SL4 Old Town - Day 27

I knew that the Puttalam guesthouse was expensive by Sri Lankan standards for the accommodation, so I had been a little concerned about what the cost would be for our two meals under the stars - especially given the range of dishes and their quality. The night before I had counted what cash I had and hoped it would be sufficient. Turns out the cost was less than $40AU. Total. Both of us, both nights. What a bargain. It made up for the fact that the other group staying had woken us up with the TV at 5.30am, although they did respond to a hammering on the door and turned it down. They had the dining room this morning, so we were given a table for two overlooking the pool,outside with a lovely breeze keeping us cool. I had asked for something lighter this morning, so we had some freshly cooked flatbreads that were the size of a big pikelet, withna curried coconut milk dip and some dal and sambol place on them. Tasted great. For good measure the second batch were eaten with melting butter and jam, again washed down with tea. Then we packed our bags into the trusty van and headed NW into the cultural triangle and our introduction to Sri Lankan history.

First stop was Anduradhapura, an hour and a half NE  and site of the kingdom that ruled Sri Lanka for a thousand years. It was first a capital in 380BC but was invaded frequently. Today ruins remain but it still contains holy places and temples important to Buddhist Sri Lankans, and as we were visiting on a Sunday it was full of white robed crowds worshipping at the sacred bodhi tree and the 55m high Dagoba. We also looked at some of the other sites before heading off to Mihintale, associated with the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka and with impressive views of the surrounding countryside. Then we were off to our next hotel, the Heritance Kandalama in Dambulla. Our driver was impressed that we were staying here, and once we arrived we could see why. It is a 5 star hotel built into the surrounding rock ; the 1km long hotel is in the shape of a birds wings and was designed by renowned architect Geoffrey bawa. Presenting my passport at regisstration was met by a " we have no reservation in this name,sir" which matched our secret concern that we had actually been dropped off at the wrong hotel and were instead booked in somewhere down the road. But it turned out the booking was in Carmel's name ( some small step for equal rights ??) and we were accepted into the fold with a cold fruit drink and cool towel. Our room has stunning views over lake Kandalama and onto Dambulla, which is about 8km distant. The hotel is very "green" and eco friendly, with lush surrounding vegetation that supports a variety of wildlife including monkeys. We were warned to keep our balcony door shut otherwise monkeys come into the room and steal things. Dinner was a buffet with a lot of western foods for all the international visitors, but one corner serves authentic Sri Lankan food so we were content with our familiar curries and side dishes.

Things we learned about Sri Lanka today #4 : not since our visit to Ireland have we been in a been in a country where its history and religion are so closely entwined. Each ruined city is associated with its special temple housing important relics, and the construction of the temples was intimately associated with the city itself : man-made resevoirs were dug to supply both water and a source of earth for the construction of the temples and then city; and many of the invasions that followed were triggered by other peoples wanting the sacred relics for themselves. It is no accident that the are we are in is called the Cultural triangle, as it represents not just the ancient history of the country but continues a link to its very fabric even today.