Adventures with Julia

11-27-11

A doorman at the Gale Face Hotel in Colombo

Sri Lanka has a population of 20 million with 25% of them living in Colombo, the capital, located on the SW side of the island, which is about the size of Ireland.  The old part of the city is very colonial in appearance, although many of the buildings have been completely rebuilt with only the original facade remaining.  The differences between Colombo and the Indian cities we visited were immediately visible even during our night drive on November 23rd from the airport to town.  There was almost no trash to be seen, the roads were in much better condition, vehicles stayed inside their designated lanes, there was much less honking and there were very few street vendors.  On the down side, the heat and humidity were also immediately apparent even at 9pm.

Driving away evil spirits at the start of the work day

The next day, Thanksgiving, we walked through the bazaar of Pehhah in the old district just as shops were opening for the day and saw small pots of coconut burning in front of several of the stores.  Kanchana told us their purpose was to drive evil spirits away.  Mark bought 200 Sri Lankan rupees at an ATM and wondered how much that amounted to so we asked another ATM user and he told Mark he had just under two dollars as there are 110 Sri Lankan rupees to one dollar.   Needless to say, he went back to the ATM and bought more.  During our walk through the already busy narrow streets we found a photo store and bought a monopod and a UV filter.  Then we took a TukTuk ride to a couple of bookstores looking for a guide book on Sri Lanka and finally back to the hotel.  By then we were really hot and sticky and ready to get inside the air conditioned car to cool off.

We drove through the newer part of the city where there are multiple modern high rises including a pair built with Japanese money that are called the World Trade Center and look a bit like ours used to look.  We drove through what Kanchana said was a high end residential area.  The exterior walls around most of them looked in need of maintenance and anything but upscale, however the two story masonry houses behind the walls looked like the owners were more affluent than most.

Then we headed out of town to the North toward the Kandalama Hotel and what is known as the ancient cities.  What was expected to take 3 hours took 5.   The roads deteriorated once we were away from the Colombo, sprinkles gave way to serious rain and our driver/guide, who owns the vehicle we were using, drove like an old lady.  When he tried to tell us things, he drove even slower.  Finally we quit asking questions and encouraged him to stick to driving rather than guiding.  About half way, we stopped at a grocery store for snacks as we did not want to take more time eating in a restaurant.   A sign indicated we were at 100 feet in elevation.  The scenery along the road included houses and stores nearly all way to our destination.  As we got further from the city  fields gave way to bamboo and palm forests.  Within a couple hundred feet on either side of the road the developed areas gave way to the encroaching jungle.  By the time we reached our hotel at an elevation of 300 feet and near the middle of the island, we were surrounded by dense, hilly jungle and many man made lakes or “tanks” as the locals call reservoirs.  About half way into the drive we began to get some sprinkles and intermittent heavy rain, which lasted the rest of the drive.

A view through the dining hall to pool at the Kandalama

Finally, shortly before dusk, we arrived at the highly acclaimed Kandalama Hotel.  Our agent had given it a high rating and so had Karan Grover, who knew the property’s architect, Jeoffrey Bawa.   Bawa, the most famous Sri Lankan architect, is reputed to have fused ancient and modern influences, connected interior and exterior spaces and even allowed the environment to claim his structures, which is the case with Kandalama.  The building is long and angular with all rooms facing the distant jungle view, while the back of the building nestles into a rock outcropping.  The concrete and boulder reception was wide open to the elements.  The walkway to the rooms wound through boulder and concrete walls to more open spaces.  The foundations are visible  as you walk outdoors along the concrete halls.  Our room was a pleasant interior space, while our balcony was almost completely enclosed in vines, which allowed monkeys to show up at any moment and forced us to keep the sliding door locked.  Our view of the distant jungle hills including the Lion Rock, which we climbed the next day, was only visible because the staff kept an opening cut in the vines.  We lived on the fourth level.  The reception, exercise room and large outdoor pool were on the fifth level, two restaurants were on the sixth and another restaurant and stone pool were on the seventh.   The place was full and hopping with activity.  Most of the guests seemed to be Sri Lankan.

Our first night we went to the al a carte restaurant on the 7th floor and had lovely green salads followed by overcooked fish entrees.       We thought about Thanksgiving and turkey and pumpkin pie and let the moment pass.  Back in the room, we had 24 hour wifi, which was nice for me to work whenever I had a chance.   The bed was great.  We have been blessed with good king size beds and plenty of pillows everywhere we have stayed.   By the time we went to bed the rain was pretty continuous.  What would the next day bring?

Audience Hall at the Royal Palace, Polonnaruwa

As we were scheduled to have three nights and two days in the area, we decided to do all the sightseeing in one packed day and have the next day free.  So on the 25th we were out at 7:30 to get an early start on visiting Polonnaruwa, the second great and ancient capital city of Sri Lanka built during the 11th and 12th centuries and another UNESCO World Heritage site.  There are 6 in Sri Lanka and we will visit 5 of them.)   Unfortunately, the rain was coming down pretty solidly and much of the road was tediously potholed gravel.   Kanshana’s extra slow driving drove us both crazy.  It took almost two hours to get to the site.  Fortunately, we had our new guide book with us and I read about the history and ruins of the city to Mark.  When we arrive, the rain is coming down in buckets.  With cameras in one hand and umbrellas in the other we slogged through the standing water in our leather sandals to visit the ancient sights.

The vatadage or circular relic house with fine guardstones

Polonnaruwa was the capital city of Sri Lanka for three centuries under two dynasties, due to its central location and the limited number of mosquitoes in the area.   First, the South Indian Chola dynasty settled there after conquering the island in the late 10th century.   Then the Sinhalese who drove the Cholas off the island in 1070.  It reached its zenith under King Parakramabahu I (1153-1186).  He erected huge buildings, planned beautiful parks and created a 2500 hectare “tank” to provide water for irrigation and beautification.  Today the tank is a huge lake that still provides the same services.  Succeeding kings bankrupt the kingdom and eventually the city was abandoned in the 13th century.

A fresco in the Tivanka Image House at Polonnaruwa

We visited the remains of the 7 story royal palace, which had 50 rooms on the main floor supported by 30 columns; an Audience Hall, which has a frieze of elephants, each in a different position around its base; several image houses with many Buddha statues in varying sizes, positions and conditions; large and small Buddhist temples; and two tooth relic chambers built by different kings. One of the temples still has lovely paintings on its walls as well as a large standing Buddha.  This building is covered with a galvanized roof attached to scaffolding to protect the artifacts.

A lovely Lotus Pond

We walked a distance to the 25-foot diameter Lotus Pond that had 5 concentric, descending rings of 8 petals each, which I especially liked.  With all the rain it was half full of water and very inviting.  I can imagine having one as a hot tub with jets in each petal.

The remains of the city are divided into groups and we saw four of the groups before we gave up.  The last group we tramped to is called Gal Vihara.  It is a group of four separate Buddha images that were all cut beautifully from one slab of granite.  Originally enshrined in separate enclosures, they are now in the open except for an ugly metal roof.  Two of the figures are seated in meditation pose and one is of a 45-foot reclining Buddha about to enter parinirvana.

An unusual standing Buddha in the Gal Vihara Group

The 25-foot standing figure is the most interesting.  It is considered to be a Buddha image, but does not look like it as the arms are crossed in front of the chest and the face has a sorrowful expression.  By the time we finished looking at ruins, which were interesting enough to keep our attention for two hours, our sandals and the bottoms of our pants were totally soaked.  We eventually gave up trying to keep dry and just walked through the puddles.  Our only real concern was for the cameras.  It was difficult to keep them dry under the umbrella while also taking photos.  Somehow, we managed.  A couple of days later we learned that the rain we had experienced caused major flooding in the southern part of the island and 17 people had died.  No complaints from us.  The shoes and cameras dried out overnight.

Back in the car we headed to our next ancient and also UNESCO site with a lunch stop enroute.  By the time we reached Sigiriya or Lion Rock, it was 4pm and the rain had, thankfully, stopped.  We were told it would take us two hours round trip to climb the rock and take in the sights.  If we went fast, we should be back in the car before sunset.  The next two hours provided us with an experience unlike any we have had before.

Geologically, Sigiriya is the hardened magma plug of an extinct volcano that eroded away long ago.  Peppered with natural cave shelters and rock overhangs and supplemented by numerous hand-hewn additions and modifications, the rock may have been inhabited in prehistoric times.  Current archeological theory, supported by evidence rather than local legend, suggests that it began as a mountain hermitage for monks as far back as the 3rd century BC and became an important monastery by the 10th century AD.  The ancient site’s treasured frescos of buxom women with tiny waists were intended, according to the new theory, to represent Tara, an important Mahayana Buddhist goddess.  After the 14th century, the complex was abandoned and the ruins not rediscovered until 1898 by the British.

The water garden entrance to Sigiriya, the Lion Rock

Physically, Sigiriya is enchanting.  We entered the sight by crossing a moat and encountering ancient and still functioning symmetrical Water Gardens which extend out from the western foot of the rock and include bubbling fountains, meandering water courses, bathing pools, trees and brick works.

The bolder garden with niches for buildings very visible

Then we encountered the Boulder Gardens that feature rocks that once formed the bases of buildings.  Steplike depressions in the sides of boulders were the foundations of brick walls and timber columns.  Impressive are rocks that form a cistern and an audience hall.  The base of Sigiriya has been landscaped to produce what are called terraced gardens.   A series of steps lead up through the boulders at the base of the rock to the sheer face and then ascend steeply….and that is putting it mildly.  This climb, although reasonable safe, is not for the feint of heart.

Buxom, wasp-waisted ladies in the rock gallery

Halfway up the rock is a spiral stairway leading up from the main route to a long, sheltered gallery in the sheer rock face.  This is where we saw the “buxom, wasp-waisted” women.  Whether the beautifully painted figures are religious or secular makes no difference to us tourists.  The colors are still very vibrant and incredible considering their frighteningly inaccessible location.  But, no time to linger.  More people are behind me on the staircase waiting their turn in the gallery.  Down we go on a matching spiral stairway–thank goodness they have screens as well as rusted out hand rails–and continue along a path that clings to the sheer side of the rock and is protected by a solid 10 foot wall, which is covered by ancient and modern graffiti.  With no way to see down, we could relax a bit before the rest of the climb.

Halfway up Sigiriya, we encounter the Lion Paws

At the northern end of the rock the narrow pathway emerges onto a large platform. We would have had good views from here but for the overcast and fog.  The base of the next stairway up the rock is flanked by two huge lion paws from which the rock gets its name.  Originally there had been a large brick lion and the monks had to step between the paws and climb into its mouth to continue ascending.  This reminded devotees that Buddha was Sakya-Simba–Lion of the Sakya Clan–and that the truths he spoke were as powerful as a lion’s roar.

Up the stairs we went to discover that the nice stone steps between the paws soon gave way to a series of grooves cut in the rock.  Here is where I almost quit.  There were hand railings that I clung to and slowly  I worked my way up telling myself I could make it if I looked only at the step ahead of me.  Mark, meanwhile, sprinted up the rock and waited until I came close enough that he could take a photo of the terrified me.  Once at the top, I wondered how I would ever make it down.  The top was very anti-climatic.  There were only modest foundations of buildings to see and the swirling fog prevented much of a view.  Soon, I was faced with the descent.   I begged Mark to go down slowly so I could stare at his back rather than the sheer drop below me.  He obliged and I made it all the way to the bottom and the waiting car.  As luck would have it, we made the round trip with no rain and were well on the road before dark.

Back at the hotel, we showered, enjoyed Mongolian BBQ in the 6th floor buffet dining room and collapsed into bed, hoping our shoes would be dry by morning.

Even though the 26th was our free day, we got up at 6am to go bird watching with a local guide.  We did not spot many birds, but we had a pleasant walk in the cool, rain-free morning air.  After breakfast we went to the pool and spent the day reading, swimming and relaxing.  It was great not to go anywhere–especially by car.  While sitting beside the pool, we were kept entertained by three snakes that slithered by, two extremely large Sri Lankan squirrels, a chameleon,  a wedding party having their photos taken beside the pool and several Sri Lankan families splashing in the water and chattering away.  Since we could not understand a word, we were able to ignore the noise.

Before leaving the hotel the next morning, I called our local tour agency, Aitken Spence, and requested a different driver/guide.  The manager had told us to call him anytime we needed anything, so I did.  I told him I was having difficulty understanding Kanchana and was hoping there might be someone who’s English I might understand better.  He said he thought he could have someone else meet us in Kandy by the end of the day.  Then we went meet Kanchana for our 8am departure.  Nothing was said between us until we got to Kandy around 3pm.

Meanwhile, we drove half an hour to our third ancient UNESCO site, Dambulla.