Chasing Ella

Chasing the train was never more fun - follow the thread on my Twitter

'Chasing Ella' kind of sounds like a movie title, and this trip sorta started off like one too. Big movie chase sequence and all that. Let me tell you how that went down.

So this was a family trip, my mother and I were supposed to join the train from Kandy. This is the 9.45AM train from Colombo Fort to Badulla. 1st class costs LKR 1000,  2nd class costs LKR 430 and 3rd class costs LKR 270 per person. We were in first class peeps. Sometimes you gotta live life, not  just survive it y'know?

Anyhoo, train was scheduled to pull into Kandy station at 12.20 and my mother and I were there around 12 like the eager beavers we were. I called my boyfriend to let him know and I heard his horrified voice down the line,

"The train doesn't come to Kandy babe - it turns at Pera!"

Shit.

Usually, all the trains from Colombo to Badulla come to Kandy, unload some passengers, go back to Peradeniya and then turns towards Badulla. All the trains, except this one. And I, like the idiot I was, didn't double check where it would come to. 

I looked at the clock. We had 15 minutes to catch a train that had already passed Kadugannawa. Praying to all the gods in the pantheon (and Percy Jackson), we jumped into a three-wheeler and told him to drive like the devil to Peradeniya station.

The ensuing 10 minutes was a lesson in endurance. I was gripping the seat with one hand and my phone in the other, screen open to Google Maps. I alternately watched the road and the blue GPS dot, muttering to myself, "We can make it, we can make it," every time the screen refreshed to show more traffic around Peradeniya.

We didn't make it.

By the time we ran onto the platform at Peradeniya station, the train was on its merry way to Gampola and then Nawalapitiya.

I was ready to cry.

My mother was ready to go back home but I hefted my bags and stalked outside to the first tuk tuk parked there.

"How far is it to Gampola and can we make it in 20 minutes?"

I swear the tuk tuk driver probably thought I was crazy, but he gave a quick reply. "Not sure miss, lot's of traffic now..." (like I didn't know that) "... but if you want to catch the Badulla train, you'll have a better chance at Nawalapitiya"

"How much?"

"1600 ruppees"

A slow whistle escaped my lips. Or it would've, if I could whistle. Amma looked flabbergasted but I was determined to catch that iron b*****d, so I nodded and said, "Let's go"

(Next post coming soon)

Overlooking Lipton's Seat & Splashes at Belihuloya

The mist overtaking Lipton's Seat

Mist.

Cotton wool mist everywhere, so thick that I could cut it with a metaphorical knife and stuff it up...

Excuse me. Kids are reading. 

So we climbed that mountain after a bone-jerking ride in that rust bucket of a bus, all to see... the mist. We were sooo freakin' disappointed. Lipton's Seat is famous for its views and we were looking forward to some killer photos (those who follow my insta will see my marked improvement). Unfortunately, the mist had already covered up the ravine and was advancing fast on us. It was super disappointing, especially since the guides lurking around assured us cheerfully that the view had been crystal clear only half an hour before.

There was a small dirt track leading downhill just behind the statue of Lipton sitting on his throne. We were told that it led to another viewpoint about 300m away so we walked down that to see if we'd have better luck there.

We didn't.

The mist was sneaking up along that path as well. There was no way in hell - hell doesn't have mist though; I digress - that we could see anything and if we didn't move our ass soon, we'd get stuck groping and grabbing our way blindly back to the top (and we all know that groping and grabbing is BAD), so we decided to head up again.

There is a tiny tea shop up there that I highly recommend. Not for the tea, that's too sweet, but the rottis are to die for.

We started heading down again soon after and it took us about an hour or two to get to Dambetenna, with frequent stops to admire the fast disappearing view. The mist made things much more interesting, I have to admit.

Really wanted to try this track but... mist had us beat

We had another cup of tea before we got on the Dambetenna-Haputale bus (LKR 30 per person) and then wound our way back to town. Lunch was sandwiches we'd brought from home. Small tip: the climate is so cool that food keeps well; as long as you don't cook with coconut milk most things will keep.

Haputale-Belihuloya via Google Maps

We had to wait around in Haputale for about half an hour for a bus that would take us to Belihuloya, coz that's where we stayed. We travelled about 30km along the Colombo road and got down at Galagama, where the Belihuloya runs under the road and onto the other side. For LKR 10 (Belihuloya is regulated by a ministry - I don't remember whether its Cultural or Tourism), you get to spend as much time as you'd like in the stream. There's a nice bathing hut for those who want to change but we just skipped about on the rocks and splashed each other.


We'd chosen ලnda Holiday Houses to stay overnight because it was recommended by a friend. It's always important to stay overnight in places that are reputable or known because there are plenty of unscrupulous hotel owners who are looking to make a quick buck off unsuspecting couples. Always travel in packs or shell out for a safe place.

We walked a km or so to reach Landa and then went down a steep incline. It's one of the best eco friendly lodges I've ever seen. It's rustic, and the furniture is heavy wood. The food is authentic Sri Lankan at its best, right down to the wizened old ආත්තම්මා who cooks. We had fried rice for dinner and string hoppers for breakfast and it was fab-u-lous. They grow almost all their own spices and vegetables. There's also a huge zen-like pond surrounded by old green bamboo. Heaven. Just heaven. Totally worth the LKR 6000 (half board) they charged.

We bussed it back to Haputale next morning to catch the train to Colombo. Pro tip: always book a ticket up AND down when travelling long distance by train. We were lucky to grab seats in 2nd class (LKR 330) before the train started overflowing. I got down in Kandy around 4pm. For once, I was fully satisfied with my trip.


Next up: Ella with the family.

(Approx.) Time Taken: 2 nights, 1 day
(Approx.) Total Cost  : LKR 5000 per person (multiple teas included)
Satisfaction                 : 5/5

*All pictures are subject to Copyright © Asuka Randeniye 2017 

Overlooking Lipton's Seat

Lipton's Seat. No I didn't pose.

What do you say about the perfect hike? Turns out, not so much.

For the first time, I managed to go on a hike, not get into any major mishaps and complete it with all my limbs and metabolism intact (cue Idalgashinna memories). 

I do have a small amendment though. We didn't hike to Belihuloya and Adara Kanda. We were researching the hike online - as everyone should - when we realized that Adara Kanda was like Horton Plains without the crowds: just as huge, just as remote. It was no place for two people to hike in alone, so we put that back on the bucket list and searched for other places that were close by.

We hit upon Lipton's Seat.

Lipton's Seat is a viewpoint located high on a hill in what is now the Dambetenna Estate. Miles and miles of verdant tea bushes, as far as the eye can see. It was where Sir Lipton used to gaze out at his empire. Clearly, colonists and tea barons had taste.

Vehicles go all the way to the top so technically, it's not much of a hike. But we'll get to that later.

We bought tickets to catch the infamous 8.00 PM night train from Colombo Fort to Badulla, to get down in Haputale. Third class reserved  seats cost LKR 400 each. You can also get the superliner luxury bus; tickets are LKR 900 per head to Badulla.

via Google Maps

We got down from Haputale around 6.10 AM. I have just 2 photos of the sunrise btw because I value my sleep over a good photo. I can hear Instagram growling at me. My boyfriend was up and taking pics from 5. Why???

පාන් බාගේ බස් එක 

Lipton's Seat is about 15-20 km from Haputale and you can take a tuk, bus or hired vehicle. The tuk will take you all the way up to the Seat and charge you LKR 800, which is fair. We did not have 800 to spare so we decided to bus it.

There are 2 buses going up there: one stops at the Dambetenna estate town. It's more like a junction than a town but you get the gist. There's about 5 km from there to Lipton's Seat. The other bus goes further up and carries a board saying 'Litpion's [sic] Seat'. That will drop you at a fork in the road and you only have to walk 2 km. 

If you're tempted to choose the first one, don't. Despite having a tarred road, the climb up is grueling and you'll be too exhausted to enjoy the view by the time you reach the top. We took option #2 and paid LKR 75 each for the ticket.

(FYI we brought out dinner and breakfast with us to save money and time coz shops in Haputale don't open till well past 8 and we wanted to be on our way before then)

The ride is bone-rattling and packed. The buses are tiny, to accommodate the crazy bends in the road but the drivers have lost their fear glands somewhere in the past. They drive insanely fast until they spy an oncoming vehicle. Then they jerk to a stop and slowly rev the engine again. I was suddenly super-religious and praying to every known pantheon to keep us safe. I do not wanna die. Not like that.

Once we were dropped off, we started the climb. In a few places, we skipped the long bends in the road and clambered up steps in the middle of the tea estates. Oh yeah, did I mention? From the time we passed Haputale, were were inside tea plantations. 

The walk was hard but refreshing. There was so much to see and the green has never seemed so green to me. The air is so crisp up there it hurts your lungs to breathe but you don't wanna stop coz it feels super clean, the way air never is in Colombo or Kandy. 

We finally made it up around 10 but unfortunately, we were in for a bit of a shock.

Which I'll tell you about, next week :)

A Kotmale Adventure

I promise this is the last Kotmale post you guys will have to endure, because I will soon be #budgetingto Belihuloya! Yes! I've heard so much about this place and I'm super excited to be hiking there soon.

Now, the weather hasn't been ideal for hiking lately, so we'll be very careful about preparations for the hike. It's been raining for a few days here in Kandy and the news assures me that it's raining further upcountry too, so frankly, idk what to expect.

As you can probably tell by now, this is just a filler post till I blog about my trip next week. But hope you guys enjoy the video I made on my trip to Kotmale.

See you all soon!