2004 steps up a mountain- hakuna matata!

13 July

Yesterday, my tour guide drove me 5 hours to Sigiriya.  Its not somewhere that instantly jumped out at me during my preliminary research, but a good friend of mine recommended it.  It is now on my list of "must-see" places to visit should you ever come to Sri Lanka.

On the drive down, my guide stopped by a number of small remote villages including one which is famous for growing Cashew nuts and even let me try the Sri Lankan fruit "rambutan". A very sweet fruit which is quite odd looking with its clear flesh and bright red, spiky skin. 

Anyway, back to Sigiriya, this beautiful rock was once the home to King Kassapa.  It's divided into a part fortressed town, part palace with water gardens.  A personal recommendation from me; book a tour guide if your local guide doesn't provide it.  It's well worth the additional charge.  

The walk up to the rock in itself is breathtaking but its a long way up, so a bottle of water and pair of decent walking shoes are essential. About a quarter of the way up is a metal spiral staircase which leads  you to the earliest surviving pictorial art in Sri Lanka- definitely worth a look!

As you climb a bit higher, you realise that all that pain was worth it, just for the views alone.  About 3/4 of the way up, you stop again to view the lions head which leads up to the palace at the top.  Don't be thinking that this is the top, there's still a long way to go yet!  What can only be described as an old rackety metal staircase winds it way to the top.  This is without doubt the worst part of the entire walk as I often felt like it could give way at any moment.  However, once you get to the top, it really does take your breath away.  The views across the valley are breathtaking and unforgettable.  It reminded me of that scene in the Lion King when simba is held up for that's exactly how it looks!  Totally worth it...

If you go to Sigiriya, I would strongly advise you to invest in a tour guide.  Not only does it mean that you'll be driven from place to place but they are also great at getting cheaper hotel deals and provide you with that extra bit of information to fill in any missing gaps.

Today, we visited the Golden Temple in Dambulla which houses the golden Buddha.  My guide then walked me up to the rock temple at the top of hill.  It consists of 5 caves which all house different Buddha's in them as well as great views over the city.  The walk was not quite as steep as yesterday but still provided a decent workout in the heat.

It's almost Saturday night here, lets see what the city of Columbo has to offer...

K