Seat 30 to Bandarawela

At the moment I’m on the train going through the central highlands passing through the highest point in Sri Lanka. The train track was built by the British so it’s slow going especially uphill. 

My group have been split up although we are sitting relatively close to one another. It seems consecutive numbered seats dont mean you sit together but at either side of the aisle. It was a bit confusing and I ended up with an aisle seat but quickly realised that our ‘spare’ seat hadn’t been nabbed. That was next to the window and offered great views for the first part of the journey. 

Some dipstick and his partner insisted on sitting together and caused a bit of drama resulting in a french boy with a massive pout sitting in someone else’s seat next to his equally dour partner. Oh dear how sad. 

So far I am in a seat by myself. Perfect score. Another rucus begins. It looks like a scuffle and I can see Mr French pout in the centre if it. Yay! Another scrap. But it wasn’t. It was everyone turning seats round to face the direction in which the train was travelling. 

Our first class seats were perfectly adequate with a recline, cupholder and baggage seats. Panoramic views and comfy seats. What more can a girl ask for on a six hour train trip. The conductors are dressed in a formal black jacket with epaulets and brass buttons. With their white trousers they look as though they should be on a ship. 

Vendors come through regularly selling samosas, nuts, drinks etc and loudly announcing their presence to make sure we don’t sleep too much. 

When I heard we were travelling first class I was a bit disappointed as I thought it would be good to sit amongst the locals. That was until our train pulled in and I saw how many people were standing in the aisles. I believe only first class has aircon so I’m happy where I am. 

We are travelling light. Our luggage was loaded onto the bus and will stay there until we get to the next destination.   The bus going by road with just driver and assistant. 

Our group is made up of one lady from Switzerland, 2 Australian couples, three solo women from Australia and me. Despite the majority of us being Australia we are a neat bunch and everyone easy to get along with. There is usually a difficult one in each trip but, unless thats me, there isn’t one this time. Probably the best bunch I have travelled with. 

One of the couples Elizabeth and Harry are around my age and are from Brisbane. Everyone else is a bit younger but no youngsters. Regula is from Switzerland.  A couple of ladies, Michelle and Lauren are from Brisbane and the rest (Tom, Sharon, Sally and Jacqueline) from Melbourne. Tom has a memory like an elephant and remembers everything our guide, Ananda tells us. 

Our train slowly takes us uphill. We are surrounded by lush green hills, some terraced with crops, others just planted with tea bushes in neat lines. Occasionally there is a village tucked into the greenery. So pretty, so relaxing.  I expected villages to be very poor but from what I see homes are concrete block with spaces for windows (often no glass) and a roof (often tin, mostly rusty) which is more than people have in many developing countries. Many homes have extensive and well tended gardens alongside. 

Washing has been carefully laid to dry on roofs or on shrubs. Obviously they don’t have winds like Wellington. 

Occasionally we pass temples resplendent on the hillsides.   There are clusters of eucalypts reaching for the skies and every now and then a trickle of water becomes a waterfall glistening against the green. 

The ride is relaxing and a nice break after the busy few days we have had.  It is nice to be out of the oppressive heat for a bit. It was only 30 degrees in Kandy but very very humid - but Negombo and Dambulla were worse. Even the locals were struggling. 

Our train ran on time and we alighted at a cute railway station in Bandarawella our home for the next couple of nights. It looks really cute. 

Again we wont have much time to explore before the next activity so am flagging some of tomorrows activities and planning a day exploring the township, which, for once is very close by. 

Todays journey was the first that has been shorter than time estimates on our itinerary. Other trips seem only to have a time estimate for part of a trip and we have spent a lot of unproductive time travelling to and from activities. Tomorrow sounds similar so a day close to home will be bliss.  Bring it on. 

A couple of hours down time gave me a chance to sort a few things before we headed off again. 

We are then taken to the home of Nadeeka who has a cooking school, opened by Intrepid to give an authentic experience. Nadeeka has been doing this for 15 years in a purpose built kitchen. 

Tonight we had an assortment if dishes we had not tried at other homes. Each curry was prepared slightly differently and each had a distinctive taste, perhaps more so than at other homes we have been to. 

Chicken curry has been in our menu a number of times, all with a similar taste but this one stood out as the chicken was still moist, tender and chewable.  It was lovely, subtly flavoured and yum. 

Then there was a jackfruit curry. Not the divine baby jackfruit we had at the rice paddy place but this time mature jackfruit with a pleasant but not extraordinary taste. 

A Beetroot curry was amazing and dribble inducing. I went back for more. 

But then came the eggplant and OMG. Caramelised eggplant with subtle but complimentary spices to give something that transported me to another galaxy. Three helpings later I went for fourths but alas the pot was empty 😩. This is definitely on the menu for my post trip dinner party when I get home. 

Surprisingly with the exception of a couple of dishes we haven’t had anything particularly fiery. I had understood that Sri Lanka was the place for very fiery food but it seems we are getting the tourist versions with the heat missing. Shame. 

We also had a Mango curry which was too sweet for me.  Popadoms and brown rice were also on the menu. 

Although I didn’t join in tonight was the first time the group has really had the chance to really contribute to the meal by preparing all the vegetables and then adding ingredients to the pot first each meal. Still not a cooking class but better than the usual demonstration. 

We had the opportunity to see inside the lounge of our host. Ananda described the home as a typical modest home. By our standards it was modest but fir a home in a developing country it was lovely. We only saw the lounge which was adorned with religious artefacts and a large photograph of our hosts daughter and son-in-law at their wedding. 

I’m finding it really hard to understand how people live day to day here. Hopefully time will tell. We have seen, on the surface, three different homes each vastly different from the other so that’s a bonus. 

It has been a lovely chilled day. 

Roll on tomorrow. i have realised why my photos wont upload but nothing I can do about it. So I will continue to post a few pics on facebook. 
Check out my books. This blog will make another one. Site hasnt been updated for a bit tho. https://www.cotsysbucketlist.com/