Ride on!

Our friend who was fixing our new bicycles called and confirmed that we could pick ours one night, about a week ago. Beet suggested we go to his workshop by tuk-tuk and then ride back home - literally from Kotte to Pelawatta. I instantly thought of all the ways we could die/ be maimed, after all, it's Sri Lanka...

For example -

1. Get knocked down by a bus
2. Get waylaid by a stray dog, end up in ditch
3. Fall down a open manhole
4. Fall into a paddy field
5. Fall into open water (It's Pelawatta..hello...)
6. Get something yelled at by Sri Lankan neanderthal, Beet to protect me heriocaly, we die in bloody politically connected gang fight ...

Etc...

Then again I pushed the thoughts away from my head because one, WE WERE MARRIED DAMMNIT...and two, WE LIVE ALONE...so three, we (I) really didn't need to answer to parents who never really did anything as zany as this at 8 o' clock in the night...and even though all the scenarios (point 1 to 6) could have definitely come true...

you only live once...

right?

Thinking this to myself, we left home in a tuk and wound up at Kotte. The bikes looked awesome so we picked them up and set off back home.

It occurred to me while we pedaled along that you tend to miss so much while being inside a vehicle. Like how one little hill was as daunting as Mount Fuji. How sweat runs down your temples and your glasses fog up (yes, I wore my nerd specs because my vision does a nose dive at night). Then there's that old tuk driver taking a nap inside his his tuk-tuk...women with sili bags full of groceries going home...a coconut seller listening to a radio...a guy in a simple bicycle passing us effortlessly as we struggled. Stray and community dogs of all colours, some tightly curled up and sleeping, some lazily opening an eye as we cycled past.

Lovely.

Of course there's only some small tips to remember while cycling in Sri Lanka -

a. Wear a helmet, gloves and some knee/arm guards if possible (Ebay has some good stuff)
b. Always, always, ALWAYS be aware as cycle tracks are virtually non-existent and traffic is usually indiscipline and horrid
c. Take water (humid) and few tools just in case

I must say this cycling thing is addictive. After that night's jaunt, we cycled on Sunday morning and at night and its only the massive wedgies and crotch/butt hurt that poses as the only setback right now. Then again, I heard you get used to it so...um.. I'm still waiting for that, yeah.

Till then, keep calm and ride on bitches!!!!!

xo