Top of The Rock

Saturday 9th June, Dambulla

First I’d like to fill you in on the other members of our party. Unluckily there are 13 you know. A couple from Hampshire who are really nice and will also be going on to the same hotel as us later. The mother and son are okay, the son is a little overprotective. There is a Malaysian lady who is very friendly and her husband, Christopher, who is a plonker. The Welsh lad is a little shy but friendly enough to talk to. Then there are two more couples one of which I’m not very keen on the other seem okay. As you can tell I haven’t remembered anybody’s names yet! I may learn. 

Young welsh guy at the head of the pack 

We were awaken at 6:30am by a phone call from Ravi. It was time to get up. We both had a lovely shower with the giant rain shower head, before heading along the path for breakfast. I had fruit and bread, Ian tried traditional (green) Sri Lankan porridge. The verdict was it was interesting but he wouldn’t be having it again. We were all ready and raring to go at 8am so we set off for sigirya rock fortress.

Before the trip I have been worrying about whether I would make it to the top of the thousands of steps. Even when we arrived I still wasn’t sure as it looked enormous from the bottom. Some of the other travellers were also in two minds about it. Ravi had warned us about men wanting to help us up the rock so I was prepared as soon as I got off the bus. ‘Help you up the rock madam’ he said. ‘No I already have someone to help me’ I replied. He looked at Ian and sneered ‘your husband!’ . There were a number of them tried to ‘help us’ from that point forward. As we walked up towards the rock we came across our first monkeys of the holiday. There were quite a lot of them running about. There were also quite a lot of monks, from Thailand Ravi told us, on a pilgrimage to Sri Lanka’s Buddhist sites.

In the end Ravi led up the steps in stages, and because there were slower people in front it seemed quite easy to ascend to the base of the elephants feet, via some interesting frescoes and the mirror wall. Here he looked up and said ‘if you wish to go to the top that is the last set of steps’. I’d got this far and wasn’t going to be beaten now. Being early morning it wasn’t too hot and there were a few clouds in the sky, perfect conditions. The last lot really were quite tough but the view more than made up for it. And at the top we met our old friends the helpers.

Ian at the clashing rocks

I’m nearly at the top!

MB surveys all from the plateau

Danger!!

Coming down with a lot easier apart from having to run the gauntlet of the sellers at the bottom.

We got back on the bus and set off for Polonnaruwa for lunch and temples. Ravi had told us to pack our temple clothes that morning. Long trousers and a top that covers our shoulders. As we drove along Ravi pointed to the skies. He showed us some fruit bats that had been disturbed by the roadworks. They were absolutely massive, you could just imagine them flying round Dracula‘s Castle.

The lunch Was quite pleasant, once again by the side of a lake. Once again currie and all the trimmings. We then set off for the temples of Polonnaruwa. This place was heaving with monks and monkeys. They were running round the ruins like they were on Indiana Jones, ( the monkeys not the monks). We also saw A lizard the size of a small dog. It was pretty hot here but Ravi kept things short and that made for an interesting visit.

We then called at a craft factory where they were making elephants etc out of wood and we managed not to be forced to buy anything. 

We were all practically asleep on the bus on the way back to the hotel as Ravi quietly said, ‘there is a wild elephant on the road’. Amazing. It was just walking along making all the cars go around it. We then spotted a whole herd grazing close to the road.

Elephant on parade

Back at the hotel we had some interesting visitors on the balcony, no doubt looking for food.

Hot and sweaty I tried the jacuzzi bath but it was like gluten free cake, looks better than it is. As we walked down for dinner we spotted loads of fireflys flitting about. We had a lovely time chatting to the nice couple from Hampshire, Karen and ?, The Young Welshman, and Ravi. Just as we were about to walk back the heavens opened and it POURED down. Nothing for it but a brandy in the bar!

Next up Dambulla caves, a spice centre, and Kandys temple of the tooth. Temple clothes will be required. 

Man if the day

This cheeky monkey on our balcony

Animals spotted today

Wasps

Ibis

Lizard

Monkeys and macaques  

Mynah bird

Crane

Fruit bats

Elephants

Mozzie check

Not a single bite for either of us. All the preparation must be working