SL6 The Lion Sleeps Tonight - Day 29

Early start this morning with breakfast at 6.30 and departure at 7.00am. We were off to one of my most anticipated sites of the trip - Sigiriya, or Lion Rock - a soaring pillar of rock arising from the central plains and site of either an ancientnkingdom or monastery, depending on which theory you believe. Eitherbway, it is a very impressive sight. We got there early to avoid both the heat and the heavy tourist hordes as our first objective was to climb to the top. Carmel assured me that her skydiving exploit earlier this year had made her less fearful of heights, so we took off through the gardens to the stone and metal stairways that would take us to the s370m summit. Along the way there were some structural ruins, and half way up some vivid frescoes of nubile bare breasted women - obviously not just a modern day attraction but surprising if painted by monks... The engineering to carve the structure and stairs out of bare rock was staggering, and some touches like the mirror wall, and limestone steps that were visible in moonlight were a stroke of genius. Near the summit two huge lions paws are carved from the rock either side of the final staircase to the summit. Soon we were there, and spent at least half an hour exploring the hectare of land at the top with its impressive ruins of the ancient buildings and unbelievable views of the surrounding area. The descent was easier than the climb, and Carmel was very proud of her achievement when we finally reached the ground. We had a stroll through the ancient garden complex and water features that have been maintained, and saw some of the other ruins at ground level. Then we spent an hour in the museum looking at the history of the area in more depth, with a scale model of the area and reproductions of the frescoes as well as a lot of information on both the past and the archeological uncovering of the site over the last 130 years. It was all well worth seeing.
We did the trip back in the warming day, stopping in Dambulla for a cup of tea before going back to the hotel for a lazy afternoon after lunch in the hotel restaurant. Good intentions of a swim in one of the three pools were thwarted by the airconditioning and a drop in temperatur outside, so we settled for a walk instead. Tomorrow we head south through the central mountains with another early start.

Sigiriya from our hotel

Things we learned about Sri Lanka today #6 : fancy an alcohol free day each month ? It's easy in Sri Lanka, where every month there is a public holiday ("Poya day") on the day of the full moon, which has special spiritual significance to the Buddhists. Many shops were closed today, and at the hotel all bars are closed and alcohol not served with meals. Carmel wryly noted at lunch that it would be the first time that our lunch drink consisted of a one litre bottle of water. The guide books say that some tourist hotels may discreetly serve alcohol - but not in this area. It is fortunate that the Poya day didn't  fall on a day during the test match....