– Backroads and Bygones, July 2023
When the tour of Sri Lanka was announced, the brochure talked about riding alongside paddy fields, lakes, and fishing villages. It was very enticing, but I was skeptical. I was on a long break from work and wanted to do something that was different from the monotony of everyday life. I have been regularly working out, and despite my initial skepticism, I confidently signed up.
I am a beginner rider and borrowed an old hybrid bike from my sister for this tour. I set out riding 3 times a week for 1.5 months aggregating almost 100 km per week. But as I prepared and traveled to Sri Lanka, it was with a lot of trepidation because I was afraid everyone else was faster, and more efficient riders than I am.
We were a group of 6 riders from Hyderabad, and 2 riders from Sri Lanka joined us to support – one riding in front guiding the group, and the other in the end making sure no one was left behind. We rode at our own pace and had snack stops every 20+ km set amidst picturesque locations. We’d sometimes have tea, sometimes, coconut water, packaged milk, a few times cake, or vadai, or just bananas and watermelon. While riding, some people were faster than others, a few focused on riding, and others pulled out their phones to click pictures on the go.
The first couple of days on the tour did not help calm my fears since everyone else seemed to know each other, were very experienced in bicycle tours, and had a lot to say about bikes in general – as a beginner rider I wasn’t assuaged. We reached our first stop-Dambulla and set out to see the Buddhist cave temples in the afternoon. We climbed up the hills, and the long stretch of green looked very promising, but I could not calm down yet.
Our first ride was a loop around Sigriya fortress. We set out to ride at 6am. I checked my heart rate monitor and it showed 110+ even before the ride. I was definitely nervous. As we rode out in the morning, what I did not anticipate were the dogs barking and chasing us. I learned to yell back at them while watching others squirt water to get the dogs to retreat. Barely 45 minutes into biking we came up to a stop near a really beautiful lake. The scenery was so pleasant, that I almost chided myself for riding too fast to keep pace with the other riders who were faster than me.
For the rest of the ride, I was focused on making sure I got to my goal of 50 km. And as soon as I reached it, I was done and happy. And hopped onto the support vehicle. Our lunch was at a small place with a surprising variety of buffet options – many vegetables we were familiar with but made so differently. It was an amazing lunch and while I decided to stay back and rest after a sumptuous meal, the others proceeded to climb up the Sigriya fort.
It’s amazing how the body learns and trains. I woke up the next day surprisingly in no pain and a fit back. We set out to ride towards Anuradhapura. I had decided to slow down since I was not going to be lost and ride slowly. The skies were generous, and the sun was not out. As promised, there were paddy fields all around us set in a backdrop of the hills. The lakes with flowers dotted the rides, and the canopy of trees made it just welcoming. This was my best ride. The dogs also decided to ignore me and go for another rider that day. We stopped at a roadside small shop where we refreshed with coconut water and vadai. The next few kilometers weren’t easy after that heavy snack break! After a day and a half of riding, I think I had to relax because these views weren’t going anywhere. As I chatted with another rider and rode along, the distance seemed to disappear easily and before I knew it, I had capped my ride after the 60 km and hopped onto the bus, and waited for the other riders to finish their ride along a very picturesque canal. While I waited, there was a monitor lizard climbing up the slope of the canal to keep me entertained.
After we rested, I dragged myself out to go visit the ruins and the old city of Anuradhapura. Asoka, our guide walked us through the temple. It was hard not to take in the calm of the place. Our guides provided us with a meal of rice, and multiple side dishes wrapped in lotus leaf, with chairs set up by one of the ponds. We were amidst the trees, and well-maintained ruins of the ancient stupas. One of the largest stupas is still worshipped. There was a ceremony going on and we sat back quietly and watched as a village came to pay its respects with a long Buddhist flag.
By the third day, I had a routine in place for my morning ride. I’d set up my sunscreen, my pain relief for my knees, anti-chafing cream right next to each other, and my clothes. And I’d go through them one by one when I woke up the next morning while contemplating why I was doing this.
I was looking forward to the third-day ride because it was the shortest on the plan. We rode into the city roads watching the city wake up, and children walking and cycling to school. As we detoured into the smaller lanes, the very familiar fields, and lakes started to emerge. By now we were so used to the green pastures, and the impeccable roads, that the bit of vehicular traffic, and a patch of not-too-great roads we encountered made me very surprised. It was a day for rest since we had nothing else planned for the day. A few of us walked to the nearby lake and sauntered around stretching our legs and watching the others taking brisk walks.
The last couple of days of riding were interesting because the terrain was completely different. We rode through forested areas which were barricaded to prevent elephants from walking out. There were long stretches with no houses or stores nearby. The roads almost had a rhythm to them, rising and falling at regular intervals. The sun was out, and we could feel the wind in our faces. At some point, I was certain I was riding on a treadmill since my legs were pedaling while the bike remained almost stationary. I think I took every coconut water offered to me at the break stops. We rode through crowded towns which looked very different from the ones on the first three days. We could see the sea out there, we were riding along salt pans, with windmills visible at a distance. At some point I gave in and hopped onto the bus, watching everyone else ride along. Everyone stopped for a cold drink just 2 km short of the hotel, and it must have been great after the 90+ km ride on a hot day.
Our hotel was on the edge of “too much nature” as one of the riders called it. Comfortable hotel rooms set amidst trees, it was almost like camping with luxury. We went boating in the shallow lagoon in the evening, while one of the more adventurous ones took a kayak ride along to watch the sunset. We had another memorable meal as the chef surprised everyone with a large platter of various seafood.
It was the last day of rides, and I could barely sleep in anticipation of completing the 300 km that day. The ride started out uphill, and everyone whizzed past, my legs finally started to complain. I rode slow. After the initial ride through small, crowded towns, we turned into an empty lane with houses and coconut groves. The shade amongst the trees, just made it easier to ride. Everyone else was riding 115 km that day, and I just wanted to do 60km.
As I finished my 60k and sat back on the bus eating my breakfast, I couldn’t help feeling relieved. I had set out to do 50 km every day and I was grateful that I managed to do it. I got out of the comfort of home, and tried something completely new, with new people, and grew to enjoy the company. It would have helped to have a diverse set of riders with varying experiences riding the bike. But setting my own pace, and riding behind with the support rider helped me enjoy the place. It is hard not to notice the beauty, the multiple lakes with lovely lotuses, and lilies, the paddy fields with tree houses, the smiling strangers, the traffic stopping to allow bicyclists to pass through, and mostly amazing roads. I discovered a new country on the road, with amazing food, and people. It helped that we had awesome support and I had nothing to worry about while riding.
I will return back to both – visit and explore Sri Lanka, and biking because that is an amazing experience by itself!