Category: India 🇮🇳 2019

Last night I stayed in Mahiyangana,

just a stop off point on my way to Ella. My room was next the road that was loud. I slept across the bed as it was wider than it was long and even a short ass like me was hitting my head and toes. And those pictures out of kilter.

So I rose at 6.00, breakfast at 6.30, just sooooooo much even for me.

I asked for coffee and didn’t get it.

As I left it rained and it continued on and off for the rest of my ride, so I was either wet with rain or sweat or both.

I struggled at first after an initial flat bit the mountains were particularly vicious. But the scenery so lush.

I spied this lying in the road. Yes it seems all dogs just lie in the road.

I had detoured my route to go past the Bogodo Wooden Bridge.

I felt this was a little inadequate to indicate a tourist site.

The Tuktuk said 3km, that usually means 4km but actually 8km (there and back) and all downhill. Turning off the main road I was dubious, wooden bridge can’t be that interesting. Anyway I persevered, left the bike walked the 300meters down the ravine and it was pouring. But not only a bridge but a little temple. The bridge was pretty,

But underneath the big rock to the left of the bridge was a gloriously ornate temple, inside a gold reclining Buddha and the walls so beautifully painted (sorry no pictures allowed) I was impressed. So many temples I am disappointed with even the famous ones, but this was cute and extremely pretty.

Yes it was a tough climb back to the main road.

The road into Ella was tame, but I spied some serious zigzags that cut off a section of the route. So I took a right turn and followed them up to the Oodoowerre Tea Estate the zigzags didn’t disappoint.

And just to top it off a serious climb up to the guesthouse.

But I have good reason, in my mind. I thought, I couldn’t be further from my end point. So some time I am going to have a 4 or 5 day rush back to Colombo.

I am heading to the southern beaches, yes I know via the mountains, but when in georgeous Matara on the south coast I will have an easy flat 2 day ride back to Colombo. 🤗.

I will relax in Matara lie on the beach and wish I could surf.

There seems to be a bit of a Bookings.com hotel scam going on. I am not sure what the scam is and I don’t really care. But this is the second property I have turned up to who have said no room available but you can stay at another place. The second place is always good. I get a sleep for the same price, but it sometimes involves some hanging around that is frustrating. Also cancelling my bookings payment which is a hassle and involve some jiggery pokery. Usually happens when booked on the day.

The guesthouse owners in Anuradhapura have been great, soothing my woes with tea and helpful suggestions. But the back tyre has stayed up all night and I am keen for some seaside action.

7am breakfast, hoping for a 7.30am start. Well a little later. I jumped on the bike and away.

A fast flat route to Trincomalee, I just put my head down and pedalled. Quick excursion to see a temple.

And drinking my favourite tipple

And it’s companion

As often happens motorbikes slow next to me and the guy starts talking, more often than not when I am puffing up a hill. Anyway this guy slows and starts with the usual questions. Where are you going?Where are you from? Alone? Married? Then the questions started to take a turn. Do you like men? Do you like men love? Now I’m huffing and puffing like a steam train, I believe this made the guy think I was getting excited and encouraging him. At this point the questions took a serious turn to the crude side. Do you like sucking……? Do you…..? I waved him on at this point. Well am I giving out a gay vibe?

As I am sure you know I am happy for anyone to fancy me. It would be good to know I am at least a little fancyable. 🤗 But sorry no reciprocated gay love. And I’m not sure the incident above is the right way of getting my attention.

I got into Trincomalee at about 2.30 straight to the guesthouse, found I had been double booked but luckily straight into another guesthouse. Changed and into the sea.

Well I hung out at Fernando’s Bar, it’s the place to be seen so I read. I felt a bit shy so didn’t talk to any of the other tourists.

A good ride.

I am in a quandary do I stay by the sea or go back into the mountains? Answers before I wake up please?

Since I got to Sri Lanka I have been struggling a bit.

The back tyre, I put a tube in but it punctured, mended it. Then that punctured. I believe there is a small piece of wire embedded in the tyre that is not prominent when the tyre is deflated but sticks into the inner tube after a few hours, forced through inflation and rock/road impact. They are nearly impossible to find. I have, yesterday afternoon and today (all day, at a bike shop)

tried to return the tyre to tubeless. My tubeless rimtape had been ripped and mangled. I replaced it with layers of Gorilla tape, this makes it nearly impossible to get the tyre on, we got it on, I went back to the guesthouse, it didn’t seal. So I have got the tyre off again. But now the new Gorilla rimtape is wrinkled and nearly useless.

I think tomorrow I will return to the bike shop. Hopefully he will have some kind of rimtape (probably electrical tape) I will purchase a new back tyre (I saw a one in the shop today). Keeping my old one just in case.

I have been very lucky to be staying at a guesthouse the owners have been so helpful. Taking me to and from the bike shop.

It’s times like these when being alone is not so much fun. I start to feel lonesome. Meals alone are not so much fun.

And just dealing with this stuff on your own in the oppressive heat is draining.

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.

I has a dilemma of direction but decided that Kandy was the way to go.

Tea plantations painted on the Side of the road.

Strawberry drink for breakfast,why would I not stop.

The route I designed left the main road. After a mile or 2 I met some guys on scooters and and told them I was going to Kandy, they assured me the way i was heading was wrong, they seem to love the big roads.

The route was rough and practically vehicleless.

I discovered a school sports day.

Forrest of eucalyptus.

And such rewards,

Another day in the semi wilderness. I proved the guys wrong, the route did lead to Kandy. 🙂

I ate at 19.45 and was in bed by 20.30. Slept like a log till 05.00 read a bit then back to sleep till 07.00.

Cake for breakfast. I thought it was a short day today and yes it was just 80km but 1400m of climbing. Got in early and washed my clothes.

I was asleep by 21.39 so when u woke at 06.00 I got up and on the bike.

I know Katy would reprimanded me if I didn’t eat so I searched for foodd and tea.

The route I found was along a small road. I turned off the main road and was immediately rewarded with tranquillity, no cars just the occasional tuktuk. The owner of the guesthouse told me that Nuwara Eliya was only 400m vertical above the guesthouse (I was dubious). The road went up views through the overhanging trees.

Past the glorious Bambarakanda Falls. Highest in Sri Lanka so they say.

I rode through streams

The path got a bit gnarly

Then decided to stay like that for about 5km that I had to eventually push. There is really only so many times the saddle is rammed into my ass before I crack.

More views.

Then I had a puncture in my back wheel. I pumped it a few times but eventually had to replace the inner tube.

Hmmmm I’ve been going up for 4 hours, that’s more than 400m vertical.

Eventually the stony track turned to tarmac again and I rode on. Up into Horton Plains National Park ( they charges an exorbitant fees I think) I rode through and on to Nuwara Eliya, 62km 1800m of climbing.

Tough.

I woke up to a flat back tyre. So set to pumping, my pump seems to have gone a bit soft luckily the guesthouse had one. But I was pumping and pumping and pumping, you could have wrung me out. I tried all known tricks to make the sealant seal but to no avail. So I put a tube in… here’s hoping.

So I set off late 11 am, got some good at a bakery and a couple of teas. Now it’s 11.30 and hotter than hell. My Garmin likes to add 10kms when I start riding. I design a route of about 100kms. But when I start riding the route is always 110+ today’s was 115kms.

Anyway, the first half was quite boring then I started to wind my way through rocky outcrops, the palm trees hanging over the road, but the humidity was rising every stop I consumed a litre of water, just as much fluid as possible, my stomach distended. One time I sat down with my drink and my head sank onto my chest, if was so tired and drained, my eyes closed and I so nearly nodded off. When I got up the chair was soaked in sweat, drops of wet surrounded the chair and I left wet foot prints on the way to the door.

But back on the bike my route took me on a rough track, it does aim for the straightest route sometimes that is nearly vertical, I once again succumbed to walking, it was rough and steep and there was no way I was going to make that, so I walked. Eventually at the top it was down all the way to Ratnapura, unfortunately on the descent a monsoon deluge fell from heaven, everyone else took cover I ploughed on it was getting late and I didn’t want to be out in the dark.

Eventually I got into town and phoned the hotel and got garbled instructions to the hotel. I said I am wet I am lost I am tired and I am getting angry. The guy told me to stay put, he came to collect me and I followed him back to the hotel, by the time we got to the hotel it was pitch black.

Soooo tired.

I’m sorry I know there should be great pictures of today but there are none.

The moment I start cycling I start perspiring, every piece of clothing is stuck to my flesh, while moving and the wind that causes it’s all ok but stop and the sweat rolls down your arms onto your hands and fingers. This renders an inability to touch the screen of the phone to do anything. Also someone gives you a receipt/ticket it just turns to pap. But you cannot wipe your hands on anything, shirt/legs/shorts your hands just get wetter. I know the solution is to keep cycling.

I put suntan cream on early in the day but forgot to reapply. I arrived at the guesthouse at 3, showered and stood out of the sun I now find my self sunburnt. First time this trip.

And to add insult to injury I am running out of mosquito repellent and there are millions swarming round me. Stinging the living he’ll out my legs. Owwwwwwwwwww.

They xrayed the bike at the airport. They told me to open the box and take out the liquid. I did innocently they then confiscated it. I pleaded that I got it into the country so why could it not go out. I said their policy was different to any other country in the world. I said they allowed it onto US planes (I didn’t know that actually). But they said it was the wrong colour under x-ray and may explode or catch light and it sure wasn’t going on the plane. I talked to the airport manager. He wasn’t budging either.

Grrrrrrrrrr Kochi airport.

Arrived into Colombo. Got some money, got a SIM,( in India you had to fill out lots of forms, get a certificate from the prime minister, I don’t know what else, in Sri Lanka it’s fill out this form photocopy passport here’s the SIM.)Prabath and Sudassie picked me up at the airport and got to the guest house. I walked to Decathlon with the bike. Pumped up the tyres, both held air… excellent.

The guys there told me where I should tour to, and the best bike shop. Spinners Cafe (and bike shop) replaced some sealant in my tyres. Then gave me a small bottle of sealant, I am fixed for the next 28 days. 🙂.Everything I needed to do in a day.

So far it has been a bit more expensive than India. I have been ripped off by some Tuktuk drivers. I have not stopped sweating since I got here. The faster I get to the mountains the happier I will be.

I am having a mini cull, which seems to have turned into a bit more than mini, 5.5kg, here in Colombo. I am leaving the bike boxes and leaving stuff at Colombo Orchid Villa till I return just before I leave, room already booked.

Colombo Orchid Villa has been exceptional Prabath and Sudassie have been fantastic hosts. The house is perfect, a bit out of town and quiet.

I saw some mini rugby going on, I certainly didn’t expect that.

I’ve been sightseeing.