Monday January 27, 2014, 78 km (48 miles) – Total so far: 1,489 km (925 miles)
What goes up, must come down-we expected to roll down the way to Kandy when we got on our bikes in the morning. The weather was cloudy, looked like raining even, and it was cold. Or let´s say it felt real cold, although the temperature was about 14°C.
Surprisingly the stretch today didn´t start with the expected downhill, but with another steep climb. Slightly over 2000m the road went up, which meant another 150m of altitude difference.
We found it harder to go up, when in your head you have already programmed a downhill-it´s all in your head.
Well, but the expected downhill then began, and the street was winding down through beautiful landscapes and small villages. At an altitude of ca. 1000m, we had a breakfast stop with hot tea and fresh vegetable rotis which felt to us like saving us from freezing at least our hands, they were cold as ice.
After some kms that went plain, the road started the final downhill for Kandy, which lies on 530m above sea level.
Arriving there, we felt like back in the concrete jungle. It was kind of a rush hour (though maybe 1.30p.m.).
There were some stretches where you got stuck in the traffic even with the bike. No way to move. Amazing. Hardly we had seen such a hassle-not in Sri Lanka, nor somewhere else.
It took us long time to reach the center of town and to finally arrive in our guesthouse „Blinkbonnie tourist Inn“. Though it lies high above the town (again: steep climb!) you still can here the traffic from the town up to there, even with closed windows. Our room has a nice balcony with a nice view, overlooking the lake and the town, but you got to beware of the monkeys around, that steal everything, they find interesting. This is kind of a weird city here.
