As you might know it, Japan has a special place in my heart. Before spending a month there, I had barely wondered what this country would offer me and I truly had no expectations, my mind being busier thinking about how it was one of Simon’s dreams to visit it. I knew I would love Hawaii for example and I did of course, but I had no idea that I would love Japan which made my experience even more intense.
Kyoto was the first city that we visited in Japan and it became our favourite too. We were lucky enough to arrive just before the end of the cherry blossom season which gives the town some magical tone. We were also especially struck by how kind people were with us. It happened more than once that locals came to help us when we were lost (in public transportation among others!) although they didn’t speak a word of English.
These days, I’ve been nostalgic of our travels through Japan and I’ve been thinking about the pretty city of Kyoto a lot. It was the first Japanese city we visited and it didn’t take long for us both to fall in love with it. We were lucky enough to arrive just before the end of the cherry blossom season which gives the town some magical tone. We were also especially struck by how kind people were with us. It happened more than once that locals came to help us when we were lost (in public transportation among others!) although they didn’t speak a word of English.
Kandy is an important city in Sri Lanka and we didn’t want to miss it. As well as being a perfect starting point for a beautiful train ride to Ella, Kandy has a lot to offer culture wise. With two weeks in the country though, big cities were not our priority. We had only one full day in Kandy and made the most of it.
We spent only one full day in Kandy and the temple of the tooth was a place I really wanted to visit. The temple of the tooth is a Buddhist temple, house to the sacred tooth of the Buddha. It is said that the tooth was retrieved when the Buddha was cremated and kept as a relic ever since. The ceremony that takes place in the temple three times a day sounded interesting too. We went to the 9.30 am ceremony, without knowing much about it and what to expect.