Ingredients:
- A motorbike;
- A chaotic city as base camp with a giant Buddha statue overlooking it: Kandy;
- 3 ancient Buddhist & Hindu temples;
- A two years old temple;
- A Buddha statue in a cave.
Recipe:
- Rent a motorbike in Kandy,the easiest way is to ask your guesthouse for help (few tourists seem to rent it in this city so not even the tourist info will be helpful);
- Leave behind the traffic and the pollution of the city and drive up the hill that takes you to the high "Bahiravokanda Vihara Buddha statue". The entrance fee is 300 rupies and you can climb to the top of the statue for a nice view of the surrounding area;
- Back on your bike, drive west of Kandy and on the road ask for information on how to reach three old temples where both Buddhism and Hinduism are represented (the entrance is 300 rupies each):
1) EMBEKKA: with nice wooden columns;
2) LANKATILAKE: built on a rock, the Buddha statue is located in a room with nice red decorations;
3) GADALADENIYA: this temple and the pagoda with 4 Buddha statues on each side, lie on a rock with little ponds;
- On the road back to Kandy, after crossing the railway line, take the street on your left that lead to RANAWANA temple. This temple is a few years old but the colored Buddha statue is really high and can be noticed from a distance ;
- The last stop of this day trip discovering temples, is DEGAL DORUWA RAJA MAHA VIHARA temple located east of Kandy after the bridge on the river Mahaveli. Not easy to find but definitely worth the effort, you'll discover a painted cave with a reclined Buddha statue...
What a cultural day!!
Riding around temples - Sri Lanka
16:40Life in a fort - Galle - Sri Lanka
17:53
Ingredients:
- A fort built by Dutch and Portuguese but in Sri Lanka: Galle;
- The blue warm sea;
- A surreal calm and silence;
- The smell of spices in the air.
Recipe:
- Leave the noise of the crazy buses and tuk tuks outside and cross the gate that takes you to Galle Fort. This fort is surrounded on three sides by the ocean and therefore calm and refreshed by the wind;
- Walk the circular path on the fort walls and you'll discover plenty of treasures:
1) Watch people jumping in the sea from high rocks;
2) Observe the horizon from the white and shining lighthouse;
3) Have a dip in the sea or relax in one of the little sandy coves;
4) Watch a Japanese bride taking pictures near a tuk tuk (that was weird also for local people!);
5) Admire an old reformed church, a buddhist temple or have a look inside the museums.
After all those activities, you'll really deserve a tasty rice and curry!!