Original posting started 26 Feb 2012 in Hambantota
Thaliph went to reserve 2 seats on tomorrows direct bus to Badulla a for which he asked 200rp half of which was for the Tuktuk to the station. He came back with thumbs up. We didn't really understand until the following morning when we went with him for the bus he had in fact got priority on the from on seats normally reserved for Buddhist monks as a result of talking to the driver the previous evening, I rightly thought there was no system for reserving any seats. Nevertheless money well spent to ensure we had a place on the almost full bus. Very pleasant 3.5 hour fast journey for just over a £1, initially through a plain with mountains on the horizon, but we were soon climbing to over 1000 metres and the roads were tortuous.
ELLA
I am currently in the computer room of the Holiday Inn and things are hotting to judge from the sound of the steel band next door. That is nothing but a man with two meat choppers cutting up Kottu Roti, which is an alternate way of serving a rolled up roti filled with vegetable, chicken or prawn as shown by Rick Stein. I know that since we ate the prawn version the first night, it was nice but slightly monotonous by the time we had finished a plate-full moistened, at your choice, by side sambals of largely coconut or a largely chilli flavouring. Guess which Joan chose!
We had already decided not to go the full distance to Badulla but to get off at Ella which was much smaller and therefore 100% tourist. Just across from the stop we tried first for a room in the Ella Holiday Inn a common name here, nothing to do with the world-wide chain of hotels. After 10 mins at the Reception no-one seemed interested even to speak to me, and when I did finally get attention they said I couldn't see a room currently as they were being cleaned so come back later. In the meantime the man from the double shop right next door (uphill) was offering to show Joan a room above the shops. In fact there were two both absolutely new additions for 2012 and both with 100% new furniture bed/mattress, a fully tiled bathroom with hot shower. I asked Joan to go up next and she never came down it was a snip for 2500rp, though the real budget travellers won't willingly pay more than 1500rp. My only reservation at the time was there was no fan but considering the altitude we thought that might not be necessary, and so it proved. We have slept well two nights and tonight will be our last under the redundant mosquito net, they said there were no mosquitoes and that was correct.
Our first venture was to find the railway station where we met a pleasant man who turned out to be a tour guide, he explained the time table pointing out that one of the three daily to Badulla was in fact little but a freight train.
The tourist guide offered us a ride in his car back to town at the first sign of rain, and as we we left the station I asked which was his favourite restaurant in town and he pointed to the Up Country next to the station and advised to eat both breakfast and dinner there, advice which we have taken although not the first night as the suspicion of rain had turned into a tropical downfall which lasted all evening. We were told it was the first rain in two weeks and that it would be Fine tomorrow which it turned out to be.
Walking downhill to our residence we decide to try the view through the famous Ella Gap from the expensive Grand Ella Hotel. The drive and foyer was so full of package tourists packing up for the day that we decided to mix in with the crowd and walk right through the foyer to the big lawn, which in theory alone gave sight over the famous gap reaching to the south coast. Though a similar vista would be available from a couple of guest houses higher, such as the newly opened Zion.
BANDARAWELA
Second day here we took a bus to Bandarawela with the main objective of withdrawing money from an ATM, not having noticed until coming to this computer that straight across from the road from our lodging was a branch of the Ceylon Bank with a brand new one, though at the time that had almost run out of cash and a was allowing 2000rp (£10) max! Catching the bus was just a 10 min wait, you need to chose between those heading north-west and those soon turning in the opposite direction to Badulla, with only hieroglyphics signs to guide you!
Bandarawela
is a large bustling town with a clock tower so short as to be
overshadowed by surrounding bush trees, but then the display is digital -
they don't make things like they used to! A steel band drumming started again, another
Roti leaves the production line, must getting near sunset and eating
time. We had a breakfast of pastries and chocolate cake in a bakery well
served by several young boys who were delighted when we left each of
them with a small tip, there was just one circular table downstairs but a
glass enclosed restaurant above with a panoramic view, of the town,
which Joan noticed from the bus on our way back
HAPUTALE
We saw it next day in Haputale and noted a mixture, probably meaning the few passenger coaches were only third class wooden bench seats. He recommended that we travel second class for a little more space and indeed will be trying tomorrow at 9.47am going on to Kandy, the capital of the highlands which like the Western Ghats in India dominate the low lying coastal areas.
Ella again
Following the advice of the kind tour guide we have had a dinner at 'Up Country'. When we arrived the first time it appeared an unlikely choice, maybe not even a regular restaurant a little way from the main drag but the pleasant owner greeted us and asked what we wanted, omelette? She was delighted in our choice of curry and in no time had organised her two young boys rattled up one of several dishes and rice including curried leeks, it will not surprise you to know it was 1 March, St David's Day!
An English man from Taunton arriving just after us was surprised to find he had company. She had offered him a spare room and half board for 1700rp as he left the train, information I was able to pass on. We never asked his name so well did we get on, so don't you expect it here. It seemed he was newly retired and intent on filling the remainder of his life with travelling in Europe and the UK and the Far East, another project was reading for instance the complete works of Charles Dickens. His next trip is to walk Offa's Dyke, years ago we did a four day weekend from Knighton to Montgomery with three young children. He was here as part of a four man group with KE Trekking who had decided to spend an extra week touring around on his own for the first time, so we had quite a lot to tell him, both in terms of technique and places. He had trekked to Everest Base Camp in a tour last year but found that hard, and like Joan he found it hard to tolerate chilli.
He had left school at sixteen without any exam results but gone as apprentice with the MOD working on specialised Map making particularly the lithograph printing side. Born in 1954 he like us left school at a time when there were jobs for all, and although I talked of the reduction in jobs he said the MOD Map making had doubled in employees by the time he retired. I am sure he a was good at his job so it's a sad reflection on current UK that now such un-academic kids have little prospect learning via working and night school. Contrast that with my time when Port Talbot de-manned from 17,000 employees to 4,000, but largely thanks to a massive increase in unit size and newer process technology could make more and far higher quality steel.
Today 2 March we went back to join our friend at Up Country for breakfast Milk rice, Hoppers, curried dhal, spicy fresh chopped vegetables, banana, chickpeas and very sweet milky tea (full cream no doubt) 700rp. He tried to point out a mongoose in the garden's undergrowth which we will look out for tomorrow. We arranged to go back for dinner and readily agreed to her suggestion of chicken Curry, which no doubt and will also appear at tomorrow's breakfast as we wait for the train to Kandy.
One last expedition before relaxing over coffee at the Dream Cafe was to seek out the Rowa Temple on route to Bandarewela, which was well worth doing. Though by no means only the Buddha carved into the sheer rock but we were shown around the temple itself by an enthusiastic young monk with sufficient command of English. Many paintings as always portrayed from the life of Buddha, but also Vishnu (we previously considered only a Hindu God) but considered by him a universal God, and two large carvings of reclining Buddhas. Joan's notes will be more complete. I'm sure, anyway I am closing down for now.
Thaliph went to reserve 2 seats on tomorrows direct bus to Badulla a for which he asked 200rp half of which was for the Tuktuk to the station. He came back with thumbs up. We didn't really understand until the following morning when we went with him for the bus he had in fact got priority on the from on seats normally reserved for Buddhist monks as a result of talking to the driver the previous evening, I rightly thought there was no system for reserving any seats. Nevertheless money well spent to ensure we had a place on the almost full bus. Very pleasant 3.5 hour fast journey for just over a £1, initially through a plain with mountains on the horizon, but we were soon climbing to over 1000 metres and the roads were tortuous.
ELLA
I am currently in the computer room of the Holiday Inn and things are hotting to judge from the sound of the steel band next door. That is nothing but a man with two meat choppers cutting up Kottu Roti, which is an alternate way of serving a rolled up roti filled with vegetable, chicken or prawn as shown by Rick Stein. I know that since we ate the prawn version the first night, it was nice but slightly monotonous by the time we had finished a plate-full moistened, at your choice, by side sambals of largely coconut or a largely chilli flavouring. Guess which Joan chose!
We had already decided not to go the full distance to Badulla but to get off at Ella which was much smaller and therefore 100% tourist. Just across from the stop we tried first for a room in the Ella Holiday Inn a common name here, nothing to do with the world-wide chain of hotels. After 10 mins at the Reception no-one seemed interested even to speak to me, and when I did finally get attention they said I couldn't see a room currently as they were being cleaned so come back later. In the meantime the man from the double shop right next door (uphill) was offering to show Joan a room above the shops. In fact there were two both absolutely new additions for 2012 and both with 100% new furniture bed/mattress, a fully tiled bathroom with hot shower. I asked Joan to go up next and she never came down it was a snip for 2500rp, though the real budget travellers won't willingly pay more than 1500rp. My only reservation at the time was there was no fan but considering the altitude we thought that might not be necessary, and so it proved. We have slept well two nights and tonight will be our last under the redundant mosquito net, they said there were no mosquitoes and that was correct.
 |
| Our rooms above shop |
Our first venture was to find the railway station where we met a pleasant man who turned out to be a tour guide, he explained the time table pointing out that one of the three daily to Badulla was in fact little but a freight train.
The tourist guide offered us a ride in his car back to town at the first sign of rain, and as we we left the station I asked which was his favourite restaurant in town and he pointed to the Up Country next to the station and advised to eat both breakfast and dinner there, advice which we have taken although not the first night as the suspicion of rain had turned into a tropical downfall which lasted all evening. We were told it was the first rain in two weeks and that it would be Fine tomorrow which it turned out to be.
Walking downhill to our residence we decide to try the view through the famous Ella Gap from the expensive Grand Ella Hotel. The drive and foyer was so full of package tourists packing up for the day that we decided to mix in with the crowd and walk right through the foyer to the big lawn, which in theory alone gave sight over the famous gap reaching to the south coast. Though a similar vista would be available from a couple of guest houses higher, such as the newly opened Zion.
 |
| Ella Gap |
 |
| Grand Ella Motel |
BANDARAWELA
Second day here we took a bus to Bandarawela with the main objective of withdrawing money from an ATM, not having noticed until coming to this computer that straight across from the road from our lodging was a branch of the Ceylon Bank with a brand new one, though at the time that had almost run out of cash and a was allowing 2000rp (£10) max! Catching the bus was just a 10 min wait, you need to chose between those heading north-west and those soon turning in the opposite direction to Badulla, with only hieroglyphics signs to guide you!
 |
| Butchery in market |
 |
| Front bus seats for monks |
HAPUTALE
 |
| Haputale station |
 |
| Goods train & some passengers |
 |
| Seconds after train passed |
 |
| British post box |
 |
| Heating cooking oil to keep it fluid |
 |
| Ridge Walk, tea on upper slopes, to left a cliff |
Following the advice of the kind tour guide we have had a dinner at 'Up Country'. When we arrived the first time it appeared an unlikely choice, maybe not even a regular restaurant a little way from the main drag but the pleasant owner greeted us and asked what we wanted, omelette? She was delighted in our choice of curry and in no time had organised her two young boys rattled up one of several dishes and rice including curried leeks, it will not surprise you to know it was 1 March, St David's Day!
 |
| Up Country Restaurant with two bedrooms |
He had left school at sixteen without any exam results but gone as apprentice with the MOD working on specialised Map making particularly the lithograph printing side. Born in 1954 he like us left school at a time when there were jobs for all, and although I talked of the reduction in jobs he said the MOD Map making had doubled in employees by the time he retired. I am sure he a was good at his job so it's a sad reflection on current UK that now such un-academic kids have little prospect learning via working and night school. Contrast that with my time when Port Talbot de-manned from 17,000 employees to 4,000, but largely thanks to a massive increase in unit size and newer process technology could make more and far higher quality steel.
Today 2 March we went back to join our friend at Up Country for breakfast Milk rice, Hoppers, curried dhal, spicy fresh chopped vegetables, banana, chickpeas and very sweet milky tea (full cream no doubt) 700rp. He tried to point out a mongoose in the garden's undergrowth which we will look out for tomorrow. We arranged to go back for dinner and readily agreed to her suggestion of chicken Curry, which no doubt and will also appear at tomorrow's breakfast as we wait for the train to Kandy.
 | ||||
| Tall Buddha in rock at Dowa Rock Temple |
 |
| Some feet! |
 |
| Delivering Rice |
No comments:
Post a Comment