Okay team, let's bang this out. I have lots of faboo adventures to share with all two of you (I just learned that another friend aside from Larissa reads my blog! Hey TJ!)
So after almost dying from climbing up a giant rock, we were off to look at ancient ruins at
Polonnaruwa. First was lunch at a nice restaurant/hotel where the Queen of England once visited in the 50s. The staff was very keen to point out this fact. Here is the very lovely view of Lake Polonnaruwa from the restaurant.
Wildlife shot! Bird that sorta looks like a pigeon but I assure you looked way cooler in person.
Never such a thing as too many monkeys.
Ancient statue of someone scholars debate about. Some say that is a book he is holding, others a yoke. You make the call.
Ancient structure believed to be a library-esque building. Prepare yourselves for lots of pictures of ancient structures (and monkeys!)
Descriptions are going to get a little weak here. I don't know what most of these structures are and there weren't a lot of identifying signs. Furthermore, Polonnaruwa is rather huge so figuring out where you were on the Lonely Planet map was extra tricky. But I think we can all agree that the ruins look cool.
This one is really cool. Not sure what it is but all around the base there are elephant carvings and every single elephant is different.
Elephant!
Same structure, different view.
View around the ruins
Really cool temple. That sign on the right is telling visitors to take of their shoes before entering the temple. Fun fact: rocks get hot when they bake in the sun all day.
Close up of the deity on the steps
Really old Buddha statue
There is a monkey family back there if you look hard enough.
Monkeys don't really love having their pictures taken.
Really big pagoda
Unknown (to me) structure
Temple
Same temple with a really big Buddha at the back.
Interior of the temple
Really big Buddha
Buddha's feet at eye level
View from inside the temple
There was a very nice old man who was at the temple to remind people to take off their shoes. There weren't a lot of people around Polonnaruwa so the man was very keen to show me around the temple. Without him, I would not have seen that there was still some of the original color in some of the archways.
There was a little lizard sitting in there but, of course, as soon as I get out the camera he scampers inside.
Momma and baby monkey!
Cows!
Me at the Gal Vihara, the rock with four Buddhas. Please note that I am looking slightly less close to death than at Sigiriya .
Buddha #1
Buddha #2
Ancient Sinhalese writing
Buddha #3
Buddha #4
Lotus pond
The sign says something about throwing away your trash. Please note all of the trash around the trash can and the monkeys and cows feasting.
Leaving Polonnaruwa the next day we ran across a group of
monitor lizards doing their monitor lizard thing.
On our way to Kandy we stopped for a water break here
Lotus pond
We overheated again on this lovely stretch of road.
Eventually we made it to Kandy! The second biggest city in Sri Lanka and it has a lovely lake.
First stop in Kandy was the
Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic. Well first stop was a very tasty lunch at the guest house. The temple houses one of the original Buddha's teeth that someone stole a very long time ago. Since then, whoever has the tooth, has the power. So different colonizing forces have taken the tooth. Now the Sri Lankans have it and all is right in the world. Except when the Tamils set off a car bomb next to the temple several years ago, meaning extra security today.
Upon entering the grounds of the temple I was pounced on by an "official tour guide". I don't really think Buddha appreciates people using him and his faith to swindle Westerners for their money, but what can you do? Oh, you can literally run in the opposite direction of them. I felt sorta bad but I really didn't want to have to give this guy money for telling me "facts" about the temple. Though before I ran away I did learn that this bodhi tree in the courtyard of the temple is the second oldest bodhi tree in Sri Lanka.
Apparently coconuts are a part of Buddhist rituals.
View of the temple grounds from the second oldest bodhi tree in Sri Lanka
Prayer flags hanging from the bodhi tree
The tooth is supposedly held in that big box thing on the right. You don't actually see the tooth. Some people say the tooth isn't actually there and it is kept somewhere else for safe keeping.
Part of the temple
View from the temple
Temple detail
I forget what this is but it looks cool and is located right next to the temple.
More buildings should have moats.
View of Kandy from one of the highest points
There is a Buddhist monastery obscured from view by the trees in the lower left. The monks bathe in the lake where all the white arches are.
That evening I went to see Kandy dancing.
There was also fire dancing.
My roommate in Kandy
The next and final day of my trip we headed back to Colombo, but not before a scenic drive on the way to the elephant orphanage.
Seriously, the Hill Country is SO beautiful.
Porcupine!
At the
Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage. The government runs the orphanage that houses a heard of elephants that where abandoned in the wild or previously used in religious ceremonies and the like.
Baby elephant being feed
Big elephant being washed
Twice a day the elephants are lead through town...
...so they can bathe in this river.
It is pretty awesome.
Isn't it?
Elephant on a rock!
And before striking off to Colombo, we made a quick stop so I could ride an elephant. Let's just ignore the obvious animal rights issues and address the fact that this was awesome. Nona the elephant was very nice.
And just before getting to Colombo we made a detour so I could see the parliament building. Voila:
So needless to say, Sri Lanka was amazing. I loved every minute of it (aside from the food poisoning). It was really good to get out of Brussels and experience something completely different.
