Anaradhapura to Sigiriya

August 14

I awoke the next morning and Lal was knocking at my door. He had my suitcase!! They delivered it five (5!!) hours away from the airport at 3 am! I was utterly impressed. What service! I dressed, had breakfast (including fresh mangoes from trees on the property). Then we headed out to visit some of the temple ruins in Anaradhapura. (Had I realized how often I would be taking my shoes off and on, I would have worn flip-flops and worked to toughen the soles of my feet before going.) Sri Lanka is a predominantly Buddhist country and this area especially had vast ruins of a large and bustling priest population. Here’s what his itinerary said about the ruins of Anuradhapura: the sprawling complex contains a rich collection of archaeological and architectural wonders: enormous dagobas, soaring brick towers, ancient pools and crumbling temples, built during Anuradhapura’s thousand years of rule over Sri Lanka.

Jetavana Stupa with scaffolding around the very top piece.

carvings in the stone walkway around the stupa

elephants alternate with decorative tiles on several tiers of the wall

This tiny little fairy flower was dotted among the grass surrounding the stupa

This tree! Supporting roots? cascade down from the branches to nestle in to the ground at the base.

This was one, and the other was a mirror image. The woman in white at the waters edge had bread she was feeding to the fish in the pond.

Lotus flower offerings in front of the buddha

My chariot for the week.

Abhayagiri Stupa in Anuradhapura. There are many of these stupas!

At the base of the round domes, there are these tents and inside are many depictions of buddha from youth to old age, and always one reclining like this. Again, lotus flowers laid along the edge.

This pond seems to be the inverse of the stupa it is near.

More typical of more modern stupas

By about 11 am we were heading toward Sigiriya. On the way I had an appointment for an Ayurvedic Medical Treatment (full body massage and steam bath). A broad variety of natural herbs form the main ingredients of Ayurvedic medicines, which make it absolutely free of side effects. This practice has been perfected over centuries and claims to have remedies even for those ailments that defy time and modern understanding. I was totally oily, including my hair upon leaving, so I was happy to go to the hotel and get a shower (cold to luke warm).

The Golden Buddha, which I stopped to see on the way out of Anaradhapura.

The Golden Temple. The doors lead you into the dragons mouth.

At 4:00 we headed for Sigiriya Lion Rock. This rock fortress is regarded as the eighth wonder of the ancient world. It is supposed to have been built by King Kassapa in the 5^th century AD and was a royal citadel for more than a year. It is a complex of buildings, part-royal palace, part fortified town, and water gardens on par with the best in the ancient world. This is a magnificent and unique architectural feat on the part of the ancient Sinhalese. Fitbit said it was 63 flights of stairs and my feet said it was at least 100! I didn’t want to descend in the dark so I started down just before the sun reached the horizon. It was dusk when I got back to the parking lot and we headed back to the hotel and dinner.

Out the window on the way to Siguriya. There’s a large pond in the field that is covered in lotus flowers.

The sign for the entrance to the road for my massage. I had to put all of my belongings in a locker so got no photos of the actual huts in which the massage and steam bath took place. No mirrors either…probably thankful for that.

Upon arrival at the hotels I was always offered juice. This was watermelon!

View from my bedroom of the rock I would climb later.

In the center of this photo there is a small monitor that caught something and began eating it immediately after I took this photo.

Sigiriya, in all of its daunting splendor!

Stairs, stairs, and more stairs; plus they were rough and not of the same depth or width. AND often coated with sand.

Every time I got to a landing I looked up and didn’t feel that much closer to the top.

View from the bridge before the spiral staircase.

On the bridge heading toward the spiral stairs. It was quite windy up here.

This sign was amusing to me, especially coming from Kuwait. After doing it, I totally agree with the admonishment.

Looking down on some of the ruins. This is very high up, but not yet at the top.

After the spiral stairs.

On a plateau and large grounds area just before the final push to the top. This is supposed to be a lion’s paw. There is one on each side of this area, but note there are only 3 toes.

Daredevil playing on the railing.

Sun beginning to set from the top.

There were ruins of quite a large palace on the very top, and this pool.

Looking down at the feet and plateau area. It was still a long way up to the top from there.

The sun got a little further down and I decided it was time to high tail it or have to do it in the dark.

A different route led down and I saw these caves.

It was a beautiful area, and thankfully had some places that sort-of leveled off.

There was a place going up with two giant boulders leaning together and this was coming down.

I think this was called Cobra Hood Cave, but I think it looks a bit like a monkey’s head.

More rocks holding each other up. I wished I ‘d had someone to help hold me up.

And done! Sigiriya – The Lion Rock

I was really ready for an early night, but am glad I pushed myself to do it.