Cycling the back roads of Sri Lanka - p2

Before the age of supermarkets we had local traders selling their wares from their vans. In Sri Lanka this still happens but the bike substitutes for the van. A box on the back of the bike and a set of balance scales was all that was required. Lotto also comes to you on two wheels. These licensed salesmen cycle around the villages selling scratchies and TV lotto games similar to those in Australia. Sheena often scratched a twenty rupee winner but I wasn’t so lucky.

We looked around a gem mine. Picture a hole dug down through a rice paddy for about twenty metres and then along for a few hundred metres. Then picture men descending these holes with cane baskets and climbing back up a few minutes later with full baskets on their heads. The baskets are then panned in large holes full of water until only gems are left. There’s a story here by itself but not enough space to tell it. The rewards can be high but so was the danger.

Twice we took a rest from the saddle and spent a day canoeing down the Katu Ganga and a day walking through the tea plantation of the high country. We joined a French group for both days. Paddling down river was just like cycling on the road - it was a hive of activity. There were people washing themselves as well as their clothes, there were men laboriously extracting sand from the middle of the river, there were kids playing and splashing, people washing vehicles and we paddled past some illegal gem miners panning for gems behind makeshift fences. Never a dull moment on the river!

In Habarana we swapped our bikes for an elephant and spent a couple of hours riding around shady marshlands. Then on the way back to the hotel

at sunset, we saw wild elephants coming to the waterhole for a drink. Elephants are magic and no matter how often you see them in the wild it is still an indescribable experience

Our route started in Negombo with overnight stops in Kurnegala, Sigiriya, Giritale, Wasgmuwa National Park, Mahiyangana, Ella, Uda Walawa National Park and Belihuloya. We also had one night under canvas after the canoeing and one night in the mountains at a lodge aptly name The World’s End Lodge.

I haven’t touched on the antiquities but we did visit Dambulla, Sigiriya Rock with its fortress on top and the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. This trip was more about going behind the scenes and seeing the real Sri Lanka from the saddle.

Peace is returning to Sri Lanka and now is the time to appreciate the charm, friendliness and cheap prices of this island. This trip had everything including the best smiles anywhere.

Unfortunately once tourists come in numbers it will all change.

Getting there Best connections with Singapore Airlines via Singapore
Visa Not required for a stay up to thirty days
Money Rupees can be obtained at most hotels or at the airport. There are about 50 to one Australia dollar
Best time November to March for this trip
Climate Hot and humid with some rain periods