Picking the bike up is always a thing and yesterday was no exception. After having quite a long dialogue with Suranga, the bike shop chief, I was disappointed with what awaited: it’d been broken and welded more than a few times and was gutless. The Honda that replaced it looked better, so I finally saddled up and headed north along the coast, without too much thought to the route.

In hindsight that was a bit rash as after 100km the bike started to play up. Fuel is an issue here, an expensive import that everyone wants. I kinda expected the bike to come with a full tank but it ran dry after a klick or two, luckily outside a shop/shack where I bought two gin bottles worth. Perhaps someone had been taking too much water with their gin, but shortly afterward the carburettor started to leak and the bike cut out on the idle. Should’ve turned around there and then, but I convinced myself it wasn’t a show stopper.

The roads here are slightly less bonkers than those in India, but still unpredictable with lorries, minivans, tuktuks, sand, dogs and many, many scooters. They might be busier just now, a week away from Christmas, but this might also be normal traffic.

Anyway, when the daylight started to go and I realised the inadequacy of the headlight, it was time to find a bed, but just like Mary and Joseph, none was to be found (another story).

So with no alternative it was a night alfresco –

– it’s been awhile, but always worth it.