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Bandarawela

 

The following day we wound our way up into the highlands stopping at a waterfall, with an interesting way of saving the environment, to the British built Nine Arch Bridge.

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From here we would walk, along the railway track, up to Ella station. Wendy led the way.

It's an active railway but trains are not frequent and one had just passed as we set out.

The railway is a tribute to Victorian engineering. It's wide gauge (5' 6"), single track, with passing loops and numerous tunnels. It winds its way all the way down to Colombo. Just surveying the route, before construction, must have been a herculean task.

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Above: Ella Station and bar - the best mojitos of the trip

 

Stragglers in our party arrived half an hour later, by which time we'd finished our mojitos in the pleasant bar near the station.

 

The next stop was nearby Bandarawela. The Bandarawela Hotel is a century-old British-colonial property built during the development of the hill-country railway. As we guessed, judging by the general milieu, the hotel had a 'European Only' policy until Sri Lankan independence in 1948.

At over 1,230 m (4,040 ft) above sea level it's known as Sri Lanka's first mountain resort hotel, "consisting of 33 comfortable colonial rooms with British furniture".

We liked it and spent quite a bit of time in the well-stocked bar. The back door of our big, traditional bathroom opened into a pleasant garden retreat.

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We were not so keen on the town, that, in places, smells of sewerage, and has at least one feral dog pack. 

As we had the best part of a day to explore, we got a tuk-tuk back to Ella, through the tea country. 

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Ella resembles hippy influenced resort towns everywhere - think Byron Bay or Bali: Candles, cotton, crystals, German tourists, but most importantly cafes' and bars and restaurants. On the way back was this intriguing pedestrian crossing. The guard-rail had a considerable drop on the other side.

Leaving Bandarawela we again travelled through tea country to Nuwara Eliya.

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The tea pickers are largely (all?) Tamil and thus Hindu, so this temple is well attended. The monkeys like it too.

 

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Travel

Europe 2022 - Part 1

 

 

In July and August 2022 Wendy and I travelled to Europe and to the United Kingdom (no longer in Europe - at least politically).

This, our first European trip since the Covid-19 pandemic, began in Berlin to visit my daughter Emily, her Partner Guido, and their children, Leander and Tilda, our grandchildren there.

Part 1 of this report touches on places in Germany then on a Baltic Cruise, landing in: Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Sweden and the Netherlands. Part 2 takes place in northern France; and Part 3, to come later, in England and Scotland.

Read more: Europe 2022 - Part 1

Fiction, Recollections & News

Christmas 1935

 

When I first saw this colourized image of Christmas Shopping in Pitt St in Sydney in December 1935, on Facebook  (source: History of Australia Resources).

I was surprised. Conventional history has it that this was in the middle of the Great Depression. Yet the people look well-dressed (perhaps over-dressed - it is mid-summer) and prosperous. Mad dogs and Englishmen?

 

 

So, I did a bit of research. 

It turns out that they spent a lot more of their income on clothes than we do (see below).

Read more: Christmas 1935

Opinions and Philosophy

A modern fairytale - in a Parallel Universe

 

I've dusted off this little satirical parable that I wrote in response to the The Garnaut Climate Change Review (2008).  It's not entirely fair but then satire never is.

 


 

 

In a parallel universe, in 1920† Sidney, the place where Sydney is in ours, had need of a harbour crossing.

An engineer, Dr Roadfield, was engaged to look at the practicalities; including the geology and geography and required property resumptions, in the context of contemporary technical options. 

After considering the options he reported that most advanced countries solve the harbour crossing problem with a bridge.  He proposed that they make the decision to have a bridge; call for tenders for an engineering design; raise the finance; and build it.  We'll call it the 'Sidney Harbour Bridge' he said; then less modestly: 'and the new crossing will be called the Roadfield Highway'. 

Read more: A modern fairytale - in a Parallel Universe

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