22rd April 2010 - Day 2 in Sri Lanka

We started out late, we didn't leave until 6.30am because our TAXI driver over slept and arrived just as we were trying to get another one. We deliberately chose him because he was one of the few TAXI;s that have air-conditioning or so we thought….. The bonus challenge has 6 sections the first was
You MUST take the train one way , either to or from Anuradhpura. Which we had completed the night before
Locate and visit the sacred tree of enlightenment. When we arrived here Lily, Zoe and Rainey were all in trouble for the way they were dressed and had to go and buy long scarves and tie them around them as clothes.

This a also known as the Sri Maha Bodhiya. This tree sits outside the Temple and is suppose to be 23 centuries old. It has some of its limbs propped up by metal poles and wooden poles to support its weight. The story goes that the "mother" or original tree was the one under which Buddaha died and received Enlightenment or Nirvana under. A sapling was taken from that tree and planted in this spot. The tree is taken care of diligently. People have tied hundreds of streamers and ribbons on and around the tree so it looks very festival. There was early morning service going on in the small temple next to the tree.
iii)walk from the Sri Maha bodhiya past the Brazen Palace to visit he Ruwanwelisaya, be respectful.
This was an amazing white bubble of a building being held up by hundreds of almost full size elephant statues. All around the Stupa were monkeys at play. They are quite large monkeys with pink faces. They are also very brave around people and come and walk all between you. See the elephants, there are hundreds that hold up this large stupa.

It was once the third tallest structure of the ancient world after the Great Giza Pyramids – visit it and explain.
This is an enormous terracotta stupa sitting in the middle of "nowhere" Again it was a playground for the monkeys.

Find moonstones and explain,
Moonstones are semicircular stepping stones that are very carved and ornate at the foot of most stairways in this country. They are very old and many are so worn that the pattern is almost rubbed away. They are lots around and they are very pretty.

Take in the view a top Mihinitale (Note stairs) get a team photo. This is an area where a king devote the entire area to Buddha. On top of one hill is a large white statue of Buddha himself, then there is a large white stupa on another hill and then the Mihintale rock itself, This is a huge rock that you can climb to the yop to see the view. We had already climbed about 800 steps to the base of the Mihintale area, then we had climbed up to the top of the stupa about another 200 steps then we realized that to complete the challenge we had to climb the rock. Zoe was miserable about this discovery but up we went to the top. The view was spectacular and it was so lovely and cool up there.

Then we scrambled down and set off for the next challenge about 2 hours away.
Once again the travel imp struck because on the way to Polonnaruwa our air-conditioned car ( which blew hot air any how and we were cooler with the windows down) over heated. The radiator had busted and here we were in the middle of nowhere and 1 hour from our next destination we were stranded. We scrambled out of the car and I started trying to flag down passing vehicles to give us a lift to the next town to get transportation. The first thing that stopped was a big dump truck filled with gravel, we were about to get on board on top of the gravel when I got another covered van to stop and give us a ride. This van had 2 men in the back sitting on bags of rice so we climbed in and made friends. In the next town we managed to procure a new TAXI and continue on our way. The only problem is that this rural taxi did not really know his way in the town. We were constantly going wrong and having to ask directions because he was clueless.
Six out of the seven challenges in Polonnaruwa where in the "Old City" This is acres of land that was a city in ancient times. It was huge and very difficult to find the scavenges. It was so hot that you could hardly think and we took so much longer there than we expected. What is absolutely amazing in the Asian countries is how Old their history is. This city dates back 2-3 hundred years before Christ and the frescos are still visible and some of the monuments. Churches, crematoriums and the areas that had trade stalls etc. are in near perfect condition.

In Polo.. we also had to locate any part of the 900 year old irrigation system still working in this area.
Can you believe that 900 years there was a ruler who had the foresight to build a 6000 acres reservoir to feed the city. His motto was not a drop of water that fell from the sky would be wasted. This water was used to keep the rice fields wet etc.

Then it was on to Sigiriya, where once again we had to climb over a thousand steps to the Sky Palace through the "jaws of a lion" We also saw the frescos that were painted in the cave. These frescos date back to BC. It is amazing to see how well preserved they are.

It was 3.00ish in the afternoon and the hardest part about this climb was the heat. My goodness I thought I was going to melt, but we didn't we managed to crawl to the top on platforms that clung to the side of the mountain (hundreds of feet suspended above ground)to see what was left of the Sky Palace. This was a palace built on top of the mountain to keep a king safe. Unfortunately he died in battle when his elephant caught fright and ran away.

This is how we looked when we got to the top. Absolutely exhausted, but we had climbed and conquored the Lion Rock!!



We finally made it down, very thirsty, hot and tired and we tried to buy some drinks from a vendor at the bottom of the climb, this vendor wanted us to pay about 5 times the price of the drink. Zoe pitched a fit and gave all the drinks back very aggrevated and miserable.
Then it was on to have a drink at Hotel Sigirya, thank goodness we had some cold drinks, dipped our weary feet into the pool and changed TAXIS again and off to the Dambulla Caves.

It was going to be close call as to whether we could make it in time before the caves closed, we had to drive in that direction anyway so we decided to stop and try anyhow. We got there with about 30 minutes to spare and were blessed to watch the sunset from the entrance to the caves. These are 5 caves side by side on a hill top. They were very elaborate and each cave tried to outdo itself with lavish statues, frescos, other ornamentation. I was in awe of them. The Buddhas in each cave are enormous his feet are almost the size of a human.

In most he is lying on his side. We were there for evening prayers and left as the final bell was ringing.

Back down the numerous stairs to the TAXI and on to Kandy for the night. On the way down we passed a man who had a small basket under his arm. He sat down on the pavement and Lily bthought he had sat down to eat his lunch, imagine her surprise when he lifted the cover of the basket out popped a cobra snake. She was passing very close and she leaped back in surprise.

Another long long drive (this island is the size of England) through the windy mountain trails, but we are in Kandy ready to get up early tomorrow….. What a very long hard day with so many steps to climb.