Ella

Ella is a very tourism-oriented town a few hours of manic driving south of Nuwara Eliya. Almost every shop is a bar, restaurant or transport provider and the town bustles with backpackers and other travellers. The tuk tuk population is enormous, too.

We stayed in a home stay a few kilometres out of town, very basic but perched right on the side of a hill with the most incredible views. The bathroom got so wet you needed to leave your pants outside when using the toilet, but that’s a small price to pay for the magnificent outlook. It was amazing sitting on our balcony as the sun went down, nursing a drink and watching the lights of the train weave around the hill opposite.

We took a walk up to Little Adam’s Peak, just to keep up the number of hot sweaty climbs up lots of steps. The views from the top were spectacular. About half way up was an outdoor activity centre with a giant swing - and a shop with outfits you could wear whilst swinging - and a zip line. Both of these were in constant demand and the area was crowded with thrill seekers and old people like us taking a breather from the constant stairs.

In the afternoon we took a train ride. We were actually supposed to catch the train all the way from Nuwara Eliya, but due to some form of black market scalping or other corruption all the tickets had been sold.

So we were on the tourist train, which was probably better. All seats faced the windows and there was an open-air carriage that would have been fantastic had it not been raining.

Our trip started in Demodara, then rattled down to the Nine Arches Bridge, a most picturesque piece of engineering. Everyone hopped off for a look around, which was easier said than done, as the steps on the carriages only reached about half way to the ground. It was even more fun climbing back on to the train, with lots of heaving and groaning and pushing and pulling.

In persistent light rain, we travelled to Ella, and thence through very attractive rice-growing countryside to Bandarawela, a bustling little town, much more commercial and less touristic than Ella.

We had a demonstration of Sri Lankan rain once we were back at our digs, about half an hour of absolute downpour. When it had finished the air was beautifully clear and the waterfall on the hill opposite had turned into a muddy brown torrent.Читать далее