Life In An Eco Village
Day 1 – Wednesday
Kadolana
Kadolana Eco Village is in the midst of a disused cinnamon plantation at the edge of Madu River in southern Sri Lanka. The nearest town is Ambalangoda. It opened only four months ago and I read about it in Royston Ellis’s newsletter only last Sunday. It looked the ideal hideaway for a few days of peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of Colombo. I made a reservation and drove there on Wednesday.
The car laboured up a steep dirt track to the simple wooden gate with a bell. Asoka, limping but smiling, opened the gate and showed me where to park. Yasas greeted me with a glass of chilled melon juice.
My rustic chalet had a roof of woven palm fronds, an open air bathroom with hot and cold water and a four poster bed. The view from the verandah of the wide sweep of the shimmering river with prawn nets stretching from its banks was magnificent. The sun was intense but there was a cool breeze from the river.
Bathroom – open to the sky
Lunch At Kadolana
I had lunch in the open sided dinning room. Vegetables are home grown organically and Bandara is an expert cook. I ate excellent spicy tomato soup, boiled rice decorated with fried curry leaves, bread fruit, curried sea fish and fried river fish, banana blossoms, cabbage, tomato & cucumber salad, aubergine pickle, fried dry fish and fried dry red chillies. Fresh fruit salad with ice cream and a blissful siesta came next.
Andadola Station
The quaint little railway station of Andadola is only a short walk from Kadolana. It was built only ten years ago to serve villagers living along Madu River but Ceylon Government Railway is yet to provide a shelter for the two men who operate the barrier at the level crossing. They have 12 hour shifts and have no toilet facilities, water or electricity. They have to listen and watch out for approaching trains to decide when to operate the barriers!
Ruhunu Kumari, the express train to Galle, thunders past the Andadola station
Level crossing operator and his shack
A Dip At Sunset
The pool at Kadolana is magnificent. It sits at the edge of the property overlooking the river. The water is pleasantly warm even in the evening.
A trim and fit looking French woman in a black leotard spread her yoga mat on the terrace next to the pool and indulged in serious yoga. Just watching her gave me back pain! I ordered a cool beer and eased myself in to the warm water as the sun set over Madu River.
Kadolana Eco Village
- Royston Ellis Royston Ellis (born 10 February 1941, Pinner, England) is a British writer heavily influenced by the American Beat Generation. Ellis began his career with two …
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