7. The next days of our trip through Sri Lanka

It continues...

Now we really started and drove into the interior of the country. The journey went to Sigiriya.

On the way, we made a few stops. For example, looking at pineapple plants, which we would later see more often. We stopped here and there. Sam brought us more and more food and we were already quite full because the heat brings thirst rather than hunger. Nevertheless, we tried the various fruits (big bananas, small bananas, red bananas, bananas for better vision...), all kinds of dumplings, which were sometimes savory and sometimes sweet. Of course, the savory things were always very spicy – at least for us. Therefore, Irina and Josefine slowly approached the things to then find out - everything is too spicy. The cashew nuts that we were allowed to try at one stop were especially good. Because we know from Vietnam how the nuts grow and what a rarity it is to win such a nut, we ate them carefully. We were so full from trying, and then Sam came with something new again. White bread, 5 whole loaves. Huh? He told us there was a loaf for each of us and we should try it. Well, out of politeness, we all took a bite. By now we know that Sam likes to tease us and that was his first prank. We drove to a lake where the hungry fish were waiting for us.

By the way, we saw bats again. But this time during the day. Strange. Well, they were hanging dead from the power lines. They must have chosen the wrong wire.

Next, we drove to a very beautiful secluded Buddhist temple. No tourists, only locals who looked at us as if we were the first white people in town. It was, like all temple complexes, a very contemplative place. The Bodhi trees gave us shade and made the stone floors bearable. As in every temple, it is important to take off your shoes out of respect, and to cover your knees and shoulders. The first can be a painful experience for European feet. The highlight was that the complex had a temple carved into the mountain, which was beautifully decorated. Huge black wasp nests were hanging on the rock itself – creepy. Sam told us all the details about the Silver Temple, it was probably one of his favorite temples. Sam also inquired about the elephant that belonged to the temple complex. Later in the day, we found out why.

We drove on to Rambodagalla and encountered a steep climb. At the top, the world's largest stone Buddha awaited us. Breathtaking! Here too, shoes had to be taken off and Josefine suddenly ran like crazy. The steps were damn hot! From the rock, we had a fantastic view of the surroundings. Every now and then, a white pagoda stood out from the green.

After these events, we arrived in our chic houses in the evening. We had dinner together, of course, rice with curry, and met a Belgian couple our age who were also staying here.

But the best was yet to come that evening. Sam loved to surprise us, so we went out again later, without knowing where we were going. After about 45 minutes of driving, the streets became crowded and locals gathered on the roadside. We were in Galewela - for a procession!!! It was indescribable, we were delighted to be able to participate in such a festival and the best part - without any tourists. The four of us and the two Belgians were the only white people there. So, we became the second attraction as we took a short walk through the crowds. We waited a long time until it became apparent that the procession was heading in our direction. Loud prayers and whippings announced the procession. Various dance groups followed closely, dressed very nicely and making their own music. Then he came - the first elephant! Colorfully dressed, with an equally handsome rider and fire cups around him. We were amazed at how magical the atmosphere was and how much the spectacle had captivated us. We made it to the fourth elephant out of about 20, and then the mood changed. Suddenly, a panic broke out and all the people ran in our direction. We were standing on a bench that the locals kindly gave us for a better view and we jumped down without thinking. We ran together, surrounded by many people, towards the side street where our car was parked. Sam was sleeping :-). Just when we arrived at the car, we saw the first elephant running wild without a rider about 20 meters away from us. Wow! It was scary when even the locals were so afraid. Shortly after, the next pachyderms came running uncontrolled along the road. The procession was ended prematurely ;-). In retrospect, we consider this event unique and remain calm. In the moment of the panic outbreak, however, we already had sweaty palms. That was our first encounter with the oh so lovely animals, as we know them from the zoo...

The next morning, we went to Polonnaruwa, the former capital of Sri Lanka over 1,000 years ago. We left the hotel grounds and suddenly Sam braked abruptly... a tortoise crossed our path. On the way, we stopped at a bridge where a man plays with monitor lizards. Funny to watch :-).

Arriving in Polonnaruwa, we felt the merciless heat. Fortunately, we had bought hats on the way. After a brief explanation by the guide (who had his eye on Josi), we went out to explore the ancient ruins. The development was very advanced for that time. Our guide was so pleased that there were already proper toilets back then that he invited Josi to a funny dance at 40°C in the shade. My suspicion that it wasn't a dance but rather burned soles of the feet was soon confirmed. But that wasn't enough. A better-preserved temple, the Temple of Fertility, became the highlight. Inside the temple, there was a stone in the shape of a P*******. Of course, Josi had to rub the stone first ;-). Well, what more can be added...

The temple complex is very significant because it reflects today's culture of Sri Lanka. There were also Hindu temples and temples from other eras on the complex. The then king had many women from all over the world. None of the women wanted to change their religion, so the current Sri Lanka deals openly and peacefully with all religions.

It was unbearable hot. We drank a lot and sweated even more. Unfortunately, Josi suffered a heat stroke that afternoon, despite all precautions. She couldn't participate in our next stop, and Sam took her back to our accommodation to rest.

It was time for a Safari! When we arrived at Minneriya National Park, we got into a large jeep. The roof was open, and so was the guide. He had a lot of information for us and explained many connections on the way to the lake, where we might see elephants. On the bumpy dirt road, we saw peacocks and other birds.

Now we saw them on the horizon. Elephants... Oh no, water buffalos, or was it a jeep? We drove a few more minutes until it finally happened. AMAZING! A huge herd of elephants, close enough to touch. A beautiful perspective opened up to us. Baby elephants happily feasted with their mother, and in the background, there was a large lake with water buffalos and seagles. It looked like Africa. Robert, of course, had fun photographing the elephants, and Marcel and Irina also enjoyed this beautiful view. About a minute away from the first stop, things didn't go quite as peacefully. Many jeeps were admiring another large group of elephants. As our guide quickly noticed, the animals were a bit nervous. He abruptly accelerated our jeep. We looked back - an elephant was running after us. The other inattentive guides had separated the group. Our guide explained to us that unfortunately not all guides are as concerned about the well-being of the elephants as he is. We drove away from the large group of elephants and admired many herons and pelicans in a quiet spot by the water. It was beautiful. On the way out of the park, we encountered elephants again, which posed for us in front of a mountain range. It was getting dark slowly, and we could see the sun setting behind the trees.

Sam picked us up again, we drove to the accommodation, and Josi should already be feeling better soon!

See you next time, Josefine & Robert!