I enjoyed the company this morning over breakfast, I left later than usual. 10ish I believe.
I had set a route that both my Garmin and Google maps he is would not work. I had to cross a dam they both said was inaccessible. With guile and smooth talking I am famous for the army commander gave me written permission, as long as I did not stop or take photos. Can you imagine a worse time for my GoPro memory to be full. Grrrrrrrrr.
Then I was free and into the Knuckles mountain range. I’m sure you are all well aware of the joy and exhilaration I get from riding the georgeous mountains of Sri Lanka. This range was no different. Tea plantations rough tracks, minimal tarmac (Well smooth tarmac)
Well the combination of all the above, I look at at my watch and deduced an arrival time of about 8pm. We all know that’s pitch black then. So at about 5pm I phoned the homestay I was at tonight and told them of my lateness, they seemed non plussed probably a language problem.
From that point I put the pedal to the metal. I had been found a multitude of ups. And the track I was on was rough as corrugated iron, but I pedalled hard, people were shouting I was ignoring. Kids asking for money. On I pushed. The track was twisting and turning and so rough and I started to overtake Tuktuks, they looked a little ashamed as I flew by. As the sun dropped from the sky. Mountains bring on sunset early. But also the time from light to dark happens fast. I was desperate to get to the road before pitch black.
Then the road but now I’m going up again, just trying to keep a rhythm with the legs…. twilight…….. now pitch black. So glad I fixed my dynamo and bought a new back light. I have a Sinewave Beacon from this point on I cannot recommend it enough, a beam of light guiding my way, fantastic. Eventually I can see a gap in the mountains, surely it’s going down after that. The last remnants of the sun highlighting a mountain in the distance. But I hit the gap and saw below me a valley so deep, lights twinkling far below.
The road plunged down near vertical at each corner, a switch back road to die for. Unfortunately I will never see it, I could only see the beam highlighting my way. The road is rough and I am rattling till my teeth are loose. Flicking from map to data on my Garmin I can see 20km to go and I am travelling at 30kph … is that too fast for a rough road in the pitch darkness. It’ll have to do. Each turn I ran the brakes on till a near stop, my thumbs and fingers are aching from break action. Once again I overtake a few tuktuks.
Eventually I hit the bottom dead on the 20km. My homestay host collects me and I follow him back. I’m unprepared and they are unprepared so I get one Roti and a little bowl of dahl.
Well it’ll help with my weight loss campaign. 😉
Absolute blinding day.
A Couple of Days Ride Outta....... 