A slower start today and we enjoyed breakfast with a beautiful selection of foods by the most gorgeous staff. So willing to help.

I made the traditional Sri Lankan breakfast ( after the egg hopper)

It is milk rice topped with treacle with a banana mashed in and topped with fresh cinnamon. Delicious.

We left for the Temple of the Tooth, a short walk through busy little street. Our street seems to be the hardware street. Shops selling basins, toilets, lawn mowers , brooms etc.

On arrival it was shoes off and a full body search including a pat down. Security is high since bombings in 1989, 1998 and again this year.

The Temple is famous throughout Sri Lanka.

The golden roofed Temple of the Sacred Tooth houses Sri Lanka’s most famous relic – a tooth of Buddha. You don’t actually see it as it’s contained in a special multi layered box. It’s heavily protected and holds not just religious significance but political as well.

There were so many locals there with offerings to leave. There are three rituals a day called Tevava. It’s similar to a puja. We happened to be there at the 9.30 one when many of the people were praying as the three drummers and trumpet player walked around the altar.

The ceremony then moves upstairs where worshipers line up with their offerings to file past the room with the tooth.

It was hectic , noisy and difficult to negotiate with our big group!

Back outside Steve our a candle for a friend

and walked through the grounds and watched as more and more locals arrived with their offerings.

Next stop was a bus ride across the lake and out to the new cricket stadium.

The cricket tragics – Mark #1 loved seeing the new oval and would love to have seen a game in action.

Back on the bus through the traffic and chaos that happens when schools are let out for the day.

We spied an outdoor laundry.

And the view back across the lake

Before arriving at the gardens for lunch. What an oasis in any city to have this green space.

We sat under a large tree eating our ‘take away ‘ lunch provided by the hotel. The wrap was nice but were not sure about the cold chips!

The trees and bamboo in the gardens were spectacular.

Our final stop before some free time was an outlook over the city. Where, of course , there was an opportunity to buy something.

A few of us went to the local markets , where we were assured we were getting local prices ! If only they realised we would probably buy more if they left us alone.

Feeling weary, our group of shoppers went to find the boys who had gone for a drink. There we were in a busy Kandy street looking for them when a man approached saying. ‘I’ll take you to the Australians’. We trusted! We followed! And two blocks later we entered a bar and there they were. Mike had paid him to find us! And he did. The wonders if the Kandy bush telegraph.