Another big transit day today, this time from the secluded paradise of Back to Beyond in Sigiriya to the new and dizzying heights of Kandy. Unfortunately this morning I had learnt about Belgium’s exit from the World Cup so I was not in the best of moods when we loaded are bags into the van and set off down the dusty bumpy road that separated us from the rest of Sri Lanka, but the rest of the day was a much better affair and it has proved once again that this country is simply amazing.
The first stop was completely unplanned and en route to Kandy: a Spice farm up in the hill country. It was one of those places along a road that you would not have noticed if you didn’t know what to look for. We were taken around (free of course but a tip is always welcome) by someone at the farm and show the various spices that were being grown, from pepper to cloves to sandalwood to cinnamon. Not only that, but we were shown various herbal concoctions that were useful for different reasons. The most impressive was a hair removal cream that burned away some of the hairs on the bottom of my leg, and that impressed me enough to get a few jars for future use. My brother and I were also treated to a “free” massage with red oil that was incredibly therapeutic but quite an incredible experience. The tactic of free tours worked wonders of course because we ended up spending a fair amount of money on various cosmetic touches. We also spend over an hour at this farm, so our arrival into Kandy was substantially delayed.
When we did finally arrive at the city I was astounded. It was nothing like any other part of Sri Lanka I have seen so far. It is a luscious green valley with regular rain, giving it a feel like the foothills of the Amazon. The main difference was that there were tuktuks driving everywhere and there are more saris that you would see in South America. Likewise the hotel was far different from the other places and even had a swimming pool! That is something for the morning though.
A quick lunch later and we left to see the Temple of the Sacred tooth relic, the main attraction of Kandy. Unfortunately I had had a lapse of concentration and forgotten to change out of my shorts so I was denied entrance to the temple until a man selling sarongs sensed my desperation and offered me a sensible article for a 1000 rupees. I managed to get this down to 570, so if you are ever in the same position do not be afraid to haggle harshly. It ended up not being urgent however as instead we went to watch a culture show at a nearby exhibition hall.
The show was in a word amazing. It was a series of traditional Sri Lankan dances that ranged from the elegant when the woman performed to the extraordinary with young men flipping around the stage and balancing spinning plates on their fingers. Just like every other site we have been to in this country they asked for a tip at the end of the show but they thoroughly deserve all the financial aid they need as it was a fantastic hour to spend. The final act was some fire dancing and walking across coals. The conclusion from this is that certain people are either insane or really good at showing off.
The evening we spent looking around the temple of the sacred tooth. The story behind this is that a prince called Siddarth became Buddha and reached enlightenment under a Bodhi tree and was cremated after this event. Only a tooth was rescued from the funeral pyre and this was transfered between the rulers of Sri Lanka for over two thousand years. The importance of this relic is that the one who controls the relic rules Sri Lanka. Naturally the British kept hold of this relic for some time once they controlled the island but returned it to local administration in 1853. The whole complex is a mystifying experience, with a cacophony of drums and that bizArre brass instrument that seems synonymous with Asia. The reliquary itself is a beautiful display of gold but I was never able to see if the tooth was in there or not. In all it is a beautiful temple with a fantastic garden, so any ill will I had towards it because of the sarong incident dried up very quickly.
For dinner we ate in the city at a fairly unremarkable new joint that served good food at a decent price but had little to no personality. Not something I would choose myself but it was what we needed as the previous hotel was too much of an adventure with bugs for some. It was also the day that I discovered that I might be losing my love of cheesecakes, which judging by my waistline is probably for the best.
And so ends our day in Kandy. I have time tomorrow for a quick swim but after that it is our second train journey of the trip towards Haputale to look at where the tea is grown in Sri Lanka. As a self confessed tea addict this sounds like pure nirvana and I can’t wait to see it in person. So until then.