Sri Lanka > From Dambulla to Kandy

It rained heavily through the night, but when I step out of my cabin, it’s dry. Today I’m traveling from Sigiriya to the hilly region of Kandy. After about an hour’s drive, I arrive in Dambulla. In Dambulla, there are five Buddhist cave temples. Right at the entrance, I see a fifty-meter-high golden Buddha statue. It’s impossible to miss. The statue stands atop a museum building, giving the whole display a somewhat kitschy feel.

Sri Lanka - The enormous Buddha at Dambulla

I climb toward the cave temples via a concrete staircase at the side of the enormous statue. Upon entering the first cave, I see a fourteen-meter-long reclining Buddha. Impressive! All the caves are carved out of rock. In the second temple, many Buddha statues are gathered together. The rock temple is fifty meters wide and over twenty meters deep. I am impressed by its scale. In the other three caves, dozens of Buddha images are displayed as well. I continue by car toward Kandy. Near Matale, I visit a spice garden. The garden shows how herbs like nutmeg, vanilla, cocoa, and aloe vera grow. Unfortunately, the tour is mainly focused on selling products. While I’m offered spicy tea, all kinds of personal care products are promoted. I quickly lose interest, thank the guide, and skip the shop. Although I’m only twenty kilometers from Kandy, it takes a long time to get there. Traffic in the villages is completely jammed. Everyone tries to get ahead, which doesn’t help the flow. Over an hour and a half later, I arrive in the center of Kandy. I walk into the town. In a local restaurant, I order Kottu, a type of Roti. It tastes delicious.

Sri Lanka - Five caves full of Buddha images

I also stroll through the market and past the cluttered shops. Around 4:30 p.m., I reach the Red Cross building, where a traditional dance performance is held. The show, featuring traditional attire, is performed mainly for tourists. At the end of the colorful performance, a fire dancer takes the stage. He walks across burning coals. Incredible! Immediately afterward, I walk to the Temple of the Tooth. Three times a day, the small casket containing Buddha’s tooth is shown to the public during a special ceremony. Since almost all tourists attend the 6:30 p.m. ceremony, the temple is crowded. I watch the monks enter and open the door to the sacred chamber. Because the line right past this room is very long, I decide to walk along the side of the queue and watch the spectacle from a distance. This way, I also catch a glimpse of the shrine. The impressive ceremony gives the ritual something truly special. It feels like a privilege to be here, even though it’s debatable whether a tooth is actually in the casket—no one has ever seen it. I also visit the museum and the octagonal dome with a Buddha relic. As I prepare to leave the temple, I notice the line has disappeared.

Sri Lanka - The temple where a tooth of Buddha is kept

I quickly join and walk right past the sacred space. I look inside at the elaborately decorated casket that supposedly holds the tooth. Outside, it’s now completely dark. Ajbriy drives me to a restaurant on the edge of the city center. On the fifth floor, there’s a luxury dining area. Not very local, but I think I can eat well here. There are more staff than guests. I order Biryani, less spicy. It disappoints me—dry and lacking flavor. I quickly head to my hotel. The hotel is in the mountains outside the center. Through hairpin bends, I climb higher and higher. When Ajbriy stops, I still see no accommodation. He honks a few times. A tuk-tuk comes down the steep slope to pick up my luggage. I walk up the hill—it seems to have a slope of over 20 degrees. Impressive that a tuk-tuk can drive up and down here. I enter Richmond House, a colonial-style home with the matching atmosphere. The owner stands in the doorway and welcomes me, already holding the key in his hand. There don’t seem to be any other guests. I have the “Pantsers Suite,” a luxury room with a sitting area, spacious bathroom, and large bed. Wonderful! On the balcony, I have a drink while looking down at the lights of Kandy below. What a perfect location.