Amazed by Orchids & Canon Ball Trees

8-3-1 Tuesday 28th February

We move on, driving due south to Kandy via Matale along the busy main road, stopping in the town at the incredibly ornate Hindu temple with a gopuram - a pinnacle covered in carved gods and goddesses. As a month long festival was being staged we were unable to enter the temple itself but were fascinated to see the ornate decoration of the outside of the gopuram.

Driving onto Kandy the ancient capital of Sri Lanka until 1815, now the second biggest city of modern Sri Lanka, we avoided the busy main centre and went straight to the Royal Botanical Gardens. The Garden existed before the British but from 1815 under the British it was enlarged and developed considerably in conjunction with Kew until 1948, when it was taken over by the local community.

All I can say about the Botanical Gardens is WOW!! Bamboo, Orchids, and fruit bats were our outstanding impressions, followed by the temple flower and the cannon ball trees. We spent over three hours walking around the gardens and could have spent much longer. Here's a selection of the many images.

We saw so many great plants & trees that I have devoted the next post to the Orchid House itself, but in the meantime here's another image of just fallen lovely temple flowers, and a quick taster of one of the orchids!

Leaving Kandy we travelled on, in the pouring rain, and arrived at our next destination, the delightfully positioned Ellerton, an ex tea planters colonial home. We watched anxiously as Sumith carefully and cautiously negotiated a difficult steep road up the hill - but arriving at Elleton in the pouring rain, we were greeted by the staff resplendent in formal red uniforms, sheltering us under large red umbrellas & offering cooling towels, tea and sandwiches.

After exploring we changed for dinner - where we were pleased to meet our new friends from Jim's Farm - Ann & Kinniard - and spent a delightful evening swopping notes.

Next another new adventure awaits us! The Temple of the Sacred Tooth beckons tomorrow!