Going out on a whale watch is like visiting a casino. You hope to hit the jackpot, but you’re prepared for the likelihood of ending up empty-handed. Along with Mirissa on the southern coast, Trinco offers the best odds on actually spotting whales, so we put our chips on “blue” and “sperm” (and, just for fun, a long-shot dollar on “killer”), and spun the wheel.
For the first hour of our trip, no dice. We ventured far out into the ocean, and only spotted other humans in other boats on the same fruitless search. But then… over thar! Where?! Thar! What’s she doing thar? (Come on, say it with me!)
THAR SHE BLOWS!
Yes, I shouted this. No, we weren’t alone in the boat. No, the other passengers didn’t find me funny. No, I can’t understand it either.
Over the next hour, we saw four whales, two of them within about fifteen meters. It was exciting! One stayed above water for half a minute, allowing us to fully appreciate its size. And then it blew water. I repeated my joke. Still no laughter. We stayed out for a couple hours, saw some bottle-nosed dolphins, and went back home.
The tour cost us 4500 Rupees and, fine, it wasn’t the forty whale extravaganza which the organizer had breathlessly promised. But it was more than I expected. If you can walk away from the casino with a little cash still in your pocket, you’ve done well enough. And that’s exactly how I felt about our whale watching experience.
According to popular belief, Kandy is protected by four gods, each with its own temple in the city center. Devales are special temples dedicated to a specific god, besides Buddha. Vishnu, Kataragama, Pattini and Natha. On one busy afternoon, we visited all of them. Yeah, we got that temple fever.
Vishnu Devale
Vishnu is one of the supreme gods of Hinduism, surpassed in importance only by Brahma and perhaps Shiva. So what’s he doing in a Buddhist temple? Turns out that Sri Lankan Buddhism borrows frequently from Hinduism, because of the country’s closely-intertwined history with India. According to local lore, Vishnu is the god whom Buddha charged with guardianship of Sri Lanka. Probably not exactly what Hindus believe.
Vishnu’s devale in Kandy is just to the north of the Temple of the Tooth. Its most striking features are a large dancing pavilion (or digge) and a long set of stone steps which leading to the main shrine. Unlike most of Kandy’s temples, and surprisingly given its proximity to the Temple of the Tooth, this was a serene and quiet place. The few worshipers present were sitting in the digge, quietly reading prayer books. We liked it.
Kataragama is another god worshiped by both religions, and his temple in Kandy is definitely more Hindu than Buddhist in appearance. He’s one of the more popular deities in Sri Lanka, for the rather shallow reason that he grants wishes.
Hey, I’ve got a wish for you, Kataragama. I wish you’d force your little acolytes to stop hounding me for money! From the moment we stepped inside this devale, we were beset by schemers, offering to lead us on tours (for cash), asking to have their photos taken (for cash), and trying to tie wristbands on us (for cash). While I was checking out the temple’s Bo Tree, it asked me where I was from! A sneaking orange-robed monk popped out from behind the tree with a beatific smile on his face, and told me that it was only six years old. “Wow, you don’t say”, I replied dryly, knowing what was coming. “Now you like make donation?” Sigh.
One of the most popular temples in Kandy is dedicated to the Indian goddess Pattini. A normal girl of humble origins, she was made a goddess after showing unwavering fealty to her no-good, cheating husband. When he was falsely accused of robbery, she protested his execution by tearing off her own breast and burning a city down with her pure, fiery rage. Today, she’s visited by pregnant women, and those hoping to ward off disease.
Her devale in Kandy is found in the Temple of the Tooth, and is almost always crowded. We happened to visit during a ceremony and, maneuvering around a rooster, stepped inside. A priest at the front of the shrine was shaking a golden bracelet, while on the side, another guy was loudly babble-chanting, like a drunk auctioneer. The place was packed full, and it was a cool experience.
Natha is the only purely Buddhist god of the four protectors of Kandy, and his temple is the oldest structure in the city, dating from sometime in the 14th century. Sri Lanka’s Natha corresponds to Avalokiteśvara, who is an enlightened being that encompasses all the compassion in the world. Sounds like a nice fella, this Natha.
The Natha temple is one of the most important in Kandy, only eclipsed by the Temple of the Tooth. The main shrine is evidently ancient, and beautiful from the outside, though its interior is a bit of a let-down. Because of the god’s importance, new Kings of Kandy were obligated to appear here to claim a name, before ascending to the throne.
Walking around Colombo’s Pettah neighborhood, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d landed in Tehran or Cairo. A bazaar with definite Middle Eastern flair, the Pettah is where Sri Lanka’s multi-culturalism is at its most exuberant. The district has long been inhabited by Muslims, but a strong population of Sinhalese and Tamils contribute to an intoxicating mix of ethnicities in Colombo’s most colorful area.
We visited the Pettah on our first full day in Sri Lanka, and were instantly won over. The narrow streets are clogged with tuk-tuks and men pulling heavy carts laden with goods, while a bewildering assortment of shops clamor for your business. The Pettah spreads out north from the Fort Railway station, and we walked aimlessly about for a couple hours, snapping photos and absorbing the ambiance.
Similar shops tend to be grouped together. Hundreds of jewelry stores cling side-by-side on Sea Street, then around the corner you’ll find a collection of shops selling ayurvedic herbs and roots. South of the Old Town Hall, there’s a covered market selling fruits and vegetables, some of them familiar and some less so. Vendors were happy to help identify the stranger specimens, and I almost bought a jackfruit — though decided that carrying around the spiky melon-shaped gargantuan for the rest of the day might not be so wise. (Oh but later, Mr. Jackfruit, you will be mine).
Eager for a break, we ventured into the Old Town Hall. In the midst of such chaos, it was strangely deserted. On the second floor, we found a collection of dummies dressed in official gear, seated around a long table. Some sort of recreation of an old town meeting? I don’t know, but it was definitely bizarre. We took a seat in a room full of empty school chairs and recharged.
The Pettah is home to a happy variety of places to worship. We visited the New Katherisan Kovil (Hindu), the gorgeous red and white Jami ul-Aftar (Muslim), and the Wolfendahl Church (Christian). Sri Lanka is nothing if not diverse! Anyone in the market for a new religion should head straight to the Pettah, for some convenient comparison shopping. Without a doubt, this was the most lively and exciting neighborhood we visited during our short time in Colombo.
We're Jürgen and Mike, from Germany and the USA. Born wanderers, we love traveling and learning about new cultures, so we've decided to see the world... slowly. Always being tourists would get lame, but eternal newcomers? We can live with that. So, our plan is to move to an interesting new city, once every three months. About 91 days.
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