| Two children walk to their school
along the Kandy / Colombo railway line at Nandana Uyana. The line, famous for the
beautiful views of the hill country, was built in the mid-nineteenth
century to help get the coffee crop to market. It is also used as a
footpath. School days begin early here. |
The trains pass close to our house and are very
noisy. They take 2.5 to 3 hours to wind their way up from Colombo to
Kandy. Near this point there is a sign for train drivers saying
"Weak Sleepers, 30kmph" but this makes no difference to
those nearby in their beds! |
| The Kandy / Colombo road preceded the railway
and was built by the British in 1820s to open up the centre of the island
to encourage trade and discourage rebellion amongst the Kandyans. At
the village of Kiribathkumbura near TCL there is a Highway Museum
which is home to four ancient traction engines. In the background are
bright orange king coconuts on a tree. |
This lorry is of a typical
type. It is unloading logs at the sawmill directly opposite the TCL
entrance. There is a problem of deforestation in Sri
Lanka. Many people, in rural areas especially, burn wood for cooking
purposes. The growing economy (5%+ per year) means that there is
also a strong demand for construction timber. |
