The Cultural Triangle and other Great Adventures

Numinuos-"Feeling both fearful and awed by what is before you." That's exactly what getting lost felt like.

Traveling up the turquoise coast then into the wild, evergreen tropical forests and ending up homeless with no place to rest at 11pm on a Sunday has been terrifyingly beautiful.
 I wouldn't lie; it's scary at first; not knowing what may be coming but all I do know is, this life is just one grand flighty adventure and be it what it will, i'll end completely worn out but glowing with contentment!

Nothing compares to the feeling of traveling fast in a country rich in history and culture. My three day road trip last week was exactly that. Starting from Colombo to Dambulla to the ancient lion's rock at Sigiriya and then up to the old capital city Anuradhapura of the Sinhalese empire. Then passing through the grand ruins of Polunaruwa and down to the most visited place in Sri Lanka after Colombo, Kandy-the hill capital of Sri Lanka.

So here's how it started. I took a bus at 7am from the Colombo bus stop to Dambulla. Its usually route 15 or 47 and the ticket cost only 150-190 LKR which is a little more than 1$. cheap right! It took 4hrs to get to Dambulla but it was totally worth it. 

My favorite place was the Golden cave temple which is a 200LKR (around 1$) tuk tuk ride from the bus station. Don't try walking to the temple, it's quite far and the roads are steep. 

The golden cave is a 4th century temple full of statues, sculptures and wall carvings so don't miss it. 

After that take a bus to Sigiriya which is 35-40LKR. Sigiriya is an ancient rock fortress from 480CE. It was abandoned after the King's death but it was used as a Buddhist monastery till the 14th century.

 Today it's a UNESCO world heritage site and perhaps the best place in Sri Lanka for an epic view. Don't be afraid to climb it. I promise you, you won't regret this climb!

Now here's where my adventure got REALLY INTERESTING! Instead of going back to the same entrance i came from i decided to take the other way around just to explore the entire site and found myself lost in a village in the forest with no WiFi or phone signals. 

After a 6km walk i finally reached the main road with less than 5% battery left in my phone.

 I was tired and my boots were killing me but it was still a 2km walk to the bus stop and i had to catch the next bus to Anuradhapura. Damn did it felt good to catch that bus. That's when i reached into my bag for some cookies i had saved for a time like this that i found a paper on which i had written a reminder for myself a year back.

Here's what it was; 

"....It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much; I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men and women with their hearts in a safe deposit box, and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this; You will outlive the bastards.” Edward Abbey. It was all i needed to know then.

The property that i stayed at Anuradhapura is called Ariyapperuma Guest House in old town. The property is quite grand and is in a very serene and safe locations. The owner is an old man and his family. They were exceptionally nice and even cooked me dinner! I would definitely recommend this property if you're traveling to Anuradhapura.

In the morning around 7am i started exploring the city. The weather was amazing but not as amazing as the city. Every where i looked i could see a historic ruin. The entire city is currently a UNESCO world heritage site. 

My favorite place in Anuradhapura was Isurumuniya, a 5km walk from the main town. Isurumuniya is a Buddhist temple close to the Tissa Wewa (Tissa tank). 

The temple has four carvings of special interest. Personally i fell in love with the entire vihara.

After roaming around Anuradhapura, Polunaruwa was next. Both these cities are more or less very similar since both are abundant in historic sites and Buddhist temples. 

After a hectic two days the third day was dedicated entirely to Kandy- the hill capital of Sri Lanka.

poya(full moon) and the Kandy Esala Perahera (which is the biggest festival in all of Sri lanka with hundred of elephants and dancers) was in conclusion. The streets were full of foreigners from all around the globe and the city was lit. I had made my booking at a property called "At Kandy". After i got to the property the owner told me that he had given the room to someone else and he was out of rooms. Although this triggered me but i kept my calm and as i am; a reluctant enthusiast, i started looking for a new place to stay. Unfortunately, every hotel, hostel or guest house i went to was overbooked. So that's how i ended up homeless on a sunday in Kandy. But to be honest i enjoyed it. I decided to take the next train back to Colombo which was around 1am in the morning. 

So i stayed out in the streets, with my phone battery dead and only enough money for a second class train ticket, i stared at the stars and the infinite sky that never left me, laughing at my own misery or fortune-whatever. How beautiful it was to be homeless and lost, yet free. 

-The Wren.

A sweet escape- Mount Lavania, Colombo

August, 2017. I never imagined myself standing in a post card view. When i stepped on the warm brown sugar sand of Mount Lavania beach in colombo, i was overrun with emotions i find difficult to describe.All i remember is the wild wind in my hair and the finest beach sand running through my feet as the ocean waves unhesitatingly approached me one after the other.
"Breathe in, breathe out" that's all i did until the sun sank on the horizon but i could feel my world expanding. It was real and it was simple and it was pure. It was everything at once and i knew my world would never be small again.
 I've only been here a week but i go to the beach every other day.
So if you're in Colombo and you want a nice place to stay, with an amazing view and great restaurants with the best food in Colombo then Mount Lavania is the place for you. There are plenty of hotels, hostels and houses where you could rent a room for just 20$ a night.
 Most of the properties offer free WiFi and a kitchen where you can cook your own food. although some places also offer complimentary breakfast but the prices go up accordingly. This place is also famous for its beach parties . The property i'm at is Golden Bridge which is less than a 100 meters from the beach. Don't forget to visit Mount Lavania when you're in Colombo and remember never to be afraid. The winds are always in your favor.

-the wren.

Seema Malaka- the meditation temple.

 

If you're in Colombo and you're tired of all the traffic and hustle and bustle, Seema Malaka is the best place for you to go and relax. Sitting on Beira lake which stretches for 65 hectares, surrounded by trees and a few skyscrapers in the far distance, this temple is nothing but amazing. The tranquility that surrounds this temple makes you want to stay there even after sunset. 

 Seema Malaka was originally constructed in the late 19th century.

Vishnu statue

lord Buddha under Bodhi tree

Unfortunately, the original structure slowly sank into the water in 1970 but later Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa was brought in to redesign and construct the temple, which stands today. The reconstruction was funded by a muslim Sri Lankan businessman, S.H Moosajee and his wife in the memory of their son.

For me personally, it was quite an experience, visiting Seema Malaka. I stayed there until the sun went down. 

don't forget to follow _thewren on instagram for more picture.