Colombo Fort Station, the magnificent, colonial white structure was abuzz with activity as commuters collected their wadays, teas, kuttus, spicy sandwiches and samosas while scurrying along hastily in the melee` to board their trains (kuttu is a popular Sri Lankan meal sold neatly wrapped in paper which consists a of cut up paratha bread mixed with vegetables, spices, pickles, meat or egg on a flat frying pan, pretty similar to a taka tak dish as known in our part of the world). “There are no first class seats left, only second class”, the man in-charge of the advance ticketing window announced to me politely almost wrecking my plans in their infancy.
Kandy looked scrubbed clean by the rain that had mercifully stopped by now and with the almost empty train coach, the journey remained pretty enjoyable as people preferred the much cheaper second class section without reserved seats with the way it seemed. The six hour plus long journey had cost me just 600 Sri Lankan rupees (PKR 400) and was one of my most memorable train journeys ever. As I watched smart Indian-made TVS rickshaws – built equally smartly to protect the passengers form relentless rain — climbing the winding mountain roads effortlessly from the train window, the smiling snacks man kept up his inveterate routine of returning after almost every station selling his steaming hot tea from a very clean flask as well as some freshly cooked savouries to munch on.
The Pinnawala Elephant Park is perhaps where one can arguably spend the most interesting few hours, not only while watching huge, wild-looking but friendly elephants being fed and bathed in the stream, but also by visiting the elephant dung paper factory which is the only such factory of its kind anywhere in the world
The sound of incessant rain lashing the glass windows was enough to keep me awake which also meant that the increasingly breathtaking scenery outside looked dismally like a gigantic blur keeping me focused on the deliciously sweet tea and a paltry number of fellow passengers. Before the fatigue and the monotony of people embarking and alighting from the train could lull me into a fast sleep, the rain drenched mountains and the consequent drop in temperature became hard to ignore.
Colombo Fort Station, the magnificent, colonial white structure was abuzz with activity as commuters collected their wadays, teas, kuttus, spicy sandwiches and samosas while scurrying along hastily in the melee to board their trains
Nuwara Eliya train station is a familiar colonial structure with sloping roofs that you find in many hill stations in the sub-continent like Simla and Darjeeling, the latter two also famous for their tea plantations, pine trees and colonial buildings. Yoga the driver of the seven-seater van wants to take me to Manudi Lodge in downtown Nuwara Eleya as I walk on the platform towards the exit on a misty late afternoon while adjusting my cotton top attempting to hopelessly shelter myself from the cold. The family run hotel owned by Dr Ratnayke I booked from the Lonely Planet website seems almost right at the end of civilization where Mala the receptionist-cum-chef-cum-manager gives me some sweet milk tea, fresh pineapple, water melon and apple.
Me and Yoga, my Tamil cab driver and guide with a smile etched almost eternally on his friendly face, have struck up a good friendship as he has promised to show me around the area for a mutually agreed amount of time after a brief haggling, of course. The tour of a tea factory with its free tea and cake amidst idyllic surroundings have been the highlight of the day although the scrumptious fish samosas that Yoga suggested also deserve a special mention along with the Thaj Restaurant in New Bazaar with its laser sharp curries and extra sweet ladoos.
Galagedera, a small village near Kandy is where I stop over to see my Karachi based Sri Lankan friend’s parents and to shamelessly feast on home cooked Tamil food like Idlis and sambar for breakfast and ultra-hot curries for lunch and dinner. Galagedera is that part of Sri Lanka which is unspoiled by tourism and provides a traveler with a fascinating and exciting opportunity to observe the frugal and yet dignified lifestyle as well as be part of the local culture, even though for a short period of time. Perennially green, the country has a mind boggling variety of tropical fruits. Sri Lanka grows 32 types of bananas as I was told, with one type having red skin.
Sri Lankan Airlines operates two weekly flights between Lahore and Colombo. Return fare costs around PKR 60,000
Before catching the return flight at Colombo Airport, the TV screen showed Virat Kohli’s Indian side thrashing Sri Lanka with ease when I stopped at the currency exchange counter. “We always support Pakistan in an India-Pakistan game”, announced the cashier with a broad smile when I told him that he needn’t worry, as my sympathies were with Sri Lanka. Some constants will never change!
Tariq Bashir is a Lahore based lawyer. His tweets at @Tariq_Bashir
Published in Daily Times, November 21st 2017.
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