After reading a few stories about the packed trains in Sri Lanka, we got a 5.30am tuk tuk so that we would be at Colombo Fort train station in time for the first train of the day at 7am. We booked the tuk tuk with a friend of our hotel owner who had sat at our hotel all day waiting for us to crack and to give into his price. Seen as we are traveling around Sri Lanka, we wanted to go for the cheapest option which was a tuk tuk and then train, however we did not understand the guys logic when he asked if we wanted to go by car or tuk tuk as he had both. Tuk tuk was the cheapest so this made the most sense, however for his own sanity we didn't understand this. Surely it's quicker, safer and costs less to use a car? The ride there was interesting with only a few near misses of crashes and crushes. On arrival at the station, we located the office to buy or tickets. This went too well, tickets were bought for 380rp and we found the platform straight away.

The scenic train that runs all the way down the coast line was filled with all kinds of wierd and wonderful events. A women playing tambourine and singing/whaling in Sinhalese; a man playing jingle bells on a little wooden flute (on repeat), people selling battered shrimp, samosas, drinks, sweets and bread; and horrifically deformed and disabled people were shuffling up and down the train begging. In this case iPod and sunglasses are essential as you pretend not to hear and pretend to be asleep.
The journey was so simple and easy. In no time we were having a stroll down memory lane (Unawatuna beach road) which is where we spent a week last time we visited. On first sight nothing had changed, until we walked on to the beach. It was unrecognisable as it has been extended in width and length and all the cool little bars had gone. We were disappointed as the water used to lap right up in to the bamboo bars and at one end of the beach was an empty beach. Now the beach is a 100m wide and 800m long. Bizarre but still rather beautiful and enchanting. We spent the afternoon the chilling. Well.... Matt sat doing equations in an attempt to understand his new book better. "Why does E=mc2" by Brian Coz.
M & C xxxx