Stunning Sigiriya and on to Kandy

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Today a trip to the most iconic place in Sri Lanka, and the image that made me want to go there the most, Sigiriya Rock. It's odd appearance is down to it being a volcanic plug of hardened lava, the rest of the volcano having long ago eroded away. That's how old it is! What it actually represents seems to be slightly disputed. I had a young guide who told me it always was a royal palace, but apparently there are new archaeological discoveries which suggest it was a monastery, and some of the palatial features were added much later. Who knows? Who cares - it's beautiful anyway. I also like that there is still so much to be discovered here by future generations, and there are places in the world where we don't have all the answers.

What made this trip particularly special for me was arriving at seven as it was just opening and being the first of the day to climb it. It meant it was misty, and I didn't get the amazing views, but they weren't bad and being at one of the world's greatest attractions when it was uncrowded was worth it. I am amazed by the abundance of wild dogs here. I'm not a dog person but I do feel quite sad for them - they all look so malnourished and unloved. There were a load at Sigiriya and they've obviously learnt to climb the rock in the hope of getting something to eat - they followed us all the way up.

Half way up are the rock paintings in an overhanging part of the rock. They are beautiful, erotic and also slightly disconcerting - woman of various nationalities, mostly naked and some with three arms and six fingers. A bit more of a climb and we came to the famous lion staircase. It's impressive anyway - the giant lion paws surrounding the next set of stairs - originally there had been a lions head above it. A shame that's no longer there.

The last bit of the climb was the hardest but it's worth it when you get to the top. Spent an hour up here admiring the view, the ruins and watching the dogs chase away the monkeys with the page boy haircut. There's a tank up here that the guide is adamant was the royal swimming pool, although it is now claimed it was the monastery reservoir. It does channel down to the gardens below and supply the royal waterfalls which must be pretty impressive! This rock is definitely the best experience in Sri Lanka so far!

Early start meant plenty of time to get to Kandy. Long journeys have been passed listening to Kurt Vile and the best of Neil Young. Laid back songs for a laid back country.

Arriving at the town mid afternoon, the plan was to get to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth in time for the ceremony where the relic is displayed to the visitors. I found myself near the front of the queue surrounded by what felt like hundreds of people who had come here as a pilgrimage. Like at Anuradhapura I felt like I was intruding as a tourist on something that meant something very special to these people, only a lot worse because the density of the people made it more obvious. I was told by a girl in front of me that buddhists welcome all people and didn't mind lots of people jostling to take photos on cameras/phones/ipads but it just felt wrong to me. I quickly passed the relic and found a quiet corner to wait for the crowds to move on, then left. Not an enjoyable experience.

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Photos

Sigiriya
Great sign

Sigiriya
Rock paintings

Sigiriya
Rock paintings

Sigiriya
The lion staircase

Sigiriya
View from the top

Sigiriya
Page boy monkey family

Kandy
Temple of the Sacred Tooth