Cycle day 15 - Kilinochchi to Jaffna - Far too much luggage - Sri Lanka

April 6, 2025

Cycle day 15 - Kilinochchi to Jaffna

Kilinochchi to Jaffna = 65km (Total distance on this trip so far = 959km)

Weather = low of 25 with a high of 30 today but with the rain late yesterday arvo it made the humidity alot higher today while riding so it felt more like 35! . We started with clouds for most of the day, although the sun to pop out every now and then.. Wind is now coming from the south west initially (a slight light tail wind) and then swings more to the west so a headwind coming into Jaffna.

Accommodation = Brinthavanam Days Inn = 4440 rupees ($24.59 AUD). Ok so we are back to our budget ones again. After staying in rather luxurious ones (by our standards!) for the past 4 nights – this was bit of a culture shock for me! But it is nice and in suburban Jaffna. We are down stairs while the family lives upstairs. Breakfast is included at 7.30am.

yeah at midday it was 30 degrees but felt more like 35!

So late yesterday afternoon it began to rain, fortunately it was so hot before the rain that all my washing which was hanging on the balcony got dried very quickly. It must have rained for a couple of hours but not heavy rain, only enough to create puddles. It stopped in time for us to go out for dinner. Neil felt like a change so we chose one that offered a bit more than fried rice and koththu. On our way to it I took a photo of what is being built next door to the hotel – A Hindu shrine

minimal machinery used and instead everything is done by hand.

what it should look like when it is finished

It will be one of the colourful pretty ones we see everywhere.

So dinner – well we felt our age as we walked in – first there was 3 young couples all at their own tables and it was romantically or dimly lit, how did we feel our age? Well first we both thought hell turn the lights on so I can see where we are going! And the fact that we were twice the age of each couple there (Neil may have been 3 times there age!!!).

Alas we choose the paneer butter marsala for Neil and I got the chicken butter marsala for me with 2 serves of naan bread each as they didn't offer plain rice just fried rice (again!) so that is why we opted for the naan bread.

It was nice and sparse but after listening to Neil the previous night go on like a pork chop that he was full and the chicken koththu he had was just too big he did the reverse and said he will have to stop off and find a bread shop! Upon first taste – the salt just hits you! We have eaten more salt (and we don't add it is them putting it in the food) the past 3 weeks than what we have eaten over our life time! I swear we will be pickled by the time we get back to Australia! I loved the meal (just a note the chicken here is never chicken breast or thigh pieces but more chopped up chicken with the bone still intact!)

We left early this morning at around 7am and the highway was quiet. We couldn't find a baker but we found one further up the road at Parantan and picked up left overs from yesterday and found a shady tree to have our breakfast part 2.

Further up the road we saw the morning train from Jaffna (probably going to Colombo but don't quote me on that!)

Also saw some wind mills

Don't think there is alot of them but maybe we will see more after Jaffna when we come back via Pooneryn.

It is not long before we get to Elephant pass – not an elephant in sight! This is the 1km causeway that links Jaffna to the mainland – without it Jaffna would be an island. On the other side of Jaffna there is a long bridge that links the tail end of this island back to the mainland, we will ride that on the way back down from Jaffna.

Here is another interesting shrine

The causeway is not wide and was partially destroyed by the LTTE during the civil war. Obviously it has been rebuilt and if you look at the photo below starting from the right there is the ocean then the road then the railway line which is really close to the road and then the other side of the ocean again. Basically the 2 ocean pieces are large bays but the entrances both enter the Indian Ocean.

I had read that at the end of this pass there is a checkpoint for locals and foreigners but they are no longer operating. Still a road block is there but that is more to check vehicles

We are a little early as per usual so Neil spots a nescafe sign and a big cup so we pull over and go in and have a cup of tea. Not a word of English could be spoken but they understood tea and came out with the usual Evapourated Milk tea and I am almost sure they put sugar in as well. Did I mention that Sri Lankans lurve sugar – if it is not salted it will be sugared. Honestly you cannot get diet drinks or zero coke etc, and the fizzy drinks have way more sugar in them than our regular ones to the point they are too sweet with the exception of Sprite – that is palatable to drink! When we get given a juice – it would be made of cordial, sugar and sometimes salt to bring out more of the flavour. I must admit we are carrying a mango liquid cordial (we finally found one in a plastic bottle) and it is delicious and sweet but we seriously dilute it with water and no sugar!

It was a nice break in the air conditioning but as per usual the starring makes you a little self conscience although alot try not to make it that obvious!

Back on the road and yip another road block this time a police one which is checking and pulling over vehicles

Still trying to drag our time out we start to enter the outer area of Jaffna and are going through more villages and this time we stop for something to eat since it has been 3 hours since our last snack. We find these roti and vege parcels which are way nicer than the deep fried samamosas that we have been having. We polish of 3 each. This will be all we eat until dinner so we look at it as an early lunch.

Since leaving Batticaloa we have noticed 2 things – there are more women riding bikes and there are more women wearing traditional dress wear (Saris) even when they ride their bikes. It is not just the older women wearing the saris but also a wide range of ages. Still there is more wearing the western dresses as opposed to the western style of dress that you or I would wear (not too many of them up here).

Gosh I could not imagine riding in a skirt or dress let along a Sari, nah I am a short and t shirt gal!

We are making good time by wasting time (check in is around midday) and we know we are getting closer as we keep getting reminded that Jaffna is this way

And we get our own personal bike lane whenever the road goes over a bridge

Gosh there is good bike infrastructure here in Jaffna ... not! We did see 3 men in cycling gear and racing bikes and I think they couldn't believe they were seeing us (as we were with them!) very rare to see Sri Lankans with racing bikes – last ones we saw where down just south of Colombo. Never expected to see any up this way!

Now we see the official Welcome to Jaffna Archway

And just inside and to the right is another archway that is going to some where!

We have to come of the highway to reach our accommodation which means we have to go through the back roads and laneways.

We get here and like I said previously, a little be underwelmed with it but now I am here and settled and have had a shower I am happy with the place. It is a young couple running it and they have young kids (yes they are noisy and seem to like being downstairs in a room that is attached to the kitchen) but they are ok.

after seeing the room I dreaded opening this bathroom door but imagine my surprise!

So our plan tomorrow is to ride around as much as we can seeing absolutely nothing as we have no idea where everything is. Not that there is much to see but there is a fort and I would like to ride over to the outer islands and around them just to say we have been there! And possibly cycle up to the coast line north of here.

Today's ride: 65 km (40 miles)
Total: 632 km (392 miles)

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