Friday, Feb 14th, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Greetings!

Today's adventure is a relatively easy one: Rock Cave, Spice Garden, and Cultural Dance.  We agreed to sleep in and meet Jay at 9:00am.after checking out of the hotel.   The Golden Temple at Dambulla is a large granite five-cave complex 160 meters above the surrounding plain.  We can attest to its height, as we climbed up the endless stairway cut into the mountain.  It's beginning to get a bit depressing to have Jay keep an eye on Pat and I when we do any strenuous activities (like narrow and steep stairs).  I appreciate it, and I wouldn't be as annoyed if it I didn't know that it was necessary.

A monastery for two thousand years, the five caves contain intricate paintings of religious images following the contours of the rock.  The first and last caves have identical 14 meter long statues of Buddha laying on his side, his favorite pupil Ananda.  At his head, Vishnu.

The second cave has 56 standing and seated Buddhas, as well as statues of various Hindu gods.  The third and fourth hold another 50 Buddha statues, several more kings, and expansive ceiling paintings.  This temple is unique, and is one not to miss if you can make the climb.   We were glad we did, and will recommend it to serious temple trekkers.

The Ranweli Spice Garden in Matale is exactly what Pat needed to fine tune her knowledge of herbs and spices, and their use as medicines and food.   Led by a docent/salesman who was quite impressed by her understanding and current uses of each of what he had to show her in the garden, he had to settle for providing her a great neck massage and some skin care lotions.

Before the cultural dance closed out the afternoon, we did stop by the gem store that the town is famous for and buy Pat a Valentine's Day present.  Her birthstone is Amethyst, and four great looking ones now make up a silver bracelet she'll be wearing if we can just find some dress up dinners to attend.

The Young Men's Buddhist Association perform a daily dance and drumming performance at the Kandy Lake Cultural Center.  It's an amazing combination of dance, gymnastics, group drumming, and costumes (including a fire walk) that I'm going to try to make a short YouTube video out of the shots I took, and the sound track I recorded, after I get home (if they approve putting it up).

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Friday, Feb 14th, Kandy, Sri Lanka.