We decide to take a pragmatic approach over the travel arrangements and agree with Mustalif that he will take us as far as Dambulla today where the we will catch the bus to Kandy. He is also going to arrange accommodation for us. The latter we agree to reluctantly only because we can’t get a mobile signal here and there is no internet either so we can’t arrange our own accommodation.
Sigiriya or Lion Rock is an awesome sight; its sheer walls rising high above the surrounding jungle, the magma plug of a long-since eroded volcano. Historically the summit has been the site of both a palace and a monastery. Legend has it that King Kasyapa 477-493 built his palace here, choising it as safe bolt hole after murdering his father. More recent archaeological evidence suggests that it was a long-standing Buddhist monastery and perhaps there is some truth in both.
The base of the rock is approached through the landscaped Royal Gardens which consist of the lovely symmetrical water gardens, boulder gardens and terraced gardens. Here there are the foundations of buildings, bathing pools, caves once used as shrines with seating carved from the rock, evidence of walls and paintings and boulders that once formed the basis of buildings.
The climb to the top starts with a series of granite steps through the boulders. Half way up the rock there are two modern spiral staircases leading to a sheltered gallery in the sheer rock face. In this overhang there are a series of amazingly well preserved and vibrantly colourful paintings of buxom women with slender waists which date back hundreds of years, perhaps to the time of King Kasyapa, although noone seems know exactly how long ago they were painted.
Beyond the frescos a path clings to the sheer rock face protected on the outside by the 3m high Mirror Wall, so called because of the glaze that gives a sheen to the surface. The wall is inscribed with a 1000 years of graffiti much of it commenting on beauty of the frescos. At the end of the path more steps lead up to a large platform which is full of colourful dragonflies. From here the final ascent is throgh a pair of enormous lion’s paws, all that remain of a colossal crouching brick lion whose mouth in earlier times was the gateway to the summit. From here a series of metal steps have been erecting that appear to cling precariously to the side of the rock. The climb which looks daunting from ground level, is actually not so difficult, despite the fact that some visitors, the younger ones particularly, seem to be struggling and have to be cajoled by their guides to continue to the top.
The summit is 1.6 hectares and was once covered in buildings. Now all that remains are the foundations and a large tank hewn in the rock and which looks remarkably like a swimming pool but was probably a reservoir.
After lunch we head for Dambulla to the Royal Rock Temple, probably one of the most famous of all Sri Lanka’s sites. The Temple is actually five caves, the earliest dating from the first century BC and the most recent from the 19th century, containing a spectacular collection of 150 painted statues of the Buddha carved from the rock.
Whilst we’ve been looking at the rock temples Mustalif has found a driver he knows who is willing to take us to Kandy at no extra cost to us. This seems a much better arrangement than going by bus. On the way we stop at a Hindu devale its towering roof ornately decorated with numerous statues of gods, including a dead ringer for Freddy Mercury!
Muthalif has booked us into Hillway Tour Guest House near the eastern end of Kandy Lake. The first room we are shown is pretty grim so we upgrade to a much larger room with a balcony and good views from a huge picture window. It’s not exactly clean though, but then none of the guest houses so far have been spotless. The whole place has a air of decrepitude about it. A shame, because with a bit of TLC is could be very nice indeed.
By this time it’s mid afternoon and we take a stroll along the north side of the lake into Kandy town. Kandy Lake is the focal point of the town which spreads up into the surrounding lush green hills. It’s about 20 minutes walk from the guest house to the centre at the western end of the lake. By the time we get there it is threatening rain and anticipating a downpour we hop into a tut tut. The driver has no idea where our guest house is and completely ignores our attempts to direct him preferring to stop several times to ask for directions. We could have quite easily walked in the time it takes him to find it.