The Kandy Lake..
Only 3pm and still with plenty of energy after having spent the last few days being thoroughly lazy, well getting over a cold infact, so now it's time go forth and explore. Continuing clockwise around the lake not really knowing how much further one has to trek, particularly since the pavements around here leave a lot to be desired. Plenty of scenery to be snapped as the sun begins to set. Birds, plenty of them dart around, skim the water and gather to roost. Egrets, a Kingfisher and a few I don't recognise and of course thousands of noisy crows.
The lake isn't that big actually, I reckon on about an hour to stroll completely around. About halfway round the other side is a temple - not just another temple though, but a special temple. Special because it's home to a special tooth. Legend is that the tooth belonged to Buddah, but actually no one gets to see it - unless you happen to arrive on the two occasions in the year year this tooth can be viewed. That's the temple of the tooth then, and for the princely sum of 3000 LKR, about £15 foreign tourists can go and take a look at the casket where this tooth lays and admire of course the splendid architecture and landscaping. Just before the temple, the Kandyan Art Association have their hall where every evening from 5.30 tourists can watch an hour of local traditional dancing, drum beating and then rest of it, for a modest £2.50. I'm afraid local dancing isn't a great interest of mine, but I was able to snap a few pictures of the temple from the outside! Apart from the throng of tourists, taxi and tuk tuk drivers, not to mention the ticket touts hanging around this area by the lake, there are also a thousand crows, hundreds of monkeys and a smattering of giant bats . It's quit amusing to watch those monkeys annoying the bats, disturbing them by jumping onto the branches scattering the bats in all directions. Well, thats the last part of the lake as the sun falls behind the hills, and just on the edge of the main town, so time to experience some local cuisine I feel.
Only 3pm and still with plenty of energy after having spent the last few days being thoroughly lazy, well getting over a cold infact, so now it's time go forth and explore. Continuing clockwise around the lake not really knowing how much further one has to trek, particularly since the pavements around here leave a lot to be desired. Plenty of scenery to be snapped as the sun begins to set. Birds, plenty of them dart around, skim the water and gather to roost. Egrets, a Kingfisher and a few I don't recognise and of course thousands of noisy crows.
The lake isn't that big actually, I reckon on about an hour to stroll completely around. About halfway round the other side is a temple - not just another temple though, but a special temple. Special because it's home to a special tooth. Legend is that the tooth belonged to Buddah, but actually no one gets to see it - unless you happen to arrive on the two occasions in the year year this tooth can be viewed. That's the temple of the tooth then, and for the princely sum of 3000 LKR, about £15 foreign tourists can go and take a look at the casket where this tooth lays and admire of course the splendid architecture and landscaping. Just before the temple, the Kandyan Art Association have their hall where every evening from 5.30 tourists can watch an hour of local traditional dancing, drum beating and then rest of it, for a modest £2.50. I'm afraid local dancing isn't a great interest of mine, but I was able to snap a few pictures of the temple from the outside! Apart from the throng of tourists, taxi and tuk tuk drivers, not to mention the ticket touts hanging around this area by the lake, there are also a thousand crows, hundreds of monkeys and a smattering of giant bats . It's quit amusing to watch those monkeys annoying the bats, disturbing them by jumping onto the branches scattering the bats in all directions. Well, thats the last part of the lake as the sun falls behind the hills, and just on the edge of the main town, so time to experience some local cuisine I feel.
Excellent updates PH. TB.
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