“Nature forcefully inspires the most awe among those without roofs,” -Old Sean
Trains and Sri Lanka
Six-year-old-me watching Thomas the Tank Engine with unwavering loyalty and embarrassing dancing had it right; trains are awesome.
I adore travelling Sri Lanka by train, but the true champion of locomotive travel is the panoramic stunner rail line stretching from Colombo to Badulla.
On my way towards visiting Colombo, I perched myself on the edge of an open door facing south for an unobstructed view of the countryside as it whipped by.
Cold? Yes. A tad wet? Absolutely. But certainly worth it.
Waterfalls dot the edges of many small settlements alongside rigidly straight trees with ghostly, pale trunks. Huge rolls of land accompany the journey for hours thrusting up from the earth in hypnotic waves. Meticulous rows of robust tea plants give the alternating impression of artificially-constructed and naturally-inclined.
The endless rows of plants waver between looping arcs and mountain spirals. They’re carefully tended by an army of tea-cultivators. Tea plants are neatly arrayed on every hill and the entire scene is accented by arcs of sunlight escaping a ceiling of low clouds.
The air tastes damp and cool, with ghostly scents sweeping past every few minutes when the mechanical fumes of our train are whisked north.
Visiting Colombo Again
After abandoning my perch and teaching a group of small children one of the only two coin tricks I know, I arrived back in Colombo. Now, strictly speaking, visiting Colombo is not my favorite thing in Sri Lanka. As a general rule, I’m not a city person, and I dislike the bustle of traffic. Additionally, the sharp, salty aroma from a craggy, low sea is quite pungent in the daytime heat.
That being said, I enjoyed reacquainting myself with the downtown area. Previously, I mostly stayed in the northern part of Colombo. This time, I worked my way up to the coastal neighboring city with plans of visiting Negombo.
City Slicker
After the traditional ceremony of Lost Foreigner Meandering, I got to see Negombo’s shopping centers. There are tall, colonial buildings, gated museums and the rusted train rails which balance mere feet away from the edge of a crashing ocean.
Looking over those waves, I saw an enormous churning of clouds in a rough arc. The storm-wall was so large that looking directly at the center without a reference point for my eyes created the illusion that they were blowing out to sea.
But no, they marched forward until the billowing clouds were directly over my head. Convinced of imminent downpour, I gutted a trash bag to rainproof my gear.
But as the rolling omens sifted inland, I gave a shrug. Despite their darkness, they were apparently not carrying any sort of torrent. The stood directly overhead and the air, if anything, had stilled even further.
I tend to be wrong a lot.
Shatter-Storms
The wind-wall slammed the coast in a ferocious, unified shove.
It made a sound like a thunderclap as it rushed against buildings. A nearby canvas billboard was shattered and wrenched into the road. The wind jolting off of the waves moved with such ferocity, rain struck under my chin, caught by the low storm and flung back into my eyes.
It lasted all of fifteen minutes as I bowed my head and walked inland to escape the blustery vanguard.
At this point, I met another traveler wisely sheltered by a curved tree. Her name was Sophie and she joined me for a short walk around the city when the storm abated. We both began moving south, the storm robbing us of exploring any further.
We picked our way across beaches, watching kites and spying Dutch museums which were unfortunately closed. The entire time, we traded stories about potential scams in different countries.
Sophie soon departed and I had nothing else to direct my interest. I resupplied snacks, read a short book and wandered back into Colombo. I went to a famous temple to kill the remaining time before my flight.
Temple Time
Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara is a beautiful temple located in a district near Colombo known as Kelaniya. The temple itself is quite famous and quite fun to walk around barefoot (though the folks blinded by my pale feet are sure to challenge that sentiment).
The sandy ground is regularly raked to cushion footsteps. There are various styles of temples ranging from brownish, elephant statues marching around a hall, to a serene Buddha residing under an enormous Bodhi tree.
There are also startling white domes of stone with rainbow splashes of colors rising above the rest. The entire ambience would be the pinnacle of peacefulness if not for the din of croaking crows which forever crackle to one another in the dusky treetops above.
Farewell Sri Lanka
Alas, this was my last activity. My feet were in need of respite and my stomach wanted something filling. Though I still had some time, I decided I had walked enough while visiting Colombo and Negombo.
I obtained a ride to the airport, where I sat in idle contemplation, chewing on fish fillet and steamed vegetables. I will fly to Hong Kong tonight and back to Chongqing the following morning, all of which I intend to sleep through.
Until my next trip,
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written June 30th, 2017
Interested in visiting Colombo or finding more things to do in Sri Lanka? Click here to read the Leftfade Trails Destination Section
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