We touched down in Sri Lanka’s capital city, Colombo, in the early hours of Saturday morning. After locating our bike boxes we wheeled them outside on a trolley and put the bicycles back together under an airport street light, the sky above still dark. It must have been one of the more unusual scenes that had occurred at that airport, as we attracted many stares while we worked away.
Around an hour later and we were ready to go. The sky still dark and the roads wonderfully silent, we began to make our way to the centre where we would be staying for a few days. There was a feeling of relief and finally we felt able to relax. We were now in a country where I knew from experience I would have enough connection to be able to teach, and we had a cycle along the coast of the island to look forward to. Things felt as though they were looking up!
The world felt as though it was waking up around us as we made our way to our accommodation. The roads became busier, the sky brighter. We passed a large lake down a long straight road, before making so many turns that it felt as though we must be going round in circles, but somehow we weren’t. We cycled by a river and through what felt like a small village within the city; and finally, after cycling up and down several hills more times than we needed to (as we’d gone the wrong way!), we reached our destination. Our accommodation turned out to be a room in one of two buildings, on a corner piece of land between two roads. The hosts were lovely, and the woman also ran a Montessori nursery through the day so we often had young children running past our door.
While in Colombo we extended our visas from the initial one month to three, giving us time to find somewhere to settle without having such a strict time limit. Our plan was to head to the south of the island as not only was the weather better there at this time of the year, it was also a popular surfing area – and this was something I was eager to try my hand (or legs) at again.
Feeling more rested and having fully enjoyed our 3 day stay in the outer area of Colombo, the time soon came to pack up the bikes to continue our journey. As we set off, slowly but surely, the excitement and noise of the city fell away. We found ourselves riding along a quiet road beside a railway line, each side of the track lined by brightly coloured shacks. Every now and then we would pass small groups of people, or be overtaken by a tuk tuk wobbling its way along.
Then suddenly, there was the sea! It was the kind of cycling you (or at least I) dreamt of. The road, now exceptionally easy to navigate as it continued around the edge of the island, was in good condition, was never too busy, and we were able to coast along beside the brilliant blue Laccadive Sea. We were now back to the most pleasant of cycling touring problems, wanting to stop all of the time to enjoy the beauty that surrounds you, while wanting to continue to discover what comes next.
We stopped along the way to buy a large golden orange coconut, which we drank beside the sea, while perching on a fallen log as our feet sank a little into the sand. Then, as the day began to grow long and our legs a little weary from the lack of recent cycle practice, we started to keep a lookout for a good place to camp for the night.
Pulling off the road, we headed down a sandy track, one which I had to drag my thinner tyres through in spots, while I watched with a little tired frustration as Miki’s fat tyres glided across. After leaving me with the bikes at the back of the beach and going on a quick scouting mission, he returned, confirming that he had found an ideal place to camp a little way down. So, mustering the last of our strength for the day, we dragged the bikes through the fine, golden sand to our chosen spot. The beach spread out in either direction, barely another soul in sight as far as the eye could see.
Being the first time I had ever camped on a beach, it was the most incredible experience, marred only slightly by having to dive into the tent and zip it up tightly to hold off the swarm of insects that apparently came with dusk!
Our second day of cycling continued as wonderfully as the first. Towns began to get bigger and more touristic the further along the road we travelled. We stopped just after the major city of Galle for our second night’s rest. On a beach once again, though this one was not so secluded. We pitched our tent nestled at the base of a tree, in the middle of a couple of bars (just a few minutes walk in either direction).
We had been more prepared for the insects on this second night and were inside in good time. What we were less prepared for, was a drunk man’s face to suddenly appear at our door! After a little random conversation and some gentle cajoling we eventually convinced him to continue on his way, and settled down to a peaceful (from here on!) night’s rest.
A man at one of the bars had assured Miki there was no problem sleeping in the spot we had chosen, and that the sea didn’t reach that far – we awoke the next morning to find he was right about being able to camp there, but not quite so right about the sea level. Dark brown sand, that had undeniably been recently touched by water, was just centimetres in front of our tent! This, however, was quickly forgotten as we looked first left and then right. Not only had we opened our door to an incredibly amazing glistening blue, to one side was a very low, very large, full moon, and to the other, the sun was raising its head. Without a doubt, it was the best view I have ever had from my bed.
If you would like to see Miki’s video of our time in Sri Lanka, click here
Evviva! Finalmente un po’ di relax!