Kiwis, Curries, and Coconut Palms: NZ to Sri Lanka - part 4

 Dambulla, Kandy area

To start on a lighter note, it was necessary to refill the coach with diesel for the rest of the trip.  It so happened that Jennie and I were sitting close to the diesel pump and watched the filling operation.  Give or take a bit, there are 180 rupees to the NZ dollar.  With the recent price rises in addition to the small currency value, the huge numbers were just a blur and Jennie thoughtfully recorded it on her phone - quite funny.

Good job it's not in dollars!

The Dambulla Cave Temple is yet another World Heritage listed site.  Sri Lanka certainly has its share of them.  The cave temple dates back to the 1st century BC and has been repainted and generally well maintained over that time.  When we pulled up at the gates, our tour director uttered the immortal line which was used with good humour against him for the remainder of the trip.  That line was "Only 300 metres from the coach".  He omitted a qualifying word from the sentence which was "vertically".  In fairness to Sunil, the gradient was more like 45 degrees of  substantial stone steps and bare rock which went on forever. In temperatures of well over 30 degrees and high humidity, we were soaked through by the time we reached the top and our lungs and legs were on fire.  These are the lower part part of the steps:

Stairway to Heaven

It was worth the climb though, as the following photos depict.

Entrances to the individual chambers

Rows of Buddha carvings

Statue undergoing restoration

An amazing array of colours

A slightly alarming carving featuring a 3-headed cobra

A fully recovered Mrs J at the fabled 300 metres altitude!

A short stop was made at a batik factory in Matale, where a tour member was coached through the process.  There are multiple steps and it takes a skilled artisan to produce high quality work.  The factory was a riot of colour with all sorts of items for sale at realistic prices. Jennie bought a cloth and bamboo fan which was extremely effective in alleviating the effects of high temperatures and humidity throughout the rest of the trip.

An overwhelming riot of colour

Colourful Sri Muthumariamman Kovi temple - dedicated to female deities

Arriving in Kandy, we went to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.  I know this sounds like a skit from a Monty Python episode but is an incredibly important site for Buddhism.  As well as the religious importance, the architecture is mind-blowing and more than matches anything the West produced in the 16th century.

The approach to the temple

Astounding level of carving detail

The most complicated ceiling I've ever seen

Fresh flowers to honour Buddha

Just a passageway but simply stunning detailing

Roadside stalls.  We ate red bananas which were delicious

Suburban Kandy street scene

Motorcycle shop.  Not many over 250cc

One fascinating aspect of Sri Lankan towns was the large number of establishments selling used car parts. They all looked incredibly well-organised with parts in racks or neatly stacked as per the photos below. Sri Lankan traffic consisted mainly of modern, but small cars in generally good condition. Maybe replacement parts kept them going for longer than would normally be expected, or perhaps parts are exported to nearby India.

One of many highly organised automotive car part businesses

Yet another parts business

The standard of accommodation everywhere we stayed was outstanding and Kandy was no exception at the Earls Regency.  In the photo below, our room looked down on the swimming pool and had a gorgeous balcony to take in the views.

Not too shabby, eh?

View from the private deck

Dining was a pretty grand affair in their a la carte restaurant with beautifully presented food in elegant surroundings. Fortunately, Mrs J frowned at my initial choice of a T shirt and shorts which would have been seriously out of place. I think I scrubbed up fairly well in the end and didn't overindulge on the superb wine.

Dining room ceiling.  What is it about Sri Lankans and their magnificent ceilings?

Beautifully presented seafood main course

The following day, we did a walking tour of Kandy and were also free to do our own thing.  The evening featured a lovely outdoor dinner with a performance of traditional Sri Lankan dance.

Nice outdoor dinner setting

Drumming to a fire dance

To end this part on an irreverent note, look carefully at the photo below.  Hotel bathrooms aren't normally the subject of photos (with the exception of our trip to China), but this one was a real head-scratcher.  A small stainless steel object was screwed to the black tiles behind the toilet bowl.  I was trying figure out its function when a closer inspection revealed that it was a bottle opener!  What a bizarre location and created much mirth.  Perhaps the suite was normally reserved for English soccer hooligans (I jest, of course).

Part 5 to come.....

Kiwis, Curries, and Coconut Palms: NZ to Sri Lanka - part 3

Polonnaruwa, Kandalama, Sigyria and Minneria

Polonnaruwa was created in the 12th century and whilst substantial building relics remain, much has still to be uncovered.  There was an archaeological team hard at work during our visit.

Massive brickwork structures

Remains of ornate plasterwork over bricks

Stonework - No gaps between individual pieces

Carved temple remains

Archaeologists at work

Also in the area was the Gal Viharaya rock temple.  Huge Buddhas were carved from solid rock in the 12th century, the biggest being some 15 metres long.  Incredible work considering the rudimentary tools in use.  In the photos which follow, the various rock seams can be seen to run through both the surrounding rock and the statues.

Note the rock seams

Vertical and prone carvings

We were booked in at the Heritance Kandalama on the shores of the man-made Lake Kandalama.  This accommodation was designed by the previously mentioned late architect Geoffrey Bawa to blend in with the rocky cliff and escarpment it was built round. It was certainly an impressive structure but maybe avant garde architects don't offer the most practical solutions. (A personal and biased opinion of course)!

Heritance Kandalama (file photo)

According to the statistics, the hotel is approximately 1km from end to end.  In the heat and humidity, we felt every metre trudging from the central amenities area to our room which took a good 10 minutes through walkways open to the surrounding countryside. Hard work when well fed and watered!  It was also easy to get lost with elevators seemingly placed at random throughout the structure and at all sorts of odd angles. More than once, we ended up not knowing where the heck we were.

Despite the tongue in cheek tilt at the architecture and layout, the fine dining experience in a cave immediately behind the hotel was quite something.  The multiple courses were divine, as were the wines, accompanied by a flautist sitting on a rock.

Waiting for the first course

A pretty substantial cave

The cave floor was completely natural with relatively uneven ground.  The cave itself was connected via a narrow wooden walkway to the hotel with subdued lighting.  I idly wondered whether any inattentive or inebriated guests had ever plunged into the darkness as I noted the firm grip which the dining area personnel had on guests arms as they transitioned the walkway back to the hotel.

The trip to Sigiriya Rock Fortress (Lion Rock) involved driving across a spillway of Lake Kandalama.  Irrigation water was sluicing across the road in some quantity but I suppose it was perfectly safe.  Certainly interesting though.

Water coming over the spillway

Lion Rock is some 200 metres taller than the surrounding countryside and takes some 1200 steps at a very steep angle to reach the top.  As the temperature was in the mid-30's C with high humidity, we decided to chicken out of climbing to the top and explored the ancient gardens in the lower reaches instead.

Aerial view of Lion Rock

Photo taken before abandoning the climb

Elephant rock art on the lower reaches, thought to be several hundred years old

Fig tree roots on a rock face

The afternoon activity was a game drive in Minneriya National Park.  Stopped for lunch at a restaurant with the most beautiful architecture.  The photo below shows the entrance.  Everywhere we went, there were beautiful places to eat.

 

Stunning restaurant entrance

A delightful scene in the adjoining village - someone giving an elephant a scrub behind the ears!

A ride-in elephant wash

Driving to the game park, I managed to capture some unusual scenes.  There was a field planted with tobacco, followed by leaves drying on racks.  Apparently, it's principally for chewing with betel nut and lime by the older generation and carries some significant health risks.

Tobacco crop

Tobacco leaves drying in the sun

The next photo is scarcely believable and I wonder how the authorities would react in the western world.  A case of being highly innovative!  I initially thought that we had encountered roadworks but  no, it was a local farmer drying and bagging his rice crop!  The dark road surface in full sun is the perfect medium for drying the crop before bagging - absolutely brilliant!

Not a sight you see every day

During the game drive, we saw lots of birds, much the same as the previous park  but we were privileged to see elephants with a mother and baby close up.  They were unconcerned with our presence and continued to feed.

 

What a great sight

Before heading back to our accommodation, we had to make a small excursion to rescue one of the other 4x4's which had become bogged in some soft ground.  With the aid of a winch, it popped out easily and it was back to the hotel for a well-earned beer.

....and out she pops

Part 4 to come....

Kiwis, Curries, and Coconut Palms: NZ to Sri Lanka - part 2

 Wilpattu National Park and Anuradhapura

En route from Colombo to Anuradhapura, we were scheduled for an afternoon game drive in Wilpattu National Park.  There were plenty of interesting things to see along the main highway, including endless huge queues at gas stations thanks to the middle east conflict.  Interestingly, the atmosphere looked pretty relaxed everywhere although police/military were in attendance in the subsequent days. It seemed that they were mainly there to assist with an orderly throughput, rather than to control any potential civil disturbances.

Huge queues for petrol

Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Bandarawatta

Scooter-riding families leaving a church function

Ibises feeding in a rice paddy field

Arriving at the national park, we transferred to open 4x4's for the game drive.  There was wildlife everywhere, especially bird life and spotted deer.

Wilpattu National Park entrance

Indian Pond Heron

Crested Serpent Eagle

Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot

Green bee-eaters

Look closely in the water - a freshwater Mugger Crocodile stalking the egret.  According to the ranger, crocodiles were everywhere but you don't always see them until it's too late!

The egret knows it's being watched

One of the many primates

After the game drive, we checked in at Uga Ulagalla resort, where we were due to spend a couple of nights and what a surprise it was!  Our accommodation was a cabin on poles with its own private pool and the interior was jaw-droppingly luxurious. It was far enough away from the 150 year old mansion which doubled as a dining and administrative area that golf carts were sent to fetch us for meals!

Our cabin in a massive amount of private land

Cabin lounge area - elegant luxury

Yep, a 4 poster bed!!

A private pool on our deck

Sri Lankan hospitality was outstanding.  Superb accommodation and wonderful food, but it was the Sri Lankans themselves which made the trip.  Warm-hearted, totally natural and good-humoured. It felt like you were with treasured friends.  This pretty much sums up Sri Lanka wherever you go.

An outdoor dinner eating traditional dishes in perfect conditions couldn't have been a more perfect end to the day.  For beer lovers, special mention of Sri Lankan beer.  Excellent drinking, including the discovery of Lion brand stout at 8.8% alcohol content.  Wonder if it's exported to NZ?

Puts hairs on your chest!

Preparing spices from scratch

Cooking dishes the traditional way

Sunset at Uga Ulagalla

A big thunderhead boiling up

The visit to nearby Anuradhapura involved going back in time to when it was the country's first capital from the 5th century BC to the 11th century AD.  It's now a UNESCO World Heritage Centre.  The gigantic stupas are a feature of the landscape and are hemispheres which are purported to contain relics or remains of Buddha or saints, or enshrining sacred texts or objects.  They were constructed between the 3rd century BC and the 3rd century AD - a seriously impressive bit of civil engineering.

Impressive or what?

Another massive stupa

Another impressive feat of civil engineering are the artificial lakes and water tanks.  These are millennia old and are used to capture monsoon rain for use in the drier parts of the year.  Totally appropriate in terms of today's climate threats.  It is believed that up to 30,000 of these water storage systems still exist in Sri Lanka, from relatively small brick reservoirs such as in the photo below, through to massive man-made lakes.

Part of an ancient water storage system

The sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree at Anuradhapura is reputed to be the oldest living human-planted tree in the world at approximately 2300 years old.  There's apparently both historical and scientific provenance to support its age and it receives millions of pilgrims every year.  This area had been a real eye-opener in terms of the advanced culture of Sri Lanka going back way before Europe.

The heavily protected Bodhi Tree

Part 3 to follow......