Sigiriya and Lion Rock * Sixtyexpress

Now I warned you about climbing to the top of Lion Rock to see the ruins of the city of Sigiriya..It’s six o’clock and we are doing it.

The fortress city was created for King Kashyapa. He killed his father to gain the throne but the public disliked and distrusted him so he fled the capital and created a city on top of Lion Rock. It was abandoned when the king’s brother defeated him and the city was partially destroyed. Monks used it as a monastery because it had an amazing irrigation system with water retention ponds.

Drainage holes and channels to the ponds

All that is left of the lion guarding the fortress

The king used to watch dancing girls here

Well you did it 1200 steps up. The view was worth it but now there are 1200 steps down. At least the stairs are held into the rock. Imagine what the original stairs were like.

Back for breakfast, it is 8.00am but you can already feel the heat. Cool off. Cooking demonstration at 11.30.

This is what they use to grate the coconut flesh

What was your favourite? The beans, chicken, potato, eggplant or daal. I liked the beans, daal and eggplant but now we have the recipes, we can experiment. Eat! Lunch is ready!

Rest time and then a walk to the local village

People in the village own water buffalo too. These are used to trample, fertilise and stir up the fields. Sometimes they are used to plough the fields as well. They also provide milk for curd, a favourite food served with treacle made from coconut flowers.

These huts are used by farmers to protect their crops

The farmers protect the rice crop during the 3.5 months it takes to grow. There is an electric wire but they also make up songs . They take it in turns to sleep and sing . The noise discourages elephants from entering the field and eating or trampling the crop.

Villages tend to be sited near a permanent water source. They use this to drink(boiled first),wash, cook and bathe

Each village supports a monk who chants and does the call to prayer. He also teaches the children about their faith.

The bell used to be used to warn the villagers

Tonight half the group is leaving. 3 to the Maldives and 5 to a city on the West coast. The remaining 8 will go further north, you and I included. To farewell our new friends, we had a final cocktail party. We each received a sarong and dressed for the occasion.