Journey to the center of Sri Lanka

For the last three days C. and a couple of mates we were on a journy to the center of Sri Lanka. The easiest way to do this trip is to hire a driver with a fixed rate per day. We started very early on tuesday becaus we stay deep down in the south of the country and also the distance to our first destination was about 250 miles. It is shur no distance in the western hemisphere but all over in Asia it will cost you a lot of time to arrive because sometimes the road is illed with holes or you have to slow down the speed inside the villages.

Our destination was the White River in the hills near by Kitulgala. Starting our journey in the early morning time means also smelling the fragrance of freshly burned garbage along the first part of the journey. We passed the capitol moving toward the hillside the vegetation changes slowly from flat and dusty areas into a brigt hillside with mighty trees. We ride the winds up and could see deep into the valleys. Finaly we arrived our destination for taking a rafting tour on the White River. After a short introduction about the main commmands and rules we got our equipment and started the tour. And after all - it was fantastic. A great experience that many people should try, if thy have the cance to.

After changing our wet clothes and having a rice and curry break in a small cabin nearby the road we drove to our hotel to stay the night. When we started our trip we had no idea we will stay the night. But driving the road to Kandy we checked out one onthe internet. No really plans where we will arrive we are surprised what a little gem it was. Located in the mountains behind Kandy it was a small hotel with about ten rooms and a spectacular view to the mountainside ahead.A quite little place to recrate and therfor we decited to stay one night longer as planed, because the next destination was not so far away that it was a problem to come back. Ohterwise we would have to look for a place to stay near Dambula.

Next day we headed for Sigriya an area dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 meters high. The site was selected by a former king abuut 400 years AD for his new capital. He built his palace on the top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure  the Lion Rock. The capital and the royal palace were abandoned after the king's death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century.

 Walking upstairs in the hot sun is not very nice but for god's sake he spent us some heavy winds to bear this torture. Halfway to the top of the rock you get to the frescoues showing some topless ladies serving someting to someone. Some people told me that this women symbol the wifes of the king - but I'm not shure if this is real. But watching them was also amazing as wathing the mirror wall. In fact the mirror wall doesn't look like a mirror - they just call it this way because in it was harldly pollished that you might take a look of yourself on it. Reaching the top you get reward with a spectacular view on the whole landscape.

After that we visited some other temple on our way back. And this one impressed me very much, because I didn't seen it this way yet. The whole temple complex was beaten into the rock wall. Walking into the rooms filled with a lot of Buddah statues on painted rock walls was fascinatingly to me. On the way back to our hotel we stopped by a liqour shop to get us some bear in gin to recareate.

On the way back we decided to stop at a wonderful waterfall our driver recommended it to us. So he took us to the place and it was also impressive to us all. We stayed there while our resident friends climbed the rocks and took some photoes to remember. Back on the car after 20 minutes our friend started yelling because he found two leeches on his leg. Shortly after him C. begann to yell because she found one between her toes an one on her wade. Me and some others had also one and we stopped, pulled out our clothes and checked out any part of our skins for any more leeches. Not that is painful ist is mor disgusting at all. Seeing them damned animals filled with our blood. In fact that they fall our your skin when they had blood enough it will not stop bleeding at all. Finally we stopped by the next private house asking for a newspaper. We burned them and put the ashes on our bleeding wounds - and suddenly the bleeding stopped. After this incident we decided to stop rideing around the country and go back south to our house.

The next that happened, that I woke up the other day feeling pain in my back and freezing. I stand the day staining in bed until I decided to go to the local doctor. He attestet me virus infection and gave me a lot of pills that I have to take for the next days. What's interesting in Asia when you get prescription for medecine you won't get the whole package - you get exactly what you need. Only five or seven pills - and this enough. When I think about how many pills you get in Germany and a lot of them will waste in some boxes.

Some songs we heared on our journey (we had an agreement not onl listen to Singa songs!!)

David Bowie - Sound And Visions

Fun Boy Three - The Tunnel Of Love

Peter Green _ Albatros (Accoustic)