Post #9 - October 8th
It’s morning and not raining. Yippee! Yesterday’s rainfall disrupted a couple of our plans so we will fit them in today. After breakfast we are going to visit 9 arch bridge. It’s a railway bridge built during the British colonial occupation and is seen to be one of the finest bridges in Sri Lanka. Of course breakfast was great. The cat got bacon that Judith took from the buffet tables specifically to feed it. She even admitted to the server that the bacon was specifically for the cat. I think she figured there would be no punishment for feeding the local cat, so she proceeded to do so with impunity.
Today was also a special day because Judith’s pretty royal blue sapphire ring ordered the day before yesterday was going to arrive this afternoon.
Nine Arch Bridge is located in Demodara, between Ella and Demodara stations. The design of the bridge is attributed to a Ceylonese builder in consultation with British engineers. It is a viaduct bridge built of stone and completed in 1921. The story goes that after construction work on the bridge began, the Great War broke out and steel assigned for this bridge was re-assigned for war efforts. The bridge work was halted, but locals built the bridge without the steel.
On the way we stop at a hillside where a number of women are picking tea. I wanted to investigate further but we were on our way to the bridge. There was a small bridge that we had to cross over on our way to 9 Arch Bridge. I noticed that there were big safety cones on one side of that small bridge and when we drove by, there was a gaping hole in the bridge deck, I could clearly see the stream bed below. The worrisome part is that we would need to cross back over that bridge.
Tea pickers in action.
We drove to the meeting place where you can hire a Tuktuk driver to take us the rest of the way. Most of the Tuktuk drivers, particularly if they’re young will trick out their vehicles, adding all sorts of after-market lighting, a sound system, decorative fringes, etc. Our driver was no different, he had all of these plus a clear plastic Buddha on its own stand. And he switched on his sound system 5 seconds into the ride.
Our Belgian train friends. I am regretting not exchanging contact information. They were a fun, enthusiastic troup. There were more of them in the group, but they didn’t end up in the photo.
On both ends of the bridge are vendors. Lots of them selling everything the standard things. Fortunately there aren’t many that follow you around and pester you. Here’s the view of the bridge from the other side.
Tourists on the bridge. You could sit on the wall on the side of the bridge but at 30 metres in height, it didn’t seem like a great idea for me to try.
We walk back to the side we started on. We’re told there is a train coming through that will stop on the bridge so we can take pictures. It’s the same line we took from Kandy to Ella the other day, just a different start time and this one, known as the Odyssey, stops on the bridge. And sure enough we can hear the train come though and it slows and stops as described. People climb off the train, people climb on the train and a ton of pictures are taken.
Climbing up to the steps to the engine car. I couldn’t get my leg high enough to reach the bottom step so one of the train staff pushed me up. The process was less than pretty, but I did manage to hang off the train.
On our way back from 9 Arch Bridge, Sura receives a call to let us know that the gem employee was at the hotel waiting for us. We travel back and we meet up with him in the reception area. The ring is pulled out and it fits perfectly. The magic of remote visa terminals finalizes the purchase and Judith has a new bauble. She is now posing and placing her hand in ways to highlight the ring on her finger; fortunately she’s just pushing my buttons. It really is a spectacular piece of jewelry and that she should wear it everywhere so we get better service.
The ring. This one is a royal blue sapphire. The most common colour seems to be a light blue, referred to as “sky” blue.
After the ring, Sura and I go to hike up Little Adam’s Peak reported to be 1141 meters in height. The start of the hike is next door at Flying Ravana which has ziplining, climbing wall, giant swing, pool and bar activities for all the thrill seekers.
Giant rope swing at Flying Ravana.
We head up the peak despite the low clouds. One of the reasons why people go up Little Adams Peak is for the view and sunrise/sunset. Given the fog, and time of day, none of those apply here. There are many people on the hike. The trail starts with many stairs which eventually gives way to trails. Since we started the hike at our resort, we’re already high up in the mountains. I’m guessing that the top of the Little Adams Peak was just less than 100 meters in altitude. It didn’t take long to get to the top. On a clear day you can see the ocean but today was not clear. We take some pictures and head back down again.
Little Adams Peak. 98 Acres Resort that we stayed at is in the background. Our room was the 3rd building from my left ear. The sparkle you see in the lower deck is Judith’s ring.
I was surprised to see food vendors at the top of the mountain. These were entrepreneurs selling snacks. I was impressed with how much product they would need to bring up that hill.
After a shower and maybe a nap for me, we are both ready for dinner. We hired a Tuktuk to go down to Ella to have dinner. Chill Restaurant was recommended by Sura. It was mostly western fare being served and was very tasty. When our Tuktuk driver dropped us off, we arranged to be picked up by him. We estimated a 90 minute turnaround. The Chill menu had “Quebec Poutine” on it but it wasn’t the real deal. Instead, mushroom gravy and melted mozzarella cheese was the combo over their hand cut french fries.
Both the Tuktuk driver and us were on time for the ride back to the hotel. We settle in for our last night at 98 acres.
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