Ode to Antibac

After two chilly nights in the highest hotel room in the highest hotel in Sri Lanka, the ominously empty 'Rising Lion', we lucked out to secure the last two seats in the sought after 'observation saloon' on the marathon train journey from the mountains down to Colombo. The scenery was truly mind boggling - misty valleys, rolling green hills, gravity defying waterfalls. Post cards do not even start to do justice the beauty of this island. The only clearings in the lush vegetation are randomly placed cricket pitches and one or two volleyball nets (?). Among striped rows of tea bushes, heads of tea pickers, with large baskets on their backs, would occassionally appear and wave enthusiatically to the train.

The bad news was that, although we were in an exclusive train carriage (after paying $5 for the 8 hour journey), the toilet was shared with the other hundreds of passengers. Attempting to go to a dirty toilet sucks. Attempting to go to a filthy slippery mess of a toilet in an irratically shaking railway wagon, as it negotiates jerky sharp turns of a hundred year old mountain track, makes one seriously consider peeing one's pants instead. The only successful technique (for no 1) was to spread both feet against the back wall (in order to get some friction and avoid an accidental faceplant), and support the weight of the body with the head against the other wall. In this precarious diagonal position, with one hand bracing against the door and the other aiming at the hole in the floor, it is theoretically possible to go to go about one's business. Needless to say the antibac bottle came in very handy.

Probably the most memorable moment was when we spotted two young boys with a cricket bat, waving at the passing train. As we had three brand new tennis balls in our bag, we threw one to them. Although the train was moving around a corner we could just about see the younger of them excitedly run to the ball, the older brother simply raising a hand in appreciation. It made our day and, possibly, theirs too.