Solar Cycling in Sri Lanka

I visit Sri Lanka basically to develop some solar power projects. However to be mobile wherever, it is best to have a bicycle. And as the Xmas-holidays were the only time to get free, I had some free days to explore the country cycling.

I staid some nights at Galle Face Hotel to have business meetings. Impatiently my bike was waiting in my nice room.

Already on my first tour around Colombo, I was pleased to spot several solar installations - and four electric cars! (Mainly Nissan Leaf; there was a significant import tax reduction for electric vehicles some years back.)

I started cycling on December 25th - so the trafic was reasonably quite in the city.

Spoting more solar systems - heading towards the national parlament.

Nice cycling along the lake near Sri Jayewardenepura.

I heard a lot about the solar company JLanka - nice to see one of their shops on the way.

In Pannipitiya I turn left heading towards the hills. The side roads are quite and good to ride. I'm happy to get out of the city and see somewhat more green.

One more solar home system along my road.

It's getting hot, and I go buying some snack and ice cream in a small shop, taking some rest at a Buddhist temple.

The road is really small and nice. I use the very recommendable App maps.me on my phone to navigate. Once you have downloaded the map you need, no mobile data are needed - it only works via GPS, and the map shows every small road. I'm even using the routing function - my target for today is Bopath Ella Waterfall.

I'm very pleased to reach the first tea plantations. And yes, my bicycle is somewhat different to the local standard.

The humid heat doesn't really make me feel hungry - but this Fruit‘n‘(Cashew)Nut ice cream looked too good - one more stop to collect calories. The whole box was somewhat too much, but it costs less than a signle bowl of ice cream in Switzerland.

After 95 km, I reach my accomodation at Bopath Falls - just one minute before heavy rain fall starts. Nonetheless I head towards the pool - where plenty locals enjoy a bath in the rain.

December 26th 2020

The next morning, I go down to the water falls. Later in the day, it must be a crowded place - but now I'm nearly alone. Too alone? I'd like to cross the water to get closer to the water fall - but isn't that an aligator swimming over there? It is somewhat similar, but not dangerous. Nice refreshment - one realy has to wade through the water to see the water fall (which isn't that spectacular in my eyes, but it is a nice nature place).

I take some small routes through the hills. Hm, but actually I didn't want to get that high. I'm now nearly at the base of the climb to Sri Pada / Adams peak, at Palabaddala. I didn't had a clear plan where to cycle, and as I ride a mountain bike, I wondered whether there might be an off-road option to cross the hills into the highland. Indeed maps.me shows me a trail over the mountain range. Hm, it is the one going towards Sri Pada - about 1600 m altitude to climb on 7 km. Significant, but not that much compared to what we use to climb in the Swiss alps - so why not trying? Because there is less than 10% that you can ride... I didn't know that it is one long stair!

There were these pilgrim shops at the starting point of the trail - looks so touristic - can't be that hard. The pilgrims probably knew better how stupid my idea was to carry a bike all the way up - but we kept climbing. Some twenty meters to ride, wow, and carrying again. A small downhill - but bam - this stone step was to sharp - a flat tire is realy not what I need now. The pilgrims I have overtaken overtake me repairing my tire, probably wondering how crazy foreigners can be...

But finally, after more than 4 hours and thousands of steps, I reach this nice door - you see Sri Pada up in the clouds - that's the highest mountain of Sri Lanka. It's a holy place - and it's certainly not a good idea to carry my mountain bike throug a crowd of pilgrims.

The peak is on 2243 meter above sea level, reachable from both sides of the mountain range. On about 2000 m above sea level, there's a short cut going from the stairs on the sea side to the stairs on the side of the highland. I use this trail to pass over and descent to Nallathanniya - which is the even more popular starting point to climb Sri Pada.

Finally I have a single trail to cycle some distance, before I come to the broad stair with hundreds of pilgrims climbing up. With my full suspension, I cycle down the steps - I might look like a poser - but believe me: After carrying my bike all the way up, I wasn't wild about carrying my bike downwards, too.

There's an impressive temple and a samaritan base at Gangulatenna - good to know. The samaritan team wants a picture with me - and so do I. Happy that I do not need their service.

There are nearly no steps anymore now, more and more shops and civilization are there, funny and pleasant to cycle down there. Until I get a second flat tire - and I do not have a spare tube anymore. I should have avoided this last step... So I have to walk like all others, but it isn't that far anymore. It is evening now. I see there is a police security check on this side - I guess if something like that would have been on the sea side, they wouldn't have let me though with my bike. It is getting darker when I reach the place where are many accomodations according to booking.com. However this place is also very crowded - no vacancies in the first two attemps. My phone battery is empty, I ask to recharge it in a guest house which if fully occupied, so I finally can look for free beds on booking. I would be faster without flat tire... but finally I find a pleasant hotel. Happy End!

December 27th 2020

I enjoy a good breakfast with this nice view from the hotel terrace.

But my tire is still flat. I ask here and there, but: no bicycle repair shop in town. I keep pushing my bike. Out of town, someone thinks they might repair the bike at the tea factory somewhat uphill - so I go there. No repair opportunity. But an old lorry is heading towards the Hatton road junction. We do not realy speak the same language, but my problem seems obvious. So thanks for the ride!

Indeed there's a garage at this junction. They are reparing the tires of the tourist busses and trucks, but after two trials, they manage to repair my flat tire, too. I've lost some time, but after the hard climb yesterday, I do not have to go too far today.

Above is the view from Maskeliya back towards Sri Pada. Below me and the Castlereagh Reservoir. There are many tourists, and thanks for taking a picture of me.

"Flying around" on google-maps, I've seen that there is a tea factory in the hills above Norwood with photovoltaics. Obviously I had to go there.

I continued cycling though these nice tea plantations - but starting to question my tea consumption. They look nice - but how much labor and land is invested just to have some flavored water? A questionable relict from colonial times. I read of the Tamils brought by the British for tea cultivation, which did never get the Sri Lankan citizenship. Tea cultivators since generations without and other perspective? Comming down a small path, there are some teenagers sitting on a rock, waving and yelling. Why not have a chat? "Money, money" - if that's all you want to say, sorry, I'm gone.

I'm reaching the Bogawantalawa Tea Estate - with all the ecological, social and quality labels we know in Switzerland. I'm interested how the conditions realy are in the fields... I study this board which tells something about sexual harassment. Hm... looks there should be a policy to prevent sexual harassment... However if I study this flow chart process - which I don't understand - I get the impression that by the end, everyone is informed about the intimicies. Wouldn't it be easier if there would just be a phone number of a woman's help organization, in stead of telling the manager about the harassment and he reports to whoever wants to know?

Anyway, also this tea factory has a PV system ontop - looks good. I go and ask whether they sell me some tea - but they don't. Actually this was only my excuse for also asking about their experience with the solar system. They seem happy with it.

Some more tea plantations, before reaching Campion. I thought I might sleep in a guesthouse somewhere there - the climate in the highland is pleasant. It is about 4 pm.

Oh, what's that - many bicycles in front of a tea shop. I might take a snack too and get in touch with these cyclists. The man left on the picture is more than 70 years old, the professional athlet started cycling only some years back - because it's more healthy than running. They belong to a larger group of cyclists riding for 3 days around the country - they all come from the same village.

I'm happy to cycle with them. We are climbing a quite road going over a pass and then down towards Balangoda where they plan to stay for the night.

On the downhill, I am quite faster than them, and I think it's getting somewhat late if we don't hurry up. Some other cyclist are already in Balangoda, looking for the accomotion, I am told.

It's a long and pleasant downhill. But short before Balangoda, I want to enjoy some off-road street - according to maps.me there's a guesthouse somewhere at a quite river outside of town. But I can't find, I get somewhat stuck, but find my way back to the main road, where I meet the (road) cyclists again.

It is dark now - we are about 15 cyclists sitting along the road - but it seems very unclear to me how it goes now with the accomodation. I thought they might have a reservation and maybe I can go to the hotel they evaluated - but they don't seem to have found anything yet. So... after waiting for about half an our, I thank for the ride and say goodbye. Cycling in the dark though a busy town - I don't feel that comfortable, and it is not a very touristic place. Finally I find "The White Grand Hotel & Lodge" - at least that's what it is called on maps.me. But now there is just loud music and a sale of furniture - it doesn't really look like a common hotel reception. But it is a nice place, indeed. And they offer me a room, great! Only the next day, I see that there's a solar roof right above my room - the world is full of luck :-)

December 28th 2020

My last two cycling days are not that special as those before. It is hot, I just have to go back to Colombo. I have a meeting in the SOS children village in the periphery of the city tomorrow morning, so I should sleep somewhere close there. It‘s going to be a long cycling day, with a king coconut drink as the only highlight that I remember. Ah yes, and as my phone battery was low - and I cannot navigate without maps.me - I took a longer break drinking a Cola in a guest house in Ratnapura.

There are not that many guest houses around when the sun sets. Then I see a huge sign board announcing a great guest house, only 1 km up the hill. Uff, nice view from up there. In the middle of nature, I see two cabins and a man with a big van. He is very happy to show me his accomodation ... but it doesn’t look that cosy, and I‘m all alone... (how or what would I eat here?) so I decide to keep cycling. Through the dark. Maps.me guides me through wide spread neighborhoods to the „Lotus Grand View Hotel“. It looks like a luxurious place with beautiful view over a nice lake from the roof top restaurant. An Austrian lady is taking care of the place, and we enjoy discussing in German our perspectives on Sri Lanka, poverty and corruption, and the idea to power the hotel with photovoltaics.

December 29th 2020
On the way to the SOS children village I pass by some industry for which we discuss a solar power supply. Maps.me guides me to the charity organization, and we discuss the opportunities to involve the orphans in the success of the solar power business.

I keep cycling through the heat and more and more traffic... I only post the beautiful pictures here :-) I decide to cycle along the coast in stead of the main road, it worked out quite well.

So here I am back at Wellawatte to continue my work on solar power investments.

Below you see a PV roof with 668 kWp - our intention is to install another 816 kWp on the roof we stand on. As solar power substitutes expensive diesel power, we shall save about 400 tons of CO2 emissions per year.