The second day of action in Sri Lanka was an adventure. First was a hike to the top of one of Sri Lanka’s most famous archaeological sites, Sigiriya.
Sigiriya
Sigiriya is a rock plateau, 200 meters in height, with near vertical walls. To get to the top, one most traverse about 1200 steps. It is quite the hike! Sigiriya wasn’t on my original itinerary, which means I was a bit unprepared for it. But, I did manage to make it to the top in my Toms!
Sigiriya is also known as Lion Rock. On the way up to the top, there is a terrace where lion’s paws are carved out of the rock. Also on the way up one can see frescos on the walls of the rock. At the top, one finds the remnants of the royal residence of King Kasyapa, built-in the 5th century. Surrounding the rock, are beautiful green gardens and moats. It is a very interesting place; I am very happy to have made the trek, and recommend it to all who visit.
Polonnaruwa
After Sigiriya, it was back to the car for a ride to Polonnaruwa. Polonnaruwa was the capital of the Chola and Sinhalese kingdoms about 1,000 years ago. The area is filled with historic sites and ancient ruins. We walked through an ancient palace, a gathering area for the royal court, an ancient swimming pool, and many stupas. It was quite warm out, and after hiking up and down Sigiriya, we didn’t explore as many of the ancient sites as we could have. But it was interesting to see and drive by all the sites.
Minneriya National Park
Up next, it was time for a safari! The drive to Minneriya National Park was a bit long, probably because of the excitement and anticipation of seeing elephants. The safari didn’t disappoint. We saw a hawk, monkeys, some cows and a whole herd of elephants.
Then in started to rain, and by rain I mean downpour. The rain reminded me of the Arizona monsoons, coming down in buckets! And so very quickly, it became difficult to see much of anything through the rain. However, we did notice two elephants off in the distance playing together in the river.
The safari didn’t last as long as planned, due to the rain. After we got out of the jeep, it was back to the driver’s car, and back to the hotel – Aliya Resort and Spa. A warm shower felt wonderful after the rain and mud, and then it was off to dinner.
