A few days later…
August 20th – 22nd
Day (7-9)

So a few more observations I want to write about… actually I think we’ll skip that for now and I’ll relate my other experiences just getting around the area.
Anyway, after about a week in Sri Lanka finally felt well enough to head out on my own with the local transit system. Here, I’ll have to do a bit of explaining as the system of transit is vastly different from what you would find in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Probably the biggest difference is the majority of busses are privately owned though they do prescribe to set routes designated by numbers, for example to get to Colombo from where I am staying in Kandana means taking the Ja-ela 187 bus, or Airport bus. There are also 2 types of busses the larger 40-50 seat buses and the smaller vans, the vans are air conditioned so are a bit more expensive for the same trip, a trip to Colombo runs Rs. 24/ for the regular bus and Rs. 80/ for an AC van.

Busses come with fair regularity and the first time I went didn’t wait for more than 15 seconds (seriously) before a bus rolled up and jumped on and took a seat, the most I’ve waited as of to date is about 5 minutes for a bus. The busses themselves vary in mechanical maintenance and cleanliness, some are spotless and run as well as Calgary Transit busses, others sound like they are a large bump away from losing the entire engine and you can’t tell the original color of the interior for all the dirt – Though most busses fall somewhere in between.

The procedure for getting a bus is a bit entertaining as far as I’m concerned, you can either wait at a bus stop… I use the term loosely, or as the bus approaches flag it down. The bus slows down and the conductor shouts the destinations, you then hop on and grab a seat if available or find suitable standing room. Then after the bus gets on it’s way the conductor comes around and collects money from the new passengers. Not speaking Singhalese too well, have run into a few problems in the past but usually another passenger knows enough English to help me out. Some of the conductors also provide receipts or tickets… not sure why since no one ever seems to use or need them.

Then one just sits back and enjoys a bumpy ride listening music pumping over the speakers of the bus. The music is mostly Singhalese so don’t really understand it but it seems to suit the riding the bus and kind of grows on you. During my first trip was listening to what I though was a really catchy tune when I realized it was a couple of people who were playing music on the bus! The guy had a drum and kept beat while the girl had a tambourine and sang, it was kind of enchanting traveling down the dusty road with people singing as the bus bounced to and fro. Near the end of the route the couple passed around a basket for tips so gave a few Rupees as the experience was to be remembered.

The main bus junctions can be a confusing affair with dozens of busses moving slowly up the street trying to pick up more passengers before the leave, I’ve seen a few bus drivers roll forward and back to get people on the bus faster. In general using the bus is fairly easy and cheap way to get around, one just has to know which stop to get off at. Unfortunately there is very little in the way of documentation on the Sri Lankan transit system, routes and availability to be found on the internet or even with the transportation ministry itself. Not knowing the language can be a huge deterrent to bus travel but the experience is far better than trying to travel by taxi (and a hell of a lot cheaper).

After quite the pleasant experience traveling by bus I decided to take the local train for a few travels too and from the city. Tickets for the train are a bit cheaper at about Rs. 13/ for 3rd class but the times are a bit limited, the morning train is at 8:15 AM and the next one is at 11:30 AM. The local station is divided into two sides and to get to the other side one has to jump down and cross the tracks (a finable offense in Calgary). During the morning commute, a couple of military guards check bags at the entrance to the station, the terrorist situation is still a bit of a concern.
So after waiting a few minutes the train actually arrived 15 minutes early, it definitely had a used look to it, most of the cars were designated for 3rd class. Though the first car had signs painted in Singhalese, Tamil and English stating “Reserved for Clergy”, though either people didn’t take these signs seriously or “Clergy” encompasses a wider variety of people than I previously believed. After getting on the train found all the seats occupied so just stood near one of the door ways, actually the younger teenage passengers preferred the doorways as they would hang outside the doors while the train was moving for entertainment. The train car definitely had a bit of a used look to it but was pretty functional, there were rotating ceiling fans that kept conditions inside pretty comfortable. The passengers seemed to be daily commuters and occasionally groups would break into a song that others would pick up on as the train went on its way, then everyone would just sit as before lost in thought as their commute continued – not a bad way to travel.

One slight hiccup in the whole trip was the realization that I was indeed the victim of groping… hard to believe, I know. I brushed it off at first since I assumed it was because of crowding but even when I moved to a more open space the creepy old guy sort of followed along. I’d rather not go into details, but suffice to say it was a rather uncomfortable experience. It was only later that I learned that even among locals some people are afraid to ride the train for reasons as above and that the daily commuters have taken a very proprietary view on the train, they assume that since they’ve been riding the train for so long that a particular seat or car is basically ‘theirs’ and they have been know to force people off of train cars that are invading their ‘rightful space’. I’m not sure how much of this has been exaggerated and how much is based on truth but given my previous experience I am leaning toward the latter.

In any event travel by local transport is easy enough after the initial plunge but can definitely take a bit of adjustment. Meh, given a couple more weeks will eventually be a seasoned traveler, for now signing off for another day. Next time will tell tales of cricket and how it puts sporting events in Canada to shame – just for the atmosphere created by the audience.