Though our drive today meandered through miles upon miles of lush green roadways, our arrival at The Queen's Hotel placed us right in the middle of a busy, noisy Kandy town.
When we arrived, our "welcome drink", a staple of these lovely hotels, was a thick creamy mango juice. It was a welcome treat.
The Queen's Hotel is a grand old property. Once the home of the British governor on his visits to the territory of Kandyan kings, it is now facing competition from newer fancier hotels, our server at dinner tells us. Somehow his kind demeanor makes us prefer this place to the glitzier locations.
All day, steel-gray clouds hovered overhead and finally broke in a refreshing sprinkle. We walked along Kandy Lake and could see Peradeniya University up on the hill. Compared to the last place we stayed - a serene getaway in the jungle, Kandy is a concrete jungle of deafening market hawkers shouting, "what do you want Madame, come take a look" and busy sidewalks and the alternating smell of diesel exhaust and shops selling fried snacks and pastries.
Dinner is a five-course meal with lots of different forks and knives and impeccable service, a huge contrast to our last rustic setting at Sigiriya.
Tomorrow, we will continue on to what promises to be an even more striking contrast: the weather in Nuwara Eliya - high in the tea-region upcountry is predicted to be chilly and in the 60s.
Finally, the jacket I brought to a tropical country won't feel ridiculous!
When we arrived, our "welcome drink", a staple of these lovely hotels, was a thick creamy mango juice. It was a welcome treat.
The Queen's Hotel is a grand old property. Once the home of the British governor on his visits to the territory of Kandyan kings, it is now facing competition from newer fancier hotels, our server at dinner tells us. Somehow his kind demeanor makes us prefer this place to the glitzier locations.
All day, steel-gray clouds hovered overhead and finally broke in a refreshing sprinkle. We walked along Kandy Lake and could see Peradeniya University up on the hill. Compared to the last place we stayed - a serene getaway in the jungle, Kandy is a concrete jungle of deafening market hawkers shouting, "what do you want Madame, come take a look" and busy sidewalks and the alternating smell of diesel exhaust and shops selling fried snacks and pastries.
Dinner is a five-course meal with lots of different forks and knives and impeccable service, a huge contrast to our last rustic setting at Sigiriya.
Tomorrow, we will continue on to what promises to be an even more striking contrast: the weather in Nuwara Eliya - high in the tea-region upcountry is predicted to be chilly and in the 60s.
Finally, the jacket I brought to a tropical country won't feel ridiculous!
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