Kandy was next up on our Sri Lanka itinerary, and as we’d only left ourselves one full day there, we planned to pack in as much sightseeing as possible.\nWe hired a driver for the 100km (2 hour) drive, and arrived in the dark, just in time for dinner and an early night.
\nWe woke early to a wonderful breakfast (our first of many curry breakfasts this trip), and we were blown away by the view from our terrace. And to top it off? The sun was finally shining for us!
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After breakfast, and a short tour of the hotel’s beautiful garden, we jumped into a 3 wheeler to the Royal Botanic Gardens. Thanks to a tip from our host, Viper, we asked to be taken to the back entrance, and got to enter the gardens over a charming suspension bridge. \n | \nAnd of course, with flowers and sun, come butterflies! \n
And how could we forget the monkeys?! From the old to the young… \n
…to the downright greedy! \nBefore moving on from the gardens, we sat on the great lawn for a while and took in the views. We were soon approached by a group of school boys who wanted to practice their English, and politely asked us some questions: “how many brothers and sisters do you have?”, “where are you from?”, “what is your country’s main cultivation?“. I have to say, the last question stumped us somewhat! \nOur next stop was the Ceylon Tea Museum, where we enjoyed a self-guided tour from floor to floor. Definitely a must visit in order to appreciate the cultural history of tea, James Taylor and Thomas Lipton (not to mention British imperialism…) in Sri Lanka. \n
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We visited the temple at evening prayers (puja), and the whole experience was quite memorable. Hundreds of worshippers dressed in holy white, intricate golden carvings, flickering candles, and a smattering of curious tourists.
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