Updated with photos!
The only bad thing that happened today was a fruit bat guano'd on my bag. /wrinkles nose/ It could have been worse -- it could have guano'd on my hair.
Kandy is a very nice town. It's somewhere between quaint and bustling. There are a lot of trees. Some of the buildings are bland, as in every town, but the prettier ones are very appealing. And there's a lot of color, and random statues of the Buddha everywhere. Different architecture than in the west. And it was fun to people watch here. People were everywhere, but no place was crowded. We spent a bit of our time today driving to and fro, but even when there was traffic, the ride was enjoyable because of the scenery.
Kandy's most notable site, which I toured today, is the Sri Dalada Maligawa, aka The Temple of the Tooth. Its construction began about 400 years ago and it claims to house one of the Buddha's teeth (he died circa 543 BC), which was smuggled into the country centuries ago by some princess who hid it in her hair. The temple grounds contain several buildings, most of which are working temples. That is, about half the people there today were praying, and the other half were touring. Four buddist monks live and work there permanently. Once again, photos would help this post, but I'll have to upload them later.
I also toured the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, which were a surprising treat. Sarath joined me there, so I learned that foreigners pay $10 and Sri Lankan pay 50 cents. /grr and lol/ Even though it's not the season for flowers, the gardens were very beautiful. They focus on trees, grasses, agaves, and herbs, with a nice orchid house, so they don't suffer due to lack of flowers.
The afternoon was calm; I hung out at the house, mostly chatting with Sarath's daughter. The women of the house have been preparing all my meals and I eat with the family. From stories I've heard from other travelers, it's not uncommon for Sri Lankan families to provide rooms for travelers, then take care of them the whole time, all for a very reasonable price.
Sri Lankans eat everything with their hands, so I learned how as well, although I probably still look like a toddler who's just learned to use a fork. The trick is to scoop the food with your fingers, then push it into your mouth with your thumb. I'll be happy to show off this new skill when I'm back home. I know my dad will want to learn it as well.
Tomorrow I head to the Ancient Cities -- several cities in the middle of Sri Lanka, some with temples dating back more than 2,000 years. As always, I may disappear for a few days, but will be back in Kandy soon. If the rest of Sri Lanka is as nice as my first two days have been, I'll enjoy it.
The only bad thing that happened today was a fruit bat guano'd on my bag. /wrinkles nose/ It could have been worse -- it could have guano'd on my hair.
Kandy is a very nice town. It's somewhere between quaint and bustling. There are a lot of trees. Some of the buildings are bland, as in every town, but the prettier ones are very appealing. And there's a lot of color, and random statues of the Buddha everywhere. Different architecture than in the west. And it was fun to people watch here. People were everywhere, but no place was crowded. We spent a bit of our time today driving to and fro, but even when there was traffic, the ride was enjoyable because of the scenery.
Sri Lankans eat everything with their hands, so I learned how as well, although I probably still look like a toddler who's just learned to use a fork. The trick is to scoop the food with your fingers, then push it into your mouth with your thumb. I'll be happy to show off this new skill when I'm back home. I know my dad will want to learn it as well.
Tomorrow I head to the Ancient Cities -- several cities in the middle of Sri Lanka, some with temples dating back more than 2,000 years. As always, I may disappear for a few days, but will be back in Kandy soon. If the rest of Sri Lanka is as nice as my first two days have been, I'll enjoy it.
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