Wat omhoog gaat, beste lezer, gaat ook
weer omlaag. Onderweg terug naar de oostkust konden we genieten van
enkele heerlijke afdalingen, waarbij mijn metgezellen soepeltjes door
de bochten scheerden en snelheden haalden van tegen de 60 km per uur
(daarbij nu en dan een tuk tuk inhalend). Helaas werden vervolgens
ons geduld en achterwerk op de proef gesteld door wegwerkzaamheden
die maar liefst 55 km aanhielden! Dit overstijgt werkelijk elke
conventionele logica. We hebben gezamenlijk en met overtuiging de
oelewapper die hiervoor verantwoordelijk is op allerlei creatieve
manieren om zeep geholpen, al was het alleen maar in onze fantasie.
What goes up, dear reader, must come
down again. On the way back to the east coast we enjoyed some
wonderful descents, where my companions skimmed smoothly through the
curves and reached speeds of up to 60 km per hour (overtaking a tuk
tuk every now and then). Unfortunately, our patience and bums were
subsequently put to the test by road works that stretched for no less
than 55 km! This really transcends any conventional logic. We have
collectively and fervently tortured the numskull responsible for this
in all sorts of creative ways, if only in our imagination.
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Yihaaaaaa!!
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Even the bamboo has a funky color here
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Fortunately there is always something
to snack along the way, such as samosas, dosas, parathas, rotis and
every now and then some ice cream. To Maarten's no small surprise, it
turned out to be quite a challenge to get hold of a simple coconut.
Even a local politician trying to recruit voters in a car with his
smiley face on the side passionately recommended the thirst-quenching
qualities of coconut water. Talking about food: Céline can no longer
stand to hear 'Für Elise'. Here's why: the ubiquitous mobile
bakeries announce their arrival with this classic as their jingle. I
would have used 'Let's Toast' by Brad Baker & The Hot Buns, one
of my favorite songs actually (although Céline & Maarten claim
to have never heard of it).
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Lots of elephants in Sri Lanka
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After giving you a break last time my
companions allowed me to bother you with a bird picture again
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Na wat vlakkere (en hetere) kilometers
langs de kust, zijn we nu weer in heuvelachtiger (en koelere)
regionen. Hemelsbreed zijn we ten opzichte van mijn vorige verslag maar 50
km opgeschoten, terwijl we het voor elkaar hebben gekregen hier 550
km over te doen. Maar de kortste afstand tussen 2 punten is immers
niet altijd de meeste interessante! Er stonden de afgelopen dagen ook
weer wat wandelingen op het programma, deels over de plaatselijke
spoorbaan. En deksels, laat Maarten nou net hier na 6 weken smachten
zijn eerste kokosnoot mogen nuttigen! Morgen hopen we het spoor te
gebruiken waar het voor bedoeld is tijdens een (naar verluid)
schilderachtig treinritje, waarbij onze guesthouse kamer gemakshalve nu direct
uitkijkt op het perron.
After some flatter (and hotter)
kilometers along the coast, we are now back in hilly (and cooler)
regions. Compared to my previous report, we have progressed only 50
km as the crow flies, while actually cycling no less than 550 km. But
the shortest distance between 2 points is not always the most
interesting! There were also some more hikes in the past few days, partly
on the local railroad tracks. And behold, let this be the scene of
Maarten's first coconut after 6 weeks of craving! Tomorrow we hope to
use the tracks for which they're intended during an (allegedly)
spectacular train ride, while our current guesthouse room conveniently borders the platform.
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Although Céline & Maarten won't
readily admit it, a bit of walking can produce some great views too!
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Although not exactly legal, walking on
the train tracks avoids lots of going up and down!
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He was so happy with his coconut
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| Tomorrow we'll be inside this contraption! |