Kandy

My Cultural Triangle trip has turned more into a Cultural Point. I have decided I'm not really into ancient ruins/ sites. I've seen too many  over the years and I just want to relax rather than traipse around looking at old stuff. So I am outta here and heading to Kandy, the second largest city.

Took a bus. I learnt my lesson last time and flagged down a a/c bus. Costs more but I just can't deal with the local buses. When I got on, all the Sri Lankan moved and made me sit in the front seat behind the driver. I am kind of glad I wasn't at the back as I get terrible motion sickness and the roads were really windy. However, with this I get to see exactly what the driver is doing and Oh my Buddah, I swear my heart nearly popped out of my chest with the insane driving and overtaking. 
I arrived into Kandy and the first thing I noticed was the big beautiful lake that the town is built upon.

Kandy Lake

I have decided to splash out and actually get a room with hot water (not had a warm/hot shower since I arrived) The place I am staying in is called  Expeditor and is sooo nice! It's up on a hill and has great views overlooking Kandy.

A room with a view

Today was my 'relaxing' day which basically meant my favourite thing - shopping! I found an actual shopping centre with fixed prices and it was amazing. No haggling. I could wander around in air conditioning. And the food court was awesome! So clean and spacious. You could chose Thai, Indian, Chinese. And I found a great tea house and drank lots of tea. I felt like I had found the mothership.

Tea time

I am in Asia so had to try out the local massage. Booked myself in for an Ayurvedic spa treatment. I found a place online which was quite expensive. When I phoned they said they would pick me up outside some spot. As I sat waiting to get randomly picked up, a man with Lank greasy hair started talking to me. I told him I was waiting to get picked up by some random person (which in hindsight sounds really dumb) to go for a massage. He said 'No, you should follow me, I know a place'. So yes I started following him. Why? no idea. But off I went with lanky haired man thinking, "where on earth am I going"? and "how much is this going to cost me"? Anyway it turns out he was taking me to some hotel (Buddah, this sounds worse) where there is an Ayurvedic centre. And it was half the price than the first place I had booked.
So what is Ayurvedic massage? It's a technique that is supposed to work with the mind and body.
I basically spent 1.5hrs getting oiled up everywhere. I mean everywhere, even places where oil shouldn't go unless with a loved one. During the so called massage she asked me 'good'? Being typical English I respond, 'great'! What I'm really thinking is stop basting me like a Turkey! After getting greased up like I  was being entered into a body building competition, I was then put into some wooden vice like box with slats for me to lie upon. I was covered entirely by the box except with my head popping out and steamed. ( Honestly, just add some ginger and salt and you could eat me).
In the end I was just one oiled and steamed up mess. My hair was now greasy & lanky (perhaps the man who had brought me had just had a massage)

So my Sri Lankan massage experience was, well, an experience. I walked back to the guesthouse slipping and a sliding in my flip flops. Ewwwww! 

Time to get greased up