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While quarantining in Sri Lanka, we had hoped to do a few tourist activities. However, those activities were limited and adhered to strict requirements. One requirement was to have a certified driver at all times - you were by no means allowed to leave the car. The second was scheduling an approved appointment for said tourist activity. There was a list of about 13 activities we could do in the whole country and maybe 5 were in the region we were staying. I was disappointed not to see or stay at the tea plantations, but maybe next time. So, we opted for Sigiriya Rock and Polonnuwara, both located a couple hours' drive north-northeast of Dambulla. They did not disappoint!
Sigiriya Sigiriya is a UNESCO World Heritage site located near Dambulla, which itself looks to be an interesting town. We paused on the way to see a giant Buddha at an 800 year old temple and where I think was the entrance to the Dambulla Caves complex (which was not open at this time). Our driver explained some of the ideaology behind Buddhism, including the rainbow flag and what each color represents. White - purity. Red - wisdom. Blue -
confidence. Yellow - holiness. Orange - aura. Our drivers were typically encouraged not to speak to reduce any possible Covid transmissions, but it was nice when he did speak up on occasion. Otherwise, it would be a long, quiet ride.
A little further down the road and we came upon the nearly empty parking area for Sigiriya. We had opted for an early start time and our appointment was scheduled for 9:00 am. Our guide was waiting for us (I forget his name!) and he was awesome. He said he typically had 2-3 guided tours a day pre-pandemic, and now this was only his second one in a month. The tourist industry has been hit so hard. So, Luke, me and our guide started to make our way through the grounds towards the impressive rock. I honestly did not know much about this site before I arrived except that it was a must-do.
Sigiriya was a royal fortress / palace constructed in the late 5th century by King Kashyapa, a man who seemed to both amuse and impress our guide. He was the elder son of the king, but was son of a concubine, while the heir, his
younger brother, was the son of the consort. He later overthrew his father, eventually executing him and exiled his brother, and then created this fortress.
I assumed the majority of the ruins were on top, but there were quite a few things to see at the base. The first area we noted was the impressive moat surrounding the complex. Then we continued walking through the gardens, which are among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. Sri Lanka obviously does not lack for rain and they had an impressive system of terraced gardens and baths. It was here that the King would sit on a throne and watch numerous, beautiful naked women bathe for him. Further up were other terraced locations, seeming more for water retention and agriculture (I think). And apparently a hydraulics system which still works today.
We continued and started to climb up the first steps towards the 200-meter tall rock complex. We passed a group of 3 tourists at the beginning who were coming down - other than that, aside from workers, we had the place completely to ourselves. So, it was extremely peaceful, though quickly starting to get hot, with humidity! There were
some impressive stairs, a few flat areas with decent views and benches shaded by trees, before you started the real climb! It was a mixture between some of the original stone steps, refurbished brick steps, and metal stairs with railings. Not an easy climb, but very do-able. He told us that in pre-pandemic times, you can even pay a couple of guys to carry you up! They each take you by an arm, and carry you up as there are no elevators. I cannot even imagine that job....
After encountering a couple making their way down (the only other people we saw that day), we made it to the next point of interest: The Lion Gate. The rock is named after the "Lion" and this is the main, most impressive of all the gates, with the Lion paws at the entrance to the main stairs. Here we paused for about 10 minutes, resting and taking some photos, sweating and trying to conserve our water. I had noted a few signs that said "Be quiet: Wasps!" Our guide said that now we were ok, but in busy times, with a lot of racket, you can stir up the wasps in
the many nests hanging around the rock structure. They even had safety / first aid tents at this plateau so it is the real deal. Yikes!
We continued on for our final push up the rock, mostly consisting of metal stairs and railings. There is clearly a marked direction each way that would typically direct the flow of tourist traffic; today it was empty. We paused a couple of times to catch our breath. Then we got to the top! The view was breathtaking! So well worth it. And the best part: we were the only three up there the entire time! I guess that is one of the positives of such a situation. So, we took our time exploring the palace ruins, which included building foundations, thrones, and cisterns. You could see so far - it was a gorgeous clear day. We saw the Buddha we had stopped at in Dambulla, numerous lakes in the distance, the main entrance we had made our way through. Simply incredible. Then we posed for the obligatory tourist shot of standing on the 'highest point': a white rock. It was amazing.
We then made our way down, this time going along
the western facade once we reached the Lion gate. Along this route, you are on a relatively flat walkway, hugging the rock. Here is where there used to be the "Mirror Wall". During the time of the king, the wall was made of highly polished white plaster, which allowed him to see his reflection. Now it is covered in ancient graffiti, much of it poems. Then we had to climb up a spiral staircase to enter into the cave of frescoes. The frescoes were all of topless women with gianormous boobs, but they were all interesting due to the age and condition. Of course, restoration is required, but you get a real sense of the colors and artistry. Only a small portion of the original frescoes remain, which apparently covered a large portion of the wall.
It must be good to be king. Oh, except he only ruled for 18 years, after which his exiled brother returned to kill him, took power, and moved his seat of authority elsewhere.
Further down, we came upon a few other areas such as a foot-bath type of place for the king and a small religious area, and the Cobra Hood cave
area (another gate). My camera had been struggling to adjust to the humidity earlier, but was good now so I got some nicer photos coming down, including of the lotus ponds and moat. It really turned into a gorgeous day!
Polonnawura Our next stop on our tourist day was Polonnawura, an ancient palace complex about another 90 minute drive from Sigiriya. The Ancient City of Polonnawura is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Honestly, by this time, we were about tired, and it was getting hot, but we made our way. The guide there was waiting for us in a full shield and white protective clothing, complete with umbrella. We were getting thirsty, but our first stop was pretty straightforward, no real hiking or walking.
The Royal Palace of King Maha Parakramabahu was little more than very basic foundation ruins. You could see the height of the structure and stairs, but it was destroyed by a fire I believe, so we moved on fairly quickly. Next we saw a water retention area, the pond, which was essentially a royal bath with advanced water features. The council chamber was our next stop and the one I found most
interesting in this particular part of the site. The foundation walls consisted of Elephants (wisdom), Lions (loyalty) and Ganas (protection). At the entrance to the structure was our first encounter with the 'moonstone' floor. The official name is Sandakada Pahana, they are semi-circular with a lotus carved in the middle and during this time period, there were bands of elephants, lions and horses, or sometimes swans. Very intricately carved and at each of the entrances of the main buildings of significance, they were very distinctive. Inside the council area were 16 columns, each of which were a bit different. Of course, there were lots of guys hanging around trying to sell trinkets which was a bit of a turnoff. But the carving was just so amazing to me.
We then drove further down the road towards the next stop, where we also got some nice cold water. yes! At this location, there was a collection of buildings, of similar construction. I can't remember the details, but essentially the complex was built by three different kings, so there are some differences, but in general it was all built as one giant complex. The most impressive in this area was the
Polonnawura Vatadage, which was a circular building with four entrances. The roof was gone, but you could really see the architecture of the rest of the building. Moonstones were at each entrance as were carved lions, which I thought was so cool. Inside were 4 Buddhas, which face the four cardinal directions. We had to remove our shoes to go inside at this point, but it was starting to drizzle and it felt great. And it was made clear not to take pictures 'with your back to Buddha' - in other words, no selfies people!
Next further down the road, we walked to the Rankoth Vehera. Along the way, was when the skies started to open up and a huge lightning strike and clap of thunder startled us, and made me smile! Here there were also lots of monkeys.... not my favorite. This structure was built in the 12th century and is the largest stupa in the complex and fourth largest in the country. It is circular, but the middle portion is solid, so there are just four large areas for offerings with other smaller open areas for prayer (I think). It is a functioning prayer site, as evidenced
by the offerings we saw while there.
Our last stop of the day was Gal Vihara, a temple with four large Buddha statues. Two are seated, one of which is smaller and preserved in an artificial cavern, one is standing, and the last one is reclining. They were all carved directly from the outcrop, the size of which dictated the size of the statues. They were all very impressive and well-preserved, helped by a large structure constructed to overhang and protect them from the elements. The reclining Buddha was pointed out by our guide: since there is separation of the feet, it indicates that Buddha is dead. Sometimes, the reclining Buddha is reflecting his bestowing wisdom on his deathbed, but when his feet are together. Very impressive!
All in all, the day was very successful! And expensive! It definitely cost more to get into the sites than I expected, and with the tips to the guides as well as my one souvenir... I ran through all my Sri Lankan money in one day, so be prepared! Our resort owner recommended an elephant safari on the return, but it was closed... thankfully, we did get to see
one wild elephant by the road! By this point, we were starving, so headed back to Jim's Farm Villas to await our amazing dinner!
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Exploring Sri Lanka
So are you glad you went to explore Sri Lanka at this time or do you wish you'd waited? You are seeing some nice thing but many of the attractions are not available to you.