You may have noticed that, despite the Covid-19 concerns not being particularly cleared, the general public has been making efforts to return to a modicum of normalcy.
We’ve seen these changes most noticeably in the South, with the numerous gatherings and events that have been popping up. One notably consistent event being the “hippie market” concept, which brings together vendors from around the island to a central location Down South.
The market sets itself apart in allowing vendors looking to market homemade, handmade crafts, particularly those who relied on tourist traffic to make sales and are now left with no revenue.
While several marketplaces have come and gone, attracting varying degrees of crowds, the most steady “hippie market” has been the “Aliya Hippie Market” organised by Aliya Souldmade, which consists of Ahmed Aslan and his Italian wife Nichole Constantino.
Speaking to Aslan, he said that the idea was entirely his wife’s and that the reason why they decided to host this event, which had its first edition in June 2020 just after the first lockdown, was that as people from the South, they witnessed the devastation that befell everyone along the coast – how many lost their livelihoods, how travellers who were left stranded in the island struggled to stay afloat, and how the usually vibrant coastline became lifeless and began to fade.
According to Aslan, while borne of good intentions, their venture was not without challenges. He stated that the first time around, when they hosted the market in Arugam Bay at Ocean Sky Beach Hotel, there were concerns raised with regards to the tourists making sales at the market – issues regarding the lack of a business visa. However, they were able to overcome this issue by appealing to authorities’ humanity, said Aslan, as those persons who were vendors at the market were simply there to make some pocket money to continue to live the simple lives they’ve become accustomed to. “They are not establishing a shop or a brand here, they are selling handmade crafts and baked goods just enough to get by,” he said.
Similarly, Ocean Sky owner Sujith Perera shared that the “hippie market” was actually a much-needed sigh of relief for everyone in Arugam Bay, and that everyone who relied on the annual traffic that came to them for six to seven months every year starting April when the waves are perfect and the weather beautiful, were simply at a loss, not having any idea how to keep their heads above water with the draining of visitors.
He said that the hippie market brought a substantial amount of business to their town – people driving to the coast from all over the island, visiting their restaurants, frequenting the surfing spots and rented guest houses, generating much-needed revenue for the locals.
They all shared that they persisted amidst the challenges in hosting a public event during pandemic times, including obtaining permission from the public health inspectors (PHIs) and local police who require that you guarantee all safety precautions are adopted and that every vendor’s details are communicated and registered with the authorities prior to launching the event; all was adhered to without question, as they were all in dire need of generating funds to live.
Perera stated that they didn’t run into any complications during the actual event, as they were able to plead with all the guests and vendors to stick to the rules. Because there was mutual respect and understanding of how significant it was to be able to continue to host the event, he said that the mindset is very clear along the coast. “We have to do what we can do to survive and everyone was on the same page,” he explained.
Aslan also shared that the markets have attracted many tourists who were settled more inland to come out and rent homes on the beach, deciding to settle down for a little longer here. Especially considering it is winter where they come from, many foreigners have opted to rent local homes and many locals have moved out to smaller living spaces to earn some revenue for themselves.
Speaking to some other vendors who took part in the hippie market, it was made clear to us that while they have gone ahead and participated in the event which has been quite widely publicised, there is an underlying fear amongst them with regards to attracting too much attention. Many of the vendors we reached out to stated that they do not wish to attract the wrong kind of attention, for example the authorities, i.e. for them to notice, and, by some unfortunate circumstance, they decide to shut down or restrict their operations, despite the precautions they are taking; they are worried that they would lose the little hope they have created for themselves.
Particularly with the new variant of the virus, it is an underlying fear that many of these vendors are experiencing – the possibility of having to go into another lockdown, which they are not certain that they would actually survive. One vendor shared: “We have been attending these markets for the past six months, and there have been no issues, no cases of the virus spreading, because we all understand the importance of staying safe. And because we are a close-knit community, we respect that and can guarantee that we will not be reckless. However, from the perspective of the authorities, they may have trouble taking us at our word,” they said.
With the monsoon season hitting Arugam Bay, the hippie market has moved its way down to Hikkaduwa. Several markets have already taken place at Mambo’s Hikkaduwa, attracting a large crowd of nearly 200 to 300 people.
We spoke to some business owners along the Hikkaduwa coast and those nearest to where the market is taking place. Just 50 metres away from Mambo’s, Hotel Refresh Blue Manager Sisira Nanayakkara Withana shared that they have offered up parking space for everyone visiting the market and that they are grateful for many of the bookings they have received as a result.
Sisira shared that their establishment’s banquet hall, with a capacity of about 300 guests, has been a saving grace for them, as the area from Bentota to Galle has been rather safe and many people have been utilising their space to hold weddings as they were able to allow bookings at half capacity at first. However, he said that with this new variant of the virus being discovered, the limitations to the number of guests that can be accommodated has been extremely troubling.
He said that they have had guests calling and constantly questioning what they should do with regards to their bookings. “If we have to limit it to 50 people for our banquet hall which holds 300, then there really is no point in having it open,” he said. He said that amidst all these limitations, they have also had to battle the spreading of misinformation on social media which has caused many last-minute cancellations by guests who panic at the first sight of a WhatsApp thread or fake Facebook post.
While they will wait and see, hoping for the best, he said that for the time being, locals attempting to generate revenue for their communities by organising events like the hippie market, has been what’s kept their spirits up. He shared that they are happy to co-operate in any way necessary to continue to experience some foot traffic to their forgotten coast.
Next edition of the Aliya Hippie Market VII –
27 February from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
At Mambo’s Hikkaduwa
Entrance: Free
For vendors: Rs. 2,000 to register and receive a table and shade
WhatsApp: 0779 432 152