Hikkaduwa part 2 - Galle by train & tuk tuk

We visited Galle on 2 different days but it seemed to make sense to combine them here. We decided to take the train to Galle from Hikkaduwa station which is a short tuk tuk ride from the hotel. The cost of the tickets was a bit staggering, 120 rupees in second class - about 90 cents - for all fou of us!!! The train was a bit like the old vline red rattlers from my school days and while a bit shabby, clean with fans and big, open windows from which we were able to watch the view and the also kept the hot air moving. As far as I can tell second class just means a carriage closer to the front of the train and slightly different seats!!

While we were waiting for the train were approached by a well dressed man who said "I know you, you are at Hotel, remember me. I am chef at your hotel". Being polite tourists we were happy to chat and he advised us that the Fort at Galle was closed due to an important function with many VIPs until 2 pm. A bit disappointing but he suggested we do a tour of Galle using the government licenced tuk tuks that will give a fixed price per km and take us to some of the sights until the fort opened. He advised us that there are many bad men in Galle due to the LSD and heroin and we should be very careful who we speak to but that the drivers will keep us safe. It seemed like a fair plan so we agreed (Dan especially!).

The train trip was easy and only took about 20 minutes. We were entertained by a group of men singing and playing drums. They were very good and didn't even ask for tips! There were many new houses alongside the train line. We found out later that these houses were built following the tsanumi which wiped out so many homes along the beach and right past the train line. The government relocated the beachside families to these new homes instead of rebuilding alongside the shoreline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On arrival at Galle our new friend escorted us to the place to get the 'correctly licensed' tuk tuks and we signed up and set off on our tour. Galle is split into ethnic quarters, when the Dutch arrived there was much fighting between the different races - so they split them into different sections of the town. We drove through the Arabic and Dutch sections on the way to an old Buddhist temple in the countryside.

It had a large monastery attached to it and many monks both young and old were studying when we arrived. The temple had some beautiful old trees, the main one was the tree of enlightenment which was 1500 years old. It also had some fabulous old stone caves which the temple was crafted into. It would seem that many years ago the monks set up the temples in secluded calm spots and used caves for living and praying quarters. These cave temples have been replicated in many places we have been. Some grand, some less so.

 

We also went to a Gem mine where moonstones are mined and saw first hand the process of hand panning the mineral stones from the soil, sorting, cutting, polishing and even metalworking the settings for the jewellery, before the usual show and tell sales pitch for jewellery sales in the shop.




 

 

Back in the tuk tuks we headed out to a Turtle hatchery. This is a kind of conservation program, repopulating and repatriating turtles. The hatchery pays local fisherman 10 rupees per egg they find (the eggs would be sold for eating otherwise) and then hatch them in safe conditions away from predators and poachers before releasing them back to the sea when they are strong. Males are released after a month and females up to a couple of years later as there are far fewer. They release them at night too avoid the the natural predators. The girls are kept for longer as they do not start to lay eggs for 20 years and this way they can be kept safe from the fisherman who catch them in their nets by accident and then chop off their fins to release them or even just eat them.

The kids were allowed to handle the baby turtles and this was probably the highlight of their day!

 

Back to the tuk tuks and after a brief tour of ATMs until we finally found one that worked with our card to pay for our ride and then we were dropped off at the fort. Once there of course we realised that we had been "duped" the fort is not just a mere tourist attraction like a castle in the UK that can close, but is a working town in itself! It would never be closed! The fort provided safe refuge for many when the tsunami hit. The bus and train station were devastated and many lives lost. We were running out time for our train so we just went for a walk around the ramparts and watched Sri Lanka tussle it out with Pakistan in the test cricket match with the locals from the high walls.

While we knew we had been spun quite a line to get us to go on the tour, it was a lot of fun and the drivers were attentive and acted as guides. One was pretty funny and pointed out the canal next to the road saying "Sri Lankan swimming pool, hahahah"! The 'tour' wasn't that expensive and given these guys need to earn a living in a tough time we really didn't mind.

 

We decided to visit Galle again to have a better look at the Fort so a few days later we caught the train an hour earlier than before and low and behold there was our friendly 'chef' - busted! - We thanked him for his help last time but it seemed he didn't need to travel to Galle this time so we were left to our own devices! On arrival at Galle we were soon approached by another tuk tuk driver telling us the Fort was closed and soon after another chef from the hotel. They soon left us once he realised we were not to be distracted and we worked our way past the stream of crazy traffic into a peaceful Fort. It's an amazing place with old churches and government buildings mixed with homes and shops. Many of the buildings are quite run down but most are in use still including a county court and police station. There are many huge, old trees creating cool spaces for people, dogs, bikes, tuk tuks etc.

We visited the Sea Museum which was renovated after the tsunami. Given the reef running along the coast, there are many wrecks in the waters around the area, some as recent as the 1970s. The relics we saw sadly only represented a portion of what was there before the tsunami when much of the collection was lost back to the sea where it had come from.

We made our way up to the ramparts where it was cooler in the breeze (very hot sunny day) and walked along the outer wall. OH&S is not a big deal here and the lack of safety rails on a high viewing point was a perfect example. Also walking on a couple of wooden planks (not fixed to anything) across a gap in the wall was something us overprotected westerners would never normally have to do. I think people are expected to be responsible for their own safety (gasp!!).

 

The kids really just wanted to go back to the beach so we headed back to the station. The train was a 'slow train' and only 3rd class was available so we parted with 80 rupees this time and joined the hoards of school kids also waiting. School hours are 7.30am to 1pm so it was home time and we had to split up to find seats. Sarah stuck her head in her book and tried to avoid catching the eye of the fascinated little boys!

School children here are much less supervised and we have seen buses full of boys dancing and shouting and having a fabulous time. Dan responded to the sight by muttering about how when he goes on the bus they all have to sit properly with seatbeats on and are not allowed not make to much noise. So unfair!

It was a much longer return trip with many stops but we were soon back for a quiet Vegemite sandwich and then some serious beach time.

 

Dan

• The tuk tuk ride because it was the longest one
  
• Turtle farm because the you could hold the baby turtle
  
• The train ride because it rained and we couldn't shut the windows
  
• The fort because you could watch the cricket from the wall
  
• Moon stone mine cause I got a moon stone!!!!
  

 

Sarah

• Going on the train because there was live music
  
• The turtle farm because you were allowed to touch all the turtles
  
• Moon stone mine because we got to see all the jewellery they made
  
• The tuk tuks were fun to ride in
  
• At the fort walking around the walls there was a big hole and we had to cross on only two planks of wood!

 

Rich

Best thing - Turtle Hatchery.

There are some stunning views in Galle not least the fort and those you can get from the fort. It was funny watching some of the cricket test match amongst the locals up there in the free gallery seats! The tuk tuk ride was great and the ancient trees at the buddist temples once again inspiring. How easy it is to stitch up a tourist was very disconcerting - don't want to think too hard about that one. However the turtle hatchery was most fun. Being able to handle the baby turtles especially was outstanding they are so funny at this age, so small and vulnerable yet so manic, achieving the sort of manic speed of movement and limb never associated with them again! Seeing the much larger and mature lady turtles of up to 5 years was also very interesting and being able to touch and see them close up was fantastic. Sarah and Dan loved this trip. The joy on their faces was worth the entry fee especially when playing with the baby's. Turtle hatchery a must do for tourists especially those with kids!

 

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