The Kids Love Kandy

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Journal 11 Saturday 25th April - Sunday 26th April

We caught a relatively posh local bus to Kandy (90 rupees each, just over 50p), paying extra to get AC. When I had phoned to reserve a hotel the hotelier had offered to send his car to collect us from the bus station, which was a very pleasant service. The centre of Kandy is a large artificial lake, built by the last Sri Lankan ruler whose capital was Kandy. Dissenters from villages who refused to work were staked to the bottom during the construction and left there while it flooded. Jake and Elliot wondered if the bodies were still there. The serenity of the lake now belies its violent beginning. The lake is full of carp and empty of people, the rules forbid swimming or fishing and the carp, some of which were the size of dogs clearly thrive on this.

Having half circumnavigated the lake with stops for ice creams, food and drink, we reached the temple of the Sacred Tooth the most precious relic and site in Sri Lanka. We were shown around by a guide which was well worth the money as we would have been hugely ignorant of what to see and what it meant. We had our heads anointed with coconut oil for luck, walked around a Banion Tree, apparently one of the oldest in the land for luck, washed our feet with holy water, marvelled at various carvings and Buddhas, and had most senses stimulated due to mellifluous chants and fragrant incense and flower offerings. We walked part of the way back, and then took a tuk tuk for the final leg including a steep climb. My views on luck were confirmed when our tuk tuk stuttered and was restarted twice before utterly failing on the hill leaving us to walk the final leg. After a spiritual and historical day the boys were keen for a hedonistic heathen one and we arranged to spend time in the swimming pool in the garden of the Queens Hotel on the banks of the lake, another faded relic of the colonial past, but one of the grander ones, retaining some of its former splendour.

Dinner was delicious and served in the relative cool (think British summer evening). We had a Sri Lankan meal, which comprised pumpkin, squash, bean, pineapple and something unidentifiable, coconut, dahl and chicken curries with rice and crispy poppadoms. Almost inevitably Elliot preferred ours to his chicken and chips. This was again true when still full when we sat down to an equally appealing breakfast, where we had coconut roti, a coconut salad, dahl and string hoppers (very like noodles) and the boys had fruit, egg and toast.

Spent a glorious day in what was effectively a private outdoor swimming pool of the Queens Hotel. The boys had diving lessons - there was a proper deep end, the likes of which you no longer tend to find in Britain and no “No Diving, No Running, No Petting, No Ducking, No FUN” signs such as are found in our overly H&S (fear of litigation) culture. Tantalisingly the Hotel has Dialog (our mobile phone network) wi-fi, but sadly it does not reach the pool area, and it seemed a shame to go inside.

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Comments

[Grandpa]

The Good Life
It's all really too good for simple Wolverhapmton/Stourbridge folk. "How you gonna keep 'em, down on the farm" sort of thing - if you recognise the song quotaion?

[Joeandnicky]

Some of it really is too good
But I again fail on the song recognition test. MInd you there is a massive contrast between the weekends and the weeks at the mo in terms of luxury! Boys are being stars and learning to cope with all sorts of odd things, so is only right we reward them properly when opportunities arise.

[Adam Tedstone]

Nearly At The End!
Hi Sir, Been Meaning To Comment Much Earlier But Revision Is Taking Over At The Moment. Hope Your Having A Great Time, Sounds Like You Are!! Getting Really Close To The Finish Now, Getting Kinda Scary. Proms This Week, Its Weird Cause Every Form Is Talking About Their Teacher Being There, Then Theres Us Abandoned Lot! As Per When You Werent Here On Wednesdays, Organisation Has Gone Out The Window With Us Still Not Actually Knowing Who Is Our Form Teacher Now, Mr Bedingfield And Mr Ahmed Turning Up 5 Minutes Before The 1st Lesson. Will Come And Visit When You Get Back. Have A Good Time. Adam x

[Joeandnicky]

Re: nearly at the end
Or another way of looking at it would be nearly at the beginning of a whole new adventure! Have you plans for the summer - I still remember my post GCSE summer fondly. I am really sorry to have abandoned you but with any luck you do realise that this is one of the major opportunities of my life, and one of those things that we have planned for years to do with our children. Really glad to hear that revision is taking over - not long to go and it is worth working hard now for the reward that will come later. Enjoy Prom, Alton Towers and leaving and I look forward to seeing you some time in the future. ALl the best for your forthcoming exams Adam, Cheers Mr Yeates