Sri Lanka > The Three Temple Loop near Kandy

The Puja must have put me in a good mood, because on the very day I’m doing the Three Temple Loop hike, the weather is dry. From the balcony of my cabin, I look out over Kandy and even see some cautious patches of blue sky. Ajbriy is already waiting as I leave the hotel. “Good morning, Sir!” He’s as cheerful as always. Ajbriy drives me to the first and most remote temple in Embekke.

Sri Lanka - The beautiful white Lankatilaka Temple

The route winds over narrow roads and through small villages. He has to ask for directions to the Kataragama temple in Embekke a few times. When I step out at the temple, the last man he asked for directions is already beside me. He insists on guiding me around the temple. He tells me about the beautiful and intricate wood carvings of this Hindu temple. The entire temple is made entirely of wood. Meanwhile, Ajbriy has found a local guide for my walk. Satar introduces himself—a somewhat older man who I suspect owns the souvenir shop next to the temple. He leads me along a narrow path toward the second temple. In broken English, he explains that we’ll be walking through the rice fields. I see several people working in the clay, taking a moment to wave at me. In a small village, a monk beckons me to visit his temple as well. His orange robe contrasts beautifully with the small yellow temple. Inside, the temple is simple. There isn’t much money to maintain it, Satar explains. I leave a small donation and show the monk some photos of the Netherlands. He gestures for me to wait and disappears into his house. A little later, he returns with a corn cob—for me! I carefully eat a small piece and take the rest with me. I thank him warmly and continue my walk. After about an hour, I see the Lankatilake temple rising on a rock to my left. A beautiful sight. I climb toward the temple via a staircase carved out of the rocks. The white structure is stunning. I enter the temple. Inside, it is smaller than I expected. I see a large meditating Buddha and his life story depicted on the walls. While I find each temple magnificent on its own, I notice that they start to look somewhat similar. At exactly eleven o’clock, the Puja ceremony begins, meaning offerings are made to the Buddha. A drum and a shrill flute signal the start of the ceremony. A young monk enters the temple, followed by trays of offerings. Unfortunately, this all happens behind closed doors.

Sri Lanka - Schoolchildren at Gadaladeniya Temple

I exit the complex via the Hindu temple on the other side and continue toward the third and final temple. The primary school has just let out. Shy children wave to me. Some only say “bye-bye” once they are already on the path from their homes. Around 12:30, I approach the Gadaladeniya temple, another Hindu temple. A large school class from Kandy is visiting at the same time. They cautiously ask my name and where I’m from. The teacher whispers the correct phrases to the children while filming with her phone. Ajbriy drives me back to Kandy. I spend the afternoon walking around the city. Yesterday, everything around the Temple of the Tooth went by very quickly. Today it’s nice to explore the city at a relaxed pace. First, I stop at one of the many bakeries. I point to a few rolls, which I can eat in the restaurant behind. No one seems surprised. I then walk back to the Temple of the Tooth. In daylight, the temple looks very different. Last night, I couldn’t see the three adjacent Hindu temples clearly in the dark. I now view them from the outside. It doesn’t seem necessary to buy another ticket for the temple complex. The Vishnu temple is just outside the complex and open to visitors. As I walk around Kandy Lake, a dark cloud passes over the city. A heavy downpour begins. Water pours from the sky in torrents. I see no shelter and have no choice but to stand under a thick tree with my umbrella. Streams of rain flow into the lake. It rains heavily for at least fifteen uninterrupted minutes. Slowly, I feel my umbrella start to leak. Luckily, the storm eases after about fifteen minutes. With my umbrella, I walk back. Although my shoes are already soaked, I try to avoid the largest puddles on the pavement. In a bar in the center, I want to order a beer, but unfortunately, Kandy’s policy prohibits alcohol sales between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. A cola tastes just as good. As an alternative to the planned city tour by tuk-tuk, a tuk-tuk picks me up at the end of the afternoon and takes me back to the hotel.

Sri Lanka - The guesthouse in the hills around Kandy

The driver maneuvers the small vehicle through the heavy traffic, almost fighting for every inch of the road. He doesn’t hesitate to place his tuk-tuk in front of buses or trucks. Tuk-tuks are a popular form of transport—you can always see at least one wherever you look. The driver estimates that around 10,000 tuk-tuks operate in Kandy and more than 400,000 across Sri Lanka—one tuk-tuk per fifty residents. Through hairpin bends, I climb higher into the mountains and eventually arrive at Richmond House. On the terrace, I order a beer and enjoy the view over Kandy. I take off my wet shoes. Unfortunately, the stone steps are slippery. I slip barefoot, fall hard on my back, but luckily don’t break anything—though I expect my back will be stiff and sore. Carefully, I walk to dinner in the evening. The hotel manager gives me a jar of local tiger balm. Hopefully, it helps. The food is disappointing—the soup is too salty and the fish too dry. I don’t feel that my comments to the waiter have much effect. That evening, I crawl into bed with some difficulty, trying to lie in a way that doesn’t aggravate my back.