SPECTACULAR TRAIN JOURNEY KANDY TO BANDARWELA

WEATHER: Brill at 25C as we head into the mountains

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: The train journey

BUMMER OF THE DAY: Travelling backwards….

WORD OF THE DAY:  Foosty-thanks to Mel and Reggie for that one

DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 195km

BUDDHA QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting. 

At least we got to sleep in till 6.15 this morning.  It was a 7am breakfast and a 7.45am departure.  I got up a little earlier so I could load last night’s blog and my arm is probably sore as ever at this point.  I think I have done some serious damage to a tendon or ligament.  I continue to take drugs, so I think it may just be a time thing and unfortunately no miracle cure.  We were back into the 2 vans for the 20 minute transfer to a junction where we would be boarding the train.  Sri Lankan public transport times can be a little hit and miss, so Indika all got us to guess this morning what time the train would arrive and the winner would receive a small gift.  Today’s rail journey apparently rates up as one of the Great Railway Journeys of the World and I couldn’t wait to see it.  We were going to be travelling in the Hill Country Observatory Carriage which is a special first - class observatory carriage on the Colombo to Dabulla Hill, we weren’t going as far as that but it was the last carriage on the train which has a full window to maximize the views.  I love train travel and was looking forward to today.  It was strange as we were standing on the platform as the train pulled in that the Observation car was first.  The penny didn’t drop till after we were on the train that we were going to be travelling backwards…..  This didn’t worry me too much, it just makes it harder for me to take photos, but there were a few people who don’t travel backwards really well.  Indika, as usual, was all over the bag situation and he was getting them all passed through a window into the carriage to make sure that we and all of our bags were on as we pulled out of the station and he then organized them in the overhead storage and surprisingly they were big enough for all our bulky backpacks.  Our group were assigned seats and I just wanted to make sure I got a window, which I did and even though it was a first class cabin, I found the seats a little tight for my fat arse, but there was plenty of room for bags and there were fans on the roof to circle the air and the windows opened all the way up, what else could you ask for?  I was now ready for the 6+ hour journey.

The main railway line from Colombo to Badulla (we were getting off at Bandarwela) is 300km length.  It offers breathtaking and spectacular views that are considered to be unparalleled beauty of Sri Lanka. The amazing diversity of landscapes, climate, geographical elevations, and mist clad mountains, valleys and waterfalls are found along the route. The magnificent railway viaducts, bridges and tunnels are examples for impressive engineering feats.  It really was beautiful and it only took us around 30 minutes to get out of the ‘city’ and into the countryside.  It looked like it was a ‘pathway’ for the locals as well as the train.  People would be standing on the side of the track as we passed and then because the big glass windows faced the back, they would then get back onto the tracks to continue their own journey. The history of the rail track of Sri Lanka dates back to August 3, 1858 when the British governor, Sir Henry Ward cut the first sod to construct the railway line to Kandy. The track was laid by the colonial rulers, in response to repeated requests made by the European planters to transport their produce for export to the UK as shipment had to be done in Colombo. It then took almost 12 days for a bullock cart to make the marathon journey, 72 mile from Colombo to Kandy.  The first 74 mile section was the first line built in Sri Lanka. 

The lines drops gently to Peradeniya Junction, where we got on at 1553ft crossing Mahaveli, Sri Lanka’s largest river and then rise again to a height of 1602 ft. at Kandy.  The Colombo – Kandy railway is a masterpiece of railway engineering which took nine years to complete. The sensational information behind this achievement was that many lives were lost during the construction. The death toll through malaria was heavy and labor was hard to find. There were unforeseen delays due to monsoon rains, floods and landslides.  The train continued to climb from Peradeiniya Junction through the scenic tea country, connecting main local market centers at Gampola, Nawalapitiya and Hatton before reaching Nanu-Oya at a height of 5291ft. The real Ghat Section begins beyond Nawalapitiya and the train climbs in to the mountains with a steep gradient and tight curves for 53 miles passing through a number of bridges, culverts and many tunnels. This extension is one of the finest stretches of scenery including the St Clair Falls, Devon Falls, the magnificent mountain range of Great Western and the spectacular mountain valley of Nuwara Eliya. The famous ‘Adams Peak’ (Sri Pada) can also be seen in between. Among the tunnels on this stretch is the longest Pool bank tunnel between Hatton and Kotagala, which is 1842ft. long, with a curvature in the middle so that from one end the other end is not seen. The train, after making a big loop, eventually reaches in to Nanu-Oya, the station for Nuwara Eliya at 6199ft, the highest city in Sri Lanka renowned for its cool and healthy climate.  Throughout the climb the views are magnificent.  It is significant that the entire stretch has 46 tunnels which were constructed before the invention of heavy mechanical equipment. This would have left them with no choice but to use hand tools for the construction. The foot petrol system to ensure the safety of the railway track is in place round the clock. 

The tea plantations were the main highlight, some of them planted on such steep slopes, you wonder how the women can even pick the leaves.  They looked like mazes with the bushes and then the dirt pathway between them.  Up and down, up and down, bushes as far as the eye could see.  It is so green and lush up here and feels like a different world from the flat hot plains that we have been traversing for the last week.  I needed some cooler weather and I was relishing it all.  We got sunshine, we got some rain, we got some low cloud and fog and then sunshine again.  The weather really was perfect up at 1200m……  There is lots of waving from the locals and with the wind in my hair as the train passed all this was just magic.  It gave me time to think about the 15km walk tomorrow and that I just hoped I make it all the way-Indika said I have courage and with the encouragement of the group I know I am in good hands.  You have to watch how far you put elbows, hands and heads out of the windows as there was long grass and branches that touched the side of the train as we moved.  As we climbed the train wasn’t moving that fast, which was good as it gave you more time to see things and get pictures.  The Guards room was next to our carriage and we were able to use his open doors to stand out of and feel like you were on the Titanic, but a train, feeling like the Queen of the world.  Seriously you could lean all the way out of the doors and you could see the local people doing it out of the other carriages.  It felt so liberating, I LOVED it.  It also gave me a chance to photograph the other side of the train.  Have I mentioned I love train travel. 

The train continues its ascent on to the ‘Summit’ level of 6226ft above sea level, ¾ mile beyond the Pattipola Station. This is considered to be a major engineering feat and the highest point reached by a 5’ 6” broad gauge railway line in the world. From the summit point on a clear day, there is a fine view of Totapolakanda, the third highest mountain of Sri Lanka behind which is the famous Horton Plains. The Dambagastalawa Oya, the Elgin Falls and the low hills of Ambewela, enhance the unparalleled scenic beauty of this section of the railway track. After the summit tunnel and before the train enters another tunnel the wonderful panorama is seen from a height of over 6000 ft. stretching out over the 4000 ft. high grasslands falling away between the two mountain ranges. It was s MAGICAL view and then the next 5 ½ miles we continued through 14 tunnels at a height of 5464 ft. which is situated on a sharp ridge, land falling precipitously to both sides. The view from Haputale (4736 ft.) edge stretches down to the south-coast and sea at Hambatota, 45 miles away. The line then climbs down passing through Diyatalawa and Bandarawela (4019 ft.) which have possibly the finest climate on the island. This was our final stop and we arrived into Bandarwela at 2.45pm.  Our bags had been moved into the Guards room 10 minutes before our stop, so once we were off the bags only had to be passed down and then we were on our way in 2 minivans to the Managers Bungalow of an old tea planation where we were going to spend the night. 

The Managers Bungalow had charm.  I liked it.  There was a lot of memorabilia around on tables and hung from the walls and it looked a little like a hunting lodge.  They had free Wi-Fi, which was totally unexpected and it was actually quite fast, so while the others found their rooms I stayed in the ‘lounge’ room with the TV on and added some photos of the trip while I could.  The women’s Twenty 20 cricket final was on where Australia were playing England, so that bought everyone back out to watch the game till we had to leave at 5.15pm for our cooking demonstration at a local home tonight that was also going to double up as dinner.  I went to our room to pop my stuff down and I couldn’t believe it when I opened the door.  The room was MASSIVE.  It certainly must have been a pretty well off tea planation if all the rooms were the same size as ours.  It had 2 double beds in there, 2 lounges, a table and chairs, a dresser and there was still room in there.  I was gob smacked.  I have to say the accommodation level for this trip has been amazing.  There have been some grumbles from people, but all in all it has been exceptional.  I certainly had no complaints so far and I think a place with character is always a nice change from a hotel. 

The local home was a 10 minute drive away and we filed into the sitting room where there were chairs for us to sit on as we were told about the foods that we would be preparing and then also eating after it was all cooked.  Sri Lankan cuisine is one of the most complex cuisines of South Asia. Due to its proximity to South India, the cuisine of Sri Lanka shows some influence, yet is in many ways quite distinct. As a major trade hub, it draws influence from colonial powers that were involved in Sri Lanka and by foreign traders. Rice, which is consumed daily, can be found at any occasion, while spicy curries are favorite dishes for lunch and dinner.   Sri Lanka has long been renowned for its spices. Since ancient times, traders from all over the world who came to Sri Lanka brought their native cuisines to the island, resulting in a rich diversity of cooking styles and techniques.  The island nation's cuisine mainly consists of boiled or steamed rice served with curry. This usually consists of a "main curry" of fish, chicken, pork or mutton (typically goat), as well as several other curries made with vegetables, lentils and even fruit curries.  Side-dishes include pickles, chutneys and "sambols". Coconut milk is found in most Sri Lankan dishes to give the cuisine its unique flavor.  Sri Lankan people use spices liberally in their dishes and typically do not follow an exact recipe: thus, every cook's curry will taste slightly different. Furthermore, people from different regions of the island (for instance, hill-country dwellers versus coastal dwellers) traditionally cook in different ways while people of different ethnic and religious groups tend to prepare dishes according to their customs. Although Sri Lankan food appears similar to South Indian cuisine in its use of chili, cardamom, cumin, coriander and other spices, it has a distinctive taste, and uses ingredients like dried Maldive fish which are local to the area.

So we started with what ingredients we would be using tonight.  There were the veggies we knew the potatoes and tomatoes but there was also jackfruit, a veggie called a drumstick which looked like an overgrown massive bean, aubergine, kankung and chicken.  We were shown how to cook rice properly and the trick is no matter how much rice you are cooking you must have a half finger of water above the level of the rice.  The Sri Lankan rice is always so light and fluffy, so when I finally get back into a kitchen I will certainly give that a go.  They also showed us how to make fresh coconut milk, none of that tinned stuff from the shop and then we all got hands on with knives and chopping boards and prepped all the veggies.  There were 8 dishes to cook, which is the amount done when there are guests, otherwise they generally only have 4 dishes and then some people got a chance to put it all together in the cooking pots.  I wondered why at restaurants there was no salt and pepper on the tables and I now know why as they add a teaspoon of salt into all their cooking.  Even the spices they added were teaspoons and nothing over the top and I was happy to see that no chili went into any of the dishes, so hopefully Suzie Q, Nice Garry and I will be able to enjoy dinner tonight.  And enjoy we did.  We were shown how to load your plate correctly with the rice in the middle and the vegetables and curry running around the outside of that making sure to leave a door at the front of your plate for the mixing and scooping.  To eat traditionally with your hands you get a bit of everything on your plate mixed with rice and you use your 4 fingers for the scoop-age and then you use your thumb to shove it all in your mouth.  It certainly took some practice and I will need all the practice I can get for when I get to Ethiopia.  It was a great evening and after saying our thanks and a stop at the supermarket for some supplies for the walk tomorrow we were home at 8pm for the guys to watch the Twenty 20 cricket final between Sri Lanka and the West Indies.  As usual I was knackered and I still had to pack my walking backpack for tomorrow and throw the rest of my stuff into my big backpack that was going on ahead of us and we would see tomorrow afternoon in Hapatule.    

I am so nervous about the walk tomorrow, but I can only give it my best shot and if I don’t finish I have lost nothing and gained something.  Right?