sasri2016 - Travelling to Mirissa

Oh yeah – this was an experience! You might think a train travel is just one day amongst the others – but not that sunday in Sri Lanka. “Everybody” was travelling. Trains were totally overcrowded and there is no passenger control (except when you get out of the train at destination train station). So there was like ¼ of people in train not having seats. It took at least half an hours for train to start moving from the platform and the air was standing still. So everything was as it should be – too many people, too much heat, no air conditioning or air flow, (my smaller backpack did fit to the shelves over the seats, but...) big Deuter backpack didn't. So then I was standing in the middle of old train wagon, surrounded by people, having my big backpack in the middle of alley and sweating more than normally in sauna (well temperature probably was closer 40 C than 80 C, so I kept my clothes on ;). Then all kind of salesmen started to sell all kind of things at the alley. That's probably a good business, but it was annoying when the train was so crowded and no space for them to pass by. They had really hard time to walk past me (I was probably one of biggest guys in the train and had my backpack laying there in the narrow alley).

Later, when the train got moving, it started to get easier. While air flow was established by moving train and more people did get off from the train, seats became available and the heat wasn't so bad anymore. Then I also got a seat for the last part of the trip, as most people left at the Galle station.

I am writing this (and post before this) at the “lobby” of the Riverside Cabanas -hotel. Its already past midnight and grasshoppers are jumping to the table, and singing by the river. No monkey (or much of dog) sounds. Strangly more quiet evening than last night. Well, sound of air conditioner's outside unit keeps me well aware, that we are quite well out from the actual jungle.

Fan is blowing, so mosquitos keep (somewhat) away. But I am starting to feel “the pressure” of nightly jungle and I don't want to start a fight with the monkey for my eyeglasses... so better to stop now and get to my room. But have to say, that temperature is now great (25 – 27 C) and night is beautiful.