Good morning from Trincomalee.
I'm taking you guys with me because we're going on a
10 hour train ride to Colombo.
These dogs want?
Well it's not often in Sri Lanka that you get a whole train cabin to yourself.
I'm used to going to places like Kandy,
Ella or Galle where there train is absolutely packed.
But look at this. This whole cabin,
the cabin before it, the cabin after it,
empty.
On this journey, 10 hours to Colombo.
Hello.
Hello. What do you have? What is in this?
It's string hoppers.
Ah, this string hoppers. What is this?
You don't know?
Okay, I take the string hoppers and whatever this is. Okay.
This side. This side. Oh.
This side? Ah, okay.
And give me one of those yoghurt drinks, the mango one.
Yeah, the yellow.
Yeah, this one. Yeah.
Okay.
Okay, well I know that in here, string hoppers but
this one's gonna be a surprise.
This one.
She didn't know what that was in English, so.
A leave, with
something? Eh, I don't know.
What is this?
I don't know if I'm supposed to eat this with the leave or not
and I don't even know what is inside.
Huh.
[laughter] okay.
Well.
I dunno what that is
but it doesn't taste,
oh.
It tastes pretty sour
and this, I dunno.
Right, ugh, oh my god.
This, oh my god, sorry I can't eat this.
That is so bitter.
I don't even, I don't even this this is for eating.
I think this is for smoking or something like that.
This just tastes like some
burnt leaf.
Tastes like leave that has just been
burnt by fire
and this tastes like a bit of bark, like wood.
It's just hard and
tastes like wood really. That's it.
Right, the string hoppers,
which is coming with some sambol
and some curry.
And I've no idea how I'm supposed to eat it with this curry.
Like this [laughter].
I need like a bowl or something.
That's crazy.
Am I'm supposed to just pour it all over it and then eat it? I dunno.
The locals on the train, just staring at me.
Saying, let's watch this guy make an arse of his string hoppers.
Make a bloody mess of it. I'm just going to eat it with some of the sambol.
Like this.
That'll do me.
Just like that.
There we go. Just like this.
Hello. Can I look in your office?
Can I look in here?
Yeah. Okay.
Why? Ah.
This look very old.
What is this for? You know, this for what?
This for, eh,
to get, go to the next section.
To go to the next section?
Oh this to change the track?
No this is not a [inaudible].
Have a small disc.
Which is authority to.
Oh, change the authority to change the track?
Other, other section. The other section?
Ah, okay.
Hello.
I need water.
Which one you have?
Ah, you have small one? Two small ones.
Easier to put in my bag.
Okay, yeah, two this.
This, I could not eat this. I don't know what this is.
I tried to eat but it's argh.
Ahhhhh.
Yeah, what is the name for this? Name?
Name? Name?
This one?
Name for English, no?
I need to know the name. Eh, Tamil,
Tamil? Vedtelacoo.
Uh? Vedtelacoo.
Tamil. Ved ta?
Vedtelacoo. Vedtelacoo.
Vedtelacoo. Oh yes.
This for eating? Yes.
Ah, I cannot.
This a very strong taste.
Vedtelacoo? Yes.
Ah, okay.
You have any chocolate?
Chocolate no, chocolate this.
No chocolate but you have some chocolate biscuits? Ah.
Okay, I take one packet of these.
Munchee. Yes.
Okay, only this. Okay.
How much this?
One hundred sixty.
One hundred and sixty. Okay.
[laughter]
I try already. I try.
I cannot, I cannot eat.
This have two things.
One very hard and one soft
but taste like burning, burning, like fire.
[laughter]
I cannot eat it. Okay, thank you.
Maybe easier for me to eat these chocolate biscuits?
Yes. Okay, okay, thank you, bye.
Huh, well look at this fancy looking carriage
with the big windows and the Chinese writing on it.
Wonder if this is one of the observation carriages I've been hearing about.
The ones where you have to book the ticket
as soon as they're released, 30 days in advance.
Aye.
Be nice to ride in one of those.
Hopefully I can try that sometime.
This train the New Brunswick.
"Colombo Plan Aid from Canada" it's saying.
This one, these red trains
with the steam coming out there,
that's the one I took into Galle
and I was standing in the doorway and I got covered
in the black soot because I was standing in the doorway for two hours
and got covered in the black soot that's coming out
that train.
Canadian, New Brunswick train.
Here we go. Train to Colombo.
This one I'll be on for like seven hours.
All seats non-reserved, right?
All carriage not reserved?
No, no, no. Okay, thank you.
Okay, thank you.
Sorry.
You smiley.
Happy kid.
You happy?
You smile?
Ah, he's checking the train before we leave, right?
Good.
Well we've just stopped at this wee Sri Lankan train station
Where I've picked myself up some wee Sri Lankan snacks.
Yum yum.
Some kind of vegetable curry in there.
And this one tastes like a Findus Crispy Pancake,
if you've ever had them in the UK,
that's what this tastes like.
Aye, well this looks like the commuter train.
The one that goes from Colombo, up past Negombo and all that.
Need to take a ride on that some day.
Aye.
Well, we're almost at Colombo,
so thanks very much for joining me,
for keeping my company on this 10 hour train ride that
hopefully I'm going to be able to condense down into a 10 minute video. [laughter]
We'll see. Eh, anyway
the next video is going to be some adventure from Colombo.
So, join me then,
make sure you're subscribed
and I'll see you on the next video.
Peace.