Three women joined us in Hatton (should’ve been more but there were no buses due to diesel shortages so others who’d wanted to meet us couldn’t). Janina, Malar and Sangeetha walked a short distance with us around Hatton telling us about the work they do in conjunction with Women’s Development Centre (WDC). They support women and children in need in Sri Lanka’s hill country. As the women had to leave us to go to work, WDC Coordinator, Janine, invited us to walk with more women in Nuwara Eliya tomorrow, a three hour drive away.

Walking with the women in Hatton

From Hatton to Ella by train

We caught the 10am train from the gorgeous colonial station at Hatton and travelled for five hours around the mountains to Ella. It’s difficult to put into words how beautiful the scenery is and I think our pictures do this much more justice than I can. However, I attempted it in my planning blog for this section, which also includes the link to Channel 5’s The World’s Most Famous Train Journeys. This of course includes our Sri Lankan one! Click here for my earlier blog and within that is the video link narrated by Bill Nighy. It’s a must watch.

The railway children!!

Hitting the Sri Lankan news

Neth fm radio morning main news reported our news this way….(29th March 6.25 am news)

“A special discussion is being held at the Ministry of Tourism today regarding the uninterrupted operation of the tourism industry in the face of the current fuel, gas and electricity crises. Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Trade, Energy and Power S. Hettiarachchi told Neth News that Secretaries to the Ministry of Finance, Trade, Energy and Power will participate in the discussion which will be chaired by the Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga. The Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism said that the discussion will focus on providing gas to businesses in tourist hotspots as well as whether there will be no power cuts in the identified tourist areas. Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism S. Hettiarachchi further stated that attention will be paid to regularize the method of supplying fuel to tourist vehicles through the depots of the Sri Lanka Transport Board.

Meanwhile two British women are preparing to travel around the country on foot to promote Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and help Sri Lanka’s poor women and children.

Under the first phase, the two foreign women will embark on a march from Galle to Kandy today. TFT Project Manager Roshan Salpage commented on this.

“The main purpose of British ladies Marica & her friend Gill’s trip is to raise funds to support vulnerable women and children in Sri Lanka. There are 3 phases in this project firstly they walked Galle to Kandy, in the second stage they wish to walk Kandy to Trinco, and finally Trinco to Jaffna. In each phase, they wish to collect 10,000 pounds for our country. Promoting Srilankan tourism is another purpose of this project. Their Future today organization gives its organizational strength for this and a gang of university students joins in Congratulations for the walk.”

How cool is that?

Further sponsorship – If you’d like to sponsor us on this trek whilst being assured that every penny will go to those who need it, then please donate by clicking on this link Marcia Summers is fundraising for Their Future Today (justgiving.com). Don’t forget that if you’re a tax payer to declare ‘gift aid’ when doing so which will increase your donation by 25% at no cost to you. Alternatively, if you know anyone or of an organisation that may have an interest in these causes please forward this blog and above link on to them.

If you missed blog 8 then here it is.

Next up: Climbing ’Little Adam’s Peak’ and walking and talking with women Nuwara Eliya