Preparation:

Back in October, I signed up for my final week without walls trip, Venture North. I wanted to do this trip because it looked very active and fun. Last year, I did the Housing & Habitat WWW which I enjoyed but it wasn’t very active and focused on creativity and service more than activity. This year, I chose the most active of all, the cycling trip, where I would be able to go on a 300+ km journey through the Sri Lankan countryside and visit different cultural and geographical tourist sites. I knew that this trip would be physically challenging, as I had never cycled a long distance before in my life, which mad this trip a very new experience to me. The preparation for this trip included two practice cycle rides around the outskirts of Colombo. The first one was short, while the second one was longer. They were both very challenging because we had to go up numerous hills and test our leg strength. Some of the hills were steeper than any of the hills we would eventually experience in the actual trip, which was good to hear from Ms. Jackson after we collapsed on the ground at the end of both rides. I was still nervous about having to cycle over 50 km each day, but I now had more confidence in my ability. I now could see how challenging the trip was going to be but I was ready for the challenge.

Day 1:

We woke up very early on Monday morning in order to get on the bus and start driving before the traffic started. The bus ride was long but we found ways to entertain ourselves while we waited to arrive at our starting point for our fist ride. When we first got out, we all checked that our bikes were safe to use before starting the journey to Back of Beyond, where we would spend the next 4 nights. This journey was around 10 km and was just a warm-up for the long journeys we had scheduled for the upcoming days. After we had lunch and had put our belongings in our rooms, we set off on another ride which was 25 km. This ride wasn’t as hard as I had initially thought it would be because the trail was very flat and gentle to ride on. For dinner, we enjoyed the food prepared by the Back of Beyond kitchen staff. For the next three nights, we would have to cook our own meals in small groups of 3 or 4. One group would prepare dinner, another would wash the dishes after dinner, and the other group would provide entertainment after dinner. These group roles would rotate each night allowing each group to do each task once. On this day we got a brief glimpse of what was to come and it made me even more excited for the rest of the trip.

Day 2:

The second day of the trip started off normally with us waking up and having a nice breakfast, but it soon got very intense as we started a 50 km journey. This bike ride was definitely the toughest one because it was the first time I had ever gone 50 or more kilometers on a bike before. I wasn’t really able to enjoy the scenery of the Sri Lankan countryside as much as I did in the last few days because of how tough it was and how much I had to focus on pacing myself and staying balanced. Towards the end of the ride, we stopped at a small supermarket to buy some ingredients for our dinner which Takuro, Anna, and I had to make for the rest of the students and teachers. We quickly bought some spaghetti, tomato puree, sausages, garlic, onions, and bread to take back to the lodge with us. Despite the struggle, I made it back in one piece and enjoyed my down time back at the lodge. Before we started cooking, we were given a task which consisted of making a nature sculpture about our day. I made a sculpture of a clock and a question mark using rocks and twigs, which represented how we lost track of time on our ride because of how fun it was and us not having any technology with us. Once we started cooking, it was clear that none of us really knew what we were doing. Nevertheless, we all worked together collaboratively and made a plan of what we were going to make. We each gave ourselves different jobs and in the end, we were happy with what we had made, which was a spaghetti bolognese with sausages instead of mince meat. The meal also included green beans and garlic bread on the side. Everyone enjoyed the meal which made us feel very proud of our work. We also enjoyed seeing the other groups provide entertainment and wash the dishes, which we would have to do in the upcoming evenings.

Day 3:

The third day started similarly to the second one with us eating breakfast, getting ready, and heading out on another 50 km bike ride. I wasn’t too excited about the distance we had to travel but I was excited to visit and climb up Pidurangala rock. We were told that there was an amazing view of the countryside at the top of the rock and also a great view of Sigiria rock, which is a major tourist attraction in Sri Lanka. We arrived at the rock after about 20 km of cycling which didn’t feel like much due to how much fun we were having. The climb up the rock was physically tough on my legs but it was well worth it because the view from the top of the rock was beautiful. We could see Sigiria very clearly and the landscape around us with different villages and fields was amazing to look at. At the top, we did some creative thinking about what we could see which was when I wrote a poem about the view. The rest of the bike ride was also very entertaining as we had to arrive home in the mud after it started pouring down with rain in the final couple of kilometers of our ride. After we got back and changed, we went on a short nature walk around the area to look at the village nearby, a small river, and the fences built to stop the elephants from destroying the lodge. The previous night, we had played a group game called ‘mafia’ which everyone enjoyed so much that our job to provide entertainment was easy. After enjoying another group’s dinner, we all played mafia again before heading off to bed.

Day 4:

The fourth day started off very badly as I woke up to my whole body aching, especially my back, shoulders, and legs due to cycling with a backpack on while hunching my back over to hold the handles. My body didn’t feel up to another 50 km, but my mind did. I had enjoyed the previous day so much that I couldn’t wait to get on my bike and start cycling. Dealing with the pain was a challenge, but I overcame it by thinking about other things and enjoying my time in my own world while cycling through the countryside. I enjoyed my time while I was alone and my time when I was with my friends equally. The balance of time in isolation and time with the rest of the group was perfect for me throughout this whole trip. Once we got back, we had some down time before gathering for a bike repairing workshop led by our guide, Peter. In this workshop, we learned around 30 different names for each small part of the bike, we learned how to repair a punctured tire, and how to take a bike apart and put it back together again. This workshop was very useful because some of us had to do this on the fifth day after a couple of our tires got punctured. After this, I enjoyed a meal prepared by the final group and more entertainment in the form of the game ‘mafia’. After washing the dishes, our group work for the trip was done, and we headed off to bed for the last time at Back of Beyond.

Day 5:

The final day started off with us packing up our stuff and putting it in the van after having breakfast. We would cycle about 30 km to where the van would pick us up and drive us back to Colombo. After our final breakfast at Back of Beyond, we said goodbye and headed out on our final bike ride. I enjoyed the scenery as much as possible before we finally arrived at the van. After a long drive back, the trip was over and I found myself reflecting on everything that had happened over the last few days.

This trip was an overall great experience for me and I will never forget it. I faced many challenges which were physical and mental and overcame them through my own perseverance and motivation from my classmates. I had to plan dinners and entertainment in a small group which was something I don’t do very often and it was a great challenge for me. I worked collaboratively and individually throughout this trip and the skills I have acquired from it will be forever useful and won’t be forgotten.

Photo Credits: Ms. Jackson, Matt, and Peter