21.08.18 - 23.08.18 Anuradhapura

The next stop in Sri Lanka should be dedicated to something historical, the city of Anuradhapura. We arrived here by train, which was surprisingly comfortable, fast, and punctual.

In the 4th century BC, Anuradhapura became the first capital of Sri Lanka. The ruins that span a relatively large area in the northern part of the city date back to this time until the 11th century AD. The area is so big that we decided to explore it by bike, something we haven't done in a while. Although the condition of the bikes wasn't the best, Mathias was happy that at least his bike was large enough, which made his knees and back happy. So we cycled from temple to temple, enjoying the beautiful landscapes. But first, we had to pay the proud entry fee of about 20 euros per person, which doesn't even include all the temples in the complex.

Even today, the Buddhist temples are still used, so you encounter many white-clad pilgrims. We, dressed in black, were sweating a lot. When visiting the individual temples, we had to take off our shoes, and the longer the sun was shining, the more the walks felt like walking on hot coals. Luckily, they don't mind if you visit the temples in socks to reduce some of the heat. The giant stupas they built back then are truly impressive. One of the most sacred places in the complex is located in the center, around a Bodhi tree, a tree that is holy in Buddhism because Gautama Buddha is said to have found enlightenment under it. The tree was planted 2000 years ago from a section of the original tree from Bodhgaya in India. It is said to be the longest maintained tree in the world.

After cycling around for a few hours and seeing at least the most important parts, we were already a bit exhausted and overheated, so we decided to end the sightseeing program. And before we explore the next historical city, let's head to the beach!