e2e.bike

Cycling adventures across Yorkshire, Britain and beyond

Menu
  • End to Ends
    • Britain
    • Ireland
    • France
    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Belgium
    • Netherlands
    • Luxembourg
    • Denmark
    • Austria
    • Switzerland
    • Czechia
    • Slovakia
    • Poland
    • Latvia
    • Cuba
    • Sri Lanka
    • Taiwan
    • Isle of Man
    • Faroes
    • Liechtenstein
  • Coast to Coasts
  • Yorkshire Ridings
  • Others
  • Writings
Menu
← PreviousNext →

Sri Lanka 5: Tangalla to Udawalawe

Posted on 18 January 20152 April 2021 by Rob Ainsley

More glorious cycling on a hot day, relieved by cream sodas and excellent curries.

Heading north from Tangalla I visited the Rock Temples of Mulkirigala. They’re up this rock (pic).


In the long climb to the top you pass five temples that contain enormous reclining Buddhas (pic). They rather put me in mind of the Ron Mueck sculptures I saw in São Paulo in November. I don’t expect you find that particularly enlightening, though.


In the temple courtyard, a school lesson was taking place (pic). I’m always intrigued by the fact that the further away you get from England, the more spotlessly white the children’s uniforms.

After all that climbing I rehydrated with the Sri Lankan roadside staple: the juice of a fresh coconut (pic), dramatically macheted open for you on the spot for 25p.

After pit stops at Embilipitaya I got to Udawalawe, ready for a day off the bike tomorrow, visiting the National Park here.

It was a blisteringly hot day that needed plenty of water breaks, but the lush, gentle scenery, and constant smiles and waves from locals, made it another lovely day of biking. There was lots of this sort of thing (pic).

Miles today: 41
Total miles: 102
Miles since Dondra Head: 64

Previous
←   Sri Lanka 4: (Galle to) Dondra Head to Tangalla
Next
Sri Lanka 6: Udawalawe to Balangoda →

You are here

e2e.bike > End to Ends > Sri Lanka > Sri Lanka 5: Tangalla to Udawalawe

Recent Posts

  • Germany 16: Büsum to Husum 21 September 2025
  • Germany 15: Krautsand to Büsum 20 September 2025
  • Germany 14: Bremen to Krautsand 19 September 2025

Random Posts

  • Slow Nidderdale: Gorging on views (hedgehogs on bananas)21 September 2023
    Today’s fieldwork for the Yorkshire Dales guidebook update involved the world’s oldest …
  • France 4: Chalonnes-sur-Loire to Montsoreau11 September 2015
    Best day of the trip so far, mostly spent dawdling alongside the …
  • Latvia 2: Alūksne to Jaunpiebalga26 June 2023
    The forecast was for drizzle all day, so I wrapped everything in …

Search e2e.bike

Find me

        
Facebook • Bluesky • Linked In • Email
© 2025 e2e.bike | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme