Polonnaruwa to Sigiriya

Polonnaruwa is a city of ancient ruins, there are so many to visit that it is difficult to do the site justice in the day that I have - However the tour did take in some of the major attractions of the area and at a time when only a few tourists are coming (this is clear from the lack of trade stands at many of the sites and the fact that at many of the ruins I was on my own with monkeys all around). The ruins of Polonnaruwa date back to before the Christian calender and some of the feats of engineering are flabbergasting like a seven storey palace or twelve storey monestary building… Not now present of course as only the foundations are there to examine. However, walking around the insider of the palace you can get a feeling for what it must have been like when constructed the sheer awe inspiring nature of the building and then the mastery of the craftsmanship to create magnificent statues over seven metres tall!! Immense. There were many creative ideas in the design of the monasteries including water filters - which are a series of channels and ridges used to skim off clean water from the surface and filter it through ponds guarded by a cobra stone.
There is a lot of work being undertaken in the area to register and preserve these wonders of the world through archeological excavation and restoration. Some sites are being restored and are covered in scaffolding while others have been given covers to protect them from the sun and rain. All of the complexes are protected by a police presence.
At one site it was possible to see an image of Buddha in motion (Walking) with slightly bent knee, waist and shoulder) insider a monument, however it had been heavily restored and bats were flying around the rafters of a new roof overhead.
The final stop today was to Sigiria (The rock fortress) and it was breathtaking - as you arrive at the road to the rock it looms overhead casting a shadow over the landscape, while the sheer rock face looks an impossible climb!! To think that this palace took only seven years to build and contains more than a billion bricks!! I think a lot of slave labour was needed. Once again archaeology has played a key roll in developing an understanding for the site and with UNESCO it has restored much of the grounds. As a visitor it was possible to get a real feel for the grandeur of this place and the colossal effort it must have taken to build it. There are two moots, one still has crocodiles in it!! And then a series of buildings and ponds for the concubines of the king (supposedly he had 500 which I feel is just plain greedy). As you move towards the rock face and the western entrance you start to enter the boulder garden which is an area of natural rock which has been carved into useful defensive structures, temple caves and parliament buildings. In this area you find the Cobra stone and kings rest stop - although why he needed one I will never know as he was carried up to his winter palace at the top of the rock…
Climbing the rock is an effort with 1202 steps, some of which have been here since 1982 - this may not seem like a long time but many had holes in as the climate soon rusts iron away!! The route took us through the hall of images on plaster of the concubines of the king, then through a passage called the mirror wall with some of the oldest known graffiti and then to the lions paws!! The final ascent is not for those of a nervous disposition but the views from the top are mind blowing… This area housed the kings palace, swimming pool and entertainment areas. But from this hight you can see for miles, the mountains to the south, the national park as far as you can see to the East and rice fields stretching into the distance on the west and south. Magical at sunset :)
The hotel today however was far from ideal… Its location was great with a view of the rock but it is the first time on my travels that I have stayed in a room where the fan stops working and there is no back up generator for electricity… A hot a sleepless night…