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Paul Bigland

Category Archives: Sri Lanka

4th January picture of the day…

04 Monday Jan 2021

Posted by Paul Bigland in Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Sri Lanka, Travel

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Musings, Picture of the day, Railways, Sri Lanka, Travel

Many people returned to work today for the first time after the Xmas and New Year break – only to find out in tonight’s announcement from the Prime Minister that that return is going to be short lived as England’s going back into another Covid lockdown. I have to admit to having lost track – it this the 2nd, 3rd or 4th? It all gets rather confusing – especially as the rules vary so much. Here in West Yorkshire shops have been open but the pubs shut months ago, so I’m never quite sure what ‘flavour’ of lockdown we’re meant to be having. In many ways it makes little difference to Dawn and I as we’ve maintained as much distance from people as possible as it is! The only people we’ve seen in the flesh on a regular basis are the other occupants of our ‘bubble’ (Dawn’s parents). Sadly, this latest announcement will stop us celebrating Norah’s 80th in the way we’d hoped, but otherwise it’s not going to make a huge difference to us as far as I can see as we’d planned to be pretty reclusive this month anyway.

At least we can still get out for exercise, which is part of our plan. I managed a couple rambles through our local woods which gave me chance to get my steps in and take a break for staring at a computer screen all day. I’m trying to make the most of my incarceration by ramping up my working hours to make up for Festive down-time and catch-up with work. After all, there’s not a lot else to do…

Which brings me on to the picture of the day. I’m on the edge of another milestone as I’m within spitting distance of having all my foreign railway slides scanned and uploaded to my Zenfolio website. This was one of today’s batch. I took this picture on in Sri Lanka on the 6th January 2003. This is the view from the ‘Podi Menike’ express train from Kandy through to Badulla as it twists and turns its way along the hill railway and through all the tea plantations that cover a vast area of this part of the Island. Oh, to be there now, leaning out of a coach door to grab a shot of the train as it snakes around the sharp curves.

The hill railway really is like stepping back in time with its pretty little stations that have changed little since the Victorian Era when the railway was built although in recent years loco-hauled trains like this have been displaced on express services by modern Diesel Multiple Units. What remains unchanged is the fantastic scenery! You can find the scenic pictures (and many more rail shots) by clicking on this link.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

2nd January picture of the day…

02 Saturday Jan 2021

Posted by Paul Bigland in Picture of the day, Railways, Sri Lanka, Travel

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Picture of the day, Railways, Sri Lanka, Travel

I’m back! Happy 2021 folks…

I took a day off from blogging yesterday as there’d been sweet bugger-all to blog about. Let’s face it – it’s not as if I was going to write about gallivanting around the country, is it? Sedentary is the word that best describes yesterday.

Today was a little more exciting as the weather’s changed again and we’ve had several snow flurries – enough to stop us thinking about driving out into the hills to go walking. Instead we hoofed it from home through our local woods (which looked lovely in their dusting of snow) down to the valley bottom for a stroll along the canal from Copley into Sowerby Bridge. We were both surprised to see just how much of the canal was frozen over. As dwellers of the high valley side we see more sun, so it’s sometimes a shock to see the way the cold congregates on the valley floor.

Despite the weather we had a lovely walk which (despite its length) got us home in plenty of time for a relaxing evening at home, playing Scrabble and watching films. I suspect this is going to be the shape of weekends for sometime yet. Well, maybe minus the snow.

On top of everything else I did manage to get a few more old slides scanned, which has provided the picture of the day. I took this on the train trip from Colombo to Kandy (Sri Lanka) on the 30th December 2002.

I love the way many railway stations in Sri Lanka have such a wonderful display of potted plants! I wish we could get some of the involved in the Community Rail Awards, although I suspect Community Rail Network might have a heart-attack at the cost of flying a couple of us judges out all that way!

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

13th December picture of the day…

13 Sunday Dec 2020

Posted by Paul Bigland in History, Musings, Railways, Sri Lanka, Travel

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Musings, Railways, Sri Lanka, Travel

Apologies that blogging’s becoming erratic at the moment. It’s the old ‘spinning plates’ syndrome and the closer we get to Christmas the more plates there are to spin! To say we’re living in ‘interesting times’ at the moment isn’t exactly helping either. I’m treading a fine line between trying to ignore the inevitable Brexitshambles whilst trying to prepare for it and really wanting a cathartic spleen-venting at the same time. Oh, and the weather’s been shit and I haven’t been getting my exercise in either, plus we seem to be living in a Covid hotspot right now – so I’ve not had a vintage week. I’d love to see 2020 ‘do one’ – but January’s hardly likely to be a fantastic month as the Brexitshambles shit will finally hit the fan. I have a feeling it’s going to be a brooding sort of month, whilst making plans…

On the positive side, the pair of us have had a productive weekend decluttering and Dee’s done a fantastic job of making the living room a festive space at the same time. We don’t often bother as we’re not normally here, but this year we’ve done what a lot of people have and made the effort to inject a bit of joy into the place. OK, I promise, there’s no inflatable Santa’s on the roof or the outside lighting that requires the entire output of a power station. In the words of the the famous Cupid Stunts (aka Kenny Everett)- “it was all done in the best possible taste”!

In the meantime I’ve got a busy week ahead. A couple of writing jobs have been confirmed and I’ve plenty to keep me occupied otherwise – although the office party season’s looking a bit thin!

Right, on to the pictures of the day. I’m still ploughing my way through old slides and recently I’ve deviated from the travel stuff from 1999 to go back in time to 1992 and some historic railway pictures. Here’s one I scanned this evening. I’ve always been fascinated by railway signalling which is a complex art in itself – especially when the Victorians designed some wonderfully Heath-Robinson semaphore systems like this. I took this picture in Kandy, Sri Lanka back in January 1992 – although when I was there just 3 years ago it still existed.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

10th November picture of the day…

10 Tuesday Nov 2020

Posted by Paul Bigland in Musings, Picture of the day, Sri Lanka, Travel

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Musings, Picture of the day, Sri Lanka, Travel

For the first time in several days the fog in the Calder Valley lifted, letting us feel like part of the outside world again. Well, apart from the fact we can only look at it, not venture out into it as Dawn and I are still in isolation, so Friday will be the first day we can venture out – which is a bit of a bugger as tomorrow’s our wedding anniversary. Mind you – even if we could go out – where is there to go? We had booked a meal at the wonderful Moorcock Inn up at Norland Moor but they could see which way the wind was blowing before lockdown 2 was announced so decided to pre-empt things and close on their own terms. So, the expression ‘all dressed up and nowhere to go’ springs to mind!

All this has meant today was just another day with the same routine with the pair of us working from home, getting on with stuff whilst looking forward to whatever version of reality is resumed the first, which in our case will be the ability to leave the house.

The positive side of things is that I’m within spitting distance of scanning my last album of old rail slides, just a few more days and it’ll be job done. Sure, there’s a few dribs and drabs, but what was once a very long shelf in my office at home in North London has finally disappeared, leaving me free to concentrate on other things. To be honest, the week’s been a fairly positive and optimistic one due to events happening in the wider world. Events that I’m hoping will mean that early next year we’ll be able to do what’s featured in the picture of the day. I took this picture at Mirissa beach, Sri Lanka on the 27th January 2016 and what’s shocked me is I realise this is the last beach holiday the pair of us had. It’s not that we haven’t been to lots of places since – just not to a tropical beach – and I’m missing it!

If only…

Having had my wings so badly clipped in 2020 I can’t wait for this year to be over and look forward to making up for lost time. Sun, sea and fantastic food, what could be more perfect?

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

5th November picture of the day…

05 Thursday Nov 2020

Posted by Paul Bigland in Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Politics, Sri Lanka, Travel

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Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Politics, Sri Lanka, Travel

I feel very odd trapped stuck indoors on one of my favorite days of the year – Bonfire night. Unlike many old English traditions (like mischief night) it hasn’t been taken over and Americanised or turned into a marketing exercise. I’ve fond memories of childhood bonfire parties at home and also later in life in London when Lynn and I would attend one of the big organised displays. Our nearest, and the one we frequented most was just down the road at Alexandra Palace. We’d walk down there with friends and laden with mulled wine and snacks. Now, up here in Yorkshire Dawn and I have tended to have our own little displays and invite her parent over to join us. This year, all I can do is watch from the bedroom window, or listen to the bangs and whistles as I sit in the office typing this. It’s a bit of a damp squib, but then so’s the American Presidential election, which is moving forward at a glacial pace and looks certain to drag on for weeks as Trump and the right-wingers try and drag things out in the courts. Democracy is looking very fragile at the moment as the right-wing populists do everything they can to cling to power. One can only hope Biden spoils their plans.

I’ve not really paid attention to the stateside shenanigans as little’s happened and I’ve been too busy with writing and sorting out the latest tranche of eBay sales which has left me with no time for slide scanning. Hopefully, next week will be another matter after the final part of my round Britain trip for RAIL magazine goes off to the proof-readers and I get a break before I start the next article, which should give me time to scribble some words for pleasure and write-up a couple of blogs that I’ve been thinking about. After all, I’m not going anywhere for a while yet, and it’s not like I’ve got a plane to catch. I wish…!

With today being bonfire night the picture of the day rather chose itself – as you’ll see in a minute. A lot of play is made nowadays about how animals are terrified of fireworks and that they should be banned as a consequence. I’ve extremely mixed feelings about that. Yes, I’ve known some animals that are absolutely terrified. The family dog (Dori) was one, but then so was my mother in her later years. When it came to November 5th my mum would break out the Valium and give one half of a pill to herself and the other half to the dog!

Jet, our cat, is the opposite. In his younger days he’d go wandering off out to see what the noise was all about as he had that sort of nature. Now that he’s an old bugger he’s not the slightest bit interested, but that could be because he’s as deaf as post!

Ok, the picture of the day – you’ll see where I’ve been going now. I took this picture on New Years eve 2003 in Tangalle, Sri Lanka. The owner of the homestay we were lodging in had a party on the beach, which involved copious amounts of fireworks. Rather than running away and hiding one of the local mutts was fascinated by them and did its best to try and catch and eat them!

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

25th September picture of the day…

25 Friday Sep 2020

Posted by Paul Bigland in Architecture, Picture of the day, Sri Lanka, Travel

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Architecture, Picture of the day, Sri Lanka, Travel

No politics today, my spleen may still need venting but I’m giving it a day off. Instead I’m happy that I’ve finished the first in the trilogy of articles I’m writing for RAIL magazine about my week long trip around Britain by rail. Part one covers three days, so to me it feels a little rushed. Trying to describe all my experiences in 4000 words is always difficult as there’s so much stuff that I have to leave out – which is the hardest part of writing them. A week travelling around the UK by rail is enough to fill a book, never mind a series of magazine features. Hopefully people will enjoy it anyway.

I’m now going to have the weekend off to concentrate on other things. So – without further ado – here’s the picture of the day, which was taken on the 2nd February 2016 in Galle old town, Sri Lanka.

I’ve always enjoyed Art Deco architecture and this restored house really caught my eye. I’d have loved to have seen if the inside matched…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

22nd July picture of the day…

22 Wednesday Jul 2020

Posted by Paul Bigland in Picture of the day, Sri Lanka, Travel

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Picture of the day, Sri Lanka, Travel

Hmm, where to take you in time and space today? In the present it’s been an unexciting day that I won’t bore you with, so let me see what’s in the archives…

I took this picture in March 1992 from the top of Adams Peak in Sri Lanka. It was during my year long solo trip. I hadn’t originally intended to go to Sri Lanka but I met a couple of fellow travellers (who called themselves Pip and Gyppo) in Kerala, India and we ended up travelling together for a while. They’d planned to visit the island and we could get cheap flights from Trivandrum to Colombo, so I thought hell, why not?

We had a fantastic time together for several weeks and one of the highlights was visiting the hills to climb Adams Peak. It’s called that as one of the folklore story’s surrounding it is that it’s where Adam (of Adam and Eve) first stepped down to Earth from Heaven. It’s not just Christians who revere it. Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim pilgrims also ascend the 2243 metre high peak and have different versions of the story and different names for the mountain.

Like most people, we stayed at the base of the peak, then rose early in the morning to begin the climb so that we could arrive at the top just before dawn. It’s not an easy climb, even though there’s steps cut into much of the mountain. But, it is worth it – as this picture shows. The views as the sun rises are sublime.

T3194. Adams Peak. Sri Lanka. 1992.

I’ve never got around to scanning all my pictures from that particular trip, but if you want to see pictures from more recent trips to Sri Lanka, follow this link.

 

 

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Thank you!

Sri Lankan sojourn, part 3

01 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by Paul Bigland in Sri Lanka, Travel

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Sri Lanka, Travel

After leaving Colombo behind we spent a few days in Kandy, the capital of the hills. Kandyans pride themselves on being a little different than people from the plains. The women even dress slightly differently as they wear a ruff around the waist of their saris. Like many visitors we stayed in a guest house set back on the slopes of the artificial lake. The Amanda Hills was a multi storey complex which had entrances & exists on two levels due to the topography. With no lift it could be a bugger to carry your suitcases but (as usual) the staff were happy to oblige – even if their eyes did bulge a little when they tried lifting Dawn’s “it’s all my makeup” she’d joke! The floor we stayed on had an attractive shared sitting area for the three rooms located there – plus our own private balcony overlooking the lake – not that you’ll be able to see the lake for much longer. This area has seen a lot of new buildings spring up over the past 12 years, now the views are rapidly disappearing as hotels shoot up like weeds, jostling for the skyline. Unless unbridled development is contained the area will soon have more in common with Honk Kong than Kandy.

It was a good 20-minute walk back into the town centre from the hotel which meant we got plenty of exercise. This was offset by the amount of traffic fumes you’d inhale as you walked along the Southern edge of the lake as this road has become increasingly congested. One thing I did notice was how many more modern cars are on Sri Lankan roads compared to my earlier visits. I only spotted on vintage vehicle this time (an old split windscreen Morris Minor). In the past they’d seemed common.

Our first port of call was the temple of the tooth one of the most important Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka, not just spiritually, but temporally. Presidents have a habit of turning up here to receive blessings from the monks as their endorsement is seen as an important political tool. During the civil war the Tamil Tigers attacked and severely damaged it with a truck bomb for the same reason. None of this was evident on the day we visited. Instead it was busy with a stream of ordinary Sri Lankans who’d come to pay their respects to the dental fragment of the enlightened one. When you come from a secular society you don’t always appreciate the part religion pays in many people’s everyday lives. Coming to a temple in India, Sri Lanka or other SE Asian countries readjusts that.

DG237612. Offering prayers and flowers.Temple of the tooth. Kandy. Sri Lanka. 13.1.16.

Offering prayers and flowers at the Temple of the Tooth

DG237638. Temple of the tooth. Kandy. Sri Lanka. 13.1.16.

The exterior walls of the Temple of the Tooth

That said, for many years Buddhism was in decline in Sri Lanka due to colonial influences, the introduction of Christianity and corruption & infighting within the Buddhist hierarchy. It took the arrival of an American theosophist, Henry Steel Olcott in 1880 (accompanied by Madam Helena Blavatsky) to herald a revival.

The grounds of the temple contain a fascinating museum dedicated to telling the story of Buddhism around the world. Although it costs extra to get in, it’s well worth a visit. It contains the history of the spread of Buddhism as well as artifacts, histories and photographs from all the different nations. Sadly, photography isn’t allowed and the museum doesn’t seem to have a website, so here’s a link to a Sri Lankan news article which explains more.

After our cultural experience we retreated to the pub – literally! I’d remembered ‘The Pub’ from my previous visits. It’s an upstairs bar on Sri Dalada Veediya which has a lively little balcony overlooking the street. The balcony décor hasn’t changed a bit although the inside has expanded considerably. It’s a great place to sit and sip a cold Lion lager whilst watching the world go by outside. But be aware that it’s a bit like the UK of old – local licensing laws mean they can’t serve alcohol between 2-5pm. Each evening the local birdlife puts on a cacophonous show as they come to roost in the trees outside, whirling & swooping they jostle for position on the braches until finally, they fall quiet, leaving pedestrians below to run the gauntlet as the birds relax their sphincters! It’s times like this that brollies are good for more than just keeping the sun and rain off you…

DG237705. The Pub. Kandy. Sri Lanka. 14.1.16.

Enjoying drinks on the balcony of The Pub

After slaking our thirsts, we headed for another Kandy institution further down the same road. The Muslim Hotel and restaurant is a fine old two-story colonial era corner building which services delicious and inexpensive local food. If you’re a sensitive soul just off the plane and not used to Asian standards of hygiene or way of doing things, it’s probably not for you. If you are you’ll find good food and friendly staff (if you’re willing to engage with them). We visited twice. On our first visit we shared a vegetable kottu and vegetable rotti, the second time we had a selection of egg and plain roti with curry sauce. Oh, the takeaway samosas are pretty good too…

We’d planned to leave Kandy on the train through the hills as far as Ella but found it impossible to get reservations because the day we were leaving was in the middle of the Tamil harvest festival of Thai Pongal. As I’ve done the trip several times before and Dawn was suffering from a stomach upset we decided not to risk being jammed like sardines on a packed train, so went for plan B by chartering a taxi. Not only would this give us guaranteed space, it also allowed us to stop off and visit places I’d never seen before.

You can read about our trip to Ella by road in part 4.

If you’d like to see more pictures from our trip, follow this link to my picture website.

Sri Lankan sojourn, part 2

25 Monday Jan 2016

Posted by Paul Bigland in Railways, Sri Lanka, Travel

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Railways, Sri Lanka, Travel

After four nights in Colombo we headed for Kandy and the cool of the hill country by taking a train from Fort station. We’d opted to catch the 10.35 which is worked by one of the New Chinese built S12 class DMU’s that were supplied in 2012. 13 of the units were purchased from CSR Sifang under a $101 million, 15yr credit line agreement with China. They’re similar to the UK HST’s in that they have a power car at each end, both fitted with a 1500bhp MTU 12V4000R41 engine.

DG237482. Pax waiting for the  10.35 Colombo to Kandy at Fort. Sri Lanka. 12.1.16.

Colombo Fort station is always a busy place. Here tourists mix with locals as they wait for the Kandy train.

As it was Dawn’s first journey in Sri Lanka I’d booked 1st class at 500 rupees each. Fort station was its usual busy self with a variety of Westerners and locals waiting for the Kandy train which arrived 15 minutes before departure time. As there were no seat numbers on the outside, most people were at the wrong end of the coach which produced the inevitable logjam in the middle of the car as people tried to fight their way through the aisle to the right end! The overall condition of the car was good. They’re fitted with twin sets of seats which rotate to face forward dependent on the direction of travel. Our seats were No’s 43-44 which faced a bulkhead. Legroom was reasonable and we had two small shelves mounted on the bulkhead in front. Rather surreally, two small TV screens played an Xmas themed ‘Home Alone’ film, although (mercifully) the angle of the screen meant we couldn’t see it properly. We departed Fort on time and & bumped & bashed our way out of Colombo. The problem with these push pull sets is 1st is right next to a power car. The power cars don’t seem to be set up very well which means there’s a lot of jerking & jolting. The coach has an attendant who stands in the vestibule. His job seems to be to lock the connecting doors & stop itinerants wandering in to 1st, as well as letting tourists out to wander up and down.

DG237285. S12 932. Fort.  Colombo. Sri Lanka. 11.1.16.

One of the Chinese built S12 class DMU’s working the 10.35 to Kandy.

My impression of the countryside we traversed was that not a lot has changed in 12 years apart from the age of the road vehicles! The small towns we passed through didn’t appear to have expanded, so much of the journey was through lush rice paddies & coconut groves with surprisingly few people to be seen. We stopped at a variety of stations en-route. Mirigama has a large island platform controlled by an attractive old 3 storey, red painted signal box with a shingle roof. It operates a mixture of colour light and ground disc signals. The goods shed tracks appeared abandoned and there was an old hand crane still in situ, rusting gently. From there it was a short hop to Ambepussa where a few short wheelbase & bogie covered wagons sat in adjacent sidings, indicating rail freight still flowed here. The island platform was decorated with flower beds and a small Buddhist shrine. As we sped on I took time off to explore our train which contained a mix of Westerners of all ages and types, from retired couples to backpackers. Judging by overheard conversations both the UK & Germany were well represented in the mix.

DG237514. Bracket semaphore. Rambukanna. Sri Lanka. 12.1.16.

Vintage signalling & the goods yard at Rambukkara

As we started to leave the plains behind the scenery began to change. Hills started to encroach on the line and the power cars worked harder as we began to climb. Rice paddies give way to tropical woodland. After another jerky start from the little station at Alawwa I was glad no-one was serving hot drinks on board the train! Classic semaphore signalling made a comeback at the Colombo end of Polgahawela station which is the junction for lines to the North. It’s a large place as befits its status. The main station building straddles the tracks. There’s a disused loco shed and turntable, plus an active freight yard & attractive signalboxes.

After a succession of small stations, we arrived at Rambukkara, which has a collection of lovely lower quadrant lattice post semaphores. From here the line becomes single track & our train passed through a succession of tunnels & cuttings surrounded by jungle. The river we’d been following switched from right to the left as we climbed the steep valley side. Occasionally we glimpsed paddy fields in isolated areas where the valley widens enough to be cultivated.

DG237551. 10.35 Colombo - Kandy train. East of Balana. Sri Lanka. 12.1.16.

The 10.35 to Kandy threads its way through the hills.

After a stop at the tiny station of Kadigamuwa (which rather soberingly, contains several wrecked coaches dumped by the lineside, presumably from the 2002 accident which killed 15 people) we encountered the best views yet, steep sided high hills, covered in forest, some of which was made up of massive old trees. We climbed continuously now (the line hits 1 in 44 on this section), every so often the views open out to give wonderful vistas across the valleys before another brief stop at Ihala Kotte which was another tiny, well cared for station festooned with plants of all shapes & sizes in a multitude of pots. Shortly afterwards a new peak swung into sight. Its topside was a sheer rock face that no life can cling to. In the distance, other oddly shaped hills that wouldn’t look out of place in America’s Monument valley could be seen through the haze. When the views were obscured by trees our attention swung to hunt for wildlife amongst the boughs. Sri Lanka has a rich variety of bird life, so you never know what you might see.

All too soon we arrived at Peradeniya, at 113km from Colombo it’s the junction for the line through the hills to Badulla and a fascinating station its own right. Fans of antique semaphore signals would love it as it has a fine collection of antique lower-quadrant signal gantries which are still in everyday use. There’s also a fuel depot here which brings regular trains of petrol tankers to the site. From here it’s only a short trip into Kandy station, which is another railway gem. Opened in 1867, it’s a mix of a Victorian station & Art Moderne building. It boasts 4 terminal platforms plus a one through route. Platform 1 is the through line for the Matale branch. 2 is a single track line with platform faces either side. 3 & 4 contain a loco release crossover and 5 is a shorter bay. the station has extensive sidings plus a two road loco shed and a covered road for wagon/coach repairs. There’s also a turntable which is in regular use for turning the Class W6 diesel hydraulics used on many hill country services so that they can run short nose first. The station is operated from a large signalbox fitted with a 68 lever Saxby & Farmer frame. This controls a fascinating array of lower quadrant signals on a variety of gantries. It’s like stepping back to the Victorian era, although I doubt the Victorians engineers would be impressed with the slackness of some of the signal wires, which means some of the signal arms appear barely ‘off’ when cleared!

DG237649. M7 809. Kandy. Sri Lanka. 13.1.16.

Class M7 809 sits on the head of a train from Matale at Kandy. 16 of these 994 hp locos were built by Brush in 1981. 15 remain in service.

DG237645. Y 683. Kandy. Sri Lanka. 13.1.16.

A look at the loco and carriage yard at Kandy. The shunter is Y Class No 683 which was built by Hunslet of Leeds.

Our arrival in Kandy was the end of this phase of our journey. I’ll talk about the town itself in part 3.

If you’d like to see more pictures of our Sri Lankan trip. follow this link.

Sri Lankan sojourn. Part 1

23 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by Paul Bigland in Sri Lanka, Uncategorized

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Sri Lanka, Travel

After a hectic few days exploring Colombo and the hill country, we’re kicking back on one of Sri Lanka’s lovely Southern beaches at the little town of Mirissa. It’s hard to believe we’ve already been here for two weeks as the time seems to flown by. Hopefully, now we’re on a beach it’ll slow down a bit!

I’ve not been back to Sri Lanka since 2004. Since then the bloody war between the Government and the Tamil Tigers has ended (not without controversy) and the country appears to be entering a new era of prosperity – mostly on the back of Chinese investment. Colombo is certainly changing. New multi-storey hotels are springing up all around the lagoon at the back of Galle Face Green in the area formerly known as Slave Island. It’s the same along the Galle Rd where new shopping centres and apartment blocks have replaced many of the low rise buildings. Colombo is growing in both stature – and height.

DG237443. The changing face of Slave Island. Colombo. Sri Lanka. 12.1.16.

The changing face of Slave Island as Chinese money expands Colombo’s skyline & economy

Despite this, there’s a lot that’s still familiar and unaffected by the rush to modernity. Pettah still maintains its warren of backstreet bazaars & crush of humanity of all races and religions. Manning market adjacent to Fort station still sells fresh produce in the traditional way & hasn’t altered for donkey’s years. It’s a fascinating place to wander around, watch people and discover all manner of exotic fruit and veg that many Westerners have never even seen before – much less eaten.

DG237334. Traders. Manning market. Colombo. Sri Lanka. 11.1.16.

Inside the old Manning Market, which hasn’t changed in donkeys years

One place that’s successfully made the transition from old to new is the former Dutch Hospital in the cities business district. Situated opposite the World Trade Centre, It’s a well-executed restoration of a single storey colonial building with red roof tiles that surrounds two courtyards this historic building has been transformed into a centre for several restaurants & bars. It’s home to the famous Ministry of Crab – a seafood restaurant with a reputation as one of the top restaurants in Asia (I’ll let you know if that title’s deserved before I leave as we’re booked in on our last night!).

DG237229. Ministry of Crab. Colombo. Sri Lanka. 10.1.16..JPG

The Ministry of Crab, inside the former Dutch hospital.

Food is certainly one of Sri Lanka’s highlights. Most mornings we’d start the day with string hoppers eaten at a local café near our hotel. Served with a lush coconut chutney, curry sauce and dahl, they’re both cheap and delicious (breakfast for the two of us would cost about £1.50). In the evenings we’d eat at one of the food stalls set up on Galle face Green. Here you can enjoy devilled squid for around £1.75 or seafood Kottu for £2. Vegetable rice will set you back £1. The Green’s also a great place to sit and people-watch – especially on a Sunday when it’s jam-packed with locals enjoying their day off. There’s families of all religions, canoodling teenagers glad to be away from watchful parental eyes, hawkers selling all manner of plastic toys and dozens of kids flying kites in the strong sea breeze. It’s an ideal place to people-watch & observe Colomban’s at play from the shade of one of the palms bordering the green.

DG237247. String Hoppers with dahl and chutney.  Colombo. Sri Lanka. 11.1.16..JPG

The classic Sri Lankan breakfast. String hoppers with dahl & coconut chutney.

DG237218. Selfies on Galle Face Green. Colombo. Sri Lanka. 10.1.16.

A group of Muslim women pose for a “selfie” on Galle Face Green

On our first night exploring Colombo we stumbled across a procession of priests and locals led by acrobats swirling fire wheels, accompanied by traditional drummers and dancers which disappeared into the World Trade Centre. After questioning an English speaking member of the group we discovered it was part of a ceremony to commemorate the 15 workers from the Centre who had died in a bomb attack by the Tamil Tigers back in 1997. Prayers were also said for all victims of terror around the world. We were invited to participate & sat in on the simple but moving ceremony which gave a fascinating insight into local life.

DG237076. WTC procession dancers. Colombo. Sri Lanka. 8.9.16.

Drummers in the procession to the World Trade Centre ceremony

The modernity of the business district was a marked contrast to Slave Island, the area where we were staying. Here, the old rubs cheeks with the new, although a lot of the former colonial buildings have seen better days. They’re gradually retreating under the march of time & new Chinese money.

DG237136. Old colonial buildings. Justice Akbar Mawatha. Slave island. Colombo. Sri Lanka. 9.1.16.

The changing face of Colombo. Old colonial buildings in Slave Island whilst a new Chinese funded tower dominates the skyline.

If you want to see more pictures from the trip, click on this link which will take you to the Sri Lanka gallery on my website.

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