A train ride and a colonial hangover
Spent 20 hours of my 48 hour weekend on the “Podi Menike” chugging up and down Sri Lanka’s mountain ranges. Went with 5 ppl from work, booked 6 sleepers for friday night and we were welcomed at the pitakotuwa station by the stench of stale urine. The train was fascinating, there are 2 bunk beds in each cabin, a small sink and a “toilet” shared between 2 cabins. The carriage is so old that the sign says the fine for pulling the emergency brake is Rs. 20. The ride itself was well, charming, nobody slept till about 3am and when we woke up at 6.30 it was stunning outside. The sunrise over the hilltops was gorgeous and the air was so crisp and cool and the scenery was nothing short of outstanding. It’s easy to forget what a beautiful country we live in, i wish i had a digital camera, could have posted the pics here.
The whole hill country seems to be in a different era, somewhere in the late 1940’s early ’50s or so. Everything feels so colonial, heh ok not that i know but i can imagine. The stations are so old and have that colonial architectural touch. We eventually got to Bandarawela around 8 in the morning and made our way to Bandarawela Hotel. Now this place is a story on its own, it’s made for 65 year old nostalgic european tourists who wish they still ruled the downtrodden natives! The reception guy was wearing suspenders!!! I choked as soon as i saw him but managed to suppress it and turn it into a cough. The location is nice as are the rooms but the food was not flash by any stretch of the imagination. I’m a very rice and curry boy but i don’t mind nice western food at all, but problem with this place is that the rice and curry is soo bland and the western food is umm poorly done and tasteless. I guess there’s still a lingering feel of colonial hangover, pandering to the europeans in any way possible. Sri Lankans bend over backwards for white skin, be it a hotel waiter or a man on the street. But hell to an extent even i’m like that, if i read a paper by someone with a Western name it instinctively carries more weight than a Singh or a Sen (except Amartya). I’m sure that even when Wimal Weerawansa meets suddas he has that apologetic smile on his face.
We started the return leg disastrously. We had just set off from B’wela station when we heard shouts of “ho ho koachchiya nawaththanna!” to see a man had tried to jump onto the train after it started moving and had fallen in between the platform and the train and got hit by the train :S He had a large split across his skull but was conscious and was able to move. We were all in shock for a long time but were really thankful that he survived. Again the scenery from the observation car was breathtaking and you dont really feel the 10 or so hour journey until you get into bed in the night when you realise how tired you are.
This morning on one of Shaq’s YES FM’s morning polls he asked what are the most overrated things, and one answer was “Sri Lanka by Sri Lankans”, and i thought to myself thats not quite true, in which other country do you find within such a small area the most breathtaking mountains, gorgeous beaches, fantastic wildlife and ancient architecture? Can’t think of too many.
