Our hotel, King of Kandy, produced a splendid breakfast with gorgeous tea and helped us with directions to a camera shop in town. Our relatively new camera bought whilst in NZ, has problems crunching through the zoom. Guess it’s inevitable when you are zooming in and out constantly whilst riding a motorbike along dirt tracks as we did in Vietnam. Glenn is considering buying a sarong and we asked how much we should pay for one and more importantly, how do you put them on.The manager found one from somewhere and cheerfully showed Glenn how to step inside it and then wrap it crossing the left side to the middle and same with right side and tucking it in. As a beginner it was strongly suggested he bought a belt as well.
We walked into town following the path along the lake until we came to a three way junction where the Tooth relic temple, the famous Queens Hotel and lake intersect. The traffic was coming from all directions but we soon noticed pedestrians using zebra crossings and traffic actually stopped to let them cross. A legacy from the English we guessed. No SE Asia dodging traffic technique needed here.
As we past the Tooth relic temple we noticed huge crowds and queues of Sri Lankans, no tourists, waiting to enter and beyond the high security gates, the place was mobbed with people wearing their temple white clothing. Today is a Poya day, coinciding with the full moon and a day where people visit temples and observe customs such as no alcohol. It was heartwarming to see generations of families visiting the temple together, majority in white and with baskets of offerings, mainly lotus flowers. There was genuine happy feeling as we walked around, acknowledging people, smiling and saying hellos. Of course, Yvonne had the now familiar quizzical glances and stares whilst she strolled around in her knee length shorts, funny sandals and blue eyes. Most people take a surreptitious look quickly glancing away when you try to acknowledge them, but a few brave folks say hello and Yvonne engages in a brief conversation which normally starts with them asking ‘where you from’ and following the England, London response, Yvonne always asks ‘and where are you from’ which always gets a giggle or smile and breaks the ice allowing easier conversation. We even get asked to have photos taken with them now, no doubt on their FB posts! Stopping under the shade of a tree to eat an ice cream amongst a large family gathering of Sri Lankans, we caused quite a stir as they looked us up and down, giggled and with a few muted hellos Yvonne seized the moment with one of the young men to get the familiar where you from, is this your family, are these your brothers, you get the picture. Everyone was entranced with us both and by the time we left they all smiled and waved goodbye.
We found our way to the camera shop suggested by the hotel manager, only to find it closed as it was Poya. Glenn recalled another traveller finding a camera shop in a shopping mall in town so we hunted that down finding a fairly modern but small shopping arcade with delightful aircon. The camera shop here didn’t taken on repairs but gave us details of another place to try tomorrow as today it was closed - Poya again.
We wandered around the town, watching the people go about their business and walk along the lakeside until we made it back to King of Kandy. Luckily Poya didn’t affect us here and we were served a beer with dinner.
Having finally made our decision on our plans touring around the Tea and mountain countryside next week, Glenn walked to the train station to buy the tickets only to be told they would be on sale tomorrow. Poya??
 |
| The centre of Kandy with famous Queens Hotel in the background |
 |
| A steady stream of locals trickles into the Temple of the Tooth |
 |
| Inside the temple grounds |
 |
| Kandy lake |
 |
| A great day for the lotus flower business |
No comments:
Post a Comment