Kandy, Sri Lanka

Kandy was our last stop before heading back to Colombo and flying out to Cambodia. We booked our train tickets as soon as we arrived in Ella as they often sell out. We weren't able to get first class or even second class but they had a few tickets left in third class, with the cattle I presumed. 

This train ride is touted as a world famous experience winding through tea plantations, bridges, rice fields and waterfalls and during the first two hours it lived up to expectations. 

However this was a seven hour trip, starting at 06:30 and with every stop more and more people jumped on board to take pictures of themselves hanging out of the door, including Alisa. Not quite cattle but close. 

After about seven hours in a hard upright seat we were completely over it. 

We had just four more stops to Kandy as we pulled into Ulapane. The train came to a loud sudden stop jerking everyone forward. I jumped off to see what happened. Sure enough the last two railcars jumped the tracks and we were stuck. I eventually searched the incident online to try to find more information and turned off my phone after reading about the 1,700 people who died in the world's largest rail disaster (by death toll) when a train was overwhelmed by an Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami at Peraliya, Sri Lanka. I chose not to tell Alisa about that one. This could have been so much worse! 

We learned they were sending another train from Kandy which would arrive in about three hours. There were no taxis, not even a store, so we sat and waited and waited. I found a railcar with refreshments and bought enough water for everyone in our train car. 

Eagerly anticipating our next train, every passenger stood in the sun lined up waiting to finally leave. We walked through knee high grass down the tracks to board our new train, one that looked like it was put out of service shortly after the British laid the tracks in the 1850’s. The elderly went first and weren't rushed and then a small community formed to help each other out. There was a six foot ladder you had to climb to make it to the door. Alisa went up first, I threw my bag up and started the climb. The door was so narrow I had to turn sideways to get through, forgetting about my backpack, I felt like a square peg trying to fit in a round hole. It would have been amusing in any other situation, but now I just felt like I was holding up the line. 

Once inside, I asked Alisa, who was now five people in front of me, where my bag was, you know the one with my passport and all our cash. She was following a kid who grabbed my bag when he helped her up and didn't hear me. The train was packed but I did my best to keep up with them. Car after car we bumped into everyone onboard until we found an almost empty railcar and plopped down. I thanked the kid who carried my bag and realized he was in the same car we were in earlier when I handed out the water. It comes back around..... 

After eleven hours we finally arrived in Kandy. By now we were sharing a seat with two girls and holding our backpacks on our laps, the train was packed. As we pulled into the station and I got up to leave, a girl threw her purse through the window at me and motioned for me to save a seat for her. Pretty impressive and trusting, so I obliged and blocked the guy pushing his way through the crowd for a seat until she sat down. 

Kandy was much larger than we both expected. Being the cultural hub of Sri Lanka, Kandy hosts the famous tooth relic, museums dedicated to Sri Lanka’s storied history and scammers. 

We couldn't see Buddha's tooth as it's only displayed on certain occasions, reminding me of the Holy Grail, where multiple countries claim they have the genuine relic. 

The museum was impressive and very informative on the history of the island/country. 

The scam goes like this… A guy pretends to work at the hotel you're staying at and just got off work. Since we stayed at a small family run hotel we were sure this guy wasn't a part of it, but he gave us some useful information about the city so we went along knowing what he was doing. He showed us the market that was “just about to close” so I could buy some pants that I didn't need. What I needed was a pair of swim trunks which I found and I'm sure he got a kickback from. $10, not bad. Then they ask for money. The $1.50 tip was well worth the information and prevention of a long walk to find supplies. 

We spent two nights in Kandy. Besides the Kandy National Museum and maybe the Buddha Temple, oh and the Commonwealth War Graves, I'd pass. After our time in the south on the beach, mountains and cities were not a welcomed sight. 

We didn't even look into taking the train from Kandy back to Colombo and chose a taxi instead. 

Kandy was the last stronghold of the natives after the Portuguese, Dutch and finally the British took control. Tea cultivation is serious business and Lipton's Seat is perched high above his lasting empire. 

The song, “Johnny I hardly knew ya” was about an Irishman sent off to war in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) under British force. (One version anyway)

We both agreed Sri Lanka has a lot to offer. You can go from hiking waterfalls to lounging on the beach in a matter of hours. By now you know which we prefer - the south will always be my version of the country, but it has a little bit to offer everyone.