Where even to begin... This weekend, I got to open up a yet another window to Sri Lanka - and what a view!
Friday early morning, the sweet Dellani, who is a fellow yoga practitioner, had kindly offered me a ride to Kandy, since she was visitng her father there. We left Colombo around 8.30 headed towards Kandy. The drive was around five hours, but felt like so much less- chit chatting all the way, while at the same time just letting the changing scenery sink in. Kandy is about 500 meter above sea level, so after some time hills, turned in to mountains and the green turned even greener! Just after 1 o'clock we drove up to Mr. Nugawela's house, where I had been invited to stay for lunch. How can you not accept such an offer?! Mr. Nugawela is a man who have lived a very interesting life as both a tea planter, army officer, and a banker, and whom I'm sure you could listen to for days without it being tiresome.
Such a interesting, kind and helpfull man. (http://www.island.lk/2008/01/20/features3.html - article about him and his memoirs)
After lunch, Dellani drove me up up up the moutain side to the place, I had arranged to stay for the weekend. Turned out to be not very nice - basement room with a view straight into a wall!!! So, I quickly left, and went to the place next to it, and found a quaint little guest house called 'BlinkBonnie inn'. Cheap, PINK room, with a priceless view. Quite the hike to go to town, but a nice hike - both on the way down and up!
From there, I went to Temple of the Tooth, which is the main attraction of the city. It's from the 17th century and a very holy and spiritual because one of Lord Buddha's teeth is kept in a shrine there. It was a crowded day to go there, because of Poya, but also a good day to go in the sense that, you really got to experience why people go, what they do when they go, and in short really, just gain an insight in how major part of their life Buddhism plays - I guess because Buddhism essentially IS a way to live ones life. I spent a few hours there trying to merge into the ambiance. It might only offer you a short glimpse, but it truly felt like an enlightening experience.
From this point, I just strolled around, after a while making my way up-hill again. Had late afternoon tea at Castle Hill, which is a 75 year old mansion that has been turned into a guest house with only 4 rooms. Really a nice place, where I would like to stay another time.
Saterday morning, I woke up early, sipping morning tea on my balcony, and enjoying the morning sun (only sun of the whole weekend pretty much. It's monsoon time, so it rained on and of the whole time) I took a three-wheeler to the Botanical Garden outside of Kandy, where I spent almost 2,5 hours walking around, and I didn't even see it all. Quite the LARGE garden,as you can imagine. Beautiful, tropical plants, trees and everything that falls under these catagories. Coming back, I went to the Central Market, where you could buy pretty much every kind of daily commodities.
And then - time for yet another hike!
This time to climb 'mountain' where the Giant Buddha is seated overview Kandy town and looking towards the Temple of the Tooth. When I made it to the top, it started raining again, and I had to run for shelter swiftly. It really only takes an instant to get SOAKING wet. But being on temple ground, I wasn't wearing any shoes, and faith would have it that I stepped on a rock. This darn rock cut my toe and then got stuck inside of it - ouch! But I guess one event just leads you to the next.... I asked a man in the temple book shop, if they had somewhere, I could rinse my toe, and right at that momement, I met Reverend Buddhaththa Thero Sri Maha Bodhi Viharaya Bahiruara Kanda. I ended up staying there for an hour or so, talking to him about all and nothing, asking him the questions I dared. For some reason, I felt somewhat struck by awe by this holy man. He has been a munk for 16 years, studied Buddhism in Colombo and hopes to maybe do a post-graduate in Europe. He can only go, if someone invites him though - so the invitation has hereby been passed. Even just for a visit.
I left there with a bandage on my toe, with two of the string 'bracelets' that the Buddhist's wear (and I'm affraid, I don't know what they're called...) accompained by a chanting given by him. I swear, I was almost floating all the way down. I would love to tell the story in detail, but I'm sure it would be much too long to go here, and maybe it is better kept within myself.
Strolled around town some more in the afternoon. Kandy isn't very big, but it sure was busy!
Sunday morning I spent on my balcony again, checked out of the inn, and walked down to have lunch with Dellani, her father and his wife again. Also a story that could easily take up a lot of space, but I'll leave it at: the ideal end to my stay in Kandy.
Well, it wasn't the END - that was my train ride back to Colombo!
Mr. Nugawela had arranged for a ticket in the 'Observation Salon', which is train carriage with BIG windows. So, ending this journey, I was overwhelmed by the richness of the descend from the Kandyan hill country. I'm aware that I use a lot of superlative's, but there's no other way, because it is truly something special. The train ride was on the bumpy side, so I was pretty much rocking to my music, without even moving, all the way to Colombo !
And now it's Monday... But not just any Monday - a Monday where I still have that darn piece of rock in my toe, reminding me though, of a marvelous weekend that offered me another peek into the Sri Lanka, I still have SO much left of to discover!
Friday early morning, the sweet Dellani, who is a fellow yoga practitioner, had kindly offered me a ride to Kandy, since she was visitng her father there. We left Colombo around 8.30 headed towards Kandy. The drive was around five hours, but felt like so much less- chit chatting all the way, while at the same time just letting the changing scenery sink in. Kandy is about 500 meter above sea level, so after some time hills, turned in to mountains and the green turned even greener! Just after 1 o'clock we drove up to Mr. Nugawela's house, where I had been invited to stay for lunch. How can you not accept such an offer?! Mr. Nugawela is a man who have lived a very interesting life as both a tea planter, army officer, and a banker, and whom I'm sure you could listen to for days without it being tiresome.
Such a interesting, kind and helpfull man. (http://www.island.lk/2008/01/20/features3.html - article about him and his memoirs)
After lunch, Dellani drove me up up up the moutain side to the place, I had arranged to stay for the weekend. Turned out to be not very nice - basement room with a view straight into a wall!!! So, I quickly left, and went to the place next to it, and found a quaint little guest house called 'BlinkBonnie inn'. Cheap, PINK room, with a priceless view. Quite the hike to go to town, but a nice hike - both on the way down and up!
From there, I went to Temple of the Tooth, which is the main attraction of the city. It's from the 17th century and a very holy and spiritual because one of Lord Buddha's teeth is kept in a shrine there. It was a crowded day to go there, because of Poya, but also a good day to go in the sense that, you really got to experience why people go, what they do when they go, and in short really, just gain an insight in how major part of their life Buddhism plays - I guess because Buddhism essentially IS a way to live ones life. I spent a few hours there trying to merge into the ambiance. It might only offer you a short glimpse, but it truly felt like an enlightening experience.
From this point, I just strolled around, after a while making my way up-hill again. Had late afternoon tea at Castle Hill, which is a 75 year old mansion that has been turned into a guest house with only 4 rooms. Really a nice place, where I would like to stay another time.
Saterday morning, I woke up early, sipping morning tea on my balcony, and enjoying the morning sun (only sun of the whole weekend pretty much. It's monsoon time, so it rained on and of the whole time) I took a three-wheeler to the Botanical Garden outside of Kandy, where I spent almost 2,5 hours walking around, and I didn't even see it all. Quite the LARGE garden,as you can imagine. Beautiful, tropical plants, trees and everything that falls under these catagories. Coming back, I went to the Central Market, where you could buy pretty much every kind of daily commodities.
And then - time for yet another hike!
This time to climb 'mountain' where the Giant Buddha is seated overview Kandy town and looking towards the Temple of the Tooth. When I made it to the top, it started raining again, and I had to run for shelter swiftly. It really only takes an instant to get SOAKING wet. But being on temple ground, I wasn't wearing any shoes, and faith would have it that I stepped on a rock. This darn rock cut my toe and then got stuck inside of it - ouch! But I guess one event just leads you to the next.... I asked a man in the temple book shop, if they had somewhere, I could rinse my toe, and right at that momement, I met Reverend Buddhaththa Thero Sri Maha Bodhi Viharaya Bahiruara Kanda. I ended up staying there for an hour or so, talking to him about all and nothing, asking him the questions I dared. For some reason, I felt somewhat struck by awe by this holy man. He has been a munk for 16 years, studied Buddhism in Colombo and hopes to maybe do a post-graduate in Europe. He can only go, if someone invites him though - so the invitation has hereby been passed. Even just for a visit.
I left there with a bandage on my toe, with two of the string 'bracelets' that the Buddhist's wear (and I'm affraid, I don't know what they're called...) accompained by a chanting given by him. I swear, I was almost floating all the way down. I would love to tell the story in detail, but I'm sure it would be much too long to go here, and maybe it is better kept within myself.
Strolled around town some more in the afternoon. Kandy isn't very big, but it sure was busy!
Sunday morning I spent on my balcony again, checked out of the inn, and walked down to have lunch with Dellani, her father and his wife again. Also a story that could easily take up a lot of space, but I'll leave it at: the ideal end to my stay in Kandy.
Well, it wasn't the END - that was my train ride back to Colombo!
Mr. Nugawela had arranged for a ticket in the 'Observation Salon', which is train carriage with BIG windows. So, ending this journey, I was overwhelmed by the richness of the descend from the Kandyan hill country. I'm aware that I use a lot of superlative's, but there's no other way, because it is truly something special. The train ride was on the bumpy side, so I was pretty much rocking to my music, without even moving, all the way to Colombo !
And now it's Monday... But not just any Monday - a Monday where I still have that darn piece of rock in my toe, reminding me though, of a marvelous weekend that offered me another peek into the Sri Lanka, I still have SO much left of to discover!
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