Train tracks, train ride, tea

Third, and last, day of our road trip started quite early: just after the sunrise we decided to take a walk to a nearby waterfall. The hotel owner pointed down the railway tracks… It turned out to be a local road! And a very busy one.

Walking to Sunday school

We only needed to wait for the morning train to pass and could safely walk, as there wouldn’t be next one for quite a few hours. There were kids going to Sunday school passing us by, in pristine white clothes – not sure how one manages to keep clothes so clean with very basic facilities we’ve seen in or next to huts.

Waterfall turned out to be a little dry but views down the valley made up for that! And I managed to do a mini-climb on a way back Just few rocks up…

After breakfast, which we had on a terrace, surrounded by mountains, still bit covered with morning mist, came time to catch the train I mentioned above. Our driver really recommended the ride for beautiful views so we took his advice.

Having no luck with securing places in fancy viewing carriage I have settled on a doorstep. Which proved to be great decision – we were going at speed slow enough for me to take pictures, weather was warm and somehow I managed not to fall out, even though some slopes beneath my feet were good few hundred meters down. Thankfully, I have no fear of heights!

Train ride

It has also proved to be a great vantage point to watch other passengers. Like the guy on the picture, who has spent the entire journey standing on the step and leaning out – which must have been particularly risky in numerous tunnels we’ve passed and in those places where the railway run right next to the rocks…

Speaking of tunnels, after having crossed one we’ve stopped. In the middle of a forest, no station or anything. People got off the carriages, had fag breaks, chatted etc. … nobody came to explain what’s going on, nobody seemed concerned. Well, they did a bit when train started up – there was a mad scrambling back up but than we didn’t move, so everyone got off again. I think we have been waiting like that for 30 or so minutes. Than the train gained speed to make up for the delay and I didn’t feel so confident on my doorstep any more. I had no choice of movement though, with at least five people standing right behind me, so I grabbed the handle and held on to it. Pictures from that part of the trip are somewhat shaky…

Tea plantation

At Nanu Oya we have been greeted by our driver and proceeded to the last point on the list, which was tea plantation visit. I liked it a lot, even though we didn’t get to see much of activities as it was Sunday. But the trip of the tea factory was really interesting and I was glad to see that this particular plantation has been set up in such a way that workers formed a real community that has been cared for (for example there was school on the premises and the code of work has been established to ensure workers were not exploited).

After that and lunch in an Italian (sic!) restaurant (Again, recommended by our driver. On our own we would probably stick to buying some junk food in a local supermarket for fear of upsetting our stomachs) we set off to Colombo. Back to work on Monday, although in my thoughts I was still seating on that step looking out at the views. One of the most fantastic feelings I’ve ever had!