January 19th.
We have heard a lot about the Royal Botanical Garden so were excited to be going.
A tuktuk ride took us to the gate where yet again the Foreigners have a different price to the locals. We paid 3,000r. for the two of us to go in. We were given a leaflet with a map and details of things to be seen within acres of grounds.
It was the Orchid house that i most wanted to see so we headed straight for that. A relatively small building for the number of orchids that it housed.
I have never seen so many different orchids and no two the same. The colours were so rich and the shapes varied from double flowers, to long spider looking things and my favourite one had what looked like a little elf sitting in the middle of it.
We wandered through the park looking at the flower beds, trees and the vastness of the grounds.
While we had a cup of iced tea (they did not serve hot tea because it was lunch time??) we saw a troop of monkeys playing under the old fig tree.
As we wondered round the grounds some more we came across a large troop of monkeys making a right mess. They were emptying the waste bin in search of food. There was paper and plastic bags all over the floor and monkeys trying to eat whatever might be left in them. Several of the larger monkeys had the sense to get their arms in the waste bin and pull things out when along came what might have been the largest male and he was very intelligent. He knew how to open the lid of the bin and have a good rummage around inside.
Toque Macague Monkey (Macaca sinica ). at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kandy
There was a drinking fountain nearby and the monkeys would wander over and help themselves to some water. I was worried when a very young monkey went across but a huge jump and he managed to make it to the top and also drink some water. We could have stayed for hours watching them, they were so entertaining.
We walked down the avenue of palms and round towards the bamboo area. Here we discovered several trees with fruit bats hanging in them.
On reading a notice board I learned that as they hang upside down they are flapping their wings to keep themselves cool. Apparently thy leave the trees at sunset to go in search of food. They can fly up to 15 km in a night but always return to the same tree.
And then more monkeys! We stood and watched this family of monkeys far ages as they jumped in and out of trees. But this time mostly in the low branches. They were used to humans and just carried on playing or grooming. Every so often I could get the camera up close.
As we headed back to the exit we passed the pond and herb garden and a very interesting arrangement showing different types of grass. Some of which we would not call grass but more like weeds but obviously in some countries it’s the best grass that can be grown.
A Tuktuk from outside the gates returned us to the hotel in time for a pre dinner beer.