Taking Kandy from a Child

After spending far too much time dwelling on elephants (there really wasn't much else to do in Sri Lanka), we were taken to Kandy by our driver. This was a bit of a drive and we chose to break it up with several stops along the way. One of these stops was at an Ayurvedic garden, where all kinds of herbs and plants were grown. We were given massages and cocoa tea (tasting just like hot chocolate despite there not being any dairy), before being taken to buy the distilled oils. It was interesting to think that the ayurveda industry is so highly regarded in Sri Lanka, and yet is essentially dying out as the availability of harvest diminishes.

The next stop was a tea factory, which was interesting. I've always loved the scent of tea, but when it came to having 2,500 kilos of tea leaves warmed, it became a little bit much. We were taken through the process from the heating of the leaves, to the rolling and grading, before helping to package some into paper sacks ready for auction. It is amazing to think that there is profit to be made when so much effort goes into a PG Tip.

Final stop before lunch was a gemstore where I finally found a star sapphire to buy! Sadly, the Hubs insisted that it wouldn't do to buy the first stone I liked from the first store we tried. I foolishly gave in, which resulted in a sapphire-free trip. I too easily set aside my principle that, with things like art and gemstones, finding the right thing should always be equivalent to buying the right thing. Must have been the pregnancy brain!

We then had what I thought was the best meal of the trip, a Sri Lankan lunch at DJ's. This came with sides including a dry jackfruit salad, which I quickly became obsessed with.

After lunch our driver dropped us off at our destination for the evening, Helga's Folly. Not so much a hotel as a chance to stay at the (colonial) home of someone with an independent mind and the ability to indulge it, Helga's Folly (and Madame Helga) is worth a stop off if you can get a room. They say a picture speaks a thousand words, so here goes:

That night, we heard a party on the rooftops, and the next morning, we met the guests, only slightly worse for wear: