Post #5 Oct 4

It’s been hot.  The days have reached 31 degrees and you can tack on a couple of degrees for the humidity.  The evenings are cooler dropping down to 24 degrees and if it weren’t for air conditioning I’d be a grumpy traveller.  However it’s become apparent on this trip that Judith and my tastes in the air conditioning temperature setting differs.  Her idea of a satisfactory setting is at 26 degrees while mine is lower at say maximum 22 degrees.  So far we’ve been setting it at Judith’s higher level, but now I’m convinced there is a direct correlation between that setting and my crappy restless sleep I’ve been experiencing.  At some point we’ll be heading for higher altitudes so maybe there will be additional respite there.

Our hotel location is close to three UNESCO World Heritage sites.  Sigiriya is an impressive vertical walled rock outcrop with a flat top that soars high above the surrounding plain.  On top of the rock are the ruins of an ancient palace.  The vistas from the top of the rock outcrop are known to be fabulous.  Then there is the ancient city of Polonnaruwa.  The other site is the Dambulla Cave Temples which has been a place of worship since the first century BC.  There are 5 different temples carved into the rock and these contain about 150 amazing Buddha statues and paintings.  Some of the Buddha statues were put here over 2,000 years ago.  Other statues were added by subsequent kings.

The climb up Sigiriya is fairly arduous and my research shows it is also a bit frightening due to the narrow metal staircase on the upper section.  The 1200 or so steps takes about 45 to climb.  I didn’t think I could climb steps for that long.  Furthermore, the stairs installed are narrow and look similarly sketchy as the ones I used at Cambodia’s Angkor Wat.  People using the stairs don’t have lots of confidence using them, reporting that it’s one of the most scariest things they’ve done.  On sections of the climb up, you’re on a set of crowded narrow metal stairs around the outside of the rock over a 1000 feet up. 

On our planning discussion with Sura the day before, I decided not to go to the top.  Despite the draw of a spectacular view and stair master challenge, I just didn’t see myself stair climbing for 45 minutes straight, particularly in 30+ degree weather.  Instead we decide to go to a vantage point to take a few pictures.  

Sigiriya from afar.  We’re told that the ruins are an ancient city.  The King would be carried up in a palanquin.  Unfortunately that wasn’t an option for me.  

And a close up.  I don’t think I’ll second guess my decision not to go, but this is a spectacular looking rock and I know I would find the ruins pretty interesting.  

We drove through farmland and a national park to get to our next designation, the ancient city of Polonnaruwa.   Sura pointed out a sleeping platform used by farmers to sleep by their crops.  The platforms are used to help guard their fields at night from animals such as elephants as Sri Lanka still has a protected wild population of them.  They can no longer be captured and used for work.   

Sleeping platform in the tree.

On the way, we pass through several towns and drive through Minneriya National Park.  We’ve been driving for two hours since our short stop to take pictures of Sigiriya. 

Just before we arrive at Polonnaruwa we come to Parakrama Samudra, a huge lake built in 1200.  This reserviour was expanded by subsequent rulers.  It was so large that people referred to it as Samudhraya meaning “the ocean”.  

We drive to the parking lot and go to the museum first.  It’s a good place to get an orientation of what we’re looking at.  I’m glad we start there because it’s smoking hot outside—another reason not to climb Sirigiya.  Polonnaruwa is the second oldest kingdoms in of all of Sri Lanka and was established as a military post.  It is seen to be one of the best planned ancient cities in the country.  After the museum we head out to see the ruins.  I wish I had brought my wide brimmed hat.  

From the museum we drive through the park to view the inner citadel, where the King and his council operated.  

The buildings have been around since the 2nd century BC.  The city was at one time completely self sufficient.  It had an efficient water collection, distribution and irrigation system.  Most of the inner city ruins remaining relate to gathering places for governing and religion (Hinduism).  There are many buildings in the inner citadel area, but I’ll highlight a couple.  

This is King Parakramabahu’s Palace ruins.  It’s one of the many buildings in the inner city area.  It used to be 7 stories high but the upper portions were make of wood and have long since rotted away.  On the facade, you can make out the holes were the 2nd and 3rd wooden beam would go.  It’s a massive structure.  

This structure was known as the Vatadage.  It was used to hold the Relic of the tooth of Buddha.  More on that later.

After exploring the buildings and other artifacts in the inter circle, we proceed towards the outer city area.  There are many buildings here, but will just show a couple.

This structure is known as Satmahal Prasada.   

It is a 12 storey stepped building and is thought to be a stupa.

This is Rankoth Vehera, a stupa built around the 12th century.  On our walk (always clockwise and barefoot) around the stupa, it was hard to meditate due to the pain from the soles of my feet from the sun baking the ground.  I was grateful to find bits of shade that I could walk on.  

After leaving Polonnaruwa, we took a short drive to Gal Vihara.  This is comprises of 4 Buddhas carved into a long wall of granite rock.  It is an impressive display.

 

The siting Buddha has 4 more Buddhas around its head.  The carving uses the natural marbling in that rock.  There is another seated Buddha inset into the wall.  The standing Buddha is 7 meters tall.  The crossed arms is an unusual pose.  The reclining Buddha is 14 metres long.  It depicts entering parinirvana (nirvana after death). 

It’s about 2:00 and we’ve spent the past three hours in the hot sun.  We decide to go and have lunch at a family restaurant.  Priyamali Gedara provides a “Farmer Lunch” serving up rural food.  It’s located at the restaurant owner’s home in “new” Polonnaruwa and we get a quick tour of their cooking facilities.  There was a large assortment of spicy and non spicy dishes, drinks and desserts and we both enjoyed the food and the family run atmosphere.  

 

We had a seat overlooking the farm.  I was pretty sweaty…

The lunch buffet.   It wasn’t possible to try everything.

After dinner we have a long drive back to the hotel.  We are fortunate to see a wild elephant on the side of the road when we were traveling back through the national park.  There were other cars that has slowed down, so we did that for a few pictures and then went back to cruising speed.

And then we spot another wild elephant in the distance by the lake.  I extend my camera’s focus as far as my optical lens would go and took this shot.  

It is getting late but Sura takes us to Dambulla Temple Caves over 2000 years old. When we get there Judith takes one look at the daunting set of stairs (364 of them!) going up 160 meters to the top and elects to explore an old stupa we just passed.  So our guide Sura and I start up the long set of stairs.  They’re not even; in fact, stairs at ancient places are rarely even.  You just have to watch your step at all times.  I made it to the top after having a short break, but I was happy when I saw the last 50 steps were half height making it easier on my tired legs.

 A section of the steps to Dambulla Temple.

The caves are impressive.  There are 5 temple caves holding a total of approximately 150 figurines.  

Seated Buddhas.  There’s not really anything for scale, but I recall they were about 7 feet high.  

More exhibits.  The Buddhas have been added to over the centuries by various rulers.

Dambulla Temple Caves.  The 5 temples are in a straight line carved into the rock.  While they vary in size, they are all still large rooms filled with with religious art.      

After we finish at Dambulla, we proceed back down the hillside, meeting up with Judith.  We all pile back into the van and head straight to the hotel where I immediately start napping.  I was pretty tired from a long hot day.  When I wake up, I see that Judith has napped too.  We go down to the restaurant for dinner and then come back to our room to get more sleep.