Passing through tea fields on the way from Ella to Nanuoya.
Taking trains is a big part of our travel joy. Riding trains with open windows and doors, winding through tropical jungles and tea growing areas, feeling the soft warm air on your face, seeing life as the train winds along – that is magnificent.
The hand off of the token, the loop held by the man in the white shirt. Since much of the line is a single track the token is a safety measure to assure that only one train is traveling a given section of track at any time. Rich enjoying the open window of the observation car (OBV), at the end of the train.
Our go to train advice site, The Man in Seat 61, recommends sitting in the non AC carriages to take advantage of the open windows.
Dramatic skies made the landscape even more beautiful.Buying train snacks from a vendor who walks the train, samosas and other goodies.Train snacks! Yum. Over a trestle. Obligatory head out the window shot.The observation car never filled up, but the unreserved carriages were standing room only with locals.
From what we’ve read the trains got much more crowded starting June 2022, when the rising cost of gasoline and bus tickets increased train ridership by 50%. As tourists we are able to buy our way into the comfort of the reserved carriages, but we do wonder why ticket prices for foreigners aren’t higher, as one encounters at museums and archeological sites. There is much need for upgrades to the rail system and new trains and higher tourist prices could help fund that.
As our train waited at a passing track for another train to go by, the local farmers came out to sell vegetables to the passengers. Another reason to ride in a car with windows that open. We bought lettuce. Following our taxi driver at Nanu-oya for the 17 minute drive to Nuwara Eliya, where we had an apartment for two nights.Buying vegetables for dinner.Buying an adapter. Sockets in older buildings are different than those in new buildings so our adapter was incompatible at our next place. After more than six weeks without an apartment stay it was nice to cook dinner and to have breakfast at our own pace. Typical messy table. Headed out for a walk in the hills around Nuwara Eliya.Although there are no marked trails, using Maps Me gets us going, and friendly locals steer us to the correct path when we get confused by the many social trails. Walking the small roads and pathways is one of our favorite things to do. It can feel awkward to be so off the tourist track, but Sri Lankans have been only friendly and welcoming. Tidy houses and streets and lovely gardens make the walking so pleasant. A view across tea fields towards Sri Pada, or Adam’s Peak. 2,243 m/7,359 ft.Buying samosas and vade to have for lunch with the rest of our vegetables.
We don’t want to sweep the problems Sri Lanka is going through under the rug, and post only fun photos without acknowledging the challenges the country is facing, but in many areas you don’t see the difficulties as a tourist. You can live your tourist life blissfully unaware of the undercurrent of struggle many are still facing. If you pay attention to little things, while in line at the grocery store for example, you recognize the stress on parent’s faces as they watch the register add up, and you hear from men who worked in Dubai but came home during the pandemic and are now working towards getting employment in Japan or Korea.
The big board at Nanu-oye station. We’re on the 9:10 to Kandy from platform 1.Rich in his element. Traveling by train.Catching glimpses of life.Still admiring the tea fields.
One of our drivers was taking Japanese classes. He had calculated that five years of work in Japan would be enough for him to come home and start a solid life for himself, his wife, and their two young daughters. As Americans who admire the bravery of immigrants, who come from a country of immigrants, we understand the determination and hope that the hard working people we meet find a way through and forward.
Me in my element, reading on a train. Still not tired of sticking our heads out the window to watch the train go through a curve.Our one night in Kandy gave us enough time to visit the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, which houses the canine tooth of Buddha. My long Indian dress met the dress code, knees and shoulders covered. Rich was loaned a sarong at the security checkpoint to cover his knees.And back to the train station. The Monday morning crowd at the Kandy train station. This train goes to the capital, Colombo. Arrived at the Polgahawela Station to wait for our connection. Faced with a 3 hour wait in 90f/32f temperature, the travel planner wisely called for a Pick Me car to take us to our destination, Sigiriya, a 2 hour drive. Love of trains only goes so far.The happy travelers at Kandy Lake.
We have a few more places to visit in Sri Lanka, and I’m sure a few more rice and curry meals to eat. We wish we could support every single small business we come across, buy every trinket, and eat at every restaurant, but failing that we will tell you all that Sri Lanka is an amazing place to visit. We’re in Sigiriya now, more on that to come. Happy travels.
21 years car free, 11 years serving on transit boards helping SF and Caltrain move forward, and now, traveling the world. Happy doesn’t begin to describe how I feel when traveling with my hubby TravelRich.
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Less Car, More Life 