RACING » SRI LANKA
athlete, coach and triathlon journalist,
Kevin Mackinnon on our trip. Kevin
gave me some great advice before the
Colombo race and we did some cool and
very insightful swimming and running
sessions together, one of which was at
the incredible Cinnamon Lodge pool
aft er our Sigiriya climb.
Our last outing in Habarana was a
tour of the local village by ox wagon
and paddle boat to experience its way
of life. We were sceptical on the shaky
ox wagon ride in but left with a huge
appreciation for the locals’ grounded,
easygoing and healthy lifestyle.
If you’ve watched any Pablo Escobar
documentaries (or Netfl ix’s Narcos),
where we were off to the following day
can be described as the city between
the hills in the forest. The second largest
city in Sri Lanka, Kandy is beautifully
tucked away into the forest next to a
massive dam built in 1980 for agriculture
and hydroelectric power. The city has a
cooler and wetter climate as it’s in the
hills near the island’s famous tea fi elds.
I’m not a big tea drinker, but what
awaited us the next day aft er an early
morning swim and trial run made me
think twice before saying “no thanks”. On
our way to what they call Little England
(Nuwara Eliya), we stopped for a tour
of the Blue Fields Tea Factory and a
tasting at the tea garden. My views were
changed on an insightful tour and aft er
tasting a strong ‘espresso-like’ fi nely
ground black tea with milk.
Almost symbolically, the rain started
as we drove into Nuwara Eliya. We were
in Sri Lanka’s hill country in a town with
lush green parks, a renowned Asian
golf course and the remnants of British
colonial architecture. It was fascinating.
ONTO THE BEACH
The next morning, aft er a fresh and chilly
run around the horse racing course and
Lake Gregory in the quaint little town, we
headed back in the direction of Colombo
to Negombo, a town 35km north of the
capital on the west coast.
Negombo epitomises what you’d
imagine if you think of an island
destination. There were long white
beaches with palm trees and warm sea
water, lined with deck chairs and cocktail
bars. Aft er what had been a long trip
through the central hills, we hit the beach
for a late-aft ernoon swim and a beer
while watching the sun set. Paradise!
The next day I had to leave for the
airport at 5pm, so aft er exploring the
vibrant fi sh market at the river mouth,
5km from our hotel along the Negombo
Lagoon, on my morning beach run and
swim, I got my baggies on and spent the
day on a deck chair. It was the perfect
end to a trip that off ered a variety of
natural beauty, incredibly friendly and
hospitable people, and ancient history
that leaves you in awe. If I was to do the
trip again, I’d take a two-week holiday
if possible. I’d spend the fi rst week
exploring the sights and the second at a
beach resort soaking up the island vibes
and doing some of the other activities,
like surfi ng and white-water raft ing, on
off er in this fascinating country.
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