On the way to the highlands
On our way to Kandy and the highlands of Sri Lanka, we stopped briefly at Sigiriya. A monolith in the middle of the plains. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. About 1550 years ago, it was a fortress of the then King Dhatusena. It was located on the plateau of the 200m high mountain. The ascent is quite difficult, but it is rewarded with a beautiful panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. Halfway to the plateau you will pass the world famous cloud girls, which were painted on the wall of the mountain. The stairway to the fortress proper is flanked by two mighty lion’s paws.
At the foot, where the tourists arrive and the traders offer their goods, there are also many monkeys, which have it contemporary on cell phones. But also a bag of potato chips is not despised. In the extensive parks around the rock you can still see very well preserved the former splendor of the entire estate. Also the rare ebony trees can be admired here.
At the foot, where the tourists arrive and the traders offer their goods, there are also many monkeys, which have it contemporary on cell phones. But also a bag of potato chips is not despised. In the extensive parks around the rock you can still see very well preserved the former splendor of the entire estate. Also the rare ebony trees can be admired here.
Spices, Hindu temples and red bananas
In the further course of our journey into the highlands of the island we visited one of the numerous spice gardens. Sri Lanka is a country in which pretty much everything grows, except apples. At least that’s what we were told. We did not verify it. But due to the so different climatic conditions, which this island offers, it is absolutely conceivable.
In said spice garden we could, besides already known to us, also get to know a lot of unknown fruits and spices. New refers now perhaps less to completely new and previously unknown, but to the type of plant and how it grows. Which is for Besipeiel the difference between, green, white, red and black pepper. Also spices like clove, ginger, star anise, nutmeg etc. grow. A very nice compilation of many fruits, flowers and spices from Sri Lanka they find on “Sri Lanka Discover“..
Of course, after such a guided tour ser visit to the affiliated little shop must not fail.
But beware ! The Ayurvedic products, mixtures and remedies offered here are highly overpriced. So if you want to buy products of this kind, it is better to do it in a pharmacy or market.
The further you go into the highlands, the more common the vegetation and the more often you will find Hindu temples. While the majority of the population (about 70%) is Buddhist, there are many Tamils (Hindus) in the north and in the highlands. They were brought from India by the British as plantation workers during the colonial period. To this day, the black manual labor of tea picking is done by the women of the Tamils. They still work like slaves for 2.50 € a day, 7 days a week.
You can find a good article about this in the “Spiegel“.
Also at the roadsides it becomes colorful. Many farmers sell here directly your goods. Mainly fruit and vegetables. There one should stop in any case once and try. The prices are not worth mentioning. A mango from such a stand tastes completely different from what you find in your local supermarket. But also all the other fruits are tempting. Crab apple, guava, betel nut, breadfruit or jackfruit. Yellow and green coconuts, mangosteen and especially delicious and only found here, red bananas.
You should also try an Ayurvedic massage in one of the countless centers.
Kandy
Kandy is located in the central highlands of Sri Lanka at about 500m and has about 150,000 inhabitants. The climate here is with an average of 24 degrees much more pleasant than in the warm and humid Colombo. Kandy was the capital of the last Sinhalese king.
The Tooth Temple in MItten of the city is said to house the upper left canine tooth of Buddha. This relic is one of the most important in the Buddhist world and has always been kept in the royal capital. Once a year, at the full moon in August, this tooth is carried around the city on an elephant.
