Considering public transportation in Sri Lanka, train is the most suitable and easiest transport mode for the passengers I guess. Though it is not spread all over the country it has covered only up to certain areas in our country. My concern is not about the trains or the history of the trains but the stories and incident which took place in the train while I was travelling.
I used to travel by train from my place to office and vice versa. Even when I go to my home town when at holidays. I meet people who are traveling and going on trips. Even at nights. They are singing, shouting. Most of them are not bothered about the tempo or the verse. They are using conga drums and rarely guitars. If both are not in their hands they use the doors or body of the train. Sometimes it become a disturbance to the others but most of the times it is good. When it is turning out to a bad situation I use hand free to overcome that.
Selling foods in the train is another thing that we can see in the train. Number of sellers can be found between Rambukkana and Kadugannawa. Wade, vegetable rotee, mixer and bites, coffee, cool water, apples, oranges the most common things which we can buy easily. I have seen a lady who sells helapa and string hoppers. I too tasted helapa once or twice which is not bad to say.
Tourists who travel by train are mostly like to capturing pictures. Some of them read and some of them plug with locals and enjoy their journey.
If you do not find any beggar while you are travelling by the train it is like that you go to sea for fishing and come with empty. Some come with children. Some come with wounds in their body. Some are disabled. It is very difficult to find who lies and who is tells truth. More of them are treated as liars by the passengers. But they get money from them. I do not have a memory the last day I was gave money to a beggar in the train.
May be there are things which I missed here to mention. I guess it is less. Any way it is good to travel by train which I always believe.
Saga 