Do You Have Any Leopards Here?

To start off with a brief conversation ...

    So I try to go jogging or running every morning, which can be a challenge while on the road traveling.  But I give it my level best to get out and have a decent run each day, usually early in the morning.  

   This morning started out in Kandy, Sri Lanka, our last day here.  I went up the hill from our Hotel and eventually ran out of road, ending up at a Nature Preserve.  There was no one around, but the gate was ajar, and I thought, maybe I'll take a run through here (it was a bit like a hilly jungle).  The gate however, had a big sign that said "No Admittance."

    I looked around for a while, and since no one was there, I wandered inside.  There was a cheesy kind of display area with among other things, a stuffed leopard.  Did I mention that Sri Lanka is know for their leopard population?  This gave me pause ...

    Eventually a guy came walking up the lane and I kinda figured he worked there.  So we had a conversation:

- Me: "Can I go inside for a run?"

- Him: "No, sir, we are closed."

- Me: "but is it okay if I go inside?  I am out for jogging" and I make a running example, flailing my arms and moving my feet.  I also imitate the basic English with which they are familiar. 

Him: "Yes, sir, it will be okay for you to run."

Me: "So it's okay?'

Him "Yes"

Me: "Are there leopards inside?"

Him: "Yes" 

Me: "Is it safe?'

Him: "No"

Me: "... Umm ... y'know ... maybe I'll just head back down the road .. thanks!"

Last Night, The Temple of the Tooth

    We walked around last night after we arrived in Kandy, a mountain town in the Sri Lanka highlands.  It just so happened we came across a brightly lit and rather impressive temple, with which we were unfamiliar.

    Upon inquiry (that was met with indignation) "You don't know what this is?"  we found out that this was the Temple of the Tooth.  Okay, what tooth are we talking about?  The tooth of the Buddha! like the real guy, the person around whom the religion is based.  Like it came out of his mouth.  If nothing else, they get style points for a cool name. 

    Wow!  This is a big deal around here, and is a profound spiritual destination for many.  Hey, I'm not going to pass judgment here, I thought the place was pretty awesome though ...

A Place Called Kandy -  "We have the Best Botanical Gardens in Asia!"

    So we spent the last day in Sri Lanka as mentioned in a small town in the mountains called Kandy (don't ask), and it was a perfect day with some interesting sites.

    They claim to have this fantastic garden, and I reckon they certainly have the climate for this kind of thing.  And you know what? It was a rather amazing place.

    So we wandered around looking at the very impressive display of plants from all over the world.  It was one of those days where the weather is perfect and you are relaxed, and you think mankind isn't so bad after all, if we can create places like this ...

    And we came across a sample of Mexican Agave, as in the picture below, and since these are samples from all over the world - Pop Quiz - who can say what they make out of this stuff?

    Okay, free pass on the answer ... because you probably can't read the sign, but it says Agave Tequiliana - who can guess what they make out of this plant?

People have priorities that often don't match up with ours

    Our last stop before leaving town was the giant statue of the Buddha that overlooks Kandy.  It was on top of one of the hills that surround the town.  It was impressive, and very white!

    I could make a snide comment such as ... "he has all his teeth" ... but that would be unkind.  The fact is, this is one of the largest Buddha statues in the world, and it's in the remote mountains of Sri Lanka.  There are around 400 million Buddhists believers currently.