World's Wetland Day

Today is World's wetland day.Visit muthurajawela to feel a real wetland.

Location - around 30 km North of Colombo in the Negombo lagoon
Name - : The name Muthurajawela has been derived from sinhalese language. Muthurajawela (“Swamp of Royal Treasure”)
Importance -: Numerically 192 flora and 209 fauna, excluding 102 species of birds have been discovered. Some indigenous floras and faunas have also been found in Muthurajawela marsh

Have A Nice Day !!

Travel to a wonderland of combined architecture and natural beauty- University of Peradeniya

Part 1 - Train line to Peradeniya

The first step of our journey, we started from Colombo Fort Railway Station stepping into Udarata Manike Express train. Until two hours time we got some rest as we were passing the familiar towns and buildings. The real journey started coming near to the Rambukkana station as the two line railway track became one railway track leading us to the wonderland. The train stopped with a cloud of smoke where we got down to the station to observe the ruins of the first intercity train which was destroyed by falling into the range of paddy fields on its first journey to kandy in 2002.This was one of the most depressing incidents of the history of Railways.

Rambukkana Railway Station

The Ruins of the Destroyed Intercity Train

 The guard master of our train waved his flag as a sign to start the train, So we all ran to our seats in the train. The driver of the train switched the lever to climb up the slope as the starting point to the Kandy route. This slope is the longest slope which is1:50 which the Trains of Sri Lanka will have to undergo.

As the wheels of the train hit the railway track in this inclination the surrounding was large rubber estates and forests covered with granites. Then we approached to the “Lonely station”, Kadigamuwa. This station is far away from the city and in between forests. This was a totally different feeling on our way to hill country.

Kadigamuwa Railway Station

The “Ihala Kotte” station which was Alagalla in past due to the Mountain Alagalla situated above the station. This Alagalla Mountain has a historical story behind in 1948. When Sri Lanka got her independence in 4th of February 1948 from the British rule the villages to see the gaining of independence they all climbed up this mountain, up to now it has been past as a cultural happening on our independence day most of the people climb up this mountain.

Ihala Kotte Railway Station

Alagalla Hill

The next specialty near this station is the passing of “Miyangalla” tunnel No: 5A.This takes the place as the second longest tunnel in Sri Lanka. This is not natural neither man made, this was formed when a railway track was constructed below the rail track as there was a dangerous train accident happened on this track. At present the track which was constructed newly is being used and when passing this station the past track is to be seen. We reached the station “Balana” after passing few other stations. Balana is known to be a Plateau(a land which is in between two mountains).In 1930s when British tried to build a railway track to kandy there was a saying that the British will never do that passing Balana, Motana and Alagalla mountains. However by using tunnels and plateaus they have built a track.

Old Colombo - Kandy Road

When traveling further away from Balana “Singha Hisa” a stone which is formed in the shape of a lion’s head can be seen.

Lion's Head

After departing from “Sinhga Hisa” we saw the Colombo-Kandy main road below us this was very important to us as we could not see any roads from Rambukkana upto now. We happened to reach here in between mountains and forests which was an amazing experience.

We brought the climbing of the uphill to an end from the station Kadugannawa. Then we happened to travel in the flat land. The captain Dorzan tower was to be seen on the right side of the railway track. Captain Dorzan was the main Engineer who planned the Colombo-Kandy main road, as a gratitude this tower has been made here.

We passed all the stations which will make us to experience a lovely journey and entered to a railway track which passes many trains through town. When reaching near to Peradeniya passing Pilimathalawa at one point we crossed the main road, where the High Way Museum which has many equipments and vehicles to examine which were used in making the Colombo-Kandy main road.
We reached the Peradeniya Junction, which the railway tracks are connected as a triangle. All the trains which come with in this triangle can be turned to other direction without changing the Engine.

Peradeniya Railway Station

We got into the Kandy train from Peradeniya junction to approach Sarasavi Uyana station and Finally, we reached the University of Peradeniya getting down from the Sarasavi uyana Station.

Sarasavi Uyana Railway Station

To be continued...

The most delicious Cup of Tea with full of Gratitude

Traveling as a Social worker was the most awesome job ever one can do in her life. Lot of things to see, lot of things to hear, lot of things to feel. There is no end to see the gratitude of people around and the sense of the nature. We started our journey at around 1.00pm from Colombo in a luxurious Air Conditioned vehicle to Badulla. On our way off this 219Km we walked into many places to get our tea and for Dinner.

We passed many places on our journey in which the Belihul Oya was the most significant. The capturing sound of the Belihul Oya made us to stop our vehicle near the spring to embrace the coldness it bestows to us. The embraced coldness still remains within us to visit back to the oya again. When we reached to Badulla it was around nine in our clock which remembered us the pillow and the bed towards the freezing night.

On the second day our schedule was to travel Passara area where we had to meet some people who have been abandoning in Tea Estates. The path that we have to take was narrow and steep where we lost our minds looking at the marvelous tea bushes in line and the dew drops falling down from the sky. The nature and the people together smiled with us leaving behind a thought in our selves.

People lived in houses with partial roofs and the ground plated with cow dung with incredible odor. Animals hang around inside and outside the houses for food. Children were shivering with coldness and rain water falls all over the houses. Most of them worked for estates plucking tea leaves. Their livelihood is miserable; each and every day is a struggle to find money.

As we were lingering over the narrow paths a woman we have never met welcomed to her small house with a smile to have a cup of tea. The house gave tremendously a bad odour of cow dung. We were offered with a broken chair and she left to the kitchen and brought us milk tea, which nobody wants to taste it in a place like as such. Some for the sake of her kindness however drank it while I refused it with a smile. The very next moment she came with a cup of tea full of gratitude which I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

It was the most delicious cup of Tea which I tasted ever in my life. I have never met her and in future I will never meet her, neither I cannot remember her face but even today when I happened to get a cup of tea from somebody I always compare her cup of tea in which her taste cannot be brought up by any person nor a great chef of hotel.

I do not have any photos to show her gratitude so, I am writing this story on my blog as a token of showing gratitude.

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The Lighthouse in Galle- A Glamour to Galle Fort

The Lighthouse in Galle which is about 26.5m in heights and 47m in range, made out of cast iron is one of the oldest Lighthouses in Sri Lanka. This round white tower has become a giant who protects the lighthouse. If you happen to pass by climb up and see how man has developed such an amusement.

Feel the Sea breeze on top of the Sea- Fort of Galle

If you travel around 125Km from Colombo to the beach you will find an enormously huge granite rock covering the sea which is said to be created by Portuguese in 1588 during their reign in Sri Lanka and later handed over to the Dutch in 1649 onwards. At present this is one of the illustrations to show the European culture in Sri Lanka.

Each and every step you keep on a stone on this rock sense you the Portuguese and Dutch rule in 17th Century. The sea will be lower than your feet; a slight salty wind pushing you towards shore. The sun shines brightly over the ocean as if you to touch the sun with your palm. The sea side wall of the Fort is another unique European culture to be marked.
Each and every step you keep on a stone on this rock sense you the Portuguese and Dutch rule in 17th Century. The sea will be lower than your feet; a slight salty wind pushing you towards shore. The sun shines brightly over the ocean as if you to touch the sun with your palm. The sea side wall of the Fort is another unique European culture to be marked.

 

Path to Explore Sri Lanka