Berlin to Battaramulla: A dream ride on two wheels and four
View(s):Six Sri Lankans completed an overland expedition travelling from Berlin to Battaramulla on four wheels and two on October 24. The 12,500 km route followed parts of the old hippie trail of the 60s and the historic Silk Road, and it was also the first time Sri Lankans had ever attempted this by motorcycle.
Journey of a lifetime: Some members of the group on the road
The group was flagged off at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on September 15 by the Sri Lankan Ambassador Karunatilaka Amunugama, as well as representatives of other diplomatic missions and Sri Lankans in Germany.
Travelling through Germany into the Czech Republic and to the Alps in Austria and Italy, from Venice, they made a 33-hour ferry crossing to Patras in Greece. From there, they journeyed through the remotest parts of Turkey, crossing into Iran, where they continued without any navigational equipment into Pakistan to explore the most isolated mountain regions of the country, where few foreigners have been. Finally, they crossed into India at Wagah.
The team comprised Feroz Omar, Director, Brandix Lanka Limited, Major Nalaka Buddhadasa, Rtd. Capt. Kshemendra Weeratunga, Senior Captain and Flight Instructor, SriLankan Airlines, Javana Fernando and Kenneth McAlpine, co-founders of Kulu Safaris and entrepreneur John Durrant. Feroz Omar was accompanied by his wife Amina who travelled with the team up to Istanbul.
“We experienced extreme conditions along the way – temperature variations from -2 degrees to 48 degrees; snow, hail, rain, sand storms; mountains, forests and deserts;dead animal carcasses on the road; Turkish traffic and Indian lorry drivers,” said Major Nalaka Buddhadasa. Capt.Weeratunga added that he had flown over these areas for many years and that it was nice to see them at ground level.
Along the way, they encountered amazing hospitality and kindness from strangers who approached them with fruit, chocolates and pistachios; lorry drivers who set up small fires by the roadside and made them tea. To make the crossing through Pakistan a viable option, they had the support of the Army and the Sri Lankan High Commission in Islamabad.
“This was a journey of a lifetime,” Feroz Omar said, “with memories we will share forever. We travelled as a team, supported, annoyed and motivated each other. Each of us had a crucial role to play, and the camaraderie and laughter along the way helped us to get through the more testing times.”