First item today is 1 hour cruise on Mahaweli River starting from hotel. See various wildlife, mainly birds. Men fishing from outrigger canoe. Guys dredging river by hand. Interesting river side buildings of all ages and standards. People washing clothes and selves in river. Huge colony of bats in river side trees.
Next take bus to small village on edge of Kandy. Small government housing project with many having cottage industries. We visited home of brass maker. Intricate etching and embossing of brass items, many used in Buddhist temples. Then visited nearby ancient village temple with 2 sections containing big Buddha statues and one with painted walls and ceilings reminiscent of the caves in China. Brass maker guy is custodian of temples and very proud of them. He then provided tea and snacks for us and gave each of us a gift of a small trinket box.
Back to hotel for lunch, then off on walk around Kandy town centre. Much vehicular and people traffic. Lots of noise and exhaust fumes. Thousands of little shops and stalls. Walked through laneways lined with little stores, then on to produce markets with many exotic fruits and others including betel leaves and nuts and tobacco. Stopped at one place making hoppers (the bowl shaped ones). Guide bought a few for group to try.
Back on bus to arts and craft centre which was pretty ordinary in my mind. Back to hotel for rest before dinner.
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