Escape from Colombo

Whilst in Hikkaduwa the weekend before last I met a Russian tourist who was on a two week vacation in Sri Lanka. We hung out for a day but I had to head back to Colombo for work on the Monday. In case she decided to come to Colombo I left her my contact details but warned her that the city was a bit of a shock after the peace and quiet of the beach.
I got a call on Wednesday to say my friend was passing through Colombo on her way to see some of the ancient and religious sights Sri Lanka is so famous for. As I've limited my exploration of the island to the beaches and a couple of trips to Kandy I decided it could make a nice trip and booked a few days of annual leave; luckily my friend agreed and I think we both appreciated the company.
The first night was spent in Colombo and after eating we stopped at the main temple in Colombo where the annual Pera Hera (http://moodymowlam.blogspot.com/2006/02/navam-perahera.html) starts from. The temple was filled with huge Buddhas, deities and murals depicting the life of Buddha.
The next morning we got a 6.20am train to Kandy and travelled in relative luxury by Sri Lankan standards; we got first class tickets that entitled us to guaranteed seats facing a large observation window at the rear of the train. The journey was a scenic 3 hour trip past paddy fields, jungle and then climbing through the mountains surrounding Kandy. After securing ourselves accommodation at a guest house we headed out to the Botanical gardens.
I'll keep my descriptions of Kandy brief as it was my third visit but the trip to the Temple of the Golden Tooth was more atmospheric than previous trips as we arrived at dusk when the drummers play to summon the worshipers to temple.