After our crappy half day in Kalutara we wanted to treat
ourselves to a ride on the famous steam train from Columbo to Kandy. The
journey is said to be one of the most spectacular in the world due to the
scenic route of tea plantations and waterfalls toward the hill country.
After two hours in Colombo we felt relieved we’d decided
against an overnight stay as it isn’t somewhere we’d want to spend the evening
and apart from the shops, we weren’t interested in any of the other activities
Colombo had to offer. This was the vibe we got from the research we’d done
beforehand and also from the other tourists we’d spoken to. Bring on the sleepy
village of Negombo!
We’d tried to find information online so we could reserve
seats but struggled to find so much as a timetable, and in the end we agreed to
just turn up at Colombo station and enquire directly. As it turns out, the
steam train is only available to book if you are a party of 15 or more and they
try to fill the 300 available seats before it will run.
After sitting in the station canteen nursing a cup of tea
and feeling sorry for ourselves for a good half an hour, we decided to initiate
plan B; get the train to Negombo instead.
With two hours to wait until the next train so we agreed to
use the time exploring Colombo. A short walk from the station led us straight
to the heart of the infamous markets where we were offered a glimpse of what a
European city might have felt like 200 years ago. Hand carts weaving in and out
the narrow stinking streets as traders competed for attention from potential
customers. Their calls distorted into a demented holler caused by the constant
repetition of a certain word or phrase.
Even though Columbo is the tourist gateway to Sri Lanka,
you’d have sworn the men had never seen a western girl before. The stares and
cat calls came from every direction as we ambled through the busy network of
streets careful not to run over anyone feet with our matching Skyscraper bags.
In Unawattuna, Hikkaduwa and Kalutaara, we’d been used to
Matt being greeted by passers with a jaunty ‘hello sir’ and a polite smile or
reserved ‘hello’ toward me; but in Colombo it was a complete role reversal.
Every man I passed shouted ‘hello madam,’ desperate to strike up a conversation
with me whilst completely ignoring Matt. With the ratio of men to women in the
area favourable to men at 20:1, it wasn’t somewhere I’d want to be alone.
Although I’m sure they were harmless, it felt intimidating to be given so much
attention.
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