Ni Dieu Ni Maitre

When I arrived in February, it was the end of the monsoon season here, with occasional rain squalls and only a hardy few tourists on Uppeveli Beach. Thanks to America’s fearless (and clueless) leader bowing down to Benny Netanyahu’s mad plan to avoid going to prison in Israel by fomenting endless warfare in the Mideast, the ‘tourist season’, lifeblood of the Sri Lankan economy, has not occurred. There are petrol and gas restrictions in place now and the occasional power outage, however.

Beers and a chat at the Blue Sands.

The headwaiter at the Blue Sands tells me that they have a staff of 50 and only 7 guests… at the supposed peak of the season. Meanwhile, my cameo as hotel manager has stretched into its third week and I’m still the only guest. My friend Tony is staying at an upscale hotel with a pool where he is the only guest. Fortunately several tankers are arriving at Trinco Harbor, and more across the island at Colombo… from Russia and relief from nearby India.

Perfect, and perfectly deserted.

I have rented a bicycle several times now and, covered in sweat, have visited Nilaveli beach, 10km to the north, and toured the sites of Trincomalee several times, lastly checking out its massive harbor. Walking several miles every day as well.

Exhibit at the Naval Museum showing a Lankan potentate sending his army off to conquer Southern India.

So, the temps here are high as is the humidity. The air quality is remarkably good here with a cool breeze blowing in from the ocean. Blue skies, white clouds and a low AQI pretty much every day. However, my years long plan to spend my second retirement roaming around SE Asia has hit a major snag over the issue of air quality.

Cycling around the massive harbor.

In December, when I was briefly in Chaing Mai, Thailand, the air quality was decent with the same blue skies and puffy white clouds. Unfortunately, those days have gone, with an AQI of 239 today! Similar for the more northern and smaller Chiang Rai. Smaller and sparsely populated Laos is now posting AQIs of 160 or higher. The Southeast Asia dream is fading fast as the pace of rapid ‘progress’ destroys these once pristine environments, choking the roads and mushrooming cities with fumes. An AQI over 100 is considered ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups’ which is described as persons 65 and older. I am in good health, but I turn 81 in 2 weeks…

Tony will actually complete this enormous meal, as do I several times a week, fish curry.

So, my visa runs out an April 29 and where to go? One option is to actually return to India and do the Northeastern States, which seem to have mostly clean air, and do a month in Ladakh as well, inside the Himalayas featuring pristine mountain air. And from talking with numerous long term travellers, certain European countries seem pretty good budget options. Albania, anyone?