Rickity Train Journeys From Ella To Colombo
Posted On Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at at 11:17 PM by Alvin
Definitely one of the highlights of our visit to this lovely island would be the many different ways we experienced the Sri Lankan railways. But first thing first, after our hike up Adam's Peak, we based ourselves in the sleepy hill town of Ella, about 7 hours' bus drive East from Dalhousie. Lots of tea-drinking and walking would be the order of the day here in this little town with pristine mountain air and stunning views. So, we took frequent tea breaks in roadside tea houses in quaint garden settings as well as making little detouring walks and getting lost in amongst the tea plantations. Interestingly, we stayed in a local Wedding Hall smacked in the middle of town, where we witnessed an actual local (Sinhalese) wedding taking place below our room. The local families turned out in their Sunday Best, women in Sari, girls in knee-length frocks and men in dark suits and polished leather shoes !
We took a day trip out to the picturesque town of Haputale where we enjoyed a 7km walk back to Ella along the rail tracks; fortunately we did not have to duck out of any on-coming trains as they were few and far between (around 5 trains a day !). Last but surly the most memorable would the 10 hours journey from Ella to the Capital, Colombo. The train passed through morning mists, waterfalls, more tea plantations, sleepy small towns and even sleepier train stations. We reached Colombo Fort around 4P.M. and we found ourselves back in the company of diesel fumes, hurried crowds, office workers talking in their cell phones and multi-storeys buildings - a capital indeed. Colombo turned out to be interesting as we explored a bit more in depth and we found this capital had a lovely sea front, a pretty lake as well as sprawling temples - all in all, a pretty laid-back capital. The next day, we boarded an early train and headed back to Negombo before our flight back and sampled a bit more of the village life of this lovely island. Wonderful !
