Unexpectedly, Sri Lanka was my last official stop in Sri Lanka. As I was exiting the botanical gardens ~3 hours walk my driver pointed to what seemed like a mass army presence and announced that a curfew was to take place in an hour following riots between the Muslims and the Buddhists and that we should therefore get out of the central area as soon as possible. He also suggested that I leave the country before that option won’t be available any more. I stayed at a beach resort for a bit longer, and the riots calmed down after a while and the curfew was lifted the week after, but the Sri Lankan turmoil felt very real, and being in Kandy at that time I was at the center of it all. So, with that bit of drama, the other adventures in Kandy seem insignificant, and yet I did get to visit some of the local temples and markets, catch a local dance and music show, and roam the botanical gardens. All in all, not bad for half a day visit.
So, to give you a taste of my visit, here are my visions of Kandy, Sri Lanka, pre army curfew and escape…
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More on Kandy and Sri Lanka to follow…