Kandy, Sri Lanka
Kandy’s Hotel Suisse is a very grand old place with large public areas, a swimming pool and some nice gardens. It was Lord Mountbatten’s headquarters during World War II. Dinner very boring .... mostly European and rather .. well, Swiss. I did enjoy it when a large Sri Lankan group stayed there because local food was featured in the buffet. Normally I would have gone out to find a restaurant but the monsoon rains which started each day around 4pm went on for hours and I was trapped.
Temple of the Tooth
Kandy's main attraction is the Temple of the Tooth. It houses a Buddha relic which ended up here after being in several temples in the country. This is a large complex right in the city centre ; security is tight and there are lots of devotees in the temple and its associated grounds. I ignored several guides near the ticket booth and security point but the one near the actual entrance to the temple had a badge and appeared official. Just as well that I linked up with him ; this is a large complex and he took me to areas that I might not have noticed on my own (in some cases it was not obvious that they were open to the public). The monks in the temple seem to be bored by the whole thing .. the devotees seem genuine enough but I didn't think the place had much of a holy vibe to it.
The fine print
Date of travel : November 2007
Country information :
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ce.html