DAY 9

22 March 2012

The journey is almost over - only another 1 day to go.

Today we joined the WORLD WATER DAY celebration along with the EVERY DROP MATTERS project organised by the UN. We joined their activities - i.e. collecting special waste from households (batteries, electronic waste, energy saving bulbs...)  and talking to people about waste and ways to reduce it.

Since we are approaching Colombo, the situation surrounding us has changed immensely.
Remember the very first days of our journey ... they felt like riding through paradise. It was pure joy traveling through the stunning, rich nature of Sri Lanka. I could not think of anything nicer than cycling and feeling energized by the beautiful scenery. But since we passed Kurunegala, the feeling is different. We are wearing  breathing masks in order to protect our lungs from the fumes polluting the air. The traffic is chaotic. It feels very stressful to be on the road and to experience our vulnerability as cyclists. But there is one big advantage at the same time - while all the vehicles are stuck on the road, we are the only ones who are moving forward.

Tomorrow we will reach Colombo City.
We will participate in the global EARTH HOUR project and disconnect from electricity for one hour.
Join in, "switch off" and continue to save energy wherever possible.

Jai