Motorbiking in Sri Lanka in March 2018

Motorbiking in interesting countries is one of my major passions in life. It’s indescribable how wonderful my little adventure in southern Sri Lanka was but I will try my best - the roads are wholly perfect, I hardly saw a pot hole, the low level of traffic in the hills is astonishing, the people along the way that guide you to your next name on the map are wonderful and intrigued by your presence. I found myself vocally expressing to myself my joy of the incredible scenery and winding hillside roads that just got better and better. I have ridden on most continents and some huge journeys, months at times, Sri Lanka was beyond exceptional for a motorbike enthusiast and couldn’t recommend it enough. I wouldn’t suggest learning to drive in a country like this but I implore anyone to lean to drive a bike, well and confidently, possibly start with a CBT in the UK (or something similar elsewhere) on a geared bike. Traveling by motorbike opens up a country in ways that you simply can not experience otherwise. it’s my favourite mode of transport for so many reasons more than I can fit here and you have to get on one (or the back of one) to understand. Sri Lanka inland is just f**ing amazing and I saw just a tiny bit of it. John and Ben at the shack at Me Galle beach rent enfields which are just the most beautiful form of motorbike for the roads here. A bike trip here should be on your bucket list as it, if driven carefully and considerably, will provide you with indescribable joy! ❤️❤️ get in touch with the boys with the bikes in galle at - [email protected] or visit their website at www.soulriderstours.com. Ben also offers guided trips around the world so you are in good hands. 🙌

These stunning butterflies were in mating mode next to a spring I passed on the motorbike in the hills, I didn’t disturb them for too long as I guess the poor things don’t have long..

I came across this in the hills, it reminded me of a spring that we used to pass in Ardnamurchan, west coast of Scotland, when I was hardly 3 years old. It came straight out of the mountain side by the road, it had a tin mug on a string and we’d fill every container we had with the stuff. This reminded me of that but I can’t read Sinhalese so this sign could well have said ‘this is the outflow of the above villages septic tank’ or something along those lines. It tasted beautiful even if it wasn’t pure out the hill, it kept me going all day..

This lovely large and strangely tame, monitor lizard (I think?) was absolutely loving the heat of the road in the hills after a brief down pour. I tried to get him off the road as I was sure he’d get run over by a bus but every time I managed he’d come straight back on the road and stretch his legs out to the side and lie on his belly, he was totally hysterical.

Amazing lighting storm caught on film in the low lands on bumpy roads followed by torrential rain..

Food for thought-or actually not food at all. Tea. Very beautifully covering valleys, hills and mountains here in Sri Lanka but also a huge part of India and other places I am not informed upon. It made me realise how many millions of km2 across the world are growing this to create a totally un-nutritional crop where the land could be possibly better used for food, not something we put in boiling water and drink with no benefit other than a small amount of caffeine (if that’s even properly beneficial) and a traditional placebo of well being. I welcome thoughts on this. We could say the same about so many things such as spices but none are as vastly and as profitable as tea.

Kind of a crap photo of a peacock considering how beautiful they are but they really are like pidgeons in numbers across central Sri Lanka, and you see many beautiful males in all their stunning colours often while riding through the hills.

A wild Sri Lankan elephant though completely tame and undisturbed by my presence as the ‘safari’ if you can call it that.. more of a weird theme park/zoo they are so used to humans in trucks and on bikes that they are basically pets. I am not impressed at all by a Sri Lankan safari and I hear similar things about Africa. I feel extremely privileged to have seen every animal in the theme park before in the actual wild.

Sadly this guy was dead on the road but I imagine with colours like that and the smallish size it was, it might have had a bite to it. Poor thing beautiful and interesting in death. I also saw a live king cobra today but they are really fast so obviously not interested on being on social media.

Finally, Me on my friends enfield that took me on a small but huge adventure....

Jesse xxx