Sri Lanka It's Happening

May 3, 2004

My 18 month old wanted to go on the train, so accompanied by her mom, grand parents, uncle and aunt she traveled by train from Thalawakelle to Nanu Oya, Nanu oya being the station closest to Nuwara Eliya.

What about me? I hate trains, this aversion was developed after having to travel some fourteen hours in an indian train. I think there was a picture wall paper stuck on the window, next to the seat I was occuping, because I didn't notice the landscape changing at all during those fourteen long hours. It was a really horrible experience and I swore that I will never travel by train again. Thus having dropped the family off at the Thalawakelle station, I followed them by car to Nanu Oya and in fact got there 15 minutes ahead of the train.

Nuwara Eliya was a stinking mess. It doesn't smell of garbage or drains as Indian cities do, it stinks of diesel fumes. Thousands of diesel powered old vans make their way from Colombo to little england with all kinds of holiday makers, leaving the city gasping for breath.

The forests around Nuwara Eliya keep shrinking each year because of politically backed encroachers. New buildings are appearing all over the city totally distroying it's old world atmosphere. In ten years time Nuwara Eliya proabably will not be on the tourists maps.

Anway did the baby enjoy her train ride? no. She had started crying as soon as the train started moving and wasn't really happy until she got into the car.

Posted by raditha at May 3, 2004 7:00 AM