The project visit

After the ride and the celebratory beach party, which included dancing and playing records in quite an epic rain storm and a few bottles of the local rum, Arrack, we headed back to Negombo to visit the project that we'd raised money for.

The project is one of ICT's original ones, they've worked with them since the early 1980's. The project is a re-intergration centre that houses up to 200 children up to 16 years of age. The children may have lost parents in the civil war, the tsunami or been abandoned by parents fleeing poverty or government.

The happy but painfully shy children presented us with a show of local dancing and singing, with costumes they'd made in the dressmaking centre which forms part of the project.

The centre's buildings have been part funded by ICT and a Dutch charity, the well built builidings are set in the jungle, without another building/road in sight.

Down towards the large reservoir is a cleared sports area, with space for running and volleyball and especially for the national pastime of Cricket. We took the young locals on in the afternoon. We held our own and did well with a few comedy bowls that got the crowd laughing and cheering. The locals have some smashing batsmen that quite regularly hit 6's when our bowlers could get a decent ball to them.

After a few teary goodbyes we left our newfound friends to get on with tricky business of leading their young lives into adulthood, hopefully with a better start than they had previously been dealt.

Day Five

Day 5 - The road to Tricomolee.

Stayed at a beautiful place, woke feeling a wee bit tired and achy. The first hour of the day on long distance cycles is always the toughest, the body wants a day off or rather it needs a day off. By day 5 though, you can feel yourself getting fitter, getting used to the early rises. Today was a good 70km, not masses by any stretch but the second two thirds of the road are very bumpy as we enter the previously wartorn district of Tricomolee. The road turned pretty quickly from smooth fast straight road into bumpy potholed-ridden gravel with expressionless faces starring at us from the shadows of the trees.

A quick stop at one of the small convenience sheds along the dusty road, confirmed that the locals were definitely shy and wary of us, but they were at least welcoming. As we realized it was shyness, the stereo went on and we danced on our bikes and smiled the biggest smiles, they were replied back with smiles and waves, and even a comedy water throw from the road construction workers.

I had to swerve from two large snakes, about 4-5 foot in length, green with flecks of brown, taking over the road. Reminding me why I'm wearing my boots.

A quick stop for lunch, sheltering from the rain in a locals house, they were kind enough to offer the three of us chairs, we declined but I made sure they had enough of croissants and cakes that we'd pilfered from breakfast.

A dusty busy road was our first sight of Tricomolee, the air started to have that salty feel to it, that feels so homely, we were getting closer to the other coast.

After approx 413 km across some of the highest most beautiful country I had ever seen, we were finally there, with a slight hiccup of a few of team getting lost upon entering the city and having trouble finding us and the final hotel. We regrouped for the last km and we crossed into the beach and they we could see the bay of Bengal.

We've made it. Now its time for beer and a beach party. Happy days, Sri Lanka.

Day Four

Day four of of the cycle - leaving Kandi. We stayed at great colonial hotel to rest up and headed off early. Very busy town of Kandi, it was important in holding off the invading Tamils from the north and east. The big rolling hills must have helped stop the invasion. 5 or so huge trees holding hundreds of hanging fruit bats was the highlight of the morning. Hitting good road managed us to make good time, so we were lucky enough to make a spice village for lunch for an ayerveda tour, walking us through the various herbs and spices. After lunch getting back on the main road that leads to our final destination tomorrow of Tricomolee.

Day Three

End of day three. Sri lanka is beautiful. One of the most stunning days today. Dropped from 2200m to around 500m. Mostly fast downhill through the highlands today, if it was a piste it would have been a 102km run, mostly reds with the occasional blacks. Sounds easy but tough on the old hands as very bumpy in places. My bike is causing problems all over the place. It was a police escort that took us all ICT shirt wearers into central Kandi tonight. Stopping rush hour traffic as our single file slow descent through the sunsetting town took us to our colonial resting place for the night. Toughest day but ultimately rewarding.

Day Two.

End of second day cycle, as we found out today, the toughest, steepest cycle of any of ICT's worldwide cycle rides. We rode through tea plantations at up to 2200mtrs. Through very steep, rocky terrain. I've a few stories from today but sleep and shower take priority before yet another 6am start. No meat hooks through backs today but plenty of bloody legs, falling into bushes and severely exhausted faces/bodies/morale. A day to remember indeed. We made it to the top, as a team, with bikes. It was cold at the top, felt almost Dartmoor like to say the least. We've made the highest point of the ride and now downhill to Kandi tomorrow.

Day One

End of the first day of cycling. Good day, bikes all fixed up, even though they are heavy! My commuter bike seems like heaven. A good undulating ride up into the mountains today, dense jungle through rubber plantations. Now at a lovely riverside hotel, we cycled over where 'The bridge over the river Quai' was filmed. Feels good to get a shower and fresh clothes. Tomorrows the big mountain climb, something like 2000m climb to Kandi over 15km, total day will be 82km. It's going to be tough...and its just started to rain. On a lighter note, I wore the honey badger helmet for the first leg today, certainly got a few double looks, quite a few hoots, some big waves from passers by and quite a long conversation with a boy on the family motorcycle, with the family on it!

Meet Up

First day of meeting up with the riders, quite a nice 70's style mega hotel, with the first AC and warm showers we've encountered for 10 days. Everyone in high spirits, feeling fit and healthy. A short warm up ride today of 60km with two short 100m rises. Looking forward to getting back on the bike. My bike is a pretty nifty Specialised Rockhopper, ready to take on the Sri lankan trails.

leaving Hikka

We've spent a good week now exploring the south east coast line of Sri lanka. It been rather beautiful to say the least. Rather single mindedly, my sole priority was staying healthy through surfing. All day, every day. We've been based at Hikkadua, the old hippy hangout thats now more Newquay than hippy trail. 

We had a lovely treehouse apartment on the beach, made good friends with locals and other travellers, and was rather sad to leave last night. One of the main problems facing surfers in Sri Lanka these days, is overcrowded peaks. If there is just one or two reef or point breaks then sit 30 or so people on the one wave, mix that with a lack of patience from other surfers and the fun starts to dwindle. 

A few new people I met in the water and I headed down to find some quieter different waves on wednesday and found an idillic little secret spot, as one of the guys we were with was half-Singalese, he knew the area, but we were faced with the usual growls and scowls from the other travelling surfers. We were met with french curses and 'damn guidebook' shouts as the bigger surfers slid in front of everyone on the waves. 

As surfing becomes more popular world wide, localism and overcrowded waves will become more of a problem. In Sri Lanka especially as tourism here gets back onto its feet and is rapidly becoming its major industry, and the worldwide population smashes the 7 billion mark, we'll all be sitting on each soon enough.

So next time you find yourself alone or just with a few buddies, enjoying what you love. Enjoy the peace!

Sri Lanka seems to be up onto its feet from what we've seen so far, we havent headed too far inland yet or headed to the north or west where most of the civil unrest occurred. 

Recycling and water purity seem to have been a priority in getting Sri Lanka up and running. The water is government approved through the taps and plastic recycling is deemed to be very important. In Aragum bay, plastic bottles are banned, we've yet to visit there yet though, and probably wont on this trip as its out of season for surf and is in monsoon. 

Todays the day when we meet the rest of our riders, starting the cycle tomorrow. Fingers crossed that the team bonds well, stays healthy and a good adventurous time is had by all. 

I'll send through daily updates of our crazy ride as it develops.....

X

 

Hikka Heaven

So, with a week to go before the big ride, we've found ourselves in a beautiful town called Hikkadua. It's supposed to quite a party town, we sampled a little of the local hospitality last night....

The water is full of turtles, first time one of them popped up to say hello, it was quite a surprise, but now they are so abundant it would be a shame not to see them. They like to play in the surf as much as we do and regular sit out the back waiting for the big sets.

Our training for the ride consists of surfing hard all day every day. Its a tough life.

The cycle begins in 5 days and it's looking likely that we'll be in top form.

Arrived...

...safe and sound, slept most of the flight and now about to dive into the sea.

Waiting for the plane at the gate. Dull as you imagine.

So, the time has come, just about shaken off a end-of-work illness. The fever struck for 4 days and nights and finally just about relented in time for my departure flight. So here I am, I was quite prepared to postpone my flight at one delirious moment.....but all good now.

I was lucky enough to be nursed back to health by the lovely Ali, who stuck by me through the feverish nights. We think the typhoid injection mixed with over-working created some sort of hyper-fever-cocktail that left me slightly delirious and void of much humour.

Mind you, pacing the house through the night trying to find random places to sleep/rest seemed rather comical to say the least....in the morning.

Anyway, I've moved my office to its spiritual home back at the parlour and it's lies in wait for the photos and footage I'm about to shoot/collect/take/(or if french, make)

Jons lent me his GoPro HD waterproof camera, which will fit into and onto my surfboard and bike. Fingers crossed we should be able to get something half decent...

So the weather in Colombo looks delightful, let's hope it's not a deluge like Bangkok is at the moment..... I'll be surfing with Mike and Rach for the first 10 days or so before the ride, so hopefully pretty chilled, healthy, and fever free...

Just heard over the tannoy, the plane is delayed by 30 mins. Might sneak off for a pint...