The drive to Kandy was about 3 hours through scenic little villages each specialising in some form of local product from pineapples, cashews, woven cane or terracotta. Traffic throughout Sri-lanka is a crazy mash of cars, vans, trucks, tuk-tuks, bikes, pedestrians and the ubiquitous state buses. The state buses are subsidised by the Government and provide free transport (I'm told), shuttling the locals everywhere. Whilst they are free they are old Leylands from the 70s which pack on passengers thickly, without aircon, have poor maintenance, bald tires and crazy drivers. They do however seem to be what knits all of Sri Lanka together and offer the principle mode of transportation - there distinctive red colour somewhat like blood cells in the veins of this country.
Kandy is a beautiful spot and while we are here we enjoy a show of local dancing followed by a tour of the temple of the sacred tooth relic. The next morning we are on the road again to tea country. The weather is gloomy/ rainy but it just seems to build on the mountainous surroundings and creates a mystical atmosphere. We briefly visit a tea factory for a taste and description of the tea manufacturing process, but it is just a short distraction from the amazing landscapes that we see on our journey to Nuwara Eliya. The locals like to call it 'Little England" due to a strong colonial influence on the Architecture.
Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya.
Tea pickers
Tea leaves ready to be picked
Winding roads through tea country
At the Labookellie Tea Factory
One of the many Waterfalls throughout this region
Outside the Temple of the Tooth ( Symbolic if not actually the tooth of Buddha)
Inside the temple - followers try to get a glimpse of the tooth
Traditional Sri Lanka Dance presentation
On our last day in Sri Lanka we make the final trip back towards Colombo Airport, stopping at a Portuguese/Dutch town of Negombo which is famous for its fishing and canals.
Canals of Negombo
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