After my boatwork I jumped on the bike for another sunny ride. I crossed the fascinating moorland and reached the Calanais Standing Stones at the western side of Lewis.
Almost 5m high and 5000 years old, this prehistoric stone monument was only discovered about 170 years ago. Until today it remains a mystery.
The moorland is more tangible and a great source for peat, which is still being used by the locals although not as the primary source of fuel.
Fair winds…
It is good, that the majority of travellers prefer warmer climates. You get your own beach in this part of the world.
It is easy for me to write, that Garry Beach is the nicest arrangement of natural elements forming a beach I have seen in my life. Still puzzled.
Fair winds…
Stornoway’s charm reminds me at Lerwick and Kirkwall. It takes a couple of days to arrive in this different world. Once leaving the outskirts behind, the charm factor increases significantly.
A mixed ride out of tarmac and light gravel took me to the Tuimpan Head Lighthouse. The Chiru X-Root itself deployed all its inherent characteristics, while the rider must work much harder on his #LongerStrongerFaster performance.
Incredible rewarding 🚴♂️ ride.
Fair winds…
It was Titti 🚴♂️ Time and I got the bike out for a short ride to the local nearby beaches. Seeing them through the binocular from the sea side does not reveal the complete beauty of these sandbanks going deep into the river beds. Compared to Asia, these beaches here are unspoiled and without plenty of rubbish flying around.
The weather is playing with us at the moment apart from the light winds.
Fair winds…
The girls and boys were already on the road at a time when I still chased for a Uber tuktuk. It was 6:30am, hardly any traffic and time for me to pick-up the bike. It took 2min and an early bird tuktuk arrived!
Randeer, mechanic with golden hands, handed the bike back to me while Hinni insisted on a photo. Both brake pads and the front derailleur cable got replaced. Excellent job done.
We got a bike again, what a difference.
Fair winds…
After a lazy late breakfast I slowly got back into the saddle. While optimizing my seating position and minimizing the chafing, I rolled throught the centre of Negombo inhealing its maritime atmosphere for some final miles.
For me, the road north of Negombo is more picturesque compared to the southern stretch but nevertheless along the coastline and off the main traffic. The action is full on after passing the Kelani Ganga River. The chaos goes up with each further miles towards the city but everyone taking care of the other.
Hinni was already expecting me back. We agreed during my first visit to service the bike after the tour. Desperately needed now. The nearby living mechanic showed up prombtly and got straight onto the job. The service level in Sri Lanka can be extremly high and paired with a positive ‘yes, we can’ attitude, it makes travelling very easy and pleasant.
A tuktuk I booked via Uber took me and my luggage from Hinni’s place to the hotel. And shortly after I arrived, the first series of photos from the bike job came in on WhatsApp. Not a single screw untouched, cleaned, greased!
A new saddle is on order, otherwise ready for the next adventure!
It will come.
Fair winds…
Madikale Resort was a very special homestay. Not only to mention the unique design and architecture situated in a small well maintained garden but also because of the couple taking care of it on behalf of the creative owner. Mr. Vickrama and his wife are keeping the standard of the house build into the nature at highest level, not easy in this climate.
Today‘s ride through the lowland became quite divers. Still some tea plantations but also cinnamon bushes, banana & coconut trees, paddy fields, etc. to name a few. Sri Lanka has huge variety of aromatic fruits & vegetables.
Papaya remains my favourite and not the first time I kept a sharp look-out during the final miles before my arrival point for the night. It was a simple table standing at the edge of the road, topped with an umbrella to protect the ten papayas under offer from the direct sunshine. For 150LKR a 1kg ready to cut papaya got into my rucksack while we kept chatting. It was suddenly, that he grabbed another papaya and wanted me to take it for free, good for the next day or two. I struggled a moment for words.
Finally, I politely declined and got reminded, that similar generosity was offered to me recently in Morocco. I moved on and gulped down the whole fruit upon arrival at my homestay for the night.
Not enough. While cruising along the road, a little boy in early school age heading towards me with some other family members got excited, which is normal to me by now. In this case he was eating, or better snacking, something from a small tray and suddenly stretched out his hand towards me asking me to try. I kept rolling and it happened all rather quickly. Therefore I am not sure what he offered but the gesture itself got somehow stuck in my throat until I could squeeze out a ‘Thank you” while I kept moving on.
Only seven days left.
Fair winds…
My accommodation in Nallathanniya was very basic, value for money not great. Even for myself, slightly adapted to local standards, there is a limit, which had been crossed. I thus got onto the road early to grab some of the incense sticks smell often around in the morning while riding through smaller villages.
With some pain left in the legs from yesterday’s hike, I was happy that today’s tour took me down from the highlands to the lowlands and almost all of the ride was therefore downhill. About 40km almost constantly on the brakes. Crazy. Corrugated tarmac mostly. From above the clouds to under the clouds. Hardcore.
It became another grey day and at one point in time I took shelter in one of the many convenience stores along these country roads. The magic drink for me at these places is the instant tea, made of the all-in-one-powder: tea, milk, sugar! In other words: The 3 in 1 instant tea mix. Delicious during an unplanned pit-stops. Not more. Served with style in a porcelain cup!
I am now back in the warm & humid climate. No sleeping back needed anymore. The aircon is back in the focus.
Fair winds…
The alarm came off at 2:45am after barely 6 hours sleep with a nasty mosquito troubling me most of the short night. Nevertheless, the decision was taken to join the pilgrim up to Adam‘s Peak. The weather forecast was good for the sunrise, the body still strained from the last two days in the saddle. However, now or never.
A climb of 1000m over 5km had to be done, stair after stair, approximately 5500 stairs in total, one way! Well, looking closer to the altitude profile, the harder part is 800m over 2.5km.
The crowd was already well on its way through the dark, early morning hours. Some slept overnight on the bare concrete floor at the top of this sacred mountain. From 8 weeks old baby, carried up its parents, to the 80 year old elderly, helped up by the rest of the family, they were all there. Most of them wearing slippers paired with bobble heads and gloves. Approximately 5% tourists.
Unique to this UNESCO World Heritage Site is not only the way to get there but also its multi-religious importance. Buddhist, Hindus, Muslims and Christians all see their god represented at this spiritual place. Amazing.
I am flat now but for no doubt it was worth the effort.
Fair winds…
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