Note: You can change font size, font face, and turn on dark mode by clicking the "A" icon tab in the Story Info Box. Please consider leaving feedback on issues you experience or suggest improvements. Has anyone taken a night train following a major event in an Asian country?
I have. If you think trains are crowded during peak hours in New York, you must experience riding trains in Asian countries. Then you may ask what is common between a crowded train in Asia and a can of sardine. The idea to see the festival was planted in our minds by George, who was our bartender at the hotel. He stated that the Kandy parade was a once in lifetime experience, two days before we were to head back to Oslo. After hearing what we were about to miss, we made plans to hit the road next morning to see the parade before we retired to our rooms that night.
The parade was fabulous, the weather was fair and the food was great. However, our only problem was getting back to Colombo to collect our belongings and making it to the airport following night as we had a night flight to London and a connecting flight to Oslo from there. I became worried when I couldn't secure first or second-class reserved seats on the night train that was to depart at 1.
Unfortunately I did not have other options, but to ride the train with two beautiful girls, therefore soon after the parade, we rushed to the train station with thousands of other people who had the same thought. Our short walk to the train station started with bunch of small groups rushing in that direction later became like a many small streams joining a one big river.
Then we were carried by a wave of people and I wasn't sure if my feet ever touched the ground till we got to the train platform. As we stood there waiting for the train, I expected a long train with many compartments to carry the masses that waited for it, but to my utter surprise, a train with three compartments approached the station.
