The charms of Mount Lavinia.

Mount Lavinia or Galkissa as known in Sinhalese holds an ethereal charm. A mere 12 Km from the Colombo Fort it shows the madness of the Galle road and  any main town of Sri Lanka but going away from the busy Galle Road the charm of the famous beach and the magic of the legend of the famous hotel draws in any visitor.

The beach and  surroundings draws a horde of people on public holidays and  on weekend evenings and  that is best to avoid if one prefers enjoying the beach in peace. But do go to the beach early morning when the crowds are less and you can enjoy the waves the fresh air and the ambiance in peace, though its not fully deserted.

One can behold spectacular sunsets

A train ride to the misty hills.

The train was due to leave the Fort Railway station at 9.45. We booked the new " Rajadhani Express" train box and  was at the station around 9.15. Managed to buy some water bottles and  a few biscuit packets from the station canteen. The train box was very  clean and  comfortable and  peaceful as it was less crowded than the  other coaches.

 

Speeding away from the hustle and  bustle of the city to the smaller towns dotted amidst the paddy fields, houses along the way gives one an idea of how the people live. You get a glimps of a group of women either chatting with the neighbors or kids playing in the gardens as it was the  school holidays.

The  landscape changes from flat paddy fields to the hills and  to cooler temperature. Rain slows the train down yet the journey though is long doesn't feel tiring.