Train over Nine Arches Bridge

Hike up Little Adam’s Peak

I have to admit that yesterday, after spending the afternoon in the town of Ella, I am not impressed. It is busy and over touristed with not a lot of charm.

Today we wake and relax until our breakfast arrives on our deck at 8:30am. We ordered breakfast from our accommodations, Poomaz Peace Palace, mostly so that we don’t need to go to a restaurant on the main street.

The weather is a lot cooler than in Yala since we are in the mountains. Much more comfortable.

We start walking along the road towards Little Adam’s Peak, a well known landmark in Ella. At first we are walking (uphill of course) through traffic but it starts to lighten up. We walk past more authentic (and better priced) Ayurvedic treatment spas. I take note.

Soon we are walking (still uphill) past fields of tea plants. People are at work, picking the tea leaves. 

Once we get to the base of the trail to the peak, we continue walking up a steeper track. Then there are steps going up. We pass a tourist trap where women pay to put on dresses with super long, flowing trains and place flowers in their hair. They then are strapped in a very long swing with flower garlands wrapped around the ropes. The staff winds the swing back and up with a big pulley. At this point the look on the woman’s face seems to say “Oh my God. I can’t believe I’m putting my life at risk just to get a social media shot.” Then the staff let loose and she swings out over the lush mountainside while her adoring partner or fellow girlfriend snaps pictures of her with the train artfully flowing behind. Only to have that same train blow back over her head as she swings back. All this costs only $28 CAD. 

We continue walking up, passing the zip lining. Been there, done that. The tourists, locals and Buddhist monks do not need to hear my vast repertoire of swear words projecting from the top of my lungs. Once in Ecuador was enough.

The uneven steps seem to continue going up forever. And finally we arrive. The scene is gorgeous. John goes a bit higher on another point but I am fine where I am. Heights have never been my forte.

Walk to Soul Cafe

We head back down slowly. Letting other tourists pass from time to time. A snake charmer is gathering a crowd of people along the path. Poor snake.

I think we are heading back past the massage spa but John informs me that we are now heading to Cafe Soul which has an amazing view of the Nine Arches Bridge.

We continue walking up and up.  The scenery is very pretty but the path is sometimes steep.  Then we start going down a steep gravel path to the cafe. Timing works out that we get a perfect table for admiring the view and eating our lunch.

Nine Arches Bridge

Ella became known because of this picturesque bridge. The train passes over the bridge only a few times a day. 

After lunch we check out the bridge and walk across it. Some tourists are sitting on the bridge ledge and others are actually standing on it, all for the sake of a photo!

We park ourselves at another cafe/bar on the other side with a different view of the bridge. I have ginger tea and John has a passion fruit mojito. Monkeys are fighting and doing monkey stuff in the trees. The view is so gorgeous and we stay to watch the 3:30pm train pass.

John runs down to the tracks so that we can have different views for our pictures and videos. I stay at my vantage point in the cafe and talk to other Dutch, Germans and Polish customers as I wait.

The train is late. A crowd has gathered to take pics of the train crossing the bridge. Then we hear the whistle and everyone jumps into position.

People are hanging out of the doors and windows of the train taking pics and videos as are the people outside the train. It is a festival like atmosphere. Click here for a short video.

Walk Back to Town

John and I meet up after the train passes to head back. John says it’s only a half hour walk back to Poomaz Peace Palace. You have to love the name!

John checks Google maps and we start walking down very steep hills. After carefully walking downhill for about fifteen minutes, I say, “Thank goodness we are walking downhill and not up”.

We are in a secluded but very pretty area. John looks at his phone and does a double take before confessing that the half hour was by car but an hour and fifteen minutes if walking.

“I want a tuk-tuk”, I wail.

“We will never get one here. It’s too out of the way”, he replies. “We have to walk back up the hill to the bridge where there were lots of tuk-tuks”.

I turn to follow. Just then out of nowhere, a tuk-tuk comes racing along. I jump out and start waving like a madwoman and he blessedly stops. A miracle!

It takes us twenty minutes by racing tuk-tuk to get back to the Peace Palace.

We rest for awhile before going to a restaurant called “Chill” for supper.

My legs are starting to feel stiff. I think an Ayurvedic massage is required tomorrow.