Kandy and Southern Sri Lankan (aka the Beach)

Kandy!  There is an 80ft Buddha statue that overlooks the city on the mountain.  It is faint in this picture, but it is HUGE!

Well, sorry for dropping off there for a bit.  

I had intentions of going to Nurawa Eliya to do some more hiking and tea plantation visiting, but I couldn’t find proper accommodation.  So I had to change plans.

Instead, I went to a tea plantation outside of Kandy, learned about Lipton's involvement on the island, and stayed for another night of the homestay's cooking!  Then got on the train at 510am bound for Mirissa.

But, around 10am the ocean started appearing through the train windows and when I arrived at 1300, I was here:

I spent a few days more than planned on the beach, but while there:

• I read two fantastic books (and almost 2000 pages, sheesh!) and a few short stories when I was running out of gas.  
• Went in search of the (in)famous stilt fisherman of Sri Lanka, but only found their stilts.

• Went night fishing and caught nothing. Which is probably best after the Krane-Donlan-Barnum Fishing Adventure of 2008.
• Help prepare a Sri Lankan dinner (in a sort of cooking class).

• And relaxed…  It had been a fast 4+ weeks since getting back on the road, so it was nice to ease off the gas for a few days.  It was nice, I got to know some of the locals and the family that I was staying with and feel like I lived somewhere for longer than a couple of days!

Now I am in Galle, an old Dutch Fortress, prepping for my flight to Thailand tomorrow.   

I walked around the walls of the fort today and decided on two new goals for the trip:

• To become Scuba-Certified
• To learn how to Surf for real.  I tried a few years back in Hawaii and didn’t do well, then again in Welligama with the same result.  I’ll get proper lessons somewhere along the way.

Sorry for the update not being super exciting.  I'll do better the next time, I promise. 

For now, I'm off in search of dinner and then to bed.  I’m off early in the morning to the airport and then Bangkok.  I’ll have a couple days to do poke around before my friend Megan gets there on Sunday for two weeks that are presently booked to the gills.

But don’t worry Mrs. B,  I’ll make sure she comes home relaxed and in one piece.  But remember, she’s the one who wanted to ride the Elephants…

I paid 1100 Rupees to go to a Botantical Garden, so you're getting pictures of flowers!

I have no idea what any of them are, the signs were in Singhy and I slept through my Botany classes in College.  

There are a lot of them.  They're colorful.  And, since I paid to see them, I thought the least I could do was share...

These look like Purple Opera Singers...

This is Bougainvillea I'm pretty sure...

This one looks like an alien...

And now, the Orchids!

I do know the name of this one.  It is the Kandy Dancer Orchid. At least in Kandy it is. 

And for some Animal fun: 

BATS!

Monkeying around...

That concludes this post...  Hoping to get one more out tonight...

Best Dinner Yet!

With all due respect to the Codfather in Cape Town (or Kloeks @ Home if you ask Jared), I had the best food I've had on this trip for the second night in a row this evening.

All prepared fresh by the Wife/Mother of the home I am staying at.  Lots of Curries (fish, vegetable and one other), Coconut Sambol, Dal, a Chick Pea dish, Papadoms and an eggplant vegetable salad.  All topped off by fresh fruit and coffee.

YUM!

Also, a note: I hope I'm not jinxing it by saying that the Auto Updates are back up and running now.  For those who don't know, I've been back on the road for the the last month or so.  

I was in India before coming to Sri Lanka and there are some posts from that time if you are so inclined to check them out.   

A big THANK YOU to my cousin Brian for helping to solve the problem!

Getting all Cultural in Sri Lanka...

Well, I think I'm almost ruined by ruins travelling the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka -- Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya and, now, Kandy.  But, undeterred and really sweaty (you guys know that is a fact by now), it's been great.

To boot, it is damn hot and humid here!  Which means lots of mosquitoes and a minefield of my joints with bites.

Anyway there have been Elephants, Peacocks, Ruins upon Ruins, Buddhas, Paying $30 to climb a (beautiful) rock...

So, I guess I should share a few shots of what I've been looking at the last few days.

Another Early Morning Safari - Another cheap one, but I might be getting Safari'd out.  

Hard to pass up when you see these guys though!

The sun just came up, but this male ain't fully peacocking yet!

Polonnaruwa - The Second ancient Capital of Sri Lanka - The ruins wer much more impressive here than in Anaradhapura.

Another Dagoba from Polonnaruwa.  I think I like the ones that aren't repainted every year. 

The former King built several reservoirs to help sustain farming in the region.  The locals have maintained them for centuries. 

The Ancient City of Sigiriya sits atop this rock.  Only 1200 Steps up!

The Lion's Gate welcomes you to the last couple hundred steps!

A view of the gardens that line the path to the rock

The view from the top!  Although we got there an hour before it opened, it still afforded us the ability to be the first on the top of the rock and have it to ourselves for a few minutes.  By the time we descended, there were floods of people on their way up.

It was a terraced city with reservoirs, gardens, homes and the palace, which sits at the highest point.  What view!

One of the Frescoes painted onto the side of the rock.

I'm in Kandy now for the remainder of the Cultural Triangle and I think I like this city the best so far.  It's a bit cooler, which is reason in and of itself, and situated around a beautiful lake in the mountains of Sri Lanka.

I've booked into a Home-stay here based on a recommendation by the friends I met on the way from Jaipur to Delhi.   It is amazing.  The family that owns the place are super friendly and cooked the best meal I've had in weeks this evening.  I'll definitely be having my supper here tomorrow night too!

That's all for now.  Will post some pics of Kandy later, along with any others from the last week that are interesting.  

Tomorrow I'm off in search of a relic of Buddha's tooth!  But for now, I sleep...

Last -  One question for the followers out there.  Who are my peeps in South Korea and Russia that I see in my web stats?  Say hello, please!

The Newest Parker!

A big "Welcome to Earth" to the newest member of the Parker Clan, Edie Christine Parker, from my little room in Kandy, Sri Lanka!

She was born on Valentine's Day and is the daughter of my cousin Brian and his wife Kitty.  She is named after our grandmother (Edith) and Brian's maternal grandmother (Christine).

Both such great women.  How lucky she is carry both of them with her in her life.

I'm also psyched to hear more adventures in child-rearing and what lies ahead now that the Ninja (their son Finn) has a playmate!

Congrats, you guys.  And, nice work!

What I'm Listening To - Just 'Cuz It's Round Edition

This is the biggest Buddha I've ever seen at 40" and I just needed a picture for this post, so I'm going with it. 

So, for those who don't know, I used to send out an email to friends that highlighted a songs/albums/artists that I was "listening to".   Then, I got busy with work and then busy with work and planning this trip.  (I know, I know - *yawn*) 

Well, I haven’t done it in a long time. 

As I flew to Sri Lanka, I cranked up the first volume that I sent out several years ago for another play.  For those who may have play-listed it, I recommend going back to it.  There are some great tunes on there that I hadn’t heard in awhile.   And, since I can’t technically use my “busy-ness” as an excuse right now,  I thought I’d update you all on a few things I’ve been listening to on this adventure.  Some of it is new (I have to keep up!) and others older jams. 

The original format of WILT was a bit more detailed than I’ll get here and included music.  This will be more brief.  And you’ll have to do some work to get the music.  But, I have put it into a  a Spotify playlist, if you're into that kind of thing, that is at the bottom of the webpage so that's a little easier.

Anyway.   Without further ado, here's a small sample of what I've been listening to:

o   Stupid Things - Yo La Tengo 

§  My friend Madeleine has a Tumblr where she posts music frequently where I ran across this song.  It's awesome!

o    “Emmy Lou” – First Aid Kit

§  I thought I had heard this band and that I wasn’t a fan.  I can’t remember what prompted me to check them out again, but this song, and the album it is on, are fantastic.

o   “Electric Music” – Band of Horses

§  I like the whole album, but this song was the standout for me.

o   “Patches” – Clarence Carter

§  An old favorite.  Thanks, Krane, for introducing it to me.

o   “Sydney (I’ll Come Running)” – Brett Dennen

§  I think I may have included this in the last WILT, but I’m not sure.  Regardless, I still love it and listen to it a lot.

o   “Two Fingers” – Jake Bugg

§  My friend Jeff introduced me to this guy.  Bugg only has an EP, but hopefully his full length will be just as good.

o   “Actress” – Jim James

§  I love Jim James.  He’s a huge weirdo though and some that comes through on the new album. 

o   “Something Biblical” – Andrew Bird

o   “Dreamin’ Man” – Neil Young

§  One of the songs of our South Africa adventure.  So good.

o   “Me and Paul Revere” – Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers

§  I saw these guys, sans Steve, in NYC last year and really like their sound and attitude.  This song is just awesome.  And if you didn't know, Steve Martin is an insanely talented banjo player.

o    “Home Again” – Michael Kiwanuka

§  This guy has been around for a while, and I can’t remember who first introduced me to him, but I’m still listening to the album.

o   “The Pretender” – Jackson Browne (from Solo Acoustic Vol. 1)

§  I know it is probably his most popular song, but damn is it good on this album.  I can't find the right version, so you'll just have to go get it!

o   “1904” / “There’s No Leaving Now” – The Tallest Man on Earth

§  His voice is still one of the best I’ve ever heard.  If you can see him live.  Do it.

o   “Nancy From Now On” – Father John Misty

§  J Tillman, the former Fleet Foxes drummer, with latest album.  This video is a bit risque, but the song is great. 

o   “Dance Yourself Clean” – LCD Soundsystem

§  Old jam that never gets old.  Another one that was a theme song for our South Africa road trip.

o   “Simple Song” – The Shins

§  Well, it’s James Morrow, but the rest of the band has been swapped out.  Best Shins album in ages though.

o  Anything by Beruit (I've included "Scenic World" in the playlist) or Explosions in the Sky.  The perfect traveling music.

o   “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)” – Coldplay cover

§  So, I’m not the world’s biggest Coldplay fan, but when Adam Y. passed  I thought this was a beautiful tribute and have listened to it here and there since.  It's a shame the Beatsies are no longer and it's no replacement for the original, but it does give me chills.   I don't know why.

That's all for now.  

Surprisingly, I don't have a lot of time to listen to music these days. Not having 1.5 hours of commuting time every day really puts a damper on that, as does trying to keep my wits about me on the buses and trains I've been taking.

The buses, however, always offer a great opportunity to hear the latest local pop music at full volume.  

So at least I have that going for me.   

Which is nice.