Sri Lanka

On Tuesday, we flew to Sri Lanka.  From the airport we hired a van/driver to take us the few hours to Kandy.  We're hoping to experience more public transportation, but so far, for six people, a van with driver has been the cheapest way to go (and you can't beat the convenience).  On the drive we experienced our first rain of the trip!

Kandy is in the hills of Sri Lanka, so our rainy, dark, winding drive up the mountain, with our hard working, manual transmission, fully loaded van, to our guesthouse had mom a little uneasy (the girls are getting used to this--"Are you OK, Mom?").  It was a beautiful place to stay and our hosts were a lovely and helpful family whom we enjoyed getting to know.

The Driveway

A beautiful view from our breakfast table.  Even saw a parrot in one of the trees!

Thankfully the weather cleared the next day and we were able to explore Kandy in tuk-tuks (rickshaws have suddenly become tuk-tuks in Sri Lanka)

A Sri Lankan bride and groom in traditional dress

We went to the Royal Botanic Gardens which was a beautiful spot.  Many Sri Lankans were picnicking there because it was their Independence Day.  We (and the Obamas) celebrated Republic Day with the Indians and now we're celebrating Independence Day with the Sri Lankans.

 We began our day with a very interesting temple experience.  We visited Sri Dalada Maligawa, known as the Temple of the Tooth, because one of Buddha's teeth is kept here.  A few times a day they open the doors to display the 7 nested caskets in which the tooth is preserved.  We lined up to watch this--and more, and more, and MORE people pushed in.  I have never felt so claustrophobic in my life.  At one point I was genuinely worried that Trina might suffocate with her head stuck down in the middle of the pack.  Believe me, I've thought about more than one way that we could die on this trip, but I had never considered suffocation.  When it was over, we just moved along with the pack until we were finally pushed out into the fresh air.  At that point, I looked at the pictures on Mike's phone so I could say that I had seen the chest :)

This gives a glimpse of how crowded it was, but at least at this point we still had a small personal bubble.

Most of the Buddhists going to the temple to worship would wear white and bring these lotus flowers as an offering.

From Kandy we drove a few hours east to our next stop on the coast.  We were told that elephants cross the road in the evening and we were not disappointed.  At one point an elephant was standing in the opposite lane of the road as our driver quickly made his way past.  I was busy waking up sleeping kids AND MISSED IT!

Finally some great internet, so the girls have been very disciplined about getting schoolwork done.

Other than one woman from Texas, now teaching in Qatar, we've had this home to ourselves.

Not really a swimming beach, but we have a great pool, great view, and I love the sound of the waves.

Tomorrow we'll leave for our last stop in Sri Lanka--Argum Bay, a little further down the east coast.



**On another note:  huge props to my friend, Greg Miller, for helping Ella and I FINALLY figure out this interactive map!  We had hoped to have one on the blog and were ready to give up until he stepped in with his expertise.**