Galle - Dutch fort and Jungle Beach
By Lonneke — September 06, 2015 04:47 pm
This layover in Galle was quite enjoyable. The first day we explored the fort, the second day we went to the Jungle Beach.
It was a good place for the boys to get acquainted with Sri Lanka. They met their first cockroaches, gekkos, dozens of Japanese and Chinese tourists who want to take their picture, locals who pinch their cheeks and monks with whom they exchanged smiles.
An interesting topic of conversation with our children was of course the colonisation of the Dutch in the 16th century in this part of Sri Lanka. It's weird to explain to them that a lot of the houses, the hospital, church and great parts of the wall of the fort, are built by our ancestors. Not something to be particularly proud of, except for the sewer system, perhaps. Although it is funny to read a sign above a door that says 'Wees welgekomen' (be welcome).
The small beach behind the lighthouse was a delight for our boys: water just deep enough for them and a big rock to climb on: what more does a child need! Late in the afternoon we took a stroll on the fort walls and saw two fishermen catch big fish up close and were inspired by a yogi we saw practising.
