March 24, 2025
Cycle day 6 - Ambalanthota to Kataragama
Ambalanthota to Kataragama = 59km (Total distance on this trip so far = 332km)
Weather = last nights low was 25 degrees with todays high was damn hot so probably again around 30 degrees but it felt really hot today! Sunny today with not much cloud. Wind was coming from the north east so a headwind and the hills were a little more gradual compared to yesterday.
Accommodation = Sun Shine Guesthouse = 3520 rupees ($18.81 AUS)
First I will begin about last nights dinner – it was quite a traditional meal of chicken and rice but far out my lips (and Neils) were on fire for about 30 minutes after finishing the meal. It was prepared at the residence by 2 young men and I assume it was just part of what they were having for dinner so no diluting at all!
The chicken was just boned pieces in a thin curry sauce which wasn't too bad, it was that green stuff which I have no idea what it was but it was some sort of vege (the men couldn't speak English so we couldn't ask!) and boy did that have kick. I had to dilute everything with the lovely rice which I think was some sort of local brown rice, but it was lovely to eat. What isn't pictured here was the small bowl of dahl and by jeeves that just blew my stack – I had to pick out the chillies and really pile on the rice to eat that. Neil ate a wee bit more than me (especially the green bowl) but we finished what was put in front of us, the proceeded to guzzle a bottle of water and then I ran upstairs to dilute my stomach even more with some plain buns we had!
This morning we got away early again and were on the road at about 7.30am. We didn't have far to go before the A2 swung north wards and became a double highway for the next 20km or so. It was absolutely deicious to ride on! No traffic at all on this highway, in fact there was hardly any traffic at all today and we expect it to be like this until maybe the east coast?
Just as we turned there was a guy fishing in a waterway lake
We came across an overturned truck on the opposite side of the highway to us and not quite sure how this happened as it was a dead straight road and I suspect it had not long happened
We are noticing that we are gently climbing and I assumed this would happen not that we have turned inland. But we were a bit perplexed by this sign
Not sure if this is a sign that elephants cross here frequently? We are now on the elephant highway? (I am sure it is not this highway but the B highway we join further ahead) or a warning that elephants are around!
We finally see the infamous Express way that has a toll and bicycles along with quite alot of other vehicles are not allowed on it. It doesn't worry us, this express way runs inland and parallel to the A2 which is the highway we have been on since Colombo. Apparently the previous president built it as around the area we are in now was where he lived so maybe he built the express way so it was quicker for him to get to work!
We did see a massive hospital on the side of this highway just before Halanbatota
Just after this we got really excited as we saw a monkey on the highway light unfortunately it had the sun in front of us so we got his silhouette, I still took the photo to show that we have seen one and then went under it and got another photo from the other side with the sun to my back and when I stopped there were a whole troop of them in the trees right next to me and also across the road! I began to happily take photos of them. They didn't seem to mind!
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5 days ago
Breakfast was a little later this morning, we had ridden 16km before finding a bakery - this one probably has had my favourite version of viyan and jam bun so far - it was fresh and so sweet!
The riding today was different – no traffic bearing down on you and alot of country side to see so riding is alot more easier and nicer rather than a matter of survival! Plenty of rice fields today (again!) this time there are people working in them.
They are happy to wave and we wave back, in fact we did nothing but wave today – everyone was waving and saying hellooooooo and if they didn't say it first we did, the kids and men love it while the women smile and bashfully say hello back!
Just before Weerawilla we turn of onto the B highway or the back road and there are some small villages along here with beautiful baskets for sale and I would love to get one but they are made of some sort of flax or bark so I can't bring it back to Australia.
Also in those clay pots if buffalo curd for sale – they are very popular and are sold everywhere!
It is a quiet road and really the only traffic is local traffic.
To our right we see this strange high fence and Neil saw the sign that is was a working prison, we did see some men out working and they waved and said hello and further up we saw the entrance
Either side of the road is rice fields and we saw some workers actually using machinery to harvest it as the field was big and not like the smaller squares that are done by hand
Further along we see they are bagging up rice on the side of the road and I assume they had had it spread out on the side to dry
And you can see this cart coming opposite us is full of hand cut rice – how do I know it was cut by hand? Because just up the road I came across a field of workers using a sickle to harvest the rice
Eventually we come away from the flat rice fields and gently start to climb again, they are longer hills but not overly steep but still tough going in the heat. We think with all the diesel fumes over the past week we may have lost about 25% lung capacity!
Finally we get to where I have really wanted to see and that is this archway as it signifies the official start of the elephant highway
I remember seeing this on an English couples blog (but they approached this highway from the north at Buttala). Not that I expect to see any today as there are to many villages close by. We are seeing alot of safari type vehicles as we pass through the towns.
Finally we get to Kataragama and our accommodation is nice – very popular with the foreigners and the poor caretaker is and little old man that can't speak English but is very helpful. The owner is nice and speaks very good English and has booked us a Safari tour of Yala National Park tomorrow morning – pick up is 5.30am! The animals are more active in the morning so if finishes around 11.30am. It will cost as 12000 rupees for the tour driver and tour guide and another 20000 rupees for entrance to the park ($171 AUS) it is not cheap to do but we are only here once! We are going to check on the entrance price as that seems a little high!
Anyway the room is nice and a little dated not like the luxurious one we had last night! but clean which is enough for me
We did stop off at yet another bakery to grab some lunch - just plain bread rolls but I had been seeing these big thick door stop slices of bread that looked like they were toasted or baked. I grabbed one today - they were not baked toasted (like Mum use to do) but instead just lightly toasted that they were tough and chewy but with a bit of jam on them it was nice. I picked up this small jam of stawberry flavoured melon jam - a bit like our rasplum that you get in jam donuts in Oz!
Today's ride: 59 km (37 miles)
Total: 240 km (149 miles)
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Oh heck I could feel my ibs playing up just by reading about your hot lips meal 🥵
Am excited to see your blog about your safari tour, how adventurous & a once in a lifetime so worth every cent 😀
You guys seem to be really enjoying this trip, I know I am enjoying reading about it 😂 take care xx
4 days ago