Hi Suzanne. I'm so sorry. Did I never reply to your message? Yes, safely home, just in time for Colombo airport and then the whole island to close behind us. It was a lovely ride and I left wishing there'd been more of the island to visit. How about you? Are you still adventuring?

Hi Graham

Sorry about the tardy reply. We've been wandering about France for a month. I'm glad you enjoyed the Sri Lankan trip. We got to see much of the island yet we left with the feeling that we wished there'd been still more. Do go!

Hi Leo,
I thoroughly enjoyed your journal and have now put "Cycle tour Sri Lanka" on my To Do List. It looks and sounds to be an interesting and reasonably comfortable country to pedal around now that peace has broken out.
Do you have another tour planned?

An enigmatic end to your trip! I kept waiting for more. But I guess returning to Colombo completed the circle and that was the end.
I loved your vignettes of cycling in Sri Lanka. I trust you are now safely back home now.

Type your comment here

Hi. So glad you enjoyed your trip. It's a lovely island, isn't it - although we got out just in time because Colombo airport closed a little while later. We were (or rather Steph was) surprised how little cricket we saw while we were there. It was on TV in cafés but I think we saw only two or three games. It'd be pointless talking to me about it because cricket, to me, is a Posh Boy's Sport. There were 32 of us in class at school and 16-a-side cricket gave plenty of chance to the Keen Boys to play if they wanted to while, if we were lucky, our side batted and we could compete to be as low as possible down the list so we could lounge about in the sun and tell dirty jokes.

Enjoyed the write up Leo. We had 4 weeks in Sri Lanka on the bikes 6 years ago and loved the trip. Fancy, empty hotels with deeply confused employees also a part of our story!! Also the usefulness of bus shelters for roadside stops - seats and shade. As Australians, the tuk tuk drivers and old men that always appeared during these breaks would invariably want to talk about the current cricket season... Must write the tour up here. Thanks for the inspiration to do so.

Thanks, Bill. I had no idea

Fruit bats! (aka flying foxes). How interesting!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_flying_fox

I was intrigued so did a little Internet searching. I found this: "Also quite common are chrome plated small shovels mounted over the engine cover. I found out long ago that they serve no purpose other than as a handle to open the engine cover!". (http://serendib.btoptions.lk/article.php?id=1422)

Is it rare? I had no idea. I thought it was just a funny-looking tortoise, which I suppose is just what it is. I will now go round and boast about it. Thanks, Bill

Wow! You got to see a star tortoise!
https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/1296674814

Hi Jacquie

Thanks for that. I have, as politicians put it, clarified my statement. In other words, I got it wrong and I've put it right. Thanks again.
happy days
léo

Here in the Vancouver (Canada) area, where there's a large Indian community, roti is a flatbread and the word is pretty well interchangeable with chapati.

Hey, I’m interested! Thanks for the insight, in this and so many other things.