Rosi CornwellFriday 24th janaury 2025
I woke up and had a snoozey morning, which was quite nice. Everyone dwindled away making their own journeys to Ella and then it was my turn. I said goodbye to the hostel and the lady organised me a Tuk Tuk and gave me a Kit Kat. It was the same driver as yesterday, who’d already dropped me to the station,so he was a little surprised to see me!
He made sure I was getting the train today at the specified time and then I sat and ate my left over curry. I was getting the train from Peradeniya station to Beduall (calling at Ella). As that was the only ticket available, even still I thought it was very quiet for a sold out train.
This was because I was on the wrong platform. I walked around and could see people sat waiting to board. A mix between locals and tourists, but nowhere near as busy as I’d thought it’d be!
I was a little apprehensive about where I would be on the train as it said “observation carriage” on the ticket. I’d read countless blogs about this journey, which all mentioned 1st, 2nd and 3rd class, but no observation carriage.
It was at the end of the train and I understood why it was called observation, it had 2 big glass windows. I would have loved to have a seat there!
I boarded the train and my ticket was 30. The seat 29 was by the window, but no one boarded thankfully. So I was lucky enough to sit there.
We were going backwards, so I figured out a seating position to face forwards with my head out the window.
We stopped for a while and I saw some girls taking pictures, I asked if they could take mine. I had promised Amy I wouldn’t hang out the train due to a terrible experience she witnessed last year. However I felt like this was okay to quickly have the experience whilst the train was stationary.
Another train went past and then we were off again. It was surprising how in the middle of nowhere there would still be Buddah shrines, and lots of people.
They all walked along the tracks and a lady even stood at the side of the train with a tiny baby in the pouring rain.
We didn’t go too fast, I took a stroll to look out the door, it felt very special to see the sights through an open door.
I had managed to sit by the window nearly all the way until a girl came on and said she had the window seat. So I switched places. Her boyfriend was behind me in the isle seat, so I offered to swap so they could be together.
Another girl came to sit in the window seat with her boyfriend sitting behind. I swapped again. I had made my way to a free row of seats so regained my position with my headphones on. Hanging safely out the window.
It was curious to me how the girl who wanted her window seat didn’t even look out very much, and ended up quickly swapping with her boyfriend. Hunnie you gotta appreciate the window seat!
It started to get dark which was a shame. It was also getting cold. Most people had shut their windows. I didn’t know what to do because it felt like I could still see a bit with the window open. But I gave in and shut it, and nodded off for a bit. I asked the guys behind me to wake me up when we got to Ella. Luckily I awoke before then and the guard even came to warn everyone.
I thought it had been a really cool experience, so much better than Margate to London Victoria. But I hadn’t felt like it was a life changing experience and so incredible that I wouldn’t stop going on about it for days.
I wondered if this was due to the following:
- I had an observation carriage ticket, so maybe it was different to what those in 2nd and 3rd class experience (1st class is meant to suck as the windows don’t open and it’s like a normal train. Lou was pissed she had 1st class, but managed to stand by the door the whole time anyway- see picture for 1st class carriage).
- I got the train from a different station to the usual famous ride.. mine left from Peradeniya, not Kandy and didn’t go through Nuwara Eliya, which is meant to have the best sights (or maybe it did, but it was dark and I was asleep).
- I read so much about it that it built up the experience so much and made it hard to fulfill expectations.
Don’t get me wrong I am so grateful to have had a comfy seat, and not been standing and packed in for 8 hours like many blogs I’ve read. The sights were beautiful and it was a really amazing way to see some of the vast biodiversity this little island has to offer!
As we arrived, I loved the view of Ella and felt like I’d really enjoy it here. I went straight to One Love as recommended by Amy and ordered a pizza and an rum and ginger beer. I then had an Arrack Attack, a Sri Lankan cocktail which tasted medicinal.
I was kind of tipsy which felt like a good time to stop drinking and find my hostel. I walked through Ella. It had real holiday strip vibes.
I followed the map which said I had arrived at my hostel. I however had not. I tried to call them twice with no answer. I was then successful and the guy said “come to Ella Country House” and then hung up. Which seemed odd.
A man came to meet me and then led me down some steps. It all felt a bit sketchy as there were no signs to say “hostel Rowan”. He unlocked the door to a room with 4 beds in. Two beds were taken, and I even wondered if they were set up to look like people were there, as a false sense of security.
I asked the guy why they didn’t tell people to look for country house, but he said they are seperate. Yet when he put the wifi in my phone, it was Ella country house. So it was all a bit odd. I was undecided about going back out, as it seemed like a lively fun place! I listened to my body and started to watch some Netflix and fall asleep. It was about 11.30pm.
Thankfully I was awoken by 2 hostel goers coming in from their night out. I was relieved that the hostel was real and to have company. Although not for long as they would be leaving tomorrow.
It was a short and sweet interaction, and then I fell asleep again after a long day travelling through the tea plantations, to spend the next few days in Ella.
