Xmas Eve – Kandy to Ella

Xmas Eve and we are currently in Ella where the local shacks have some very cold Lion Lager, so let’s crack on.

Today was mainly spent on a 7 hour train journey from Kandy to Ella. We bought 2nd class tickets (£1.20) and waited with dozens of other tourists to see a small train pull in with only one 2nd class carriage. The 60ish of us then tried to fill the 30ish seats with a slight London tube sardine feel. We decamped to 3rd class and found standing room outside the toilet. (By the way, the ticket office was more than happy to oversell the seat allocation for 2nd class) We made friends with our extremely immediate neighbours and watched the country roll by. Four and a half hours later one of my arse cheeks was rested on a seat and another hour later the other cheek joined it, ensuring the final hour and a half was in comfort, allowing us to take in the truly breathtaking scenery of what has to be one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world. Then a local band got on, or rather 6 teenagers with a drum. Even the other local teenagers were rolling their eyes. They only sang for a hour at least.

Anyway, the lion is roaring. Merry Xmas all. We miss you all and raise a glass to you. Happy Santa’s!

Live Update – COCKTAILS
Al – Mojito
Me – Ginger Tornado

23rd December – Kandy

First day using public transport and we paid £7.50 for a tuktuk to take us to the tea plantation museum, wait for us and then onto the Botanical Gardens. Amazingly he didn’t tell us the tea plantation museum was closed on Mondays so took us there and managed to look surprised when it had a sign saying Closed on Mondays! Still, he then took us to the botanical gardens and we then spent about 3 hours wandering around the gardens, the best bit for Guy was seeing thousands of bats flying and settling in for an upside down kip in the trees.

For me, it was the orchid garden, reminded me of my orchids I have left with my work colleagues, I just hope mine are looking as good as these…….no pressure guys!

And a photo of a massive palm tree type affair!

After that, we splashed out 17p on a bus ride into town, it took about 4 times longer than a tuktuk, but was more fun! We ended up near the bus station, after buying a phone and various IT gubbins that means our camera can speak to our tablet and you can see our camera photos we we feeling quite smug so went for a Kotti Rotti. It was delicious, a roti chopped up with cheese, onions, chilli and other stuff, divine!
We wondered around a but more, sorted out the phone a bit more, went onto the Queens Hotel in Kandy, yes, the queen has stayed there. But they didn’t serve us, so we went for a ginger beer elsewhere and went home. Had another massive dinner!
It rained cats and dogs throughout the night, I think in sympathy with the British winter?