http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Sri Lanka , North Central Province en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 06:32:12 +0000 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 06:32:12 +0000 Ok Day 2 of our Sri Lanka adventure was all about temples in the ancient capital of Polonnaruwa. This was a great day not only because of the sights but because of our tour guide. He was a local man that told us very interesting things about Monkeys and how when they finish they swallow. We walked around the cool Buddhist temples all morning with our guide telling us about them I can remember http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Polonnaruwa-/blog-444867.html Polonnaruwa period is the most prosperous era sri lanka ever had in its annuls. Polonnaruwa replaced Anuradhapura as the capital city of Sri Lanka Because of the invasion of south India. It was the capital of Sri Lanka from 11 AD to 13 AD.Today the ancient city of Polonnaruwa remains one of the best planned Archeological relic sites in the country. During the 11th 13th AD number of 7'and 16 st http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Polonnaruwa-/blog-428550.html After 2 days of intensive givingdonatingoffering today we could afford to wake up a bit later and have a relaxed breakfast. Since we spent most of the past 2 days doing charity work and didn't manage to have much sightseeing today our Bhante decided to bring us around Anuradhapura and Mihintale for some cultural sightseeing.We first went to the Sri Maha Bodhi Sacred Bodhi Tree temple in the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Anuradhapura/blog-419066.html This day was definitely the highlight of this trip. Never in my life had I done so much charity work in 1 day... Not only we did charity work at Mihintale the holiest place in Sri Lanka we also went to several refugee camps in northern Sri Lanka to giveofferdonatedistribute...This day was also one of the holiest day in Sri Lanka as it was Poson day the day when Buddhism was introduced to S http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Mihintale/blog-418805.html The weekend of 5th7th JuneWe arrived at the bus station a little later than we ought to have. The first bus was crowded and we decided erroneously to wait for the second. By the time it arrived there were enough passengers waiting to fill the QE2. In the ensuing melee I discovered that the endless hours spent playing rugby as a child were not wasted but were preparation for getting on the Pol http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Polonnaruwa-/blog-406834.html Sorry for the delay in my blogs its now 3rd January 2009 and still blogging about Sri Lanka in December 2008. This is the last chapter from Sri Lanka before I arrived in Thailand. Mihintale The morning sun was in full swing and as l started to climb the first set of steps my TShirt being to show the signs of the heat and became wet. Once at the top you come across a statue of King Devanampiya a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Anuradhapura/blog-359526.html This why I came to Sri Lanka to offer a Hand of Hope. I arrived in Sri Lanka on the 31st of August it was a hard decision for me giving everying up to come over here and try and help out in some of the orphanages here. It has been quite an experience back home I dont think any of us have much idea about how these children actually live. In the first orphanage it was Gillian McAlister Katie http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Polonnaruwa-/blog-337274.html This is just my last blog from Sri Lanka just to say thank you to all my friends and family back home for all their help over the past few years and for making this trip possible there are too many people to list but you know who you are. I am just going to put a few photos together and a few words. Sri Lanka is a beautiful island and I would recommend anyone to visit it but one month is pro http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Polonnaruwa-/blog-335402.html Well here I am after many months of planning this trip of a lifetime making sacrifices leaving my job my daughter family and friends I finally left all that I knew and loved on Sunday 31st August 2008 to embark on journey. My friends Nickie Rosie Heidi Sharon and Caroline took me to Heathrow. My mum and dad wanted to come to the airport but I wouldnt let them it would have been too hard http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Polonnaruwa-/blog-332117.html I have returned to Sri Lanka having visited as a tourist a few years ago. Something drew me back to this beautiful island and I'm sure it was the people. I am living in Polonnaruwa with a host family who are adorable friendly so accommodating and nothing is too much trouble for them. Work wise I am working in a girls orphanage. They are aged between eight and nineteen and we are wi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Polonnaruwa-/blog-331858.html Having left India and now in Sri Lanka I just wanted to pause for thought before I tell you about this next leg of the journey. Every now and again on my journey I'll be walking along and I'll forget where I am until I see something that reminds me of which place I'm in. In India this has happened a few times until I look up and see a cow in the middle of the road or walking along the be http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Polonnaruwa-/blog-328118.html The Cultural Triangle Polonnaruwa Anuradhapura and SigiriyaWe awoke at seven and drew back the curtains to reveal the vast Kandalama tank fifty metres beneath us surrounded by forest and not a building to be seen. We had coffee on our large balcony listening to the myriad bird calls and watching the cormorants busily fishing the egrets urgently flapping off in search of breakfast colourful http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Polonnaruwa-/blog-279632.html Saw a lot of Tempels. Beautiful colours. Our driver Asela showed us everything. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Anuradhapura/blog-145655.html Happy Birthday Autumn xxxxxSo at 6am this morning we set off North to Minhitale yes more ruins and temples. It was a fair old journey and at 9.30am we stopped for breakfast at this nice little hotel I had been to before they all recognised me and said 'Hello which was nice but anyway there is a point to this I promiseI hadn't been feeling too well during the week nothing major just a bit http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Anuradhapura/blog-128240.html Marie and I are now half way through our travel time We have been to Kandy the Pinnawela elephant orphanage Dambulla rock temples Sigiria Polonnaruwa and now we are in AnnuradhapuraYesterday we discovered that you could get female Buddhist nuns. Up until that point we thought that they were all male as the male and female monks all where a orange tunic and have a shaved head with no jewelr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Anuradhapura/blog-104333.html Statue of Liberty on the Open Market The Ownership of Cultural PropertyWe were discussing the ability of an oversized monkey to abduct a toddler when the Englishman approached us alongside the Tivanka image house in ancient Polonnaruva. Tugging the hem of his collared bowling shirt over the taut waistband of his cargo safari shorts he pointed to the tops of the trees with a crooked arm. ldquoW http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Anuradhapura/blog-93941.html ANURADHAPURAFinding accommodation can sometimes be a challenge especially with the 3 wheeler drivers trying to help you ... which really means take you to a place where they get commission. After some heated discussions we finally made it to a nice guesthouse and then set out on bicycles to explore the ancient city of Anuradahpura.First a short history lesson...Sinhalese kings ruled from pala http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Anuradhapura/blog-53346.html We left Days Inn at 8am ready for our long guided journey to Anuradhapura via a Hindu temple the cave temples of Dambulla and the rock fortress of Sigiriya. The intricately decorated Hindu temple was first its tower adorned in Hindu deities was a sight to behold. After a couple of hours we reached Dambulla and after paying our entry our guide left us to climb to the top of the hill and to the t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Anuradhapura/blog-43457.html So...after Kandy and basically off for a circular tour of the 'old bits' of the island and my my it's a fascinating place.We started off on a small detour to a herb and spice garden. A bit of a tourist trap but we had a fantastic talk from a professor of something or other and then a 'free' massage. Wow beat anything we had in India by a long shot incredibly soothing done by pressing with http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Anuradhapura/blog-40505.html Knife ShopWe are heading for Anuradhapura. Along the road we stop to visit an archeological site. A tank these are manmade reservoirs centuries old. And learned how the people use to farm the land. Sri Lanka has no natural lakes so over the 3000 years that people have been living on the island thousands of tanks some small some mammoth have been built. These tanks are still used today collec http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Anuradhapura/blog-39937.html