Gardens and gems
Russell Lynch, following the MCC tour of Sri Lanka, arrives in Kandy for the Second Test - and takes his life in his hands by taking to the local transport
Russell Lynch
06-Mar-2001
Russell Lynch, following the MCC tour of Sri Lanka, arrives in Kandy for the Second Test - and takes his life in his hands by taking to the local transport.
The average observer looking around a garden doesn't expect to come across
trees with numbered fruit. A refreshed touring party saw just such a sight
on Tuesday morning at the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens on the outskirts of
Kandy. As the all-knowing Razyn informs us, the double coconut tree's fruit
is worth anything up to $1,000 when skinned and varnished as a decorative
ornament. Yes - it seems that money does indeed grow on trees.
It is pleasant to walk around the garden, despite the ever-increasing heat.
Across a more open plain near the shade of a vast umbrella tree, children
are warming up for tomorrow's Test. A sturdy bamboo cane serves for the bat
of a young Jayasuriya or Attapatu in the making as he smites his friends'
bowling to all parts.
Our guide also points out the mumumal tree, whose bark offers protection
against snakebites. At least I know where to go now if I meet one of those
five deadly snakes I heard about yesterday. After a walk around the Great
Circle and a look at the stately Royal Palm Avenue, we depart.
Then onwards to the Lakmini gem factory to see workers in action polishing
and cutting the precious stones - another of the island's exports. Mining
the stones themselves seems a dangerous business, crawling around in
hand-dug tunnels 45 feet underground; no wonder then that prospective miners
seek an astrologer's advice on the most auspicious starting date for the
venture.
Finally, the gem shop. The Lakmini has gems worth over $50 million, and
husbands kept one eye on spouses examining the stones with increasing
temptation. My fellow traveller, the young artist Jo Bowen, was particularly
drawn to a blue sapphire. Will she succumb? Watch this space.
The Asgiriya
A fellow devotee and I broke off from the main party to head off to the
Asgiriya Stadium to watch the England players netting before tomorrow's
match. It is a small ground which looks like it has been put up one stand at a
time, giving a rather piecemeal feel to the place. But the backdrop of the
green Kandyan hills surely makes it as stunning a place to play as anywhere
in the world. All around groundstaff were busily at work completing
temporary shelter for the stands.
It is reported that 4,000 people have come from England for the match
and the team will be loath to disappoint them. We saw Alec Stewart and
Nasser Hussain planting some local net bowlers over the ropes with ease -
they will be treating Muralitharan with a little more respect.
Over in the corner of the ground Marcus Trescothick is taking some
throw-downs; it is a superstition of his that he doesn't net before a match.
His superb start to the series in Galle makes you think that there could be
something in it.
On a three-wheeler and a prayer
Since the sanctuary of the MCC coach was denied me, I was left with few
options getting back to the hotel. I took a three-wheeler - basically a
moped with a covered passenger seat on the back. When we were off, the guy
happily admitted to me that he had no idea where the place was, and he
proceeded to swerve all over the road asking his fellow drivers as following
traffic sounded in anger. My pulse rate shot up every time we turned right,
but I made it back alive.
As we weaved between buses and trucks, and over
the pavement at one stage, you get a far better picture of the town centre
than in the coach. But not for the faint-hearted in the rush hour - and
around £1.50 for the privilege.