Kandy!

Hey Ramzi, "I'll be your Helen Kumari, you'll be my Elvis Presley," well, at least while in Kandy!

We arrived at the train station in this beautiful city!  Aslam (our tour guide and driver) picked us up and we went straight to a gem mine museum.  It was so "Disney-like" and the kids just couldn't get enough.  While in Kandy, we stayed at Hotel Thilanka and had a great time.  We enjoyed being serenaded by a Sri Lankan Baila band.  We were the only ones to actually request baila, and when they started playing grandma started a baila session (dancing) of course we joined in, and so did other guests!  When in Sri Lanka, you don't ask the local musicians to play Beatles covers...you gotta listen to the rhythms of the island!!

 Ramzi and I enjoyed early morning runs around the lake, and I could smell the sweet aroma of temple flowers in the air. We had to take frequent stops just to take in the beauty of the city.  Our long walks were followed by relaxing aryuvedic massages at the hotel spa!   We watched a cultural show, and visited the Dalada Maligava or Tooth Relic Temple, which is one of the most visited temple's in the world.  It is believed to house Buddhas tooth.  Buddhists from all over the world are seen here, and we were humbled to enter with our flower offerings.  

Perhaps, the highlight of our time in this area was the elephants!  We even got to give one guy a bath!

Ahh, the sights, sounds, tastes and touches of this city are a must to experience. It really was our "Kandi Lamissi".  -song below