Day 2 In Kandy, Central Province, Sri Lanka
Day two didn’t see me doing much. And, all was well that had ended well. It’s hot, and humid in Sri Lanka, unless you’re somewhere on the hills or the mountains; or taking a swim. Obviously, I was wearing shorts, and a tee, which was a big no-no when it came to visiting the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. So, while the rest of the group went ahead with the temple visit, I decided to walk around the market streets in Kandy; taking in all the sights, and sounds of the town market.
The small walk was a refreshing change of pace. We had had been pushed by our travel guide to keep to our scheduled time table, and not to spend too much time at one place. As luck would have it, they had about 30 minutes to tour the Temple of the Tooth, and I had exactly that amount of time to walk around the market.
It wasn’t disappointing. It was clean, full of people, and shops selling their wares. The smell of dried fish permeated the entirety of these streets; Sri Lanka being an island country, seeing fresh catches of the day, being sold by vegetable, and fruit vendors made perfect sense. The sun was almost non-existent, this during high-noon. The clouds were full of water, and they did let loose every chance they got. Which, again, was awesome! I do love the rains.
Post the walk, before we headed back to the hotel, we headed to the highest point in Kandy; aptly titled as ‘Kandy View Point’. Nothing fancy here, but it does afford a view of the entire town. Best time to visit this point would be during the evenings. This is when you can see the entire town of Kandy lit up.
Kandy View Point
A Small Note, And A Warning About Sri Lanka’s Magical Weather
All throughout the country, the weather plays a very important role in setting the mood for your vacation; it certainly did for mine. Rains, waves, sun, sand, forests, mist, fog, and mountains - couldn’t get better than that. But beware of landslides, and mud falls during the monsoons. It can be lethal.
Sri Lanka’s climate is as magical as the country itself. The island can be divided into two, with respect to it’s weather - the south-west, and the north-east.
Depending on when you find yourself in what part of Sri Lanka, the weather can either be dry, or wet. It rains throughout the year, here. The south-western monsoon lasts from April to November; dryer weather here lasts from December to March. The north-eastern monsoon lasts from October to January; dryer weather lasts between May, and September. Ideal season to visit would be between December and April.
I did like to think that there’s no right time to visit Sri Lanka. Though it’s said that tourist season sees much, much more visitors, and that the flight tickets would cost more during the tourist season (between December and April). But, like everywhere else, the weather is not something that keeps to its scheduled outbursts. And as such anytime is good for a visit here; add to that the off-season does mean less tourists, and cheaper air-fares.
Although the country is full of magic during the monsoons, beware of the landslides, and the mud falls.
Rainfalls are short, and sharp; full day of rain is considered abnormal here. Localized flooding is a problem, when it does rain for a day or more. Landslides, and mud falls can be lethal.
Kandy: Some More Photos
