A nature walk.

 I saw the largest tree I have ever seen in my life today.

They call it a Banion tree. (Banyon?)

It's huge but I couldn't find out how old it is.

I'm lost inside this tree!

Mr. Haton (my tuk driver) swings on the root.

That stringly-looking thing grows down from the branches into the ground and ta-da a new tree grows from it.

A dead monk guards the tree. It is said he was 6 feet tall. Unusual, as most Sri Lankans are fairly short.

Then it was off to see Kaludya Pond.

Most signs are in three languages. Sinhalese, Tamil and English.

This pond is over 3000 years old!

It's in the center of the archiological dig.

Had to do some climbing to get to the site, but don't mind as I need the exercise.

Then my friends came to see me😊.

Also ran into some devotees taking lunch for Buddhist monks who meditate at a building nearby and in the surrounding forest.

It is the custom for devotees to supply breakfast, dinner and supper for the Buddhist Monks in their district.

Inside the "Arms"

The food is prepared in a large room called the Arms.

I had a good lunch today too.

 2 boiled corn and a jelly coconut.

Proud of myself as I have been a vegan for 2 days!

Yup, healthy living but it's because mi fraid a Sri Lankan food, for peppa wudda kill mi.😭

https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2025/05/omg-im-allergic.html?m=1. 

Anyway healthy living won't kill me for 

 there is no shortage of delicious fruits as stalls like these line every road. (Instead of potholes like a Yard😡)

Fruit stalls abound all around Sri Lanka.

For people who like pepper, there are no end of signs advertising rice and curry. 

To go, it's served in banana leaves.

Revisiting Big Dunn

According to my bible, if you can drive don't ride and if you can ride don't walk. So when Charles aka Ayatollah called at 5am to say he was sending a support vehicle for me on Sunday 9th September, to follow me up to Stony Hill and I saw bicycles packed up inside when it arrived, I packed mine in too.

But Charles was not as weak willed for after we picked up Chuck and we all were driving up to Stony Hill we saw him and Theresa struggling up Long Lane. But Theresa being smart, jumped into Charles 1st vehicle as it arrived (ours was already packed up with sensible people!) but stubborn Charles refused to be bribed and struggled all the way up the steep hill in the early morning all by himself.

All power to him.

Of course, all this excitement was in preparation for a return ride with the Fun and Thrills group to the wonderful, refreshing waterfall known as Big Dunn aka Fish Dunn, just outside of Buff Bay, Portland.

The ride to Castleton Gardens was easy as it was downhill all the way and there, we had delicious, boiled corn and janga soup. It was there that the main group of riders which had left the headquarters later, joined us.

Super athlete Andrew and daughter Paris

The greatest athlete on this trip was 8-year-old Paris Smellie, Andrew's daughter. Andrew had driven
to Agualta Vale then unloaded her bicycle which she rode from there past Annotto Bay while her super athlete dad jogged protectively behind her. 

They kept that up to the border of St. Mary and Portland (Dover district in St. Mary and Windsor district in Portland) where it started to rain. I personally welcomed the rain for what always defeats me on those long rides is the blaring sun.

As soon as the rain stopped, Paris was back on her bicycle and Andrew back to his jogging all the way to Buff Bay.

Along the way I had seen members of the Portland Cycling Club heading west, but just outside of Buff Bay some passed me on a hill while one or two others of the team followed, doing Orrel's regular job, that of helping weak female riders by riding behind them and pushing them up the hill with one hand.

Members of Porland Cycling Club- a Patricia Marie Summons photo

In Buff Bay they told me they are the top riding club in Jamaica, having recently won the championship and that one of their members, Oneal Samuel's rides with BMW in Atlanta, Georgia while two of their members are now in training for the Caribbean championship meet next month.

When one showed me his wheels which cost US$5000 each, I finally realized what a little leaguer I was! I can see why they would be a top riding club however as their regular training routine involves riding east from Portland to Kingston and back home via Junction taking an average of seven hours to do that rotation.

Wow.

They rode with us and had breakfast with us at a cricket field just beyond Crystal Springs. About two minutes before that, I had kept to my resolve to stop riding as soon as we started the steep ascent to the intersection. However, after breakfast, I realized that what I remembered to be a steep climb was a mere slope as the really steep section starts after the intersection going towards Bybrook.

It was a marvelous day. Someone had tied three knotted ropes on trees at the top of the falls and allowed them to fall over the gigantic rocks for adventurers to climb up on and jump into the deep, clear, refreshing water below.

Several of our macho men tried but gave up in frustration until Johan accomplished what had seemed to be the impossible. Seeing that it was doable, Andrew and Howie persevered until they succeeded too.

Fun and Thrills riders frolic at Big Dunn aka Fish Dunn, Portland

While on our first visit there, Chuck had been the only one to "chuck" off the gigantic rocks into the deep water below, this time numerous fellows did and was joined by Sasheena who represented the women.

It was a great day as the weather was excellent for riding, the water refreshing and not too cold, the breakfast delicious and the camaraderie wonderful. The only regret is that we had mistimed our return visit as the apples which were ripe and in abundance on the first trip, were absent this time.


What the heck, you can't always have it all!