... off to Sth Korea tomorrow with my brother to do some cycling - Seoul to Busan
Monday, March 18, 2024
Monday, April 10, 2023
Delhi to Dehradun, via Rishikesh, in March 2023
Day 1: Delhi to Meerut ≈ 80km; Av. Moving Speed 12km/hr. I got a lift to Millennium Park as my starting point, and headed over the Yamuna River bridge...
It was a challenging ride... Komoot, the map I was using, directed me into some bizarre village with no roads, dilapidated building, etc. A local chap on a motorcycle kindly directed me onto the highway - the ride from here on was direct but unpleasant - massive traffic jams, construction, potholes, dirt roads, dust, cows, some escaped horses(!). I arrived, largely unscathed but exhausted! I stayed at the Hotel Royal 9 - not bad, not cheap, and no windows in the room.
Day 2: Meerut to Muzaffarnagar ≈ 61km, Av. Moving Speed 14km/hr. This section of highway was much better than yesterday's. Unfortunately, I was caught in a heavy downpour just outside of Ghasipura and spent time sitting undercover at a roadside drink stop (Shree Krishna Cold Drinks). I was drenched and covered in mud by the time I got to my hotel. Fortunately everything dried overnight after a good washing - wearing nylon/polyester clothing helps (cotton absorbs sweat and can really start to smell over time). I used to think that Indian drivers were really bad but I've come to realise that it's every man/woman for themselves and they just don't care. They'll stop suddenly in front of you or hurtle out of a side street. Might prevails - a bit like the caste system. Dogs are everywhere but they rarely bark or chase after you - it seems that they just couldn't be bothered. Lots of monkeys in evidence also.
Day 3: Muzaffarnagar to Roorkee - 53km. It was a much better ride today - no rain, and highway NH334 was pretty good. There was an especially nice section along a canal. I stayed at the Hotel KK Residency; it was ok, at 1126Rp (=$20 AUD). I was initially given a neat but claustrophobic, windowless room on the third floor but managed to change this to a ground floor room with a window - that unfortunately looked out on to the reception area - and after some negotiation was allowed to keep my bicycle in the room (they initially wanted me to leave it outside next to a pile of rubble)
Day 4: Roorkee to Haridwar - 33km. Cycled Upper Ganga Canal Road, bypassing NH334 for a while. Overall, quite a scenic route, until I rejoined NH334. Caught again in the rain; waited again under the tarpaulin of a roadside drink spot. Soaked but I dried off after resuming cycling. I stayed at the Raj Guest House in Haridwar.
The Ganges Canal - from Wikipedia: The canal is primarily an irrigation canal, although parts of it were also used for navigation. It was originally constructed from 1842 to 1854, sponsored by the British East India Company following the disastrous Agra famine of 1837–38, in which nearly 800,000 people died. The system consists of a main canal of 272 miles and about 4000 miles long distribution channels. It comprises the Lower Ganges canal and the Upper Ganges Canal - the Upper Ganges canal is the important and the original Ganges Canal and runs from Haridwar to Aligarh, with some branches, with a combined length of 9.575km!.
After irrigation was commenced in May 1855, over 767,000 acres (3,100 km2) in 5,000 villages were irrigated.
Day 5: Hardiwar to Rishikesh - 25km; Av. Moving Speed 12km/hr (quite slow, but I'm taking it easy, if not cautiously at times on these hectic roads). The road was good in parts, terrible in others, as was the traffic. I'm staying in quite a nice hotel but the first room I was given didn't have a window and was rather gloomy. After discussion with the front desk I was given a "complimentary upgrade" to 'a room with a view'. Overall a short and okay ride today, but the rubbish around Haridwar and on the side of the road was quite distressing. There is some attempt to curb the problem with big signs in places - in English - saying that single-use plastics have been banned in Uttarakhand.
I assumed I'd be ok cycling through the Rajaji Tiger Reserve!
 |
| leaving Haridwar... |
In Rishikesh, I walked to the Beatles Ashram (and Maharishi Mahesh's ashram) via the impressive Janki Bridge, which is divided into 3 sections- one for pedestrians and the other two for two-wheelers. You could see shrouded bodies down below, ready to be cremated, and people bathing or swimming a bit upstream. The Ashram was extraordinary- only 60 years old, but completely deserted for many years now. It's a large complex, almost like a university, with numerous meditation cells and caves, and accommodation for those training to become TM meditation teachers. Lots of graffiti giving tips on life e.g. let it be; be here now, etc. Tremendous views of Rishikesh and you can sit and listen to the waters of the Ganges.
 |
| Janki suspension bridge |
 |
| trainee TM teachers' quarters |
 |
| view of Rishikesh from the ashram |
 |
| stone meditation cells |
Day 6: Rishikesh to Dehradun - 41km; Av. Moving Speed = 12km/hr; Max. Speed = 29km/hr. The road condition was quite good, HOWEVER gradients were up to around 8% at one point, and I encountered heavy rain during the last part of the ride. The rain itself is not so much a problem as the puddles, mud and other debris...and being subsequently splashed by passing vehicles... The road was quite scenic in parts - I mainly kept to highway NH7 - and there were scores of monkeys by the sides of the ride. This was charming yet slightly unnerving at the same time.
In Dehradun, I cycled to the Robber's Cave (13km round trip) and then the Mindrolling Monastery, a large Tibetan Buddhist Monastery (26km round trip). The latter was a tricky route - both Google and Garmin misdirected me. Robber's Cave is a natural cave formation, about 600 metres long, where rivers flow inside the cave. Apparently it was used in the late 1800s by robbers who wanted to hide from the British. It was modestly interesting and involved wading through calf-height flowing water through a narrow canyon, giving my feet a really good cleansing. Mindrolling Monastery is a large Tibetan Buddhist Monastery established in 1965 (it's pronounced "Min-drolling") and apparently the largest Buddhist Monastery in India. The great stupa in the monastery is over 60m tall and is said to be the world's largest stupa (or the largest in Asia). An imposing 35m-high gold Sakyamuni Buddha statue, dedicated to the Dalai Lama, presides over the monastery. Nagyur Nyingma College is also a part of the monastery and is currently training over 300 monks. It was a fairly hair-raising ride back to the hotel as the traffic and pedestrians increased dramatically due to a festival being held this evening in Dehradun. I had planned to have a non-veg dish tonight but was told I had to order vegetarian food due to the festival...
I especially enjoyed a meal at Garle Korean restaurant (chicken teriyaki kimbap, miso and smoothie!) .
 |
Day 7: Dehradun back to Rishikesh - 41km. Av. Moving Speed 16.6km/hr; Max. Speed 44.5km/hr. Av. Temp 36°C. The road surface was quite good, especially when cycling on highway NH7. Quite hot and thankfully no rain. I again cycled past hundreds if not thousands of monkeys; at one point I cycled too close to some youngsters and a larger one, presumably a parent, bared its teeth and lunged at me, giving me a bit of a start. I couldn't help noticing a few OHS issues: a chap painting the building opposite my room and two blokes attending to some electrical issues up adjoining light poles. My plan was to finish cycling, stay in Rishikesh for two more nights and then return to Delhi via some form of road transport… which I did.
 |
| dubious OHS practices |
 |
| more dubious OHS practices |
... back in Delhi, I cycled to and from the Lotus Temple (Baháʼí House of Worship) - a short but harrowing ride, as my Garmin sent me down some very narrow alleyways.
 |
| Lotus Temple |
Overall, this was a short but challenging jaunt through a small section of northern India. Riding here is hair-raising at times and you need to be extremely attentive in the traffic as one small lapse could be disastrous. In a way, it's an exercise in mindfulness, although you can never entirely suspend your judgement. On the road, you can encounter tractors, pushcarts, cows, buffalo, goats, horses, excavators, cranes, bicycles, cars, trucks, buses, motorbikes, pedestrians, vikrams/auto-rickshaws, camels, even elephants. WhatsApp is ubiquitous and very useful nowadays and I found a data-only e-sim (via airalo) was worth getting.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Friday, September 25, 2015
Melbourne - 26.9.15
There wasn't much to do after arriving back in Negombo other than washing the bike down - you invariably get asked at customs in Australia if you've done this - and packing it in the box. I was helped by the guest house owner and his son, but struggled to quite fit it in this time. It wasn't until I got to the airport in Colombo and was asked by the chap at check-in if I'd let the air out of the tyres before boxing the bike that I realised why it hadn't quite fitted. The airlines insist that you deflate bike tyres so that they don't explode at high altitude. This is a longstanding myth - my understanding is that the cargo hold is pressurized to the same level as the passenger compartment, and that even if the plane managed to fly into outer space the pressure differential would still be unlikely to cause the tyres to explode. And, even if the tyres were to somehow explode, it's unlikely any damage would be done to the plane. So I lied and said I had (because there was no way I was going to cut through all the tape and then rebox the bike again).
The final leg of the journey from KL to Melbourne was around 8 hours, and I was 2 rows of seats away from 3 sets of screaming infants who kept it up for most of the journey. I felt like joining in. Luckily, there were some action movies available for viewing and so I managed to block out some of the screams and sobs with the sound of explosions, punchups and gunshots. The noise-cancelling headphones are good against the sound of the plane engines but unfortunately don't cancel out the noise of children.
I arrived back home in a maxi-taxi after a monumental wait at the oversized baggage area at Tullamarine airport, shortly before midnight, and can happily confirm that the tyres are still intact.
So, overall I was in Sri Lanka for around 23 days, and travelled 868km over 14 days of cycling - a daily average of 62km. I lost 5kg in weight, partly due to all the exercise and partly I think due to the change in diet. It was an interesting trip and I got to see a fair bit of Sri Lanka. It was hard to not compare it with India - Sri Lanka seemed a lot more ordered than India, and I saw much less poverty, slum areas and beggars. The roads were much better on average, the traffic more ordered, and vehicles actually slowed and even stopped at pedestrian crossings. English was more common. I found the food less interesting and varied compared with what is available in India. The religious breakdown differs: in Sri Lanka, around 70% of the population is Buddhist, 13% Hindu, 10% Muslim and 7% Christian (mostly Roman Catholic), whereas in India, around 80% of the population is Hindu, 14% Muslim, 2.3% Christian, 1.7% Sikh, 0.7% Buddhist and 0.4% Jain.
As I mentioned in an earlier entry, it always amused me to see police travelling two up on their motorcycle, with one sitting imperiously at the rear, as if on a throne, and I was struck by how stern an image they endeavoured to project. I was struck by the scarecrows you could see on most building and construction sites and presumed it was about warding off 'the evil eye' or similar, although I did read one view that their intention is to distract people's attention and envy away from the expensive new building.
It always takes a few days or longer from a trip like this to reorient back to life here. The cycling presents a tremendous focus, and thinking becomes very 'here and now', with little time spent reflecting on work, life back home and other matters. Routines become very different - I spent no time watching TV (although did watch some downloaded episodes of 'Gotham' on my tablet) and spent a lot of time reading during down time e.g. in my room or in cafes and restaurants if eating alone. I read about 12 books, mostly crime novels, while in Sri Lanka!
The final leg of the journey from KL to Melbourne was around 8 hours, and I was 2 rows of seats away from 3 sets of screaming infants who kept it up for most of the journey. I felt like joining in. Luckily, there were some action movies available for viewing and so I managed to block out some of the screams and sobs with the sound of explosions, punchups and gunshots. The noise-cancelling headphones are good against the sound of the plane engines but unfortunately don't cancel out the noise of children.
I arrived back home in a maxi-taxi after a monumental wait at the oversized baggage area at Tullamarine airport, shortly before midnight, and can happily confirm that the tyres are still intact.
So, overall I was in Sri Lanka for around 23 days, and travelled 868km over 14 days of cycling - a daily average of 62km. I lost 5kg in weight, partly due to all the exercise and partly I think due to the change in diet. It was an interesting trip and I got to see a fair bit of Sri Lanka. It was hard to not compare it with India - Sri Lanka seemed a lot more ordered than India, and I saw much less poverty, slum areas and beggars. The roads were much better on average, the traffic more ordered, and vehicles actually slowed and even stopped at pedestrian crossings. English was more common. I found the food less interesting and varied compared with what is available in India. The religious breakdown differs: in Sri Lanka, around 70% of the population is Buddhist, 13% Hindu, 10% Muslim and 7% Christian (mostly Roman Catholic), whereas in India, around 80% of the population is Hindu, 14% Muslim, 2.3% Christian, 1.7% Sikh, 0.7% Buddhist and 0.4% Jain.
As I mentioned in an earlier entry, it always amused me to see police travelling two up on their motorcycle, with one sitting imperiously at the rear, as if on a throne, and I was struck by how stern an image they endeavoured to project. I was struck by the scarecrows you could see on most building and construction sites and presumed it was about warding off 'the evil eye' or similar, although I did read one view that their intention is to distract people's attention and envy away from the expensive new building.
It always takes a few days or longer from a trip like this to reorient back to life here. The cycling presents a tremendous focus, and thinking becomes very 'here and now', with little time spent reflecting on work, life back home and other matters. Routines become very different - I spent no time watching TV (although did watch some downloaded episodes of 'Gotham' on my tablet) and spent a lot of time reading during down time e.g. in my room or in cafes and restaurants if eating alone. I read about 12 books, mostly crime novels, while in Sri Lanka!
overall route
overall elevation
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
NEGOMBO - 23.9.15
Day 14 Cycling: NAYAKAKANDA,Wattala to NEGOMBO
Ride details (from Garmin):
Distance: 28.67km; ODOMETER: 868.6km; Moving Time: 1:34; Elapsed Time: 1:45; Avg Speed: 17.8km/hr; Avg Moving Speed: 18.3km/hr; Max Speed: 23.7km.hr; Total Ascent: 11m; Total Descent: 10m; Max Elevation: 2m; Calories: 832C; Avg Temperature: 36.6 °C; Max Temperature: 42.0 °C
After a breakfast of omelet and chips and a coffee, I was pleased to hit the road on the final leg of my journey - back to the Angel Inn in Negombo (4000Rs a night). There was little traffic which made the score or so of police lurking in the shade at the side of the road at various locations along the way, presumably to catch errant drivers, seem a little excessive. They typically present with very stern, official-looking faces but occasionally break into broad smiles when waved at. It always amused me to see them on their motorcycles, one driving with the other sitting upright in the pillion position, as if on a throne.
It was a nice ride along the coast, past fishing boats and the fish market, and past a number of quite extravagant Christian figures (e.g. Jesus, baby Jesus, Mary, a saint on a horse, etc.) often in glass cases. Elsewhere in the country, similar glass cases held Buddha figurines, and occasionally the Hindus followed suit with statues of Ganesh or Shiva. It was hot, and I drank a litre of water during the first 20km.
It was nice to get back here and the room seems almost too luxurious compared to what I've been staying in over the past weeks. The bike box is still here so I'll eventually get around to dismantling the bike and packing it again. Hopefully I won't have too much trouble removing the pedals this time. Overall it's gone well - no punctures (other than the one incurred here on day 1) or mechanical problems, no accidents or near misses (well, there were probably one or two... the man with a long plastic drainpipe, and one or two trucks gave me a start yesterday). No major physical concerns either, other than some lingering bronchial issues for the first fortnight, some heat rash, and what might be described as a small lesion on the left buttock (boil, I suspect).
Time for some food and a rest I reckon...
Ride details (from Garmin):
Distance: 28.67km; ODOMETER: 868.6km; Moving Time: 1:34; Elapsed Time: 1:45; Avg Speed: 17.8km/hr; Avg Moving Speed: 18.3km/hr; Max Speed: 23.7km.hr; Total Ascent: 11m; Total Descent: 10m; Max Elevation: 2m; Calories: 832C; Avg Temperature: 36.6 °C; Max Temperature: 42.0 °C
After a breakfast of omelet and chips and a coffee, I was pleased to hit the road on the final leg of my journey - back to the Angel Inn in Negombo (4000Rs a night). There was little traffic which made the score or so of police lurking in the shade at the side of the road at various locations along the way, presumably to catch errant drivers, seem a little excessive. They typically present with very stern, official-looking faces but occasionally break into broad smiles when waved at. It always amused me to see them on their motorcycles, one driving with the other sitting upright in the pillion position, as if on a throne.
It was a nice ride along the coast, past fishing boats and the fish market, and past a number of quite extravagant Christian figures (e.g. Jesus, baby Jesus, Mary, a saint on a horse, etc.) often in glass cases. Elsewhere in the country, similar glass cases held Buddha figurines, and occasionally the Hindus followed suit with statues of Ganesh or Shiva. It was hot, and I drank a litre of water during the first 20km.
It was nice to get back here and the room seems almost too luxurious compared to what I've been staying in over the past weeks. The bike box is still here so I'll eventually get around to dismantling the bike and packing it again. Hopefully I won't have too much trouble removing the pedals this time. Overall it's gone well - no punctures (other than the one incurred here on day 1) or mechanical problems, no accidents or near misses (well, there were probably one or two... the man with a long plastic drainpipe, and one or two trucks gave me a start yesterday). No major physical concerns either, other than some lingering bronchial issues for the first fortnight, some heat rash, and what might be described as a small lesion on the left buttock (boil, I suspect).
Time for some food and a rest I reckon...
Jesus
Graves, and Jesus, on the coast
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
NAYAKAKANDA - 22.9.15
Day 13 Cycling: RATNAPURA to NAYAKAKANDA, WATTALA:
Ride details (from Garmin):
Distance: 103.19km; ODOMETER: 840km; Moving Time: 6:51; Elapsed Time: 8:43; Avg Speed: 11.8km/hr; Avg Moving Speed: 15.0km/hr; Max Speed: 40.7km.hr; Total Ascent: 560m; Total Descent: 602m; Max Elevation: 60m; Calories: 3,206 C; Avg Temperature: 32.9 °C; Max Temperature: 41.0 °C
My plan for today was to avoid Colombo, but I ended up skirting around its edges and found myself, to my surprise, ending up on the coast, about 30km south of Negombo.
Today's was a varied, again quite taxing ride as I was on the road for nearly 9 hours. I mostly used the Garmin to lead the way and as a result travelled along some interesting highways and byways. The bike and I travelled through villages, tea plantations, and jungle, and past quite a few Buddhist centres. The route started along the A8, then the B285 and I lost track after that. There were some very poor sections of road - some already prepared for resurfacing, and some clearly in need of resurfacing. Much of the surrounding countryside was very lush. In addition to drinking copious amounts of water, I refuelled with a large bottle of Pepsi and bought a bag of very juicy mandarins at a roadside stall for 400Rs (the labels on them indicated they were from Australia!). Toward the end of the ride, near and along the outskirts of Colombo, I began to feel a little nervous as the roads narrowed and the traffic became heavier - the buses and trucks are fairly forceful on these roads and not overly concerned about people on bicycles. Fortunately I made it without experiencing any mishaps or close calls and I was happy to discover a number of accommodation options along the coast. I managed to locate the Araliya Hotel where I'm now staying, with the volunteered assistance of a three-wheeler driver who saw me looking wistfully at the obviously very expensive Pegasus Reef Resort. After quite a bit of haggling and walking off I managed to get the absurdly overpriced 4500Rs room at the Araliya reduced to 3500Rs. It has a fan and aircon which is quite nice as it's reasonably warm around here. I wouldn't especially recommend this hotel.
30km tomorrow morning -along the coast - and I'll be back where I started from in Negombo, having cycled around 870km. I thought I might do around 1000km in the 3 weeks I'd be cycling but I hadn't really taken the elevations in the hilly regions into account. I'll clean and pack the bike and then spend some time relaxing before the flight back to Australia.
Ride details (from Garmin):
Distance: 103.19km; ODOMETER: 840km; Moving Time: 6:51; Elapsed Time: 8:43; Avg Speed: 11.8km/hr; Avg Moving Speed: 15.0km/hr; Max Speed: 40.7km.hr; Total Ascent: 560m; Total Descent: 602m; Max Elevation: 60m; Calories: 3,206 C; Avg Temperature: 32.9 °C; Max Temperature: 41.0 °C
My plan for today was to avoid Colombo, but I ended up skirting around its edges and found myself, to my surprise, ending up on the coast, about 30km south of Negombo.
Today's was a varied, again quite taxing ride as I was on the road for nearly 9 hours. I mostly used the Garmin to lead the way and as a result travelled along some interesting highways and byways. The bike and I travelled through villages, tea plantations, and jungle, and past quite a few Buddhist centres. The route started along the A8, then the B285 and I lost track after that. There were some very poor sections of road - some already prepared for resurfacing, and some clearly in need of resurfacing. Much of the surrounding countryside was very lush. In addition to drinking copious amounts of water, I refuelled with a large bottle of Pepsi and bought a bag of very juicy mandarins at a roadside stall for 400Rs (the labels on them indicated they were from Australia!). Toward the end of the ride, near and along the outskirts of Colombo, I began to feel a little nervous as the roads narrowed and the traffic became heavier - the buses and trucks are fairly forceful on these roads and not overly concerned about people on bicycles. Fortunately I made it without experiencing any mishaps or close calls and I was happy to discover a number of accommodation options along the coast. I managed to locate the Araliya Hotel where I'm now staying, with the volunteered assistance of a three-wheeler driver who saw me looking wistfully at the obviously very expensive Pegasus Reef Resort. After quite a bit of haggling and walking off I managed to get the absurdly overpriced 4500Rs room at the Araliya reduced to 3500Rs. It has a fan and aircon which is quite nice as it's reasonably warm around here. I wouldn't especially recommend this hotel.
30km tomorrow morning -along the coast - and I'll be back where I started from in Negombo, having cycled around 870km. I thought I might do around 1000km in the 3 weeks I'd be cycling but I hadn't really taken the elevations in the hilly regions into account. I'll clean and pack the bike and then spend some time relaxing before the flight back to Australia.
Monday, September 21, 2015
RATNAPURA - 21.9.15
Day 12 cycling: ELLA to RATNAPURA:
Ride details (from Garmin):
Ride details (from Garmin):
Distance: 109.1km; ODOMETER: 736.7km; Moving Time: 6:36; Elapsed Time: 9:28 (includes 90mins waiting for rain to lessen); Avg Speed: 11.5km/hr; Avg Moving Speed: 16.5km/hr; Max Speed: 51.6km.hr; Total Ascent: 1,081m; Total Descent: 2,021m; Max Elevation: 1,420m; Calories: 4,292 C; Avg Temperature: 27.3 °C; Max Temperature: 36.0 °C
Yesterday was a rest day in Ella for me and the bike. The town is geared up for tourists, in terms of all the accommodation options and the numerous cafés and restaurants in the main street. The Rawana Holiday Resort where I was staying had its own restaurant which was quite good and I used it for breakfast and lunch and an evening meal. I also ate twice at the Down Town Rotti Hut with Kerry and Chris and was introduced to the delicious kotthu roti which is now my favourite Sri Lankan meal.
There's not all that much to do in Ella other than hiking - up to Little Adam's Peak or Ella Rock (along the train tracks), or the easier walk to Rawana Falls which I did with the Kerry and Chris (also along the train tracks).
I decided that I would aim to cycle all the way back to Negombo, about 220km, which I figured was quite achievable over 3 days, arriving back in Negombo on Wednesday as planned.
I felt cheered by the knowledge that Ella is at an altitude of around 1040m and that Negombo is at 2m. Downhill all the way, surely?! Unfortunately no...
The road I took out of Ella was downhill for a bit of the way but was then mostly a grind uphill for the first 20km (to Haputale). The first 11km - to Bandarawela - took about 90 minutes! The so-called 3 Mile Road was too steep for me to cycle - I reckon several of its uphill sections were about 18%. The road went up and up, rising up to at least 1400m in elevation. I could feel the sense of defeat rise as the road rose up ahead of me. 3% sections began to look flat ('false flat' in cycling parlance) in contrast to the rest of the road which was typically between 6 & 8%.
Around 12:30, at the 35km mark, the ever-darkening sky erupted, with thunder, lightning and heavy rain. Luckily there was a concrete bunker-like bus shelter nearby so I holed up there for the next 90 minutes until the thunderstorm abated sufficiently for me to head off (it was still raining but only lightly by this time). While waiting in the bus shelter, classes at the nearby school obviously finished and soon I was surrounded by scores of students, and a couple of teachers, waiting for their bus. They all seemed very shy and giggly, and I was surprised that no-one really took the opportunity to practise their English on me.
After a time, the road finally began to plunge down, and the arduous uphill grinding was replaced with some wonderful downhill sections. The scenery was also quite spectacular. Overall though it was a tough day's cycling.
I eventually made it to Ratnapura and after asking a policeman came to the Ratnapura Rest House on top of a hill overlooking the city. It was probably once a grand old colonial-style building; from the outside it looks quite posh and I feared it would be far too expensive. I resigned myself to paying whatever, within reason, as the prospect of heading off to find somewhere else didn't enthuse me. They wanted 4500 Rs for a room but agreed to 4000Rs. The room is huge, with fan and A/C but is tired looking and very musty - quite overpriced for what's provided and the service is very lackadaisical. Finding somewhere to put the bike seemed just too difficult for them to figure out, and there was no soap or toilet paper in the room. Most places make an effort to help me carry my panniers and handlebar bag to the room, but not here.
Luckily the place has a restaurant and the fried rice & chicken was tasty. The enormous dining room was also hosting a function; it was amusing to see that all the men sat together at one huge set of tables, the women at another and all the children at a third table. The table I selected to sit at elsewhere in the dining room had a filthy tablecloth on it. When I complained, the waiter looked at me with a mixture of scorn and incredulity saying "well sit somewhere else then...". I was asked while eating my evening meal to pay in advance for the room, and separately for the meal, and told that checkout time was a surprisingly early 9am.
I eventually made it to Ratnapura and after asking a policeman came to the Ratnapura Rest House on top of a hill overlooking the city. It was probably once a grand old colonial-style building; from the outside it looks quite posh and I feared it would be far too expensive. I resigned myself to paying whatever, within reason, as the prospect of heading off to find somewhere else didn't enthuse me. They wanted 4500 Rs for a room but agreed to 4000Rs. The room is huge, with fan and A/C but is tired looking and very musty - quite overpriced for what's provided and the service is very lackadaisical. Finding somewhere to put the bike seemed just too difficult for them to figure out, and there was no soap or toilet paper in the room. Most places make an effort to help me carry my panniers and handlebar bag to the room, but not here.
Luckily the place has a restaurant and the fried rice & chicken was tasty. The enormous dining room was also hosting a function; it was amusing to see that all the men sat together at one huge set of tables, the women at another and all the children at a third table. The table I selected to sit at elsewhere in the dining room had a filthy tablecloth on it. When I complained, the waiter looked at me with a mixture of scorn and incredulity saying "well sit somewhere else then...". I was asked while eating my evening meal to pay in advance for the room, and separately for the meal, and told that checkout time was a surprisingly early 9am.
All I want to do now is take rest so that I'll be able to jump on the bike in the morning and continue pedalling toward Negombo. It's about 106km away; I don't think I'll try and do that all tomorrow - perhaps I'll leave about 30km to do so that I'll arrive there mid-morning on Wednesday, ready to fly out on Thursday evening.
Ratnapura Rest House
Ella to Ratnapura profile
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
