Leather bag, Kandy in black

Knitted bag / crossover bag in leather, Kandy in black

The knit bag, or project bag, is named after a town in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. In fact, the Sinhalese word for hill is "kanda" and hence the city's name "Kandy". Kandy is 500 meters above sea level, and in addition to the fact that this results in a fantastically pleasant climate, it also means that the city is a nightmare to get to - at least if you don't like mountain driving. If, on the other hand, you can ignore the many hairpin turns, the trip to (and from) the city offers the most beautiful mountain landscapes on earth. I chose, rather impulsively, to take the four-hour trip to the city in a TukTuk. In this way, I avoided seeing nature through a window, and it also gave me the opportunity to stop exactly where I wanted along the way.

Tea from Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, is the world's fourth largest producer of tea. Maybe you know Ceylon tea? I have been told that the plants do very well in the highlands, where there is a moist and slightly cooler environment. In fact, more than 1 million people live off the tea plantations in the country, which is why it is also an absolutely essential export product for Sri Lanka.
On my trip through the mountains, it was impossible to overlook the beautiful slopes covered by small, fine tea plants. In several places, the farmers were out to pick the leaves, which are subsequently sold, dried and made into a myriad of tea blends.

Kandy's story

In the 16th century, Kandy was the capital of the country and hosted several great kings, but also periods of colonization by the Dutch and the Portuguese. Walking along the main street, the gaze quickly falls on the older buildings that were built during the colonial era. They are beautiful, but of course very different from the Indian style that Sri Lanka is very much characterized by.

Kandy is also a religious center of Buddhism. In fact, one tooth of the Buddha is said to be kept in the Dalada Maligava temple. Therefore, it is also the terminus for many pilgrims and tourists - including myself.
Only three times a day, for 1 hour, is the "Puja" held, where the temple is opened. The ceremony begins with a musical session on large drums, after which the crowd calmly, but eagerly, begins to squeeze into the area where the tooth is stored. Here I could feel the excitement begin to build!
It turned out, however, that the tooth is not visible to the public. Instead, one saw the casket in gold, which the tooth lay inside. Although I did not see the tooth, it was a great experience to be visiting!

My trip to Sri Lanka was marked by many visits to villages and smaller spots, but in Kandy there were cafes, several restaurants, shopping and a market, so a lot of time was also spent lazing around and enjoying the atmosphere.
From Kandy I took the train on to Ella, and this particular train route is known to be one of the world's most beautiful routes! You can read more about that right here.

Find the bag in black, cognac, brown and olive.
Type/Category: Crossover bag, knitting bag, project bag.