Matale

Matale (pronounced Motta Lee) is a small town north of Kandy.  They have some cool temples you can check out for a small fee if you're foreign.  I don't know why I bothered staying there for 2 days since you could do the whole thing in one hour in the afternoon.  Presumably because I didn't feel like hauling all my luggage with me, lol.

It's within walking distance of the Matale (2 km or so), so I walked there.

Here's the photos:

A small remembrance.

A couple of shots of the entry way.

Inside the temple--a reclining Buddha.

Detail work from one of the archways inside the temple.

A view of the grounds.

Supposed to be a vision of Hell for the unrepentant.

Seemed more like a torture museum.

I couldn't resist another shot.

Hilltop Buddha.

A view from the temple on top of the rocks.

I forget what this is about.

Design painted meticulously on the rocky ceiling and walls of the temple.

King Norodom of Cambodia apparently helped make this temple possible.

Pretty cool.

You can also visit "Spice Gardens", which are basically gardens where they grow spice plants--cinnamon trees, citronella, tamarind plants, red and green pineapples, coconuts, jasmine, etc.  They'll lecture you about each thing, then try to get you to buy pricey goods.  Luckily, I was so broke I wasn't tempted to buy anything, but it was an interesting place to visit nonetheless.

Spice Gardens abound in this area, but the one I visited was located about one kilometer past the temple.

You can also stop by A&C restaurant which is between Matale and the temple.  I actually stopped in to ask directions to the temple, and ate a fruit salad since (in my usual careless style) I had forgotten to eat lunch.  

I loved their bathroom signs.