I arrived in Kandy at around 9.30am, which meant I couldn’t check in to my hotel as it was simply too early. So, what better way to kill some time than to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, a quick tuk tuk ride from Kandy Railway Station.
Dating back to the early 1800’s, the gardens feature both local, foreign and as I found out, pre-historic, species of of plants. At this time of day, the gardens were quiet, but that was soon to change as a few bus loads of school kids arrived in their neat white uniforms, on an educational trip no doubt. Since this was just after Covid began to settle down somewhat, the kids seemed happy to be able to hang out with their friends once more.
The gardens have an area dedicated to orchids, and one in particular, the “Kandyan Dancer” caught my eye. It is so named due to its similarity to a Kandyan traditional dancer.
After some walking around, it was time for a cup of tea. The gardens have a restaurant almost right in the middle overlooking the main courtyard. Here you can find snacks or even a full meal and beverages. The tea is served old school style. No tea bags. Just a pot of freshly brewed tea, with milk and sugar served separately in shiny metal kitchenware. Time seemed to stand still as I quietly enjoyed my cuppa, while gazing at the lush green courtyard in front of me.
Afterwards, I headed back to Kandy City to check in to my hotel. As the sun began to set that day, I decided to walk around the Kandy lake. I was able to catch a glimpse of the Temple of the Tooth in the distance.
Walking around a bit further in to the central business district, I find that even their street lamps have an ancient style to it. How cool is that!
The next morning, I decided to take a walk closer to the Temple of the Tooth. Ok, so if you’re not Sri Lankan, you’re probably wondering what the Temple of the Tooth is. This temple, is said to house the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. It is said that, when the Buddha died, his body was cremated, and that one of his teeth was retrieved and then transported to Sri Lanka. The Sacred Tooth Relic has played an important role in Sri Lankan culture and history, as whomsoever holds the Sacred Tooth Relic has divine right to rule the land.
After a quick lunch, it was time to leave Kandy. I was only here for a night, but it was a welcome change from busy Colombo. As I bid farewell to the hill capital, it began to rain, and with it a bit of mist begins to come down. This should make the trip home even more spectacular.
haye.sh 