Savage to Sri Lanka. A guide for dummies (episode final)
The train suddenly stopped. He had stopped before, but this time he somehow specifically stopped. The head of the train got out and proceeded to the tail of the train. Some men follow. People began to get out of the cars. How do you like the situation? And what is happening, do not ask! By that time, the racial composition of passengers had changed dramatically. Almost all Europeans managed to leave, and their places were taken by local residents. But there were few of them. Apparently, most were traveling 3rd class. Although, it is not clear what prevents you from buying a ticket to the 3rd class, traveling in the 2nd class, and when disembarking, simply return to your car and get out of there. While we were driving, we did not see any controllers. Tickets are checked on the platform.
But that's not what I'm talking about. It was slow, however! Deep down, somewhere very deep, I knew that everything would be fine. But on the surface... We tried to joke and speculate, what happened? They giggled nervously. And in my head scrolled possible options for a way out of the situation. And there was no way out! Hire locals to haul our things somewhere? And they will take and scatter in different directions along with things. And where, in general, to drag? What other transport is possible here? Helicopter?
We had no choice but to wait for our fate and rely on the Ministry of Railways of Sri Lanka. The road is single track. Until our train passes, the oncoming one, respectively, will also not be able to pass. We simply cannot be left here to the mercy of fate! Or can? The Ministry of Emergency Situations will be connected and everyone will be evacuated! Or they don't evacuate. There are two options.
And the Brownian movement continued. People scurried back and forth from car to car and along the canvas, got out and came back. The fact that he came in inspired some optimism. And most importantly, no one dragged any sledgehammers and various other pieces of iron needed for repairs. If something is broken, it needs to be fixed! Although... There are other ways.
An orange monk marched past the carriage to the tail of the train. After a while, he proceeded in the opposite direction. After a while, the head of the train and a group of men passed. A couple also walked through our car, one of which showed us a finger raised up and said “OK! ”. Maybe, of course, he admired my or Verka's beauty, but we interpreted his gesture as we really wanted - everything was repaired! The monk did his job!
What actually happened there, one can only guess. I don’t know how she managed to see this, but Verka claimed that the last car went off the rails with one wheel, and, in the end, the problem was solved very simply - they unhooked the car. The locomotive roared twice, and the people hastily began to jump back into the cars. We stayed for half an hour. And it seemed to us that for an eternity.
We drove a few hundred meters, and a small temple appeared outside the window. That's where the monk came from! It turns out that not such a wilderness here! In general, Sri Lanka, according to my observations, is densely populated. Of course! I would live here myself! And what? I was accused of heartlessness here, like I undermine the economy of the island, I do not feel sorry for the unfortunate local residents. Why pity them? Do they need expensive gas and coal for heating their homes? Or mink coats and fox hats? Or boots? Not! Bathing suits are not needed. Maybe you need to spend a lot of money on pouting, hair extensions and glueing eyelashes? I do not think. And with food, everything is much simpler for them - chew coconuts, eat bananas! Lepota! We need to feel sorry for us.
We arrived at some large station. Again we stand for a long time. Previously, the stations were delayed for a couple of minutes. Apparently, they assembled an expert commission and went to draw up an act of decommissioning the car. Or maybe we went to unhook another car so that it would go faster. Whatever it was, but half an hour we again protorchali. Imagine what it's like for people traveling in the opposite direction. That uncoupled wagon still needs to be removed from the road so that it can pass unhindered.
It's getting dark. And it got really sad. Nothing is visible outside the window. Only sometimes, by the rare lights above, it was possible to guess that we were still in the mountains.
In general, it was insanely boring, worse than on an airplane. True, a group of students entered Kandy, noisily playing cards. But they also came out soon.
We dragged ourselves into Colombo at half past eleven. Despite snacking on sweets bought from peddlers, I really wanted to eat! In addition to the amount set aside for the fare to the airport, I still had a few rupees left.
We left the station building - Colombo does not sleep! Despite the late hour, all the shmarki stalls were working. People on the street! Those who got tired slept right there downhill on the sidewalks, especially a lot near the station building. I really wanted to go to one of the local taverns, but Verka flatly refused with hysterical notes in her voice. We came to a place where buses were parked along the sidewalk. There must be a commercial bus station around here somewhere. I read that the government bus to the airport runs until 8pm. At night, only a commercial bus runs from a commercial bus station. The state one, which we arrived at when we arrived, is located across the road.
Having reached the buses and not finding the route 187 we needed, we stopped. The tuk-tukers are here. But I brushed them off because I read that it’s not worth going to the airport by tuk-tuk - it’s too far. The driver of one of them was still trying to communicate with me. Said the bus to the airport stops here. Okay, let's wait. The tuk-tuker was not far behind and offered to take us for one and a half pieces (10 bucks). I didn't agree. Then, seeing that there would be no use for me, they showed me where the bus we needed actually stops. I went looking. It was necessary to pass through the market teeming with people. Then she just blunted that I had a wallet with a thousand dollars hanging around my neck. She grabbed him with a death grip. No one attacked me and even suggested where to look for the bus.
This one was not the same as we drove from the airport. Some small one. The driver is sleeping in the seat. Joyful that I found the bus, I ran back. Vadik and Verka no longer knew what to do. Where can I be found? I took them to the bus. The driver woke up, put our things near his seat. The conductor began to call out in a heart-rending voice. If I didn’t know, I would never have understood where this bus was going. Something like “Ipootipootipootipoot” shouted out in a tongue twister would not have helped me in any way in understanding.
People crammed like herrings. Almost sat on my head. But that wasn't enough. Having moved to the opposite side, the bus stopped at the curb near the state bus station, and the conductor continued to yell his gibberish. Do they all need to go to the airport? Where are the freaks? But along the way, many got out. We drove for a long time and not on the highway (seemingly).
They finally arrived. Coming out, I hand the conductor 500 rupees, counting on a hundred square meters of change (upon arrival, if you remember, we paid 130 rupees each). Where there! The conductor first said - "900", but when he saw our things and came to his senses, he raised the rate to 1400! It's a good thing we didn't have dinner, and I still had rupees. I gave away almost everything I had. Buddha is with you, goldfish!
The remaining about three hundred rupees was spent on crackers at the airport mini-supermarket.
At the check-in desk, the girl said that we would take a flight not at 4.55, but at 4.05 (there were actually two flights when I bought tickets). The flight with the shorter connection was a bit cheaper, so of course I bought it. And then, for some reason, they decided to transplant us.
Wai? - I ask. Well, she answers: “Bikoz………. . ” As you understand, I heard only one familiar word - the first. Yes, what does it really matter to us, why? The earlier we sit down, the earlier we leave! "OK! " - I say.
But there was a difference. Instead of three hours, we only have two left to loot the Dutik. I'm running out of perfume, Vadik needs to buy whiskey for presents (as part of the fight against corruption).
And the dutik turned out to be quite sad. There are no samplers or price tags on the perfume. Everything had to be asked. Very uncomfortable. Perfume prices are outrageous! Last time I bought a hundred of perfume for $77. And now I had to buy 50 eau de toilette for almost the same money! Kapets!
There is nothing interesting in the booze department. Vadik was upset.
And then we discovered that there was more than one dutik there. In the second there were shares in whiskey, and in sweets. There is where to roam! I didn’t look at the perfume anymore, so as not to be upset. There is a possibility that there are not even two dutiks. But we didn't have time!
You can't imagine how tired I am! I got up, if you remember, at the beginning of the sixth, to meet the dawn. A one and a half hour walk across rough terrain at a very fast pace. Then beer, then 12 hours on the train. And all this time on edge. It's been almost a day on my feet. I even vaguely remember taking off. It’s good that the plane was not packed to capacity, and Verka sat down in three empty seats. And I curled up in two chairs. I managed to sleep for a couple of hours, although in a less hard mode I would never have been able to.
In the next plane, there was no longer any question of any dream - the day had come.
In Kyiv, surprisingly, it was quite sunny. They called the same service as during departure. For all the same 250 UAH. We got to the South Station, more precisely, to the Pot-bellied Hut. I foolishly played it safe and bought tickets for a later train (we now have two of them). It's bad when there is only one train. It turns out that when two - too bad! The agony of choice begins. What if the plane was delayed? And instead of leaving at 16.37, we had to wait as much as 18.55! So, we sat in the Hut for an indecently long time, and this was, perhaps, the most painful part of the journey. I really wanted to lie down on a shelf and sleep for a day! And you also need to drink for the successful end of the trip! It was supposed to be done on the train. Is there enough strength? Folk, I look, and in the Hut it’s calmly sour. And for yourself, what can I do so that with a clear conscience immediately go to bed? But there is a danger that we will be completely blown away, and we will stay the night here, or we will lose half of the clunks. No way! Hold on to the last!
And we survived! We drank cognac on the train and slept so well! Until seven in the morning! I honestly planned to sleep until noon, until the train arrived, but the body refused to sleep during the day even on pain of death!
And now - the most interesting. Was it worth it? Well, count and think for yourself.
I paid $455 for the tickets. It is not cheap. If you're lucky, you can catch much cheaper. I was not lucky. We managed to save 5 bucks on a visa, having received electronic permission in advance. But this is the thing. If we get lucky. We were lucky. The biggest savings came from the transfer. By taxi it would cost about 50 bucks to Hikkaduwa. We paid, in this case, 6. From Ella, I don’t even know how much the transfer could cost. Maybe a hundred bucks. We paid 16 (train tickets + airport bus). Worth so much spent nerves? See for yourself. I don't feel sorry for mine. According to recent studies, nerve cells, however, are restored. True, not everyone, but quite a lot of drinking people. I really heard this (everyone hears what he wants). I do not care. I don't regret it at all. Adventure is more valuable than any stupid money.
I made Vadik calculate how much we spent. That was not easy. He drew a leaf, like a bullet, and conjured over it for a long time. It turned out that we spent $ 222 on the nose. This is all that we spent directly in Sri Lanka (hotels, transfers, food and even some shopping). It seems to be good? From this amount, you can subtract 250 - the cost of housing (10 nights with breakfast). If you find a tour cheaper - go ahead! But keep in mind that you will not have a kitchen there, and in order to cook shrimp, you will have to pervert. However, I described my difficulties. In addition to some savings, when traveling independently, you get complete freedom of movement. In general, if the crazy idea comes to me again to return to Sri Lanka, I will do otherwise - I will book one or two nights in Hikkaduwa or Unawatuna, and I will find accommodation already on the spot. Booking takes a minimum of 15% on top. And there will be no surprises during the settlement. I came, I saw, I paid. At the time we were there, there were very few people. I think that there are absolutely no problems with housing there. Ella is a different story. I see no point in running through the mountains in search of housing for a couple of nights. Although, different people repeatedly came, and the owner showed them the rooms.
Oh yes! I also bought insurance. I managed to find at the lowest price - 255 hryvnia. Thank God it didn't come in handy!
Plane tickets - 1365
Two way transfer - 22
Insurance - 28
Hotels - 250
Total: 1665 for 3 people for 10 nights at breakfast
I do not include a visa, its cost is not included in the package.
As I already wrote, at the place it was spent for three (food, travel, some of the purchases) - 416 dollars. This is a little more than we spent last time in Goa. But we ate there in a cafe, but rum is immeasurably cheaper there.
In general, thanks to my stinginess, aggravated over the years, reaching, at times, to the point of absurdity, we went, I think, very well. Personally, I liked it! I hope that my writing was not only entertaining, but also, in some places, useful.
I think that after seeing the numbers, lovers of package tours will calm down - absolutely commensurate! And lovers of independent travel will also calm down - they probably spent less than me. That's good! May everyone see what they want!
