I have learnt about Lanka is why the bus-drivers drive like Enzo Ferrari on crack. This is due to the way they are paid. They are actually racing each other in order to be the first one at the next stop. This because they are commissioned on the number of people they get on the bus and the amount of trips they do in a day. This makes the Galle road look like a game of Mario kart especially when your tuk-tuk driver thinks he is Yoshi and wants to overtake the bus by the third lane.
What have I learnt about myself? Well lately I came to realize that the corporate world made me tougher than what I like. Don’t get me wrong I learnt a lot and met amazing people that I will keep as friends for a long time. But having to reach a target every week, the pressure of the last years, the vibe is something I do not miss. I believe that the capitalist world, system that has a lot of things to offer, place us in a sort of a rat race position that only a few can win or trick-out. Let me explain: You do great studies, get a well paid job that will allow you to go to the bank and ask for a loan for a beautiful house were your kids will grow… Then all of a sudden you need that paycheck at the end of the month and this is when you’re hooked. Again as any other 33 years old dude I like to drive a nice car, buy hip clothes, party with my friends but not at the price of being in a golden cage. There is a quote from Buffett that says something like: ‘Find the earliest you can, different ways of financing your life’. I think this is something a lot of us don’t do, hence my point about the golden cage…
So yeah you may ask, am I still a bit sour with people? Well I feel that everyday makes me a bit more mellow and old part of myself that I welcome again. May be the waves are washing the suit of my skin ;).
By rereading this post I do realize I’m fing darn lucky enough to have the chance to reflect on this issue.
See you soon in the world yours truly T Bagous,
SRI LANKA what to pack
Hello my dearest, My hopes are that you are doing awesome! I have been living, eating, dreaming and laughing in Lanka for a month now. This is what I think you should pack in order to cruise in this beautiful country. What to pack general:
- SUNSCREEN, you know the song from Baz Lhurmann – Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI&list=RDsTJ7AzBIJoI#t=24. This is most definitely true in Lanka as a matter of fact a lot of this song is true for the rest of your life ;). Anyhow the sunscreen you can get here washes off as soon as she sees a drop of seawater. I was lucky enough that one of the caring people in my life gave me Daylong sunscreen swiss brand that avoided me to look and feel like a red lobster. You can see a lot of
those around the beaches here. - SILK SLEEPING BAG, if you travel around Lanka you will at some point probably see, certainly smell and sleep in the worst bed you ever did. At this time if you have read this post, travelled to Lanka and taken this advice you will most def want to pay me a beer the next time you see me.
- MINI SWISS ARMY KNIFE, indeed you surf over some reef and rocks a lot of the time this means that at some point your delicate feet will be caress by urchin needle. Facing that specific encounter you will be more than pleased to use the tweezers hide in the side of the knife.
What to pack for surfers:
- EXTRA SET OF FINS, I didn’t see any FCS2 fins in the look a like surf shops that crossed my path. Lankian reef is really keen to chew on some brand new your fins especially if you don’t know the way out… You know that feeling when you go full speed back to the beach after a good session just lazy lying on your board letting a small wave carry you. Then you hear a big “CLUNK” this the sound of the reef grabbing a byte at your new set of FCS ;)…
- REPAIR KIT OR SOLAREZ, some of the repair I have seen here makes my own repair look like the work of Leonardo Da Vinci.
- WAX, not easy to come by as soon as you go out of Hikkaduwa and the local one rub of like butter under the sun. Check the smile on the local’s kid faces when you give them a piece of your imported wax, priceless…
- LAST GENERATION AWESOME FLEX BOARDSHORT, you know what I mean the one you wear and that you don’t even feel: The Phantom from Hurley or the Psycho freak from O’Neill… The empire of capitalism and the surf dollar industry has not yet reached the shore of the island. You will find fakes for sure but they aren’t flex at all and they are ball’s rash in one session guaranteed…
Sincerely yours Tony Bagus 
Enjoy that video! First Gopro moment Mirissa Jan 2015
Review and tutorial Rip Curl GPS watch
Hey Surfers,
This is a review and tutorial of the Rip Curl GPS watch. I have been using it for 4 months now and I have to admit that I do like it. It is a bit pricy dough!
What does it do?
- It gives you the time, well duh! It’s a watch hey!
- It sync and set-up via one push of a button trough GPS connection. Anywhere I have been (Spain, Portugal, France and Sri Lanka).
- It actually monitors your surf session by:
- Counting the number of waves you catch. (It’s a bit generous, if you paddle fast it might sometimes counts it as a wave).
- Monitoring your surf speed, my personal record is 26km/h.
- Sum-up the distance you did in the water, paddling and surfing.
- Count the time you spend in the water.
- As soon as you connect the watch to a computer it will link-it to Facebook. You can share this with your close ones meaning that they can know if you are safe and sound. This is displayed in a nice Search dashboard mixed with google maps. The look and feel is neat.
Pros:
- It is the easiest watch to set on the market one click of a button.
- It helps you monitor your surf (Numbers of waves, Speed, distance…).
- Link with Facebook.
- Seems to be quite reliable so far…
Cons:
- The price around 350 euros.
- Sometimes it doesn’t synch, once every 2 weeks.
- 85% accuracy.
- It doesn’t include a magicseaweed function to let you know how the surf will be the next day.
Thx for reading me talk to you soon
Tbagous 
