Horton Plains Nature Reserve & train to Ella

 Hi all,

This morning, 11 out of 15 of us left at 5am to drive to Horton Plains Nature Reserve. En route we saw a gorgeous sunrise! This nature reserve was originally called Maha Elisha Thenna, but was rechristianed as Horton Plains in the mid 1800s after former British governor Robert Horton travelled here. As we arrived, security guards were checking bags for single use plastic. They checked some of our bags but then waved Mum and I through. I found it ironic that whilst doing this they were surrounded by signs saying you must wear a face mask while hiking - perhaps the worst single use item for the environment…

The walk was great. It was a 9-10km loop that passed through two lookouts called Mini World’s End and World’s End, and then went to a waterfall called Baker’s Falls. We saw what we were sure were leopard prints on a section of the track, and later realised at the visitor centre there are apparently 23 leopards that have been spotted in the reserve. Glad we didn’t see one!!

We all stripped off jumpers etc pretty early on, and had a chuckle at all the locals we passed towards the end wearing fleece hats, beanies and long pants. It was cool earlier on, but by this time it was sunny and warm. Funny how relative the temperature is.

On the way back to the van some locals were full on frisked by the security checking for plastic. We think maybe they didn’t check us nearly as thoroughly as they know we are from countries that are far more into recycling, no litter etc. One poor man even had his genital area frisked - what the!

On the way back to Nuwara Eliya we saw a wild boar, and enjoyed a view of Adams Peak in the distance. There were so many cars going to the nature reserve at this point. We had a few close calls with spacing as the road was very narrow. The drive was very hairy (overtaking people on corners in some parts!) and we were glad when we arrived back. Nevertheless, we really enjoyed the hike and it was interesting seeing some villages and people working in the fields on the way back.

Once back, we enjoyed a shower and then Mum and I walked to get lunch at a food court. We had some chicken biryani and then had a quick look in some shops. The entire 15 minute walk back was alongside a queue for petrol. Absolutely insane. So many people are moving around these few days due to the holiday period, much like I imagine people are at home for Easter. The queue honestly was about 800m long, I wish I was joking.

I enjoyed playing briefly with a cute little girl in the hotel lobby, and then we drove to the train station. When we arrived at the station an hour early, the previous train was still sitting there delayed by two hours. We were horrified – it was so full of people sitting and standing that we nicknamed it the ‘Covid Express’. Alas, we waited for ours and it wasn’t quite as bad. However, due to the crowding on the previous train, five of our group opted to catch our bus to Ella while the remaining ten of us caught the train with Darsh.

Why were we catching the train when we had a perfectly good bus? We were going on what is arguably the most scenic train journey in Asia – the main line. We caught the train from Nuwara Eliya to Ella. This took just under three hours. However, the line was first built as a connection from Colombo to 54 km east (Ambepussa) in 1864. It was gradually extended over time, and was built by the British as a way to transport coffee and tea, and later people as well. Until the 1950s, the trains on this line ran using steam, however, these days they run on diesel. I was actually wondering if the trains would be running due to the current crisis, but all was fine due to the busy holiday period.

We raced onto the train when it arrived. It was already very full as most people board in Colombo or Kandy. We stood for a bit, and then Lisa and Carmel were very lucky as two passengers near them stood up at the first stop. I smiled and had some small talk with a family near Mum and I, and they kindly shuffled around to allow Mum a window seat and me an aisle seat on the opposite side. They eventually let me have a window seat too. They were travelling to see the woman I was speaking with's husband. "We have done this journey many times" she said "please have a seat with us". This to me was a summary of the beautiful spirit the Sri Lankan people have. They are going through such a difficult time, but their innate response to a foreigner visiting their country was to kindly offer a window seat so they could have an awesome experience. I thanked them numerous times and said how kind of them this was and how much I appreciated it. For the remaining two hours of the journey, I was treated to window seat views of the many tunnels we went through, dramatic valley views and lush greenery. It did rain for part of the journey but we were very lucky overall which was fantastic. Once they alighted, Mum came and sat next to me for the final 30 minutes.

Two quirky things I also liked about the train ride - the man selling samosas and tea walking up and down the carriages, and the young guys on the carriage behind us playing drums for parts of the journey (mainly when we went through a tunnel!).

Once we arrived, we walked through the town. It reminds me a lot of Siem Reap – a bit hippy, lots of tourists, a great place to chill. I think it has Queensland vibes as well. And wow was it fantastic to see somewhere touristy actually fairly full with tourists. More of it I say!

Our hotel is lovely. We got ready quickly and then had dinner as a group at Café Chill. I enjoyed a pina colada and a beef burger.

Looking forward to a great full day here tomorrow.

Love to all
Claire
Xoxox