Ancient City of Polonnaruwa - UNESCO World Heritage Site #3 on our Day Tour of North-Central Sri Lanka

The third and final UNESCO Heritage site we visited on our day trip to North-Central Sri Lanka was to the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, the second kingdom in, and capital of, Sri Lanka after the destruction of Anuradhapura in 993. Trade and agriculture were key here, leading to the building of an intricate irrigation system that still used today to supply the water necessary for the paddy cultivation in the eastern part of the country. This was probably our favorite part of the tour, especially since we love exploring ancient ruins. -J 🇱🇰There are many ruins scattered throughout the site. Auto-generated description: Ancient stone ruins feature weathered walls and steps, surrounded by lush greenery. Here is a ladder leaned up against a ruin wall to show the scale of some of these ruins.There are many statues scattered throughout the site, sometimes framed by things like doorways. Auto-generated description: Stone ruins with a statue framed by multiple door-like structures. These two jokers…. Auto-generated description: An intricately carved ancient stone statue depicts a figure holding a staff or club and a conch shell, standing in an ornate archway.  …were guarding the stairways to see this guy.Peek-a-Boo.Nope, he was actually the centerpiece in this ruin.The ruins have quite a bit of detail still visible. Auto-generated description: An ancient, weathered stone wall features intricate carvings and layered architectural details, partially covered in moss. Didn’t I already tell you there was no more monkeying around?!There are many temples to see.And Buddhas sitting, standing, and laying around.