Beeps, Honks and Blasts

The many noises of Colombo, I realized I can pretty much just sum then up into beeps, honks and blasts.

Beep beep beep: That would be a dehumidifier announcing that it's full again. Three times a day it will do that. The water reservoir filled with nearly 3 liters of water which is incredible. I'll motivate myself to get up and empty it and try not to spill any of the water on the floor.

Beep beep beep: That would be the trishaw slowing down and trying to get my attention "Taxi?", I wave and shake my head they continue on.

HONK HONK HONK: Yes, caps for shouting. That would be the buses in Colombo driving recklessly but at least announcing it along the way. These horns are so loud I just want to grit my teeth.

BLAAAAAAAST: That would be the air horn of the trains passing 5 stories below us. It could be just a short blast of the horn, but more often than not when we least expect it the engineer will just go crazy and hold that horn for what seems like minutes. All the while we just want to rush out and throw something at the train. Worse yet is when two trains pass each other and in some unwritten code of the rails both engineers lay on the horns as they pass each other. It is nerve wracking.

(Picture: The cursed passing trains)

Riding the Rails

Like father, like son. My son on the train to Kandy and me on an earlier trip to Hikkaduwa.

Pictures of the Colombo Fort Railway Station

Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo

Our fellow passengers waiting on the train

Crow inside 2nd class car


New bicycle tri-shaws

Fixing the rails

Judging by the clanking and the loud voices early in the morning as well as prolonged train horn blasts, I knew that there must be workers doing repairs on the railroad tracks.
I watched them move the heavy rails in place, and noticed that many of them were only wearing flip flops! I also noticed to older men sitting across from each other cutting the rail with a hacksaw! I can't imagine how long that was going to take.
Here are some pictures I took.