Sri Lanka 2003 - Part Two: Kandy

dougburnett Wyświetlono: 424 razy 2003-11-25 10:58:31

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In the morning Lucky’s limp was miraculous gone. His foot showed none of the previous day’s swelling at all.
Tuesday, February 18, 2003

Kandy, Sri Lanka

In the morning Lucky’s limp was miraculous gone. His foot showed none of the previous day’s swelling at all. I had been more than a little skeptical of Lucky's choice of medical service now I was left with a grudging respect. It certainly had worked.

We had agreed to a late start today since we were only going to Kandy, about 4 hours away. On the way Lucky suggested we make a few stops. First, he pulled over at a batik shop where I bought a lovely image of the Hindu god Ganesha. Later, we stopped at a spice plantation where I was given a little tour (quite useless) and then quickly led to the shop where I was pressured to buy some spices. After that I declined anymore shopping.

I had asked Lucky to stop in Matale, which is about 25km north of Kandy. I know someone from there and I wanted to take some pictures back for him. When we arrived we discovered that a large, noisy Hindu festival was going on. Lucky dropped me in the middle and told me to meet him at the post office farther down the road.

At the center of it were several tall, brightly decorated carts on large, wooden wheels. They were almost two stories tall and had a small covered "room" on top, which contained an image of the god. Men and women moved the cart by pulling on two fat ropes as loud Tamil music blared from speakers attached to a nearby temple. Vendors and onlookers crowded the street and the scorching sun beat down on us all.

With great excitement and lots of shouting the carts were pulled a few dozen yards at a time. When they stopped, food (offerings, I guess) were handed up to the men (priests?) sitting with the statues at the top and food was handed back down. This routine was repeated over and over as the carts moved slowly, but surely, toward the temple courtyard. I walked around taking pictures for nearly an hour and then went looking for Lucky.

We continued on to Kandy and arrived at my hotel, the Queens, a little after noon. It was another colonial hotel, meaning old and charming. Lucky accompanied me in where we said goodbyes and I gave him his tip. He had been an excellent guide and great company - I was sorry to see him go, but also glad to be on my own again.

At the desk there was some confusion about my reservation, despite the many emails I had sent. It seemed I didn't have a confirmation and they could only promise me an air-conditioned room for two nights. After that I would need to move to the older, non-air-conditioned section of the hotel. The woman at the desk was so apologetic that it didn't seem worth making a fuss, despite the fact that I had her confirming email with me.

Strona: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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