Kandy

Trip Start Oct 27, 2007
1
30
Trip End Apr 01, 2008


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Where I stayed
Prasanna Village Inn
(Kandy hotels)

Flag of Sri Lanka  ,
Wednesday, March 12, 2008

So we arrived in Kandy via bus in some torrential rain and in the dark.  As we stepped off of the bus and into a foot of water at the side of the road, my flip flop was washed away in the fast flowing water never to be seen again, much to the amusement of the people watching from the shelter of their shop fronts, where we took cover.  After a crazy tuk tuk driver recommending an alternative place to stay (yes we still haven't learnt), we ended up at Prasanna Village Inn.  This actually turned out to be a nice little place, and the owner was pleasant although the second in command (Manuel - think Sri Lankan Faulty Towers) was not the greatest waiter in the world..... hovering while you tired to eat, playing with the other backgammon dice and wandering around with them in his hand, and generally hovering around every corner ready to jump out and assist you (or not).  By the end of the three nights I was ready to leave as he had really freaked me out on the last night... 'Madam' 'oooh Madam'... aaarrrggghhh!!!!!
Anyway, Kandy was really nice.  Very pretty scenary and lots to do, so we took our Tuk Tuk driver (Sunil) up on his offer of a days tour, which turned into two days, in which we saw the main sites, tea and spice plantations, the elephant orphanage, lots of temples, tea museum, and the beautiful botantical gardens where we saw lots of huge fruit bats among the foliage. The Big Budda temple was great, and we were showed around by one of the monks there, who talked us through the temple and its history including the tree in the grounds grown from a cutting from the original Bohdi tree that Buddah found enlightenment.  We were both blessed and exchanged emails! 

We decided (were persuaded, after lunch in the lions den of Sunil's house) to take our Tuk Tuk with Sunil to Nuwara Elia to head to Worlds End (a high plateaux) where you can see some great views over the plains below at sunrise.  Unfortunately due to some terrible weather we couldn't go up there that morning and so also missed out on the planned trip to Adam's Peak (a mountain with a temple on top, which covers Buddha's foot print).  So we instead headed to Ratnapura after Sunil trying to rip us off (of course), and stayed there for a night.  We stayed at Ratna Gem Halt, which had spectacular views for miles and served a mean Jack Fruit seed curry.  The next day we bused it to Hikkaduwa for a bit of beach life before we have to head back to the UK.....

Hope all is well back home
Shelley and Mike
(sorry this is a real rush job!!)
xxxx
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