Inside the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic

After spending the morning at Pinnewala, we headed further up country to Kandy.  


The family had a cozy lunch at Amaya Hills - where I noticed that we were the only family and all, as in ALL the other diners in the restaurant were couples.  Date Lunch Friday???  What's up!  Well Kandy is honeymoon capital of Sri Lanka and Amaya Hills overlooks a beautiful vista and well it's pretty special.


After that we headed to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.  Remember during our first visit to Kandy, we just went around the compound because it was Auvurudu (Sinhala New Year) and there were just too many people.  Now it was just a regular day and it was such a good time to go in.


Here is how it looked like...

Walking towards the Temple, my hubby and my daddy. SWEET!

The Temple from the outside...

I love temple art!

Prayer

Mah boyz and Luna Babi!

Buddha's tooth relic is inside but unfortunately we couldn't take pictures of the shrine.  


Just to be in the same place as Buddha's tooth is is pretty awesome even for a non-Buddist!


A must-see if you are in Kandy!

Elephant Dundee!

It’s a merry traveling month of May for the whole family!  

My folks - yes both of them yay! - were here for a short vacay.

First up - the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnewala.

I didn’t expect it would be as “raw” as this!  I thought it would be like a “zoo” type or a “farm” type of a place.  But not at all!  When we got there a bit late and missed the feeding time.  You have to be there at least by 9am to catch it and goes on for 30 minutes or so.

Then they take a bath.  And this is the coolest thing ever.

You know in my almost 2 years of living in Sri Lanka, I would “normally” see elephants on the road.  Not as “free” as the cows but something I wouldn’t chance upon in the Philippines, unless it ran away from the circus like what happened a few years back... 

But I digress.

Ok, so after we bought the ticket, the elephants were being lead to the nearby river to take a bath.  And they were crossing the street!  Now you wouldn’t see that everyday!

Photo courtesy of Nanalou-razzi!

Some just had to “go” on the street - this is how big their dung is like.  Crazy!

Then they bathed like there was no tomorrow...

Even with foreign tourists watching...

And kids on a field trip. CUTE!

And almost getting in a fight... Whoa. Chillepantes!

One even passed us by... on the way back.

Scary!

But pretty cool.

Raw.

Natural.

I'm Back!

Good Morning Colombo!

After a semi-blogging hiatus, it’s home sweet La Lanka home! 

Did you miss me? 

I missed you! 

I promise to write a more substantial post but these things first: 

• Manila was Productive, wild and towards the end, got a bit tiring. 
• In as much as I’m still crazy busy, it’s still chillanka, you know, Chilla in Sri Lanka {a new term! love it!}. 
• It’s good to be back. I’m getting emo because I know our days are “numbered” here. Just when it’s definitely home. Oh well, our so-called-nomadic life. 

So, there. 

See you again in a bit!

A Slice of Our Lanka Life

It’s been a while since I last posted something!  It’s been crazy busy!  We’ve been on home leave since early this month.  Coming back to Manila after a year of being away we had to adjust a bit: to the pace, the number of people, cars and the craziness of it all!  Manila is wild.  And I am like a probinsyana lost in its concrete jungle!  After almost a month of this, I yearn for the quiet and solitude of our Colombo abode.  I miss our “own home.”  I miss our everyday routine.  Auntie Vimala.  Uncle Ajantha.  Our friends.  It’s weird, I am in Manila which has been home (and will forever be!) yet I’m homesick for Sri Lanka. 

So to quench my yearning, I would like to share with you photos of what a day is like in our La Lanka abode.  These were taken the day before we left and as part of the online photography course I’m taking.

When we first moved in, I didn't know what to do with our dining set.  It offended us aesthetically.  I didn't know it only takes changing the seat covers and it could actually be pretty!

I was fixing up the house one day when I decided to reorganize the living room.  I found this Balinese art matches our pillows!  

Laundry doesn't have to be a drag!  Splash some color in it!

One of Luna's favorite things to do: take a bath!

Her clothes take a bath too!  Here, hanging out to dry on our veranda.

What matters most.  Our daughter's happiness.  Can you see Auntie Vimala's happy too? Fun!

Note on the photos: The prompt was to go around each room of the house and basically capture what matters to you.  These are bits and pieces of it :-)

Galle Take Two!

Galle is starting to be my favorite place in Sri Lanka!  One, it is super near Colombo and a good leisurely ride through the new SCTEX-ish kind of highway.  Two, because it is so entrenched in history and art.  Third, because it reminds me of Intramuros! 

Since B, our friend from work who used to work closely with hubby in Manila and who was my Miriam friend and a classmate in Grade 7 (we obviously go a long way back!), is in Sri Lanka it was another opportunity to head down south to Galle. 

We had lunch at Galle Fort Hotel – a nice boutique hotel inside the Galle Fort along the same street as Amangalla.  I was feeling Sri Lankan so I ordered the special of the day, Curry Crab.  It was super yummy!  Their homemade sorbet was really good too!  B and I were happy with our Coconut Lychee Sorbet.

Entering the Pool / Dining Area

My Curry Crab! YUM! More rice please!

Iced Tea + Lemongrass = Another Yum!

Trojan Horse?

Pathway to one of the Suites

Somewhere in Time?

After a leisurely lunch, we met up with Juliet at the Serendipity Café.  When we took C to Galle, we were supposed to take the Walking Tour by Juliet Coombe (I chanced upon her details in Lonely Planet Sri Lanka!), unfortunately during that time she was in Colombo.  This time we were luckier!  

B by the entrance of Serendipity Cafe

Our Little Trooper: Luna Lakwatsera is Ready!

Leyn Baan Street

She took us around Galle Fort with her “Secrets” walking tour – basically going around showing you nooks and crannies you wouldn’t even notice had you gone on your own.

The Mustache is Dutch (if I remember correctly)

The Lace is Brit

The Walls are the Sea - see that seashell???

Antique Shopping!

A Very Phallic Mortar and Pestle

A Very British Post Box 

Lost your Religion? Maybe it's just on the Banyan Tree?

What's Sri Lanka without Cricket?

Street Sign: Sinhala, English, Tamil

Street-side Fortune Teller

The first house

Back Entrance of Serendipity Cafe

Seashells on The Wall: Who is the Prettiest of All?

Kids! Enter Here!!!

Sri Lankan Masks + Other Stuff to Ward Off Evil!

Janaka De Silva's Art Shop

Juliet's Office

I highly recommend going around Galle Fort with Juliet!  She knows sooo much about the place.  B even mentioned she can actually run for Mayor as she practically knows everyone. 

Even Luna Lakwatsera is Engaged! Good Job Juliet!

Signed by the Author AND Publisher.  Cool!

Satisfied Customers.

Happy Family!

Juliet also owns the Sri Serendipity Publishing House and B and I bought books and had them signed by the author AND publisher! How cool is that?

We are definitely going back to Galle, this time we will try the Arts Tour AND the Food Tour!!!  Plus this time I will definitely buy my Sri Lankan Art (List La Vida Lanka #16!).  Super excited to go back!!!